An amazing achievement - many congratulations.

Marvellous achievement Roderick.

Very well done.

Peter

Looking forward to reading all about it Rod. It was great to play a small part in the adventure.

Rod,

My congratulations are inadequate and couldn't start to encompass with what you accomplished. You happened to sit with your family at the Pontypool school dining hall table behind me after finishing - you didn't even look especially fatigued - and I know well what conditions were like on only your second half.

I hope you get the recognition you deserve in record books and the national press. No doubt someone will try to beat your time next year or in subsequent years, but their attempts will always be second to yours.

Iain.

I am going to write an article on my Valleys 100 Double Crossing for the December issue of Strider. It will be a detailed account of my first crossing and, because many aspects of the event will be well documented by now, of my experiences on the second. The final thirty miles of the event for me were certainly interesting! I will also reflect on what motivates me to do these extreme things.
The Valleys Hundred of course had been in the planning for several years but it was only towards the end of last year that I decided to have a tilt at doubling it.
Some will recall that I attempted to do a Double Crossing of the Cant Canolbarth 100 in 2007.
I failed.
Poor planning and insufficient training were my mistakes. I did no route reccies and then to cap it all I tried to be clever by walking the first crossing in reverse to the event. This rendered the route description ineffective, thus making navigating harder especially during the night. I reached Glascwm at 78 miles before abandoning the walk with knee issues. I felt that had I walked the route in the right direction I would have given myself a greater chance of success.
I was a long time coming to terms with my failure on the Cant Canolbarth Hundred, I felt that I had thrown it away. The knee issues were not serious and medication (I did not carry any) would have enabled me to carry on. Everything I learned from Cant Canolbarth was carried forward to this years event and I packed pain killers. Even so, knee problems were the one thing which worried me. I felt sure I would succeed if I remained injury free. I never thought at all about potential issues from lack of sleep and indeed this was to become my most serious challenge of the entire walk during the fourth night.
All to be revealed in Strider.
I had the most amazing amount of help and support from the South Wales Group-my group. Having been jolted into action by the creation of this thread I planned an itinerary with ETA's at all the check points and did a series of reccies. I had walked the 78 miles of Cant Canolbarth alone. Barbara Williams had met me at the start and twice on the route, she also put out several food and drink stops. Her help was invaluable and I was deeply thankful to her. I wanted to succeed on the Valleys 100 for Barbara and the South Wales Group. Members of the group walked with me for ninety-six miles of my first hundred. Only the crossings of Cefn yr Arall and Mynydd Carn-y-cefn from the head of Cwm Big to Nantyglo were done solo. They stuck by me during thunderstorms, prolonged heavy rain, strong winds and the night stages, being deprived of sleep but concerned not for themselves, only for me. I was treated to delicious food and hot drinks, and I knew they would be my alarm clock if I nodded off. Nothing was too much of a problem. They were all totally committed to helping me achieve the Double and the emotion at the finish was just lovely.
I feel privileged to belong to such an amazing group as the South Wales Group.

Roderick.

A video created by Merrian Lancaster of Rod Hollands returning to Walk HQ on completing his double 100.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60620372@N07/sets/72157644899954713/

The Double Hundred is well under way!!

Yesterday, Rod Hollands left Pontypool with Claire Murray and Gareth Huw James. Huw accompanied Rod all the way to Pontypridd where he had an evening meal cooked by Gwyn Matthews. David Morgan then took over the relay and accompanied Rod to Abercynon via Llanwonno where they enjoyed a late night visit to the Brynffynon Hotel that had remained open.
John Tinelli took over relay duties at Abercynon, and the weather really deteriorated overnight. But, Rod's feeling strong, and experienced yet more hospitality from another South Wales LDWA member in Tredegar. Trevor White lives 100 yards from the V100 route and cooked John and Rod a full breakfast.
John is remaining with Rod until Nantyglo and the lateste update is that they have passed through Pen y Fan Pond at 62.9 miles.

The exposed ridges of Carn y Cefn and Coity now follow and at Nantyglo, the final relay team of Bruce Kennedy and Sue Wells will accompany Rod back to Pontypool in time for the start of the main event.....when he starts all over again and joins the main field on The Valleys 100 main event.

The progress of Rod and accompanying photographs can be seen at the South Wales LDWA Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LDWA-South-Wales-Group/278861995465219

My initial reaction to this was - "Wow! how can anyone possibly do a hundred after already having done a hundred?" But then I think about what I say to people who are thinking about doing a hundred, who have done 50 and can't imagine doing it all again. I say that they shouldn't think about it like that, because you aim for what you're doing that day. Anyway, it's still "Wow!" and I wish him all the best.

If he finishes he will have ascended a height greater than that of Everest measured from sea level, and his feet will have hit the ground about a quarter of a million times each.

I remember when Rod said he would do an triple Across Wales, we all said that should be good, I done a double that year that was hard enough, if Rod say's
he will do a double 100 then look out he might just do it. Good luck Rod be with you in sprit.

Walking 100 miles will be for some, the ultimate walking challenge. Imagine then that having completed 100 miles, you don't stop, but instead, carry on and do it all again!
Well, that's exactly what one of our South Wales members is planning to do.

Rod Hollands, a South Wales LDWA member is attempting to be the first person to complete a double 100 based on walking an event twice.

He intends starting from West Monmouth School, Pontypool on Thursday 22nd May at 10am and is aiming to return to West Monmouth School at about 8am on Saturday 24th May. He has some wonderful support already in place and will be accompanied for both night sections on the Thursday and Friday nights.

We will be ensuring that all checkpoint staff know of Rod's unique attempt in order to supprt and cajole him along when he tires on the second loop.

I am sure that everyone recognises that this will be a unique attempt and one to be highlighted for its audacity. We sincerely wish Rod the very best of British for what will be a very difficult challenge.