For a brighter future...
Mission Accomplished
Huge congratulations to Scott Clarkson, Jonathan Garrett and Richard Ayre (a.k.a. the Hairy Hikers – pictured) who completed the Lyke Wake Walk on 19 May 2012, raising over £2,000 for Cystinosis Foundation UK in the process.
The Walk is a serious challenge – covering over 41 miles and 5,000 feet of ascent in the North Yorkshire Moors in just 17.5 hours. Jonathan tells their story in his own words, having:
• Each carried in excess of 2 stone of weight in their packs.
• Ascended over 5,000 vertical feet.
• Covered 41 miles.
• Negotiated steep hills, peat bogs, reed marshes, razor rocks, open heather, and woodland.
• Burned more than 9,000 calories.
• Consumed 5 litres of liquid.
“Typically we could not have picked worse weather in which to make the attempt, about 3 hours in we were subjected to heavy rain and howling winds. At the almost half way point (the only place in which to seek shelter) we took stock of our situation. I was exhibiting symptoms indicative of the on-set of hypothermia (a lining in my poncho had opened allowing body heat out and rain in), and another member had damaged his knee to the point of it locking straight. Although the weather was not due to let up we were able to get dry, take pain relief which we were carrying with us, change clothes (again which we carried with us) and eat and drink from our supplies. We made the decision at 08:30hrs that we would press on into the next section to see how we fared, as the next section held the peat bogs, reed marshes and areas of razor rock we determined if we could pass through without failing then the final section should be manageable. We did make it through into the last section, which was the longest 9 miles of our lives!”
The Trustees would like to thank the Hairy Hikers for their incredible dedication and endurance, which Jonathan describes as “the single most difficult thing he has undertaken in his life”.
Well done gentlemen – an inspiration to us all!
