Weather: blustery rain and westerly stong wind in the morning. Sunshine in later afternoon.
Dirgers: Matt Graves, Emma Graves, Alison Morris, Simon Morris.
Support Team: Luke Morris, Hannah Divall.
Start time: 04:59.
Finish time: 20:56
We had our plan and after touching the start stone we set off up the road with good humour in light blustery rain.
Checkpoint 1 came quickly and we made use of the facilities before heading up Cringle Moor to be met by a heavy vertical rain shower! The next segment over three three hills was wet and blustery and all of us were looking forward to a cup of tea at CP2, which only came after one more hill climb appeared out of nowhere :-(. Hannah and Luke were waiting for us with welcome bacon rolls and soon we were on our way again.
The weather subsided and we were up Round Hill and down onto the old railway line without much moaning. There we met quite a lot of charity walkers coming the opposite way, which helped our spirits. Also passing a group of folks from the USA who commented on the British weather as the heavens opened again!
At Sweet Banks we took the route across Flat Howe instead of going via the Lion Inn. The path here was not well trodden and we slowed a bit as we waded through heather and bog.
CP3 was reached at Ralph Cross and we had more sustenance and changes of socks.
Walking down the road to start the boggy section we saw many cyclists taking part in an event as it started to rain again!
Though the bog with futile attempts to avoid sinking beyond our ankles and inevitable wet feet…. On and on in an Eastern direction, eventually reaching the road at Bluewath Beck and more tea and sandwiches, and an extended stop of 30 min. Feet staring to hurt now.
Through White Moor and a brief stop at Blue Man-i th Moss to wonder. Then amazingly like a mirage the radar building at Fylingdales came into sight and seemed to get no closer for hours! Much joking and discussion about the mirage kept time at bay! But back to reality and now we were feeling the distance in our sore feet and leg bones! More complaining!
Successfully went across the river stepping stones but not the deep mud/bog on the other side! Railway crossing and CP5 led to more tea and tape applied to painful feet! Our spirits were lifted by the notion that there was only 8 miles to go!
We trudged on… feet now getting very painful and one of us getting blisters in this last section. The radio tower was in sight but like the previous mirage didn’t seem to get any closer! Very very happy to reach the finish, not before Simon took a detour to the trig-point to continue his newly found hobby of photographing them because “they all have different markings”.
Fish and chips in Whitby finish off the day nicely!
