Walking and Climbing

I've had a lot of trouble getting my 10x10 website up and running and it looks like the site builder has decided he isn't going to do it before I leave tomorrow. Apologies to everyone who has tried to access the site and emailed me saying they can't get on it. If you would still like to sponsor me and help raise some cash for Marie Curie Cancer care you can do just that on the link below.

www.justgiving.com/10x10challenge

To anyone who doesn't know about the challenge here's some info.

Starting Friday morning (20th) I'm going to have a bash at hiking 10 challenges in 10 days. They're wide spread around Britain so to help me get to each one a chap called Don Gray coming along to do the driving. These are the 10 challenges.

The Challenges

1.. The Welsh 3,000ers 45km/28miles - 3650m/12,000ft

2.. The Derwent Watershed 63km/39miles - 1700m/5,600ft

3.. The Lakeland 4 x 3000ft Challenge 77km/48miles - 3050m/10,000ft

4.. The Yorkshire 3 Peaks 37km /23miles - 1400m/4,600ft

5.. The Lyke Wake Walk 63km/39miles - 1520m/5,000ft

6.. Naismith's Walk (variation) aka The Glencoe Horseshoe 28km/18miles - 3050m/10,000ft

7.. The Mamores 30km/19miles - 3390m/11,120ft

8.. Ben Nevis, The Aonachs and The Grey Corries 35km/22miles - 2750m/9020ft

9.. The Cairngorm 4,000ers 35km/21.5miles - 2347m/7,700ft

10.. The Cuillin Ridge 12km/7.5miles - 3050m/10,000ft

Total Distance = 425km/264miles
Total Ascent = 25907m/84996ft

Challenge Facts

An Average day on the 10x10 gives a 42.5km day with over 2590m of ascent or 26.4miles and 8500ft of ascent.

In total 58 mountains over the height of 3,000ft will be climbed.

The overall height climbed on the challenge is equal to scaling Mount Everest 3 times from sea level.

Though by far the shortest challenge at 7.5miles, the Cuillin ridge is the most technical and the only challenge demanding rock climbing skills.

The distance covered over the 10 days is greater than walking the Pennine Way - Britain's premiere long distance footpath.

On average the equivalent distance to a London Marathon will be covered every day but over hills and mountains.

Anyone who makes a donation from OM can also send me an email at steveperry.284@btinternet.com and I'll put your name in a hat to win a pair of Pacerpoles. Thanks

Hope you don't have to swim too much of this, Steve! The very best of luck.

Done. Good luck!

Uttermost respect Steve. That is quite a challenge your doing there? Are you a super fit fell runner? Wow, I really am shocked at what you are taking on board there! Fair play

Done. Good luck :)

Thanks NPC:--)
Thanks Cath:--)

Kate, the one positive thing I can take with me regarding the current weather is the fact that nearly all my training has been in the rain. Thanks

I'm not a fellrunner Smeg, I just do a lot of hiking and backpacking along with a bit of climbing and some running.

Travelling from the Lyke Wake Walk to the Yorkshire 3 Peaks last night, Steve and his support driver Don were involved a car crash outside Skipton. Non of their injuries are serious but the 10x10 challenge is over. There'll be more info soon.
Sarah (Steve's girlfriend)

Bloody hell All the best

Oh, bad news. Hope they're both OK.

(Sarah)Steve/Don - hope any recovery is quick and you're all back to 100% asap.

It's a bit after the fact but I've posted elsewhere to see if it helps bump that charity appeal total up a bit as some sort of commiseration.

Any more news yet?

Apologies for the late response, I've been laid up in bed with a bruised back and a couple of cracked ribs under my armpit which hurt like hell.

Very disappointed the challenge ended with a crash at Skipton. I will certainly have another shot at the 10x10, maybe next May. It's a heck of a challenge and demands to be tried again, the first 3 days alone were really testing.

I did the Welsh 3000ers on day one, which was when the rain flooded everywhere. I left Snowdon summit around 12.30am and within an hour the rain started pouring down. It was a tough start and I spent the entire day navigating in thick mist and relentless rain. Crib Goch at night in a downpour was really exciting especially when I bumped into a small herd of mountain goats half way across. They looked at me like I was mad.

The next day doing the Derwent Watershed I experienced bogs like I've never seen. The whole Northern end of the loop from Black Tor to Bleaklow was a knee deep mire. If that stretch was 12 miles I must have walked 20 avoiding the deepest ones. The ground was sodden, there was absolutely nowhere left for the rain to go, but besides all that I was enjoying the challenge.

The weather was better on the Lyke Wake walk though in parts it resembled the Derwent Watershed for bogginess. We were on our way to do the Yorkshire 3 peaks - having completed the Lyke Wake - when the crash put an end to the challenge.

Thanks to the folks who donated to Marie Curie Cancer and apologies the challenge wasn't completed. I've made a list on my computer of the people who entered for the Pacerpoles draw and I'll sort out a winner this weekend and post it on here.

Thanks also for the kind words and emails, thet're very much appreciated.

For now the 10x10 remains undone but I'm sure next year I'll have another bash.
Steve

Well done anyway - you have already achieved far more in your partially-completed challenge than most people on here could do on simultaneous days.

If you attempt the challenge again next year, post it on OM and I'll sponsor you again.

Take care and get better now.

Thanks NPC:--)

I only just saw that your challenge had got kiboshed, Steve, really sorry about that and hope you and your driver are recovering well. Best of luck whenever you attempt it again :-)

Thanks Kate:--)

Steve - I take my hat off to what you achieved and am really sorry about how it ended. I look forward to seeing you achieve the remarkable feat next year.

Cheers GEB

Gosh, Steve, you seem to have birds flocking round you this week!!
You need to crack your ribs more often!
;o)

Actually I've had cracked ribs on two occasions and they ain't funny; I had trouble getting my breath once and had to be X-rayed for a possible pneumothorax.

NPC I've cracked them twice in 2 years, I'm trying my hardest:--)