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Three Peaks Challenge Day 2, and about the most appalling day imaginable.
Scafell PIke - started out c.05.00 through a river in spate... By about 07.30, barely halfway up and most of the party flagging in horrendously windy and torrential conditions. Four of seven turned back then, the rest of us hared up as best we could, somehow finding the route through near zero visibility with no-one else seen for hours. Real triumph to reach the top; very difficult to find a way off when all ways lead down... Eventually the right route on the very slippery path and down by c.10.00. Hell.
If anything the conditions were worse at Pen-y-Pass, 14.00, but several had climbed Snowdon before and still felt confident ; the three '2-peakers' especially determined. Half-way up the PYG Track, the conditions were not just wet, but becoming dangerous - even on the hillside, it was difficult to maintain balance in the wind, and the prospect of the greater exposure further up led the more responsible to turn the group back at the Miner's Track junction. Tough call, but one hairy descent (very difficult this day with no visibility and water everywhere) followed by a long flat walk seemed better than retracing our steps. More hell. Failure, but it still felt like as good as could have been achieved. £4k raised for the Rainbows Hospice.
