A British Odyssey

by Robert Nock

On Saturday 18 June 2016 three AAC members (Mel Owen, Simon Middleton and myself, Robert Nock) met at the YHA Wasdale Hall hostel in preparation for a week of walking in England, Scotland and Wales. Over the next 7 days our aim was to try to complete all the eight 3000' peaks in England, the eleven 4000' peaks in Scotland and finally the fifteen 3000' peaks in Wales while squeezing in the 3 Peaks Challenge in the middle. A total of thirty six peaks, when including a few disputed 3000' & 4000'ers. This innovative challenge had been organised by Mel Owen who has, over the previous 50 years, done most of the routes many, many times; Simon and Robert were less experienced. So while there was no Polyphemus or Charybdis there were to be the even more famous Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa, amongst others.

The morning of Sunday 19th started fine but before the top of Scafell Pike was reached the cloud had dropped and most of the rest of the day was spent route finding in 20m visibility, a weather we became very used to over the next week. Broad Crag, Ill Crag, Symond's Knott (via Lord's Rake) and Scafell were duly reached over the next 4 hours or so before returning to the NT car park at the bottom. The only notable incident was the disintegration of my boots: fortunately I had some backups which, despite my worries, lasted the week well.

Monday 20th repeated the weather pattern while the group set off from near Swirls car park to reach the summits of Helvellyn and Lower Man. A short drive to Underscar car park and Skiddaw was also speedily reached. Now came a long drive to Aviemore and the Cairngorms YHA. Mel was driving us all and due care and attention was made at all times to not exceed the speed limit.

An almost Alpine departure on Tuesday 21st saw us leaving the ski area car park at 5.50am with the longest day of the week ahead of us. A simple walk to the top of Cairngorm was followed by the now customary misty walk to the top of Ben Macdui before the steep and beautiful descent into Lairig Ghru. A short meal break at the Corrour bothey, in the company of a couple who had just overnighted, gave us a chance to recover. A straightforward ascent to Cairn Toul was followed by a misty tour of Sgor an Lochain Uaine, Carn na Criche and Braeriach. Then a gorgeous long descent down, in mostly fine weather and with views, through the memorable Chalamaine Gap and back to the road at about 6pm.

Crossing the Lairigh Ghru

Summit of Ben Macdui

Wednesday 22nd started off with rain and ever heavier mist during the ascents of Aonach Beag, Aonach Mor, Carn Mor Dearg, Ben Nevis (and its subpeak Carn Dearg (NW)). During our easy descent from Ben Nevis, surrounded by many doing the 3 Peaks Challenge, I think we began to realise that we had made quite a dent in our list and were soon to be on the home leg. The long drive to Wasdale Head got us to the campsite at about midnight and, with a departure planned for 03.50 we just lay down in the cars and fell asleep.

Unfortunately the alarm failed to go off and so it was with a sense of worry that we shuffled off up Scafell Pike at about 5.10 on Thursday 23rd. Unusually the weather stayed clear all the way to the top and we were able to get back to the car by 7.30 but were concerned about the attempt on the 3 Peaks Challenge, now being about an hour behind schedule. Mel and Simon set off leading the way, while I followed along at a max speed of 50mph due to having a space saver tyre on as a result of a puncture. Due to the self-imposed speed restriction and bad traffic I arrived too late to get up to the top of Snowdon to make all 3 peaks in 24 hours but Simon and Mel reached the top before the 14.30 deadline. However the week was about fun and doing all the peaks so I just completed Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl/Garnadd Ugain and Snowdon a little late.

Friday and the penultimate day dawned with us starting off from YHA Idwal. Only a few minutes later we got the news that Britain had voted to leave the EU. A strange, almost surreal, reminder that the real world was continuing. Tryfan, Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr, Y Garn and Elider Fawr were all steadily reached in the heavy mist and rain before returning to YHA Idwal about 3pm.

Odysseans on the summt of Tryfan
Photos by Robert Nock

The final day started as it meant to continue with mist and intermittent rain showers but we were able to knock off Pen Yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd, Yr Elen, Foel Grach, Carndedd Gwenllian, Foel Fras and Carnedd Llewelyn without too many distractions and no views. Before 3.30pm we were back at Caseg Fraith hut and the Odyssey was complete.

It had been a fantastic week and, while the weather had certainly been less summery than we had hoped (with about 75% of our walking in heavy mist and lots in rain), we had enjoyed the extra challenge this had put on our navigation.

My thanks go to Mel for organising and inspiring us before and throughout the whole week and to both Mel and Simon for being such good company. We all felt that, inevitably, while we walked at slightly different speeds on the various types of terrain that overall there was very little difference between our speeds which, for me at least, was a great relief.

I don't expect I will ever do the Odyssey again but I have no hesitation in recommending it to any reasonably fit AAC(UK) members out there. Why not try it in 2017? With luck you may even get some views!

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