Re-Create Boot Camp
Hellvelyn Expedition On a mild Sunday morning of 9 October 2012, 15
of our dedicated Re-Create boot campers met at Lymm services ready to head off
in convoy for a day in the mountains. No one could quite believe what the day had in store for us! After a nice drive down with our two favourite Knutsford
Campers, Lucy and Zoe and our hockey ninja, Jacko... We were soon arriving at Patterdale
Car Park surrounded by mountains with a lovely grey skies looming down on us
while the fog clung to the top of the mountain tops awaiting our arrival. After an initial sulk over some of the hard core walking
ninjas raring to go and the rest wanting bacon butties before we set off, we
settled for a bacon butty take out... Over to the Re-Create Mountain Leader (ML), Jamie Sharman for
details of the climb. “Guys, this is the route... so on and so forth”  The Re-Create Team was all set... walking sticks at the
ready... Boots fastened tight, rucksack covers donned and we were off along the
road and off up into the mist! An initial steep climb through the woods brought us out onto
a nice view looking across Ullswater where we took a moment to take in the
sights and remove our warm jackets... At this time, Liesl Hacker thought it
appropriate to pop quiz test us: Liesl: “Do you know how many Lakes are in the Lake District?” Stu (and a couple of others): “I dunno...?” Liesl (Very Smugly) “One” Stu: “Really, which one?” Liesl (rapidly losing the smugness)... “Err....” (wrongly
pronounces the name of a lake!!) Unknown boot camp voice from behind: (states the correct
pronunciation) Liesl: Yes that one!  Light rain fell as we reached Lanty’s Tarn, a small mountain
lake at the top of a small climb. As we
continued along a nice, steady track with a few ups and downs we reached a climbing
hut... The rain was coming down a bit at this point but the spirits were high,
everyone seemed happy as we stopped and stared in awe at the size of it...Yes, I am indeed talking about the huge length that appeared
from Liesl’s rucksack... Her flask of coffee! I mean, it was BIG! As everyone munched down on their butties, sipped hot
coffee, re-organised there rucksacks, Jamie, our ML explained the reason for
his flask of Bovril! “Two reasons I drink Bovil on a walking expo. 1: It doesn’t dehydrate you like tea and
coffee and secondly and most importantly, no one else likes Bovril so I don’t
have to share it!” PRICELESS!  Moving on from the hut, passed Grizedale Tarn and up towards
Hellvelyn was a bit of a steep climb with a nice twist-back path for most of
the way. As we became exposed across the
top of the mountain this is when HELLvelyn became HELL! The cross wind ripped through us at the speed of a 1000
gazelles and not stopping there, the rain cut through our waterproof clothing
like a flymo! It was about that time,
our lovely Knutsford Camper, Zoe Murphy realised proper clothing and equipment
is VERY essential! The mountain became steeper as we worked our way to the
top... The front of the gang reached the top and huddled together as we waited
for Jamie to bring up the rear... As the final couple of stragglers appeared
through the thick fog, I caught the eye of the very lovely Claire Watson,
bleary eyed and licking her wounds... ooh... Was that 2 fingers I got from you
Claire!  Suddenly we realised 2 were still missing... Jamie (ML) and
Jason (Linzi’s hubby). After what seemed like a life time, 2 figures became
apparent through the fog... Jamie and a very puffed out Jason... (I didn’t know
people could grow a second pair of lungs in there bottoms to blow through them..
But Jason certainly learned how)! Only joking mate!After a quick re-group, we moved on, forcing our way further
up the mountain, fighting a serious cross wind that was pushing us
sideways. I took a moment to have a chat
to our queen sulker, Lucy Goldsmith who was smiling like a Cheshire Cat! Lucy: “You won’t make me sulk today Stu, I love this” Stu: “Great, I love a smiling Lucy” As we reached the summit and sat behind a low 4 way wall,
sheltered from the shocking weather we met some other lunatics also sat sipping
coffee! All fed and brewed up Jamie had
a map check and decided the quickest way off the mountain will be Swirrels
Edge. Third in line, I peered over a sheer drop into foggy
nothingness and in a heartbeat said. “F*!k That!”  As my bum cheeks gripped the rock face I peered down at
Jamie in a hope he would change his mind... As a few more campers behind me had
also witnessed Swirrels edge I knew I wasn’t alone in this stand off so Jamie
thankfully agreed we wouldn’t undertake this route in this weather!Jamie checked the map again and found a route further round
that led us around the back of Swirrels Edge and safely down the mountain...
Although we walked half a kilometre passed it down the wrong track. As we muttered over the map, the men came together as men do
and stared blankly at the map wondering where the hell we could have walked
past a very prominent track... All in all, one way or another, we had to trek
back up to the summit. Now to tell the girls...  As we fought our way back to the summit via a 70mph cross
wind that literally blew us sideways we were all in agreeance that we were
getting off this mountain the same way we came up it albeit very exposed to the
elements that Jamie clearly told us we wouldn’t have to have experienced if we
had undertook Swirrels Edge... the only thing that would have got me down
Swirrels Edge would have been Kaley Cuorco in a bikini stood at the bottom of
it!As we dropped back down the twist-back track into the
mountain, the wind dropped slightly and life became slightly easier... I even
saw Claire Watson smile! We dropped lower and lower in to the hills and to be honest,
nothing else could dampen our soul, we had taken a beating and got through
it... We finally reached the climbers hut again and Liesl polished off the last
of her tankard of coffee we saw Kathy Sherwen hobbling down the track... As Kathy told her war stories of her poorly knees, we set
our sights on the finish line. Final
push back into Patterdale is an hour or so away! Let’s go!  Our lovely Scouse Redhead, Jo and blondy, Helen Clark shot
off in the lead, followed by Zoe and myself and so on back past the tarn and
back to civilization. As we reached the car park, I headed to the mens to get dry
and changed, soon joined by the big man.. Dave Evans and Dave Clarke also
joined us, who smugly removed his boots off and proudly stated his socks were
still dry. How he managed that, I will never know but Dave Clarke
certainly made a point of sharing his news that his feet are indeed still dry! I am sure Dave Evans and myself said the same thing (in our
heads)! After a well earned Hot Chocolate & thick slice of
Chocolate Cake we were on our way back to Cheshire!  An experience it was, the best idea I have had, it was
not! But I thoroughly enjoyed the day
with our fantastic Re-Create Boot Campers and husbands attached, one in
particular, Jane Hyslops hubby who got up and down undertaking nothing more
than a stroll, hands behind back and whistling all the way! Stuart Re-Create
Fitness Ltd (daves socks) |
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