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ratty redemption

ratty's gf sponsored walk

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I asked shaviro from the phobos team, about this and he suggested I posted in here.

In June my gf and her IT team at work are taking on the 3 Peaks Challenge. This is in aid of the charity CARE International UK and involves hiking up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon including driving to each of the mountains in less than 24 hours.

CARE International is a global humanitarian organization working with over 45 million disadvantaged people in 70 of the world's poorest countries.

If anyone is interested in making a donation to this charity event, please see the link below:

http://www.justgiving.com/ctc3peaks

It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has undertaken a similar challenge and may be able to offer advice.

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I have only this to say -

Don't piss about. I used to live a couple of miles from Ben Nevis, and it's a bastard if you're not preprared. Every single week people get hurt on Ben Nevis.

That said, good luck with it, and I hope it all goes well. Getting up all 3 peaks inside 24 hours sounds like a hell of a task though.

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Bloke i used to work with did that, only advice i have is to get into training NOW if not sooner. Walk several miles a day, if you live in a block of flats or a hilly area so much the better, ignore the lift!

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thanks deathbringer, and yes we do live in a block of flats and use the stairs daily, and she has been going to the gym more frequently recently. still though I don't think we can ever be complacent from what you guys have been saying about this challenge.

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Danarchy said:

Also...England has mountains?


No, but the three peaks challenge would seem less impressive if it didn't include England somehow. ;)

I have a friend who does the three peaks most years with his work. I myself am a regular hill walker and what AirRaid said - make sure you are prepared - absolutely. It is very easy to grossly underestimate a hill walk. It's only the UK, right? Wrong!

Your own fitness, physical preparedness and awareness of how it will affect you are big factors. However, never, never, underestimate how quickly things can change on the hills and be prepared for that too. I have twice in recent years set off on a hill walk in beautiful sunny weather in June, wearing t-shirt and shorts but, hours from from decent shelter, found myself wading through knee-deep snow with no real warning that was going to be the case. Strong winds and cold, driving rain can whip-up out of nowhere and, when you're on a hillside, there is nowhere to go and nothing to do other than keep going or turn back - either option could take hours: long enough to die of hypothermia. If I wasn't prepared, I could well be dead instead. Equally, setting off without sun screen and spending maybe 8 hours exposed to direct sunlight isn't a recipe for success either.

Even though I'm pretty good at carrying a streamlined set of kit these days, most times I do a walk, I curse the fact that I have carried some quipment all the way up the hill and then back down having never taken it out of my bag. However, it is much better to have the kit and not need it than need it and not have it.

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Always carry water or sports drinks, too. Even in colder weather it's possible to become dehydrated.

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Don't think I'm saying it will be an easy walk just cause I'm ragging on your short peaks. There's a 2,000ft. 'mountain' in my county that I've hiked a few times and I've had to turn back on a couple occasions because I wasn't up to it.

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This sounds great :)

I've walked a good portion of the Bibbulmun Track and the best thing I can suggest is to do your training in the equipment you'll be doing your hike in. Getting accustomed to that is incredibly important.

I hope her trip goes well.

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evilhomerdoomer, thanks and her team have been given a list of equipment to buy, she's just brought some hiking boots and backpack, and is trying to wear in the boots, I'll pass on your suggestion about getting used to all the equipment :)

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I live in Colorado. We put the Alps to shame here. i live at about 5000 feet (about 1540 meters) in elevation as it is. so understandably, i do a lot of climbing. your task sounds pretty intense, so, as far as im concerned i'll tell you what works for me. (1) lots of water. people underestimate the vitality of water, it will do a lot of good (2) if you do a lot of stretching, before and after hiking, it will prevent soreness (3) warm up by jogging every day (4) this time of year, the weather can change in an instant on the peaks, so remeber that, even if its a semi-nice day, it can turn into a blizzard in a matter of minutes (5) i dunno how high the mountains you're climbing are, but around here, the air really thins out a lot, and it takes a lot more to climb at high altitudes.

hope this helps

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Janitor said:

i dunno how high the mountains you're climbing are, but around here, the air really thins out a lot, and it takes a lot more to climb at high altitudes.


Definitely not high enough for thin air. This is the tallest of the three:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Nevis

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janitor, thanks a lot, I'll pass this onto her.

she also wanted me to thank again everyone who has posted so far, the advise and support you guys have been giving on this forum has been great :)

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If you're used to hiking on higher ground the effect of altitude diminishes, but I remember being in the highlands of Peru (an extremely high plateau area) as a kid, and moving felt as if you were wearing a heavy suit of armor. Jogging or running was impossible except for short bursts.

That's why in football (*wink at Enjay*) the Bolivian team, which is usually not too extraordinary, easily beats other teams when playing as the home team.

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The highest I've ever been (altitude, people, altitude) was at Sunrise on Mt. Rainier which is 6,500 feet up. I tried hiking up there on the little meadow trails, but I kept running out of breath and didn't get further than a few hundred feet.

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Janitor said:

heh. that's not a mountain, that's a hill


Quite. That's why what I do is called hill walking not mountain climbing I guess. ;)

It can still be a tough day out and doesn't stop people dying on the hills with alarming regularity too. :/ Personally, I'd rate the second highest hill in Scotland, Ben Macdhui, as a tougher, and more interesting walk (providing you don't do it from the Cairngorm ski centre car park which is a dull, dull, dull slog up the hill for the first part) but it doesn't have the kudos of being the tallest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Macdui

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climbing 3 mountains in one day is a pretty hard task, no matter how hard they are. i personally don't like hiking as much as i like rock climbing or mountain biking. i've lived in Colorado my whole life, so mountains are nothing new to me (that doest mean that i dont get my fair share of surprises periodically) and honestly, i think some of the hardest hikes i've done are on smaller mountains in the front range because of the arid conditions (and rattlesnakes for that matter) and rocky trails. at high altitude climbing, at least its cooler, and there are trees.

@ratty, something that your gf also ought to know that she should really pace herself. if she over-exerts herself on the first climb, it will make the others exceedingly difficult. another point is that hiking downhill is often harder and more dangerous than hiking uphill. when going downhill, its easier to fall, or trip, and your feet work harder to keep balance. and after climbing 3 mountains, that can become a hazard

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Janitor said:

climbing 3 mountains in one day is a pretty hard task, no matter how hard they are.

Indeed, and these hills are not particularly close to each other so there is quite a bit of travelling time between them too.

Janitor said:

something that your gf also ought to know that she should really pace herself. if she over-exerts herself on the first climb, it will make the others exceedingly difficult. another point is that hiking downhill is often harder and more dangerous than hiking uphill. when going downhill, its easier to fall, or trip, and your feet work harder to keep balance. and after climbing 3 mountains, that can become a hazard


Very much agreed. I've often seen people tearing off trying to get to the top first, or whatever. And they are always the ones who are struggling, out of breath, stumbling and blistered by the time they come down. And yes, coming down is often much harder, particularly on the knees and other joints, especially on tired legs.

Further tips:

Consider getting (borrowing?) some walking poles. They take a little getting used to, but they are quite good and do spread the pressure. I don't use them for short walks but sometimes take a pair for longer ones.

If walking with a small group who want to stick together - go at the pace of the slowest person (putting them in front for a bit is often a good idea). Do not have people go ahead and then keep stopping for the slower one. It's demoralising for the slower person and can really sap their strength after a few hours of it. Also, if you do end up waiting for someone, do not set off as soon as they catch up. You have rested and they haven't. Chances are, they need a rest more than you anyway. Give them a few minutes. Have a drink, or a snack, check that everyone is ready then move off.

Always take time to adjust your clothing to the conditions. Do not try and slog on wearing too much or too little. Stop for a few minutes and put something on or take something off if you feel the need. You are (or she is) going to be on the hill all day so a couple of minutes to put on a jacket, or zip off your trouser legs are irrelevant and will make you feel much better.

If you are stopping, it's usually good practice to put a layer on immediately and then take it off again when you get moving. And the secret is layers. They are far more adjustable than a single thick jacket. Breathable "wicking" clothes are good for lower layers (any decent outdoors shop should sell them). Relatively thin fleeces or "Norwegian" tops provide a bit more heat insulation and I often wear a fairly thin top layer goretex jacket in combination with those for the wind proofing and rain proofing it provides. I have a much heavier Berghaus jacket but it isn't as adjustable (even with all its fancy vents and detachable lining) so I would only take that if I knew it was going to be bloody cold all the way.

Gaiters. Brilliant things. I discovered them quite late but they are one of the best pieces of kit you can have (next to essentials like good boots). They protect your legs from heather, waterproof the bottom of your legs, keep you warmer than a quarter pair of trousers should and I have never had a stone in my boots since I started wearing them. Even if I'm walking in shorts, I'll usually have my gaiters on.

A platypus or camelback (or another watering system) can be useful. These are flexible water bags with a tube attached. Sling them in your bag (daysack/rucksack/bergen) and the tube pokes out for you to drink from any time you want to.

As well as proper meals, high energy snacks are a very good idea (chocolate etc).

Speaking of bags, she needs to make sure that she finds her one comfortable. Modern rucksacks are very adjustable. She should get one that fits her (buy, borrow or whatever) and try training with it. A common complaint - in army speak - is "bergen cramp" an excruciating cramped pain between the shoulder blades that may not kick in until you have been carrying your pack for hours - so you don't know about it until it's too late. I've had it a couple of times and it's not fun.

Feet are the most important. If you are tired, you can keep going. If your feet are knackred and blistered it is absolutely miserable and you just want to stop. She's already breaking her boots in - she will need to make sure that she finds the boots comfortable. She will be in them for hours and working her feet hard. She also needs to find socks that suit her too. I don't mean the colour, I mean how much protection they provide, how absorbant they are, what they are made of... I usually wear quite heavy duty socks but my friend has recently discovered a system of protective goretex socks and thin liners to go inside them that he finds quite comforatable. So, I'll be giving that a go some time. And generally looking after her feet on the day will be important: washing them after each walk, making sure they get some air and can get dry (sweaty humid boots, or getting them wet somehow is likely), use talcum powder (not too much), that kind of thing.

I don't know how big or organised the party is but someone, preferably more than one person, needs to have maps of the area, a compass and the knowledge of how to use them. Even on well defined paths, you can easily get lost, especially if the weather closes in.

Perhaps if she is doing this as a one-off, she might not want to spend too much money on it, but all those items I mentioned are useful bits of kit that she should at least consider. I never go into the hills unprepared these days and shudder when I think of how unprepared I was when I first started - and even then I was much better prepared than some people are. Like the teacher who took some kids up Meall a'Bhuachaille and issued them with bin liners as weather protection. What a dick.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/jul/02/schooltrips.schools

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@ Enjay, using either synthetic or wool socks works best for me. Wool socks work great on colder hikes because it keeps the feet warm, and they prevent blisters. Synthetic socks are better for summer hikes or hiking in the desert, and again, they are good at preventing blisters. Blisters can ruin an otherwise pleasant hike.

@ratty, one thing i entirely overlooked is first aid. it is good to pack a complete first aid kit. 2 years ago, i was hiking in the snowy range and i smashed my toe on a rock near to the top. it broke the nail all the way off, and there was a lot of blood. it was painful and messy because i had no way to clean up the blood and bandage the wound appropriately. i had to wrap it in my sock. if i had simply brought a little gauze, disinfectant and Ibuprofen, the rest of the hike wouldn't have been bad. however, i had to walk 8 miles downhill with a bloody toe, which unfortunately became infected in the following days which resulted in my hospitalization. it was an unfortunate experience that resulted from a minor injury, which would have been entirely avoided if i had brought even a simple first-aid kit.

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I tend to favour wool socks too, mainly for the protection they give. My feet seem to get damaged quite easily, even with very good boots. Strangely, on a recent walk, I had a very nasty allergic reaction around my ankles to a pair of woolen socks that I had used many times before - same washing powder as normal and everything. I've no idea why it happened but it was very painful and was still red and hurting a week later. It made the last few miles of the walk very difficult.

Janitor said:

2 years ago, i was hiking in the snowy range and i smashed my toe on a rock near to the top. it broke the nail all the way off, and there was a lot of blood. it was painful and messy because i had no way to clean up the blood and bandage the wound appropriately. i had to wrap it in my sock. if i had simply brought a little gauze, disinfectant and Ibuprofen, the rest of the hike wouldn't have been bad. however, i had to walk 8 miles downhill with a bloody toe, which unfortunately became infected in the following days which resulted in my hospitalization. it was an unfortunate experience that resulted from a minor injury, which would have been entirely avoided if i had brought even a simple first-aid kit.


Good example of the kind of simple mistakes or oversights we all make - once. Yup, a simple little first aid kit to deal with something like that is a must. Hopefully it won't be needed but, like I said before, better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

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thanks a lot guys for your continued support. I've let my gf know there are some more useful tips in here and she's going to read your posts tomorrow :)

in the meantime if there is anything else you guys can think of, then please tell us :)

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