Peak District - 4 Inns Challenge Walk 31/01/2012

Distance - 40miles
Ascent - 8000feet
Time -  14hrs 50min

Route - Holmbridge Parish Hall - Isle of Skye Inn (now derelict) - Black Hill - Hey Moss - Crowden - Torside - Bleaklow - Doctor's Gate - Snake Pass Inn - Kinder - Old Naggs Head Inn (Edale) - Chapel-en-le-Frith - White Hall - Goyt Valley - Cat & Fiddle Inn - Buxton

Map of the route

This challenge walk very nearly didn’t happen due to the long list of rules and regulations and not to mention the long kit list. After some discussion it was starting to look like the group had lost all interest in doing the walk until we got a message from Paul saying he was sending are entry from in along with payment. So that was it we would be doing it after all.

We all met at Holmbridge Parish Hall for a 6.04 am kit inspection witch wasn’t much full empting are bags onto the floor to see if we had got everything on the kit list, like a sleeping bag, bivi bag and a group shelter after been given the all clear we had a quick breakfast before heading to the start line for a 7.04 start time.

We had a short road walk from leaving the start before we found the track that would take us to the 1^st check point at the Isle of Skye. Which the remains had to be pointed out to us as there’s not much to see at all form here we picked the Pennine Way up, by this point a few of the runners were starting to pass us at such a pace you would think we was walking backwards. The ascent of Black Hill was starting to split the big groups up so we knew if we could keep a good pace up all the way to the top we could gain a few places witch we did. We made the ascent without stopping then continuing onto the trig point.

 

We had to make are way to the check point on Hey Moss, at this point the walk was going really well we all had got into are rhythm early and was walking well. Keeping an eye on the GPS we could see we were averaging just over 3mph. Witch we was happy with we arrived at a very busy Crowden YHA. We decided to have a quick 2min stop so we could hopefully gain a few places by keeping are stops small.

We stayed on the Pennine Way crossing the dam between Torside and Rhodeswood Reservoirs following this path to the 2^nd big climb of the day onto Bleaklow, which we could see a few groups struggling with so this gave us a chance of gaining a few more place but it was hard to know how we was getting on with all the teams staring at different times. It was a tough climb making my legs burn but as we went past the teams sat down it helped to spur me on.

 

Along Clough Edge the other team’s starting leaving the Pennine Way and cutting across the moors. We was undecided whether to follow them as we had to planned to stay along the Pennine Way to Doctors Gate, as we were having a discussion a group of older men said if we was to cut across it would save us 30mins as they had been doing the event for a number of years so that’s what we decided to do. Still unsure if it saved us any time, as it was hard going over the bogs and heather. In one way it worked out fine as it took us straight through the big plane crash site. Paul and Dan had not seen it before we stopped for a few minutes to take it in.

 

Then onto the Pennine Way once moor be for taking the Doctors Gate path down to the check point in the car park where we had are 1^st proper stop taking on food and water. As the next big ascent of the day was kinder and are ascent was going to be the very steep path of Gate Side Clough.

It was a path that seemed to get steeper by the minute but we were ascending it well passing the other teams sat down resting. We must have got up kinder a lot better than we thought as there were no other teams in sight. By this time are thought’s turned to a finishing time at the start we said we would be happy with under 16hrs but we was thinking we could do it quicker. We had picked a great route over Kinder and found a track that descended kinder steeply but mainly quickly. Even passed a walker going down on his bum.

As quick as we descended we was starting to make are ascent onto Rushup Edge via Chapel Gate then I think we all would are the next section of the walk was the worst and most boring part of the walk a long road section take us to a check point in Chapel but give us chance to tick the miles off at speed.

As we got into the Goyt Vally we arrived at a check point where the chap gave us the wrong dirctions to make are final ascent or we just din't listen ever way it cost us 15mins. It was starting to get dark but we could see the bright light of the Can & Fiddle Inn we quicked are pace as we was all hungry and are feet were starting to hurt.

At the Cat we took in as much sweets and biscuits in to fuel us for the final push to the finish. Out came the head touches as it was pith black on the tops. All we had to do was follow the track back into Buxton for 4miles. For me it was a long section as the blisters were really starting to hurt and the uneven surface didn’t help. We could see the bright lights on the town so we knew we were getting closer as the pace quickened we soon arrived at the finish.

A fantastic event that we said we wouldn’t do a gain but I’m sure we will.

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Were team 65 Walking Forum see the results

Results