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kilimanjaro trainingThis page details the training we have been/are doing as a group. Individuals are training separately but here we concentrate on the coordinated group efforts.
Note: as two of the team come from Ireland this page mainly details the Shirenewton centric training efforts.
Page updated 26th July 2010 20th june - monmouth --> chepstow via offa's dykeSunday 20th June saw our last group training exercise - the 17 mile Offa's Dyke Monmouth to Chepstow section. This was exactly two weeks before setting out - a sobering thought. Lyn was away so Dave, Kha Koon, Kevin and Charles (joined by Ian and Mark) set out from Monmouth at about 9:30. The early part of the walk is a stiff uphill to The Kymin. The walk then follows various woodland trails and meadows. There are a total of four climbs. We managed two before lunch (on the bank of the Wye) and then two afterwards.
The walk has stunning views. The view from Devil's Pulpit over Tintern is particularly wonderful (see the photos). We arrived at Chepstow at 5:30pm in time for a well earned pint. Next stop - Kilimanjaro! Remember, you can follow the attempt on twitter here.
30th may - pen-y-fan - done!Sunday 30th May saw us all have another, this time successful, attempt to get to the top of Pen-y-Fan. In the end it was easy. The walk up from the car park took just under 1.5 hours.
As you will see from the photos, we found the cairn we turned round at last time in the wind and it really is just a short way from the top. However, having done it, we are even more convinced that it would have been very stupid to attempt the final climb to the top in the wind.
We took a circular route back resulting in almost exactly 4 hours of walking.
Dave & KK's photos:
22nd & 23rd may - cliff walking in aberporth (west wales)The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd May we had arranged to go cliff walking in West Wales. Based in stunning scenery of Aberporth, a group of 10 of us had rented two cottages. Everyone arrived on the Friday evening and most spent a happy hour or several (depending on arrival time) in the local pub. However, they closed sharp at 11:00pm and a one car arrived at 11:01pm - oh dear!
At about 8:00am the next morning most of the group set off to walk to north along the cliffs to New Quay. Some of the non-Kili team took a boat trip 1/3 of the way there. Aberporth to New Quay is about 13 miles of difficult cliff walking. The path dives down into coves and steeply back up again. However the view and scenery is spectacular and a couple of the coves have treats - a coffee shop selling ice cream and/or cold drinks. It turned out to be the hottest day of the year with temperatures approaching the 80's (~25 deg C). It's not only the view, the wildlife is fairly lively as well. We saw several seals were basking on the rocks.
The walking environment is quite varied. As you can see from the photos, one moment you are up on top of the cliffs, the next in an apparent 'rain forest' type environment. It's not easy and, to do the whole walk, you do need to be fit and accustomed to walking. However, it is wonderful and is a highly recommended walk for anyone who enjoys walking.
We staggered into New Quay at about 3:30pm, found a pub with a beer garden and relaxed.
We had initially planned to take the bus back to Aberporth (there was a solitary bus at 4:45pm). Arrangements had been made in the pub the previous evening to arrange a boat trip back. It was sold as a 30 minute ride with collection at 5:00pm from New Quay harbour. However, on phoning to confirm the boat at 4:30pm, it transpired that it wouldn't leave until at least 5:30pm, it would take at least an hour and it had no seats. So we raced up (of course) the hill to the bus stop just in time.
Needless to say, the bus is not a door-to-door service, so as we were based slightly to the south of Aberporth, by the time the day was over, we reckon we had walked about 15 miles.
The evening was spent in an excellent local restaurant 'building up reserves'.
The next day a smaller group (just the Kili team) set out to walk south along the cliffs to Mwnt. Again a glorious day, we saw seals and dolphins. There was a brief ice cream stop at the National Trust shop in Mwnt bay, before we followed an inland route back covering, in total, about 10 miles. So, approximately 25 miles over the weekend. Not a bad effort.
Lyn's photos:
Dave & KK's photos:
5th April - easter monday - pen-y-fan (again)Having failed on our 1st attempt to summit Pen-y-Fan, we decided to have another attempt. This time it was Easter Monday (a public holiday in the UK). We set-off to attempt the same route. AND FAILED AGAIN! Oh dear!
This time it was the wind. The wind was vicious. The story is this. Ahead of us by about 15-20 minutes was a army platoon (with full backpacks and assault rifles). After walking about an hour we were making our way along the ridge (being careful to stay away from the edge as the wind was very strong). We then saw the army platoon coming back through the mist towards us. We assumed they had been there and were on their way back.
No. They had turned back as the wind was in danger of blowing a fully grown man, with full pack and assault rifle, off his feet - yes it was that strong. The first words from the officer we spoke to were "Are you going to risk it?". The answer was, of course, no.
We continued for another 15 mins or so until we reached the pint where the ridge narrowed considerably (at this point we were only a couple of hundred feet from the summit) and, once again, decided that discretion is the better part of valour and retreated.
As you can see from the photos taken back at the car park. Its was quite pleasant down the bottom of the mountain (but still windy). It just goes to show how, in the mountains, the weather is very unpredictable.
Charles photos:
Some more from Noelyn:
and some from Dave & KK:
27th/28th february - brecon beaconsWe arranged a weekend in the Brecon Beacons to do a couple of days back-to-back walking as a starter for this. This was led by Charles.
We based ourselves in Talybont-on-Usk and spent the Saturday ridge walking (~10 miles). On the Sunday, after an excellent evening in a local Inn, we attempt to climb Pen-y-Fan (the highest mountain in South Wales) starting on the Brecon side (at SO 025248 on OS map OL12 for those interested). However, after climbing for about 45 minutes, we were beaten back by a snow blizzard!
Visibility dropped to about 10m (~30 feet - although it doesn't look like that in the photo below which was taken slightly lower down the mountain) and the path was rapidly becoming covered in snow - we decided that 'discretion is the better part of valour' and hastened back down the mountain and finished the day walking around Talybont reservoir. A few photos:
And some from Lyn:
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