Day 71 has seen 17 miles walked over snow capped hills climbing 2,289 feet in heavy hill fog with one navigational error poor bus catching skills and little view but has been marvellous.
It was an early start today. I was off to the Pentlands to walk 4 Hills and 15 Miles. I had been up late packing and repacking my kit to get it right. I was trying to make the most of a weather window on the hills but could take no chances now the snow had set in. Packed lunch with extra flapjack, route checked, map marked up, new Day Sack Rigged with Satnav, water bladder and waterproof liner then fitted on to the back with all straps adjusted to ensure comfortable, boots checked serviceable, spare batteries, spare laces, compass, torch, whistle, marked map, warm kit, waterproof kit, trekking poles and gaitors. I was ready.
A reasonable night’s sleep and I was up and ready to go. I Said goodbye to the children ensuring they were ready for school. I jumped on to the bus excited about going back to my favourite hills, the Pentlands, but nervous about the weather conditions but confident that I would make the right decisions to ensure I remained safe and didn’t try and push it too far. Then on the train to Edinburgh I was reminded that I most definitely do not walk alone. There had been a problem with the fast train to Edinburgh which was now over an hour late. It only stopped at Edinburgh Waverley so this unscheduled late train was almost empty. I was sat on the train. Just me and a young woman in her early twenties in the carriage. I looked up at her on the other side of the carriage as she settled in to read her book. I decided to start to write my notes up from the weekend. Then something told me to say hello. I looked up and she was comfortably settled in to her book. No I thought. I’ll leave her in peace. ‘Say hello’ came the voice, most clearly and firmly. Before I knew it I found myself apologising for interrupting her then introduced myself. It turns out that Rachel’s husband Stephen was starting his theology degree and training to become a priest while Rachel is an early years teacher. I think I was meant to tell her about the challenge so left her with an inkling of it before Rachel had to rush for her connecting train. I was left with a little extra time to get the next bus and as I meandered gently up to the bus stop I was struck at how stoically Rachel was supporting Stephen in these uncertain and no doubt financially tight times of his vocational training. I was reminded of a prayer recited after communion during the Advent liturgy and repeat a small element of it here as when I said it at the weekend I was immediately struck at how relevant it was to me as I follow his path on the challenge but then how relevant it might be to Stephen as he follows his calling to ordination.
Father, May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;
We who drink his cup bring life to others;
We whom the spirits light give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us so
May we who have received the pledges of the kingdom:
Live by Faith;
Walk in Hope;
And be renewed in love;
Until the world reflects your glory and you are all in all
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen.
It was lovely to meet you Rachel and wish you and Stephen every blessing for your journey towards ordination ahead and very much hope that you come and join me on my journey here on the challenge.
Meanwhile I had some hills to climb. I meandered up to the bus stop to find it closed. Suddenly there was a panic on to catch the bus. Miss the bus and I lose an hour and am unlikely to be able to finish the walk. The bus stop said go to either North Bridge or Princess Street but not which street for which bus number. So it was a 50/50 decision. I went for North Bridge. Got there quickly. Checked all the bus stops on the bridge. Wrong choice!! I Ran on to Princess Street and tried to run up it to find the bus stop. A task hard enough normally but in Rush Hour!! I ran up the street apologising profusely, eventually found the bus stop BUT HAD MISSED THE BUS. The next bus was in an hour’s time. I couldn’t waste an hour so jumped instead on to the next bus to Penicuik, which was not too far from where I had planned to start the walk, hoping the bus went up the A702 close to where I could get off. He started up the A702. Result – until he then turned off on to the A701. I was going to have to take a taxi to the start from Penicuik but at least I would get there. I jumped off at Penicuik and headed straight in to the precinct looking for a taxi number. I saw ‘Archie’s Barbers. I had to go in and was met by Robert Archibald and Tom Edgar. They were hugely helpful and while I waited for the taxi I told them about the challenge. They have joined me on this journey already!! Thank you Robert and Tom for your help. Thank you for joining the journey. I hope you enjoy it and if so please do what you can to spread the word and raise awareness. The taxi driver arrived promptly and was another cheerful soul who looked after me beautifully. Dropped off. 1120hrs. I’d lost an hour but there were some escape routes on decision points if I needed them but I was going to have to push hard.
I set off and immediately felt comfortable in the hills. They welcomed me on and almost guided me on my way despite the chill breeze, thick hill fog and lying snow which in places got to shin deep. I was going well and making good time when by North Esk Reservoir a lace snapped. Cut by the clasp on my gaitors and had to stop to replace it. Thank goodness for the thermal sit mat I carry with me!! Job done I wanted to get off again. The paths were still discernible under the snow so pushed on. It was only when I tried to deviate from the paths across a Heathered field for a short cut that I got in to trouble. The Heather increased the depth of snow to be navigated to knee deep. It was hard work so head down I ploughed on not wanting to stop to do a map check in the biting wind that felt a little like sticking one’s head out of the window on the motorway in February. I was happy where I was going but then I realised that the point of reference I had been using, picked out from a compass bearing, and thought at the time was a single sign post was in fact a fence post. One of likely hundreds of similar looking fence posts through the mist. Each time I looked up I must have locked on to another fence post now visible as I moved forward with the previous being lost in a fold in the ground to me. Each fence post must have brought me further East each time. Once I realised the mistake I had made I had taken myself a long way off course to tackle Hare Hill. The smaller of the four hills but part of my original plan. I had to make a decision. Push on or turn back. I was exhausted after pushing far further than I needed to have done through the deep snow filled Heather but I wasn’t ready for giving up completely. There was another option. Circumnavigate Hare Hill and push on to West Kip and East Kip ( 1,806 feet) and Scald Law (1,899 feet) – the tallest peaks in the Pentlands and had to be tackled!!
The fog was back down so had to rely on a compass bearing but with a good grid reference from my satnav I was able to take a good bearing and march on it. I was straight on to the marked and well surfaced paths so made up good time as I went over West Kip then East Kip. It was now late afternoon and had hit an obvious lee in the hill from the wind so stopped and had some lunch. Gloves off and mittens on I set off for the big one on this walk. Scald Law. On the way down I was poling down through thicker snow which tumbled down the slope in front of me as I descended then on the other side I saw another figure poling down Scald Law towards me in exactly the same fashion. We exchanged jokes about the glorious view at the tops and then I sensed he would like the challenge. It was a very quick intro in the lee still of the hill but still chilly. However it was a pleasure to meet you Chris and again I very much hope you do come and find me. If you do I hope you enjoy it and if so please do what you can to spread the word and raise awareness.
I surmounted Scald Law and could either go North to rejoin the route I had planned to do but would probably not have the light to finish or go South and run off the hill onto the A702 to catch a bus back to Edinburgh for the train after 11 rather than 15 miles walked but still having completed the 3 big peaks of the Pentlands. I was going to be sensible and run off the hill ahead of the light. Once on the road I turned left for Edinburgh guessing that there must be a bus stop on this road with a bus going in to Edinburgh. There was, but a long way away. I was committed so kept going until I found it even making up a song to keep me amused as I walked this long footpath next to an A road. I even kept a jogger amused as I burst in to full song about bus stops just as she came jogging up behind me. Mile after mile I found a bus stop but at each bus stop there was only one bus due in an hours time. It was almost as it I was walking as fast as the bus would travel because I never managed to close the gap to less than an hour for the bus at each stop. It was soul destroying as the darkness came in heavy and I realised that I should have taken the turning to Penicuik 5 miles previously. Eventually I passed the fork at which the A701 joins the A702. That must increase bus traffic and eventually found a stop. That was now 17 miles walked in total for a Mocha bought from a garage Costco machine with a flapjack I found hard to unwrap as I shivered spilling my Mocha in the bus stop waiting for the bus. It came 15 minutes later and took me to the train station. The nice bus driver even stopped in an unscheduled bus stop immediately outside the station for me. What a man!!
A great day with no accidents, no seizures, great people met and only one navigational error!!
So………
The challenge in numbers total since the start:
Days completed: 71
Total Miles Cycled: 394
Total Miles Walked: 331.5
Total Miles Run: 18.8
Total Distance Swum: 150 metres
Total Miles covered under own steam.816.3
Total Height Gained under own steam: 28,126 feet
Mountains Climbed: 5
Hills Climbed: 14
Days of Voluntary Activity: 5.5
Organ tunes learnt and performed: 5
Salmon Caught: 0!
Curling Matches played in: 3
Curling stones placed on the button (the centre of the target): 1
Weight Training Sessions: 7
Aerobic Circuit Sessions: 2
Press Ups: 107
Pull Ups: 27
Sit Ups: 107
People Met and Hands Shaken: 278
Pots of tea shared: 17
Prayers joined on the top of a hill: 2
Prayers joined in the street!: 1
Pills popped: 306