Adrian's Photoblog

I never really thought I'd do it... I never really even thought about whether I wanted to...it was just something my great cycling cousins did, but not me. Then Steve did it, then Mark said he'd been roped into it, and I was cycling offroad in the new forest in May and I suddenly started to imaging I was doing it...and it felt good...and a seed was sewn. Next time I was on the bike it was there again, so it was time for a conversation with Phil about what it was really about. And here I am, doing the 3 peaks, arriving at Cold Cotes after what I can only call a hysterical decent of Ingleborough, taking 3 tumbles on the squelchy ground only to find myself laughing at how soft the landing was, and how limited my offroad cycling skills were. And this after walking up the otherside, enjoying 20 minutes or so with Mark, wondering if the 12kg piece of awkwardly shaped metal was going to be any use to to me today, or just there for fun.

And so onto Whernside...and it's amazing how the group thins out when you're near the back, which kind of suited me really, but maybe it made it a bit easy to ease off on the ascent - rather than push myself. On the decent I realise that the 3 peaks is not about whether you have Landcruisers or tubulars, or whether to have energy powders or electrolytes, it's about being able to ride your bike....and I couldn't !! I tried all sorts of routes, but all options were steep and either rocky or steep mud/grass...so carrying seemed the safest option. i'm not laughing now, because if Pen-y-ghent is this hard, then I may still get round, but I'm know I'm out of my depth, and risk a nasty fall..

After encouragement and flapjack from our enormous support team, I'm on my way to the Ghent, and munching a Torq bar because I said I would. As I start ascending the track, riders are hurtling down which is quite nerve racking....I've still got to come down there....but not yet. Higher on the hill, I see Steve...then Phil....then Mark....and it's uplifting to see them and the warmth of their greeting. Before long I'm on my way down, and it's great cycling. A lovely 'ski traverse' contouring decent above the path, with my Landcruisers holding their edge superbly, and then as we get off the steep bit I start cycling, and keep cycling, for the longest period off-road of the day. It's hard on the arms, but the sun is shining in my face, and the puddles reflect the blue sky.. and I want to stop and take it all in, but not today... The last riders are still on the mountain behind me and so have the track to myself, apart from a few amazingly tolerant walkers.

I'm at the finish, swapping stories, comparing checkpoint times, feeling good. Someone says 'Will you do it again Adrian', and I'm not sure what to say...I never really thought I might do it again..! And in the car back home the next day I'm thinking about what I could have done differently to improve on my time....and another seed is sewn.

For my records, food/drink as follows banana at Helwith Bridge, 500ml energy drink and a Torq bar over Ingleborough. Torq bar on route to Chapel-le-dale. 500ml energy drink over Whernside, 500ml electrolyte and piece of flapjack at Ribblehead. torq bar on road to Horton, and some 'energy jelly beans' and 500ml energy drink over penyghent. This all seemed to work perfectly.

My times were as follows:
Ingleborough - 1.20 Cold Cotes - 1.47

Whernside - 3.00 Ribblehead - 3.42

Penyghent - 5.04 Finish - 5.40

So, back to the familiar for summer this year and a week for Soph and Izzy alone, with us joining them on the second week.
It was unusually cool this year, with daytime temps reaching only 24-25 C, and a fair bit of cloud and rain around.
Still, the more temperate weather was perfect for walking, and we did some good walks in the mountains behind the lake, including an ascent of Le Berceau, which I last climbed with Dee in 1989.
Click on the title for the full set

I said I'd take both girls on a 16th birthday 'treat' with me to the Alps and after a lovely trip with Sophie to the Aravis in June 2007, this year it was the nearby Anterne with Izzy.
As always nothing prepares me for the wonderful things I'm going to see, hear, and experience - and with perfect weather this was a great trip. We stayed 2 nights at the Alfred Wills Refuge, and on day 2 did a walk along the ridge above at 2500m.
The 'icing on the cake' when you walk in this area are the views of Mont Blanc, and as you enter the Anterne high pasture, it's suddenly there...and from thereon it's never far away.

Click on the title to see more pictures of the trek. This photo is one of the 2 waterfalls in the lower part of the valley on our way up after an early start that morning from Romsey..!!

Photos from my trip with Sophie in June 2007 can be found on the blog for that month.