Leg 4
Support crew: Martyn
Price navigator, Geoff Clarke, Dave Swift, Brian Stallwood
Leg four starts at Wasdale Head
and climbs Yewbarrow, Red Pike, Steeple, Pillar, Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Green
Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts and descends to Honister Pass.
You cannot imagine the bliss I
felt as Livi offered up a lovely cold wet face mitt and bathed my now very
salty face and neck whilst I sat in the deckchair in the shade of the trees in
the Wasdale National Trust car park!
This was followed by Andrew with a generous lathering in sun cream. I felt like a new woman! I spooned down my rice pudding, drank a
lovely hot mug of sweet tea and was on my way again.
The climb up Yewbarrow is a long
haul and I remember being very pleased to see the cairn at the summit. The descent off Yewbarrow and the following
climb up to Red Pike is also a slog; the descent is a traverse around the back
of the mountain and isn’t very runnable.
However, this section passed relatively quickly and with a new support
team with fresh banter and Martyn leading the way it didn’t seem as bad as I’d
expected.
The little out and back to Steeple
was a special moment for me. I used to
have a severe fear of heights and had great difficulty descending because I was
afraid of falling. My knees would shake
making me feel unstable and increasing the risk of me realising my fear! The
first time I saw Steeple on an early BG recce it filled me with horror. However, following a hearing about a friend
of a friend who cured her fear with hypnotherapy I decided to give it a try….this
from a girl who had no belief in anything of the kind! After a single half hour session of
Hypnotherapy my fear was cured. This
session was focussed on the concept and psychology of climbing tall steep
ladders (which I have to do for my work) and on my fear of high peaks,
specifically Steeple. So, as I climbed
Steeple, I remembered my fear, the therapy, and had a brief moment of victory
as I touched her summit and turned to look at the view! It was a moment I enjoyed very much!
Leg 4 is my favourite part of the
round. The peaks are beautifully defined,
steep and rocky, and there is a huge amount of pleasure to be gained from
visiting them. This day was particularly
notable on account of the heat, clear views and great company. Martyn led the way and, like Geoff Andrew and
Yiannis before him, was finding all of the best lines. Brian had brought his Collie Harry along (aka
Haz or Hazzer) which added to the entertainment for me.
Geoff who continued with me from
leg 3, Dave (Dave who’d already been up most of the night to run with me on leg
2), Brian and Martyn continued to keep me fed and watered; although I was
beginning to rebel a little….boiled potatoes were definitely not to be tolerated
any more and the feeling of sickness was not to be leave me! Martyn produced some Kendal mint cake which
proved very tasty and palatable.
I was becoming increasingly stiff
and the blisters on my feet were becoming more difficult to ignore. I’d slowed down and was losing time, but not
enough to be a problem. My spirits were
still high although I was becoming more careful as I felt vulnerable to falling
in my sore and stiff state and was tripping a little. It was with much relief that I finished the
descent from Grey Knotts down to Honister Pass to a hearty cheer from my
support team and friends who’d come out to see me in.
Martyn & Brian at Wasdale
Ian, Ken, Andrew and Geoff looking a bit serious……I think
I was refusing to eat boiled potatoes on leg 5….it went something like ‘I’m not
eating any boiled potatoes’!!!!
Wasdale Head 14:57
Yewbarrow 15:48
Red Pike 16:42
Steeple 17:03
Pillar 17:37
Kirk Fell 18:36
Great Gable 19:21
Green Gable 19:39
Brandreth 19:55
Grey Knotts 20:05
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