Months of planning, hours of stress, hours of anxiety, hours of research and many many hours of painful training with hundreds of miles ran, walked or cycled within the past months. I've struggled to combine exam revision and 3 Peaks planning (but succeeded, albeit a bit more biased to my 3 Peaks). And it's here. It feels a long time since I was climbing Scafell Pike as a training walk with my uncle in April. That was an easy walk, with excellent weather.
So the minibus is fully loaded apart from the coolbox and rucksack which will go in tomorrow.The coolbox has been stocked up with a variety of pasta, sandwiches, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, crisps, fruit, muesli bars and other carbohydratey-calorific treats. Nothing particularly healthy. But I'll be burning off over 4500 calories in 24 hours, so I think you can let me off.
Thanks to Carl Rogers and Tim Mosedale for advising me on how to use a map and compass. It's something I foolishly overlooked and though I'd be fine with, but knowing the forecast was poor, being imcompetent with my navigation was concerning me. Did some last minute research on the web, contacted Tim (a mountaineering instructor from Keswick who's climbed Everest twice from both sides, www.tim-mosedale.co.uk and Carl Rogers, an experienced walker/climber from www.marabooks.co.uk. Got the maps and compass out and did some practice. Then I realised my running watch has GPS! So I've got both to play with on the journey down tomorrow and should have both with reasonable knowledge in an emergency.
So let's cut the jibber-jabber and get onto the interesting stuff. The forecasts for Ben Nevis are poor. Heavy rain means low cloud down to 750m or lower which is going to make it tricky for me navigating the dangerous summit plateau (with a lovely 3000ft cliff drop to avoid). But there's nothing I can do except go up there, be safe and be well equipped. The forecasts for the other two are more reassuring but not exceptional. Wish I'd done it last week...
With over £1100 confirmed raised (and estimated to reach £1300) the fundraising has gone exceptionally and surprisingly well. I'm not far off some of the other 3 Peaks teams, and bear in mind they've got 5 or 6 in the group to do the work- and I'm on my own! But I couldn't have done it without support and generosity from family, friends, my sponsors and the public who have donated. I've mentioned all of you before and there will be a huge thankyou list at the end because what you've done all means so much.
As for updates- I'll be posting them here throughout the event tomorrow via my stepdads phone (only in the car however). Got a 7 hour drive to Scotland. Leaving at 8.30am and departing Ben Nevis at 5.30pm so I'm down while it's still light-ish. I'll give more info nearer the time about what's going on. A day I've looked forward to for so long is almost here and I feel quite surreal. It's been a good fun challenge so far before the event! No doubt it's going to be a rewarding and triumphant experience if I succeed, and with an average 73% success rate the odds are high. I've done lots of planning and preparation, I'm well equipped, motivated, determined and ready to do this.
Keep updated (sorry for the huge post, although it is the last one before the big day!) via this blog. Wish me luck! It's still not too late to donate if you haven't done so already. Failure might be an option, but giving up never will be. Time to live the dream and prove the doubters wrong, oh, and to smash this record!! :)
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