The Three Peaks Challenge was indeed a challenge… whether you did all three, two or one and a half- it was the sort of activity where everyone pushed themselves just beyond what is normal or to be expected of themselves. Someone mentioned during the shakha charcha that followed, that it is a rare occurrence that we explore beyond our limits and that every once in a while we surprise ourselves with just how capable we really are. And I couldn’t agree more! Here is my account of that stimulating day, Sunday 1st May.
The first peak was really enjoyable. Over 200 people from HSS set off together at about 7 am to climb the first peak, Pen-y-Ghent, and just that sight was incredible! From far above we must have looked like a team of ants scurrying up a mole hill. And we were a part of that! In the midst of it all we marched onwards and upwards, hardly daunted by the towering 694 m peak we were facing, so full of enthusiasm and energy were we. As we made our way amongst the masses we bumped into friends, old acquaintances and relatives, people I haven’t seen in years. And so it was with this spirit that we climbed up the first peak walking and talking animatedly, whilst falling in step with ever changing faces, and soon enough we had scrambled to the top. Maybe, it was a little bit harder than I am describing it, but really, I was having such a fun time that as far as I remember- it flew by! As we made our way down, down, down from the first peak, the team of ants began to dwindle into smaller groups with large gaps in between. I found myself with our own Aravind Narayan, Poonam Mistry of Leicester/Warrington, Amrita Patel of Leicester and Nandini Shah of Bradford, and lucky I was in such good company, for the walk between the first peaks to the second was long and my body was starting to complain- the loudest complaint coming from my stomach- was it time for our picnic yet?
But we weren't to stop until we reached the checkpoint, and so I had to drown the rumbling of the stomach with girly chit chat! The distance was approximately 5 miles, but with good company, and words of encouragement, and the inducement of bateta nu shak sandwiches/of a good full picnic we made our way to the check point. It was lovely- we always say food never tastes as good as it does in the great outdoors! It was there our group got smaller still, and after having rested and replenished ourselves me, Aravind and Shaila Gosrani of Bradford set off from the check point to face our greatest challenge yet: Whernside, the second peak.
So we made our way up, enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful scenery, but when we reached about ¾ of the way up the second peak- a point I should mention where it is best to keep going rather than to turn back- we were hit by winds so strong, I can only describe it as other-worldly! Never in my life have I been so much affected by the force of Mother Nature! I remember looking around at Shaila and Aravind only to find that they too were clinging onto the rocks on the side, pushing themselves up straight so as to stop the wind from utterly crushing them into the wall! We were taken by a mixture of hilarity and surprise at the situation at hand- not quite believing it. Now I should mention that the Whernside peak forms a plateau which continues for quite some distance before descending back down. And so we battled through the winds up to the top of the plateau and across it. Through out the whole time the winds did not relent, and we had to sometimes literally crawl our way through. We helped each other with words of encouragement, pulled the other up when fallen, and spurred each other on when fatigued. I felt like I was in one of those, Sci-Fi, end of the world, Day after tomorrow films, and it was all so unexpected that I couldn't help but laugh. I think the hardest part was on the descent, when we hoped that the winds would be less forceful- which of course they weren't. It was difficult to walk down the rubble strewn path when the wind was inching me further forward than is wise on a steep hill.
We were so tired and battered by the time we reached the second check point. Collapsed, with arms and legs sprawled wide out on the soft bed of grass we ate and drank and smiled the smiles of the satisfied and contented. When the last call came for the third and final peak- Ingleborough, we all looked at one another and read the shared feelings of “That’s quite enough for one day.”
