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14/04/2007 - Training steps up a pace
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The Synseal 24 hour Three Peak Challengers stepped up the pace on 14 April as they climbed two mountains in the beautiful Lake District. On the hottest day of the year so far, the eight climbers climbed Kirk Fell, rested for six hours and then climbed Scafell Pike in the dark as a preliminary for the challenge on 16 June.
"Kirk Fell is 700 metres of ascent at 45 degrees," said Andy Goldsborough, leader of the challenge. "There's no gentle start, after 50 metres it's just straight up to the top. But the final push to the summit was hindered by loose stones, and we were taking two steps forward and one back. There was no wind, and it was so hot the view from the top was hazy so we couldnt see the coast, but it was still beautiful."
After a quick descent, the climbers cooled off their feet in a nearby stream. They then rested at a campsite until dusk.
The next stage of the training was to climb Scafell Pike. This is the second mountain on the three peak challenge and will be climbed in the dark, so night training is essential for the team.
They started climbing as the stars came out. It was easier to climb than Kirk Fell, as it's a less demanding route. At the top the team was inspired by the views. "Seeing it in the dark with the silhouettes of the mountains against the stars was amazing," said Martin Johnson. "I've never seen anything like it in my life."
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The group spent 20 minutes at the top, a luxury they wont get during the challenge, before returning to the campsite and a beer!
Andy adds: "For the next training session we are walking the three peaks in Yorkshire. Its just over half of what well be doing on the day, but it's great practice. We have worked well as a team and everything is on schedule. The money has started to roll in; we now have 1,650 pledged, so it's definitely worth all the hard work."
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