Leg 3: 15.2miles, 6500ft ascent, target time: in for breakfast.
Jonny Shaw, Steve Jeffs, Jarvo, Stuart
Leg 3 is my leg, it’s hard but I love it and I was looking forward to it some parts I cant remember, must be an age thing, so this what I can. It was very dark at Dunmail so Jonny 3 peaks, which is what we named him after this leg due to him only topping 3 peaks,had started up steel fell early to give us a target light as naving was going to be a little harder with that earlier start time and me being an hour up on schedule but I trusted my nav men. Half way up Steel fell Steve asked if I was ok ‘not bad’ was my reply. ‘Are you feeling sick yet’ was the next question. ‘Oh yes ‘I said ‘not to worry it will pass soon was his reply and it did.
I’ve done leg 3 many times before in all types of conditions but Steve had us over some new lines and at times I didn’t have a clue where we were. We had a little fumble to find Calf crag but it seam only minutes before we topped out Sergent man. In the back of my mind I built up a cushion of an hour and I didn’t want to lose it but I felt we were going a slow and were losing time. As as I look back know it was a surprise as I have never once considered times and how fast I would be all I had in mind from the very start was to get round under the 24 hour. With the Stickle’s done we had the long trek to Rosset, and it was still dark, in the distance we could see many bright lights coming towards us quite surreal really a large group of walkers out on a night walk. All the time I was thinking about the need to eat, constantly saying to my self little and often. I kept asking for different things but I had over filled my food bag and Jarvo was find it hard to find things he was have to stop then catch up all the time suffering with stomach cramps.
Bowfell was topped we were half way round I was homeward bound and daylight was breaking, to me this was my turning point everything was starting to look a little brighter me included, the next few summits came and went very quickly even the Pike seamed a quick climb. All that was left was dodging the 3 peaker’s then Scafell via Broad stand. We passed the rescue box shouting Tom to announce our approach, out he popped from his bright Yellow Bibby all smiles with waiting rope, a must on a BG attempt. The last summit was done I would soon being having Breakfast with my Queen very soon. The Scree run was done at a very slow pace as I still needed to look after my heels; I just followed 3 peaks Jonny all the way in, my team had done a great job getting me over the hardest leg and now I was really enjoying it.
A slightly different pit crew at Wasdale, Paul had return home to entertain his New Zealanders he handed the roll of foot inspector to Mickey, My Bacon butty was the hardest thing I ever tried to eat it just would not go down but I new I had to try on the other hand the liquids were slipping down very nicely. I had a full change of cloths and was almost ready to go just that butty to force down time up Leechy shouted but I needed to finish my brew first.
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