Saturday 13th August 2011
This morning the team left at just gone 0600 with Bob Hawkes who had come to join the team. They were not happy about having to push their bikes up the hill but it was worth having them at the top to ride between the first few peaks. The support team walked up (no bikes for them!) and waited for the cyclists to finish in the cold and wet. It's not an easy life being a support team member!
The support team then drove round to camp in one of the most remote locations of the challenge.They were worried that they would have a 35km walk to the wild camp spot behind Blair Castle but managed to gain access in the 4x4 along the track which is always a fantastic relief! Thankyou very much to Atholl Estate for their help with this. There were lots of river crossings in the 4x4 but these were very well negotiated by driver and support team member Becky Roby. There were still some pretty hairy moments though, including getting the wheels stuck in a bog and all having to get out and push!
Whilst the support team were breaking a sweat trying to rescue their vehicle, the team were doing brilliantly. They had summited the first two Munros relatively quickly in the most awful weather. They had climbed Carn Aosda and The Cairnwell by 0800 and Carn a Gheoidh by 0900. The next five Munros had 500m of steep ascent and descent between them. The ground was boggy and very heathery so it was very tough going for the guys. Tom chose to have his naps in very scenic locations and again had one at the top of a Munro. It was really great to have Bob Hawkes with them today and he joined the team for 7 Munros. The last Munro was summited at 1830 but it was closely followed by a very long 3 hour walk out which Ceri says was absolutely awful and dragged on and on.
In total the team did 40km today. They were soaked to the skin by 0700 but the sun put his hat on for a bit so they were quite dry by 0900. This pattern continued all day in typical Scottish fashion. There was a nice breeze in the evening to dry out until the team had to cross a river up to their knees in the final stretch which was a rubbish end to the day. Becky and Henry went off after the support team’s support to join the climbers on their way down whilst Sarah and Lucy caught up on sleep and cooked dinner. They team pitched four 2xman tents in a pony hut in Blair Atholl Estate, and made beef casserole for supper! The team needed all the rest and sustainance they could possibly get for what is a very very long day tomorrow (Sunday).
The team have now done 25%! It is a massive boost for them to know that they now have a significant chunk of the mission under their belt. They have climbed over 80 Munros too so the next big mark will be the 100 Munro mark! Alex is suffering from some minor muscle strain but is constantly stretching and administering deep heat to relieve discomfort. Ceri is in really high spirits despite a tough day and Tom is quite tired but they are all doing incredibly well!
The highlight of the day for the team has most definitely been the amount of newspaper coverage they have received after meeting HRH The Duchess of Cornwall the day before. Ceri has been splashed all over major national as well as lots of local newspapers with the Duchess sitting on his knee, with big cheesy grins on both of their faces! (See yesterday’s blog photos). To date the picture has made it into the Daily Mail, The Sun, The Deeside Piper, The Kirriemuir Herald, Forfar Dispatch, The Press and Journal, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Record, The Daily Mirror and inside the front page of the Scotsman to name just a few! It looks like being cheeky for a bet definitely gets you places!
Runners, you are all doing a fantastic job for such a worthy cause. Keep it up I have every belief you will finish together. Sad not to still be up there with you, but thinking of the challenge you are going through 24/7. Good luck and take care.
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