Long Walks: Allendale Challenge

It wasn't really my idea. Li Yang put me up to it and I applied for the Allendale Challenge absolutely ages ago and, mainly, it slipped my mind rather than lurking as a nagging doubt. Had I known what it was, I should really have had the nagging doubts....

.

The Allendale Challenge is a fundraiser for the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team and this was it's 30th annual event. The experience of 29 previous events shows in the remarkably efficient organisation which includes a fast registration process, eight manned checkpoints, radios, quick check-back-in and pie and peas at the Golden Lion in Allendale. (Must return here, they let dogs in.)

So, there was me, Li Yang, Diane, Diane's daughter and Ruth who gathered in the main square in Allendale City Centre. Plus 850 other people and several dogs.

Setting off on a walk with 850 others, in a bunch, is, perhaps, not my usual style and there's a certain amount of peeps trying to get to the front and walking too fast for comfort.....  In fact, my all-female team (not including yours truly) set off at a blistering pace and kept it up for 26 miles. I soon gave up trying to keep up, but did manage to connect with them occasionally at checkpoints. They didn't stick around, though and were very quickly sploshing through the bogs, swamps, wet parts, damp bits, flooded sections, wet snow and sucking black peat. (This is ten quid a bag at B&Q by the way, but completely free up here)

Things soon settled into a rhythm, though  and we bashed on bravely. Miles went by damply and a bit muckily. My boots leaked - I was using my old boots due to the fact that I have a backpacking trip coming up tomorrow and goretex boots need days and days to dry out. Days and days and days and....

This is not a route to be meddled with, though. It is, in fact, a monster which eats footwear, splashes peat everywhere, sucks at your very being and just goes on and on and on...

 

There was some wet snow and a lot of sphagnum, floating on apparently bottomless pools. There are dark rumours of entire armies, horses and carts, JCB's and young families out for a picnic disappearing completely into these quivering morasses. At one point, I crossed a bog by stepping on a bobble hat floating on the black water. There was a squeak from beneath and a demand that I watch where I'm putting my feet.

The North of Tyne MRT cheerfully and encouragingly manned their checkpoints. There was soup at some and dark, well-brewed tea at others. And jelly babies and biccies and all kinds of stuff banned by diabetic nurses

At the end there was a certificate (mine says my time was 9 hours and 12 minutes - just 6 minutes behind the girls)  and a badge and a t-shirt and a bijoux buff, which I shall be wearing with some pride, and a raffle ticket giving access to an excellent pie and a fairly mean portion of mushy peas at the Golden Lion. (my only whinge about something that wasn't my fault)

Today, I can walk. Just about. In 8 days, we're having a bash at the Yorkshire Three Peaks, all being well. Technically, thins is just a smidge harder than the Allendale Challenge, but I'm not so sure - the 3 Peaks route has been hardened over the years and doesn't have the miles and miles and miles of gloopy slop.