Three Peaks of Yorkshire Challenge
Wednesday 5th October – East Lancs members beat British Army Soldiers on the Three Peaks of Yorkshire challenge walk.
Starting at 0800 hours from Horton car park Neil Smith (alias Billy Whizz) and Jemma Taylor Thomas (my granddaughter) began the challenge, the weather was gale force winds and overcast. Pen-y-ghent was soon conquered, very tough on the peak but onwards towards Ribblehead Viaduct where I walked out to meet them after I had parked at the side of a minibus belonging to a group of soldiers.
Just before ‘Billy’ and Jemma started towards Whernside 12 soldiers arrived, we had a bit of banter with them and the challenge started, up Whernside at the double, leaving the soldiers standing! There were mutterings about ‘Billy’ being over 70, what was he on??
I walked with ‘Billy’ and Jemma to Hill Inn, they said it was very tough on Whernside, many other walkers turned back and at this point the soldiers were way behind so onwards to Ingleborough.
I walked from Horton to meet them again but somehow I missed them and in time I met the soldiers still muttering about ‘Billy’. I walked back for 3 miles with the squaddies who were still believing this was a bad dream! Into Horton I met up with ‘Billy’ and Jemma who had completed the walk in 8 hours and 15 minutes, a fantastic performance, the squaddies were 1 hour behind them. We all had a good laugh with handshakes all round.
One up for the East Lancs!! Failure was never an option!
Happy walking, Stormin’ Norman, Logistics Co-ordinator
PS: the squaddies were aged between 18-26