Not sure this picture worked but before the climb up Ingleborough

Pen-y-ghent

MMM think the paths a little damp

Malham training walk

Trailtrekker

Top training tip from Keith Chegwin

Mix Weetabix and Aero together in a bowl and you have Aerobix!!! beats the gym!

Thought i'd pop a light hearted comment on with 4 days to go

Our course tips

Here are some of the tips we have picked up during training;

• Section to Gargrave, just walk at a steady pace and let your muscles warm up, if your feeling good dib in and carry on, as no need to stop unless you need a drink.
• Section to Malham, along the limestone track try to keep to the edge of the grass, it will save your feet for later on. When joining the pennine way on this section be careful as this is not a very clear path.
• Malham cove needs to be taken at your own pace, the steps are un-even and differing heights
• Dropping down into Horton-in-Ribblesdale, if the weathers wet then take care on the slope and the scrabbles as can be very slippy.
• Horton to Cam Farm, this section is mainly on hard going un-even limestone track and can really hurt your feet, the climbs don't look much but in total are the 2nd highest on the walk. Once dropping down towards cam farm, its slippy and tricky in good weather so any rain will require extra care, the path through the wood is tricky too with broken branches underfoot.
• When leaving Cam Farm the tracks through the fields aren't very clear and can also be a little boggy. This is followed by a long road section, the good news being this is down hill.
• The section in to Buckden is along the river and gets very wet underfoot with just a gentle down pour.
• From Buckden again the path follows the valley and river and can be very wet and muddy underfoot all the way to Kettlewell.
• Once at Kettlewell the path climbs then drops back to the road, then its the very sneaky and steep climb, the will test legs after over 60km. Then your out in the wide open on the top of the hill and if the weathers bad, it will feel like the worlds against you, just keep your head down and follow the path, if its a clear morning the views are awesome.
• The path down in to Coniston is a steep winding road, that again will take its toll some what on tired feet, save and energy drink for here and just focus on breakfast at the check point, we've ordered bacon butties
• From Coniston the walk climbs again toward Malham moor, the paths here get a little mixed up, due to lovely mountain bikers not staying on the bridle path, so care needs to be taken. Again if the weathers poor you will feel like your in a washing machine as there is no were to hide. The section just before you start the decent to Hetton is very boggy, so care needs to be taken, then its down the old roman road into Hetton and your nearly there.
• Unfortunately we didn't do the final 10km due to being soaked to the skin and Matthew not having waterproofs at all.
• Top tips I've had was using alcohol gel on my feet to dry them up and reduce blisters, also flap jacks are great energy food. Get a bum bag or as i do an old camera bag on your belt for snack (thanks to the ladies who gave the talk at Aireville for that tip). Walk at the pace of your slowest member, and if they are in the zone just let them walk. When climbing hills if a team member is dropping back take a break let them catch up, but don't just set off they may need a break too (they will get very down if you set off after having a breather and they don't get one). Remember you are a team so work as one.

PS i have raffle tickets for sale and also sweep (pain) stake for the time so if your interested email me, raffle prizes include £50 Yeomans outdoor voucher, 2 tickets for Leeds Rhinos rugby, DVD's, Wine, Chocolates. at a £1 a strip, to be drawn on Friday at registration.

Karrimor

So far i have managed to destroy 2 pairs of karrimor walking trainers during my training walks, pretty poor performance in 6 months of walking!!!!!!
Hope this pair last until the events over with!!!

Less then a week to go

Well it all starts on Friday, and i know every member of our team has butterflies now. Weather forecast looks pretty rubbish for the walk :( but we will get on with it.
My feet have healed and thanks to rubbing with alcohol they are toughening up, Steve still has sore heals but is getting there. James has finally bought all his kit, just hoping Matthew has water proofs for the walk unlike last week.
Big push o fund raising ladies and gents so please visit our just giving sight, as even 50 pence counts, I'm not one to beg but please guys we need your support.

Gaping Gill

Trailtrekker

Trailtrekker

Fund raising night

Well tomorrows the big fund raiser at AJ's, Parkwood Street, Keighley at 8pm. Hoping some people will turn up for the quiz and horse racing, also got a sweepstake on our finishing time with £50 and bottle of wine as prize for a £2 ticket. Along with a raffle with prizes such as £50 Yeomans Outdoors vouchers, or 2 tickets to see the Leeds Rhinos, along with lots of other prizes at a £1 a strip of tickets.
Fingers crossed someone turns up now.

British Gas Digital 1: Final team training walk

British Gas Digital 1: Final team training walk: "Well what a hard old walk today was, we got to Buckden at 8am, the rain then started within 5 minutes of us setting off, this was ok as we w..."

Final team training walk

Well what a hard old walk today was, we got to Buckden at 8am, the rain then started within 5 minutes of us setting off, this was ok as we where down in the valley and the terrain was ok. We made Kettlewell in just over an hour, then started the climb, now guys that is a killer steep climb. Once on top the wind picked up and the rain was horizontal, this did not change for much of the walk. Once we had gone through Coniston and toilet break in Kilnsey it was up onto Malham moor, take care up here those lovely mountain bike riders have made a number of paths. We were now into wild wind and rain that stung and took your breath away, the going was very slippy and hard.
We came of the first part of the moor and the rain had found its way through 2 layers of water proof clothing so we decided that we would make in to Hetton and call it a day. Again on the 2nd part of the moor be careful as the paths twist and change with plenty of junctions. Once off the moor it was a bridle path all the way back to Hetton, but beware this is very boggy in places.
Along the way James managed to lose his hat twice, then his £75 walking poles fell apart, amazing James the my £10 pair never do that, we had to spend 10 minutes in driving wind and rain while he fixed them.
On the sponsorship note, the guys at the East Lancs NHS Trust Burnley UCC have been great, as well as the guys at British Gas in Leeds.
Also a big thank you to Stuart Greenwood and Yeomans who have offered to supply a raffle prize.
Don't forget the Quiz and Race night at AJ's on Parkwood Street, Keighley, BD21 4QR on Thursday 26th May at 8pm.

Final Training Walk

Well 15 days to go, so we are doing our final training walk from Buckden to Skipton on Sunday. Hoping for a dry day but hey if not we will plod on and do it. New knee support will be tested to the max, might even feed back to York after with a report.
Needing prizes for next weeks quiz and race night, but fundraising is picking up. I have a sweep stake running, pick the time out of the hat for £2 with the chance of winning £50 and a bottle of wine (not lambrini).
Please guys if you feel like you good spare a few penny's or pounds checkout our Virgin fundraising page from the other blogs and help us raise £2000 which could build a class room.
Thanks
Mark Dunstan, Stephen Balfour-Brown, Matthew Criss and James Dunstan.

Fund Raising Night

Well finally got a venue for a Quiz and race night for fund raising. Thank you to Mick Dowse and the staff ay AJ's Parkwood Street, Keighley.
So come and join us on Thursday 26th May at 8pm, for our quiz and race night (horses and dogs).

Marks Story

Please feel free to read the article the Yorkshire Post did on Mark and his back injury.
Yorkshire post article on Mark

The Night Walk

A little later starting than we planned, left Horton in Ribblesdale (SD807 726 ) at 9:40pm and headed off along the Pennine way for Cam Farm water stop 3 (SD823 821 ), within 30 minutes we where in darkness and walking with head torches, we made good time to Birkwith Moor then across to Cam End where just at the top of the rise we had a food stop, sheltering from the icey wind behind a wall. From there we dropped down towards Cam Farm which include slope tricky slopes and dropping into the woods, then the walk got a little interesting to say the least, the path is not well defined and we did get lost a little. Not sure Neil appreciated the boggy field in his sandals but hey that's night walking, interesting way out over a wall and onto the path. We followed the road then down through Oughtershaw and down to Beckermonds, with some interesting sights along the way, including the 4x4 in the lay by (but that's a story for another time). Once at Beckermonds we took a right and started the walk back to Horton, by this time we had covered about 19km.
The walk back was very dark all the way through to High Green Field but we still managed the strangest game of eye spy ever, then the sun started to rise behind us which raised our spirits. Once out of the woods and back to Birkwith Moor we started the walk back to Horton, with a few stumbles but no falls, and James managed to find a bog with his right foot. Being the gent he his he asked Daryl if she would like to spell it. The walk back was hard going on the lime stone, so we started to play eye spy again, at least this time we could see more then 5 meters in front of us.
Well done to us all for finishing the walk 36.5km in total, in 8hr, or 47,598 steps.
On today's walk was from British Gas Digital1, Mark 'short legs' Dunstan, James 'half mountain goat half idiot' Dunstan, Stephen 'Bridget' Balfour-Brown. From Digital2 Neil 'the sandals' Yeardley, Daryl 'little legs' Shaw. Top show guys 5 weeks to go!
To sponsor us please visit our virgin giving site

Tonights Night Walk

Well tonights walk is from Horton in Ribblesdale to Cam Farm, then around to Beckermonds, back through the woods to pick up the Pennine way back to Horton in Ribblesdale map. Should be interesting in the middle of the night walking through a wood.