The Training Weekend 19/20-04-2008

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• Friday 18-4-2008

Arriving at the Ambleside YHA on the Friday afternoon the team first checked in with the Woodenspoon organisers. After unpacking in our 8 man room we ventured off in to town for our first training session of the weekend, the Royal Oak Inn. A few of the local beers and then off to the local curry house, Spice of Bengal. After dining a steady stroll back to the YHA and early retirement in preparation for the next days events.

• Saturday 19-4-2008

After breakfast it was off to the Kelsick Centre for a lesson in map reading. After completion the drivers stayed behind to learn how to give a massage a vital function when the climbers are back off the mountains. The climbers set off to tackle Helvellyn. On arrival at Swirls car park we were informed that due to the conditions at the summit we would only be tackling 2/3rds of Helvellyn, snow and ice combined with a strong wind made for treacherous walking. This still left us 2,000ft of accent made difficult by a very strong wind which regularly blew you sideways and off balance. On reaching Browncove Crags we were met by marshals sheltering from the wind, this signaled the turning point and it was full steam back down to the starting point at Swirls car park for a well earned cup of tea. The evening was spent relaxing with a cruise on Windermere, evening meal and a few beers.

• Sunday 20-4-2008

On arrival at the Old Dungeon Ghyll car park, kit was quickly donned and off to the start for the expected assault on Bow Fell.... wrong! After the obligatory kit check we proceeded to the starter who then checked to see if we had the correct map and route..problem!! unbeknown to us the route had been changed at breakfast and somehow we had missed out on being given the new route card for Pike of Blisco. We were shown the route on the map and set off along the road for Pike of Blisco, after around a mile we took the path off to the right that headed for the summit which turned out to be the wrong path...doh! although we were later to join back with the correct path the one we took was considerably shorter that the designated one. On reaching the summit and posing for some photos, it was off back down via Red Tarn and Brown Howe and a final sprint of some 300 yards won by a spritely Huggins just in front of old boy Capps, who it has to be said eased of the gas and let him win or he would have sulked for the next two months ;-)

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