FRED WHITTON CHALLENGE APRIL 26th 2008

 

On the morning of the 26th April at 7am Norton Wheelers set of to attempt the Fred Whitton Challenge; I was the youngest. We set of at a steady pace up and over Kirkstone Pass where the clag was in low. We kept the rhythm right up to Brysons doorstep in Keswick. I wolfed down a pork pie and a mug of coffee. Soon enough we were up and in the cloud at the top of Honister and freewheeling down the other side towards Newlands Pass, which had a spectacular waterfall. Now we were all recovering ready for Whinlatter. Once over there we only had Cold Fell between the café, and us. Now we were on top of the long drag and re-grouping once more. It wasn’t long before we were on top of a very Cold Fell where it seemed like every man for himself, as the weather was very unwelcoming and I was realising why it was called a challenge. Once we got our heads out of the clouds we literally dropped into the Ramblers café, Gosforth. I looked like death warmed up but Steve looked worse. We still had Hardknott and Wrynose to go but I was near enough dead so we called my Mum to pick me up.

          

As we asked Steve’s face lit up, but she wasn’t driving all the way over two of the worst Lakeland passes, as she said this Steve’s smile suddenly faded. I wasn’t looking forward to setting off again though Paul said he would push me home. As we were about to leave the café Paul said some more encouraging words as we all waded out through the puddle of water we had left. Once we had got warmed up and on our way we hit Hardknott, which I mistook for a wall in the road! We all got up it in our own time walking or not. The downhill was unexpectedly steep but we got to the bottom with no accidents and immediately started to climb Wrynose the last Lakeland pass. I got to the top despite having to walk. There we waited for Steve and Andy who we believed had found a café on the way up. On the way down my Dad asked if I would like to take a short cut I told him to bog off as I had done the hard part therefore I was going to do the whole route. At the bottom we regrouped for the last time then set our sights for home. Lynn, Sam, Paul, me Dad and me ended up in the first group back with Andy, Dave, Richard, Darrell and Steve bringing up the rear in the second group. Anne and Tony were back before all of us but took a rather large short cut missing out some of the passes; despite this they still rode 90 miles as opposed to the full 112 miles. I think we all slept well that night.

 

By Tom saville