Sandra is back, both fitter and more determined than last year. She asks me if I can support from Rossett Pike but am later down-graded to meet at Sty Head; this works well as I travel with Kath and Victoria to Wasdale.
It seems strange to be home when Sandra was already on her way, text updates suggested she was ahead of schedule and I twice brought forward our departure time.
Once at Wasdale we sort kit, drink tea and then head up to Styhead. The weather is ideal, although a little cool as we sit and wait for sight of Sandra. She appears and we jump into action; she is looking well and just about on schedule or perhaps a few minutes behind. I make her coffee and porridge but suggest we don't wait long.
It is a steady walk up Gable and at the summit we are confronted by cloud, wind and rain - this is not fair ! I take a bearing and head off the right way, we descend the large boulders, still in the mist, and I feel that I am leading us the wrong way - stupidly, despite this, we carry on and as we come out of the cloud I realise my mistake. Too far right and this brings us out on the traverse path below Gable.perhaps 10 minutes wasted, I am furious with myself, but try not to let this show to others and make sure that my leading is faultless from now on.
Kirk Fell goes well, the weather has cleared and we are blessed again with ideal conditions. It's not warm though, and at a steady pace extra layers are required. I am obvious of so many things when pacing...time, pace, navigation and, of course, the most important person, Sandra.
I am concerned that we are losing more time and Kath and Victoria do a great job spurring Sandra on gently and, later on, not so gently :-)
View from ascent of Pillar, looking back to Kirk Fell and Great Gable (Sandra is in the blue jacket, with poles):
I keep calculating how we are doing....will she or won't she do it within 24 hours ?! We have eaten into her 30 minute buffer and it will be tight - come on Sandra, keep it going !
Once over Pillar, which is a big climb at the best of times, we are on to Scoat Fell and out to Steeple. The sun is starting to go down, it cools, and as we head out on the ridge conditions are perfect - I deliver the sunset as requested.
It gets harder, Sandra is tired and finding it hard...I think she is allowed to....on to Haycock and I make absolutely sure I know where I am heading; compass bearing, even in these good conditions, just to make sure. We get a good line, down into Pots of Ashes. Almost dark now and a whole selection of very bright torches light the way.
The hard climb to Seatallan is where I start to think it's not going to happen. Sandra tells me that this is the hardest thing she has ever done, I accept this but when she tells Kath she can't go on, that's not accepted....lesson learnt, be careful what you say to Kath ! :-)
We make it to the summit, we have not a second spare from now on, all the time buffer has gone. Another bearing, the outline of Middle Fell is silhouetted against the clear, black sky and there is a trail of lights on Sca Fell Pike...3 Peakers !
We make it to Middle Fell, Sandra is exhausted (she's allowed to be after over 23 hours of being on the move). I check my watch, we don't have long....I'm now on a mission - I tell Kath and Victoria that we need to 'go for it', I say little more to them but think they get the message.
Sandra is struggling to stay upright, learning forward and close to tumbling out of control. I take her by the arm and keep shouting at her (yes, me shouting !) to stand up straight, this is the only way she can get down the hill to the finish without forward rolling all the way !
It's difficult for me to hold her so Victoria takes the other arm and Kath clears the way ahead !!! It's ok for Sandra, she's on the trod, Victoria and I are off road, through the bracken, over boulders but still we hang on and drive Sandra on.
The lights of Greendale never seem to get any closer, I check my watch again, I think she will do it. We go like mad, hit the road and run the last few metres to the bridge and to the man himself, Joss.
She's done it, with just 3 minutes to spare - she is physically exhausted, I am mentally exhausted - but she has achieved :-)
Sandra later tells me that her quickest time to descend Middle Fell is about 45 minutes, her scheduled time was 35 minutes and she made it down tonight in about 27 minutes - what a great effort.
Celebrations don't last long, it is 00:30 and we are in Wasdale. We get a lift back down to the head of the valley and, at the camper, have some much needed food and drink. I drive home, the sun rises and a new day dawns. Home by 4am and soon to bed - what a day !
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