Poles apart???

I've spent a lot of the last few months buying up various pieces of kit which I'll need for the challenge, walking boots, a new back pack etc. The one item I'm still unsure about however is walking poles. Opinions about walking poles seem to be mixed. On most kit lists they're listed as 'optional'. They seem to be the marmite of the mountain walking world - people either tell me they couldn't have survived without them or swear that they are the worst thing ever created.
I've had the opportunity to try out a colleagues poles for a couple of walks, and have to say didn't get on with them too well. I've never seen myself as someone particularly devoid of rhythmn but I couldn't seem to get into the 'swing' of using them, it worked out something like one 'movement' of the poles for every 2 1/2 steps, when I finally gave up they were just a pain to carry. Of course this training was in the very flat Norfolk countryside and it may be different where hills are concerned. I'm off to Portugal in a few weeks to do some training on 'proper' mountains so my plan is to try to get hold of some walking poles for that then make my decision, watch this space.....

I'm still here!

Wow, a couple of posts then I manage to neglect the blog for a month!

Don't fear, my training hasn't been neglected in a similar way. The rate of the gym sessions has declined slightly but have started to step up on the longer training walks. At the moment I'm trying to do a 10 mile walk once a week. These seem to be going ok so far, a few minor hiccoughs, such as taking the wrong path which led to a sewage outlet pipe for example, but other than that I'm starting to see a difference in my fitness and getting used to my equipment/clothing. I recently invested in a 'camel bak' water carrier which has proved particularly useful over these past few hot weeks. I've also now set up my fundraising page, hoping raising some spoonsorship will help keep me motivated.

Have plenty of other Three Peaks stuff to update on so will now resolve to use the long Bank Holiday weekend coming up to not only fit more walks in but also to catch up on this blog........

Training Walk

Living in one of the flattest counties in the UK much of my training is taking place in the gym, for the most part putting the treadmill gradient up high and walking until I get enough 'looks' from people who want their turn. I also have a few trips to hilly/mountainous areas to get some real training. The third part of this training triangle is my aim to go on at least one long walk in the countryside each fortnight. This is to help me get used to walking for long periods of time and to let me test out my kit. Today was my first such walk.

Having purchased a handy book that details walks from local railways stations I took myself off on the train to Cantly to start my walk. From here the walk took me up and down a series of footpaths through the villages of Buckenham, Lingwood and Strumpshaw before finishing my walk in Brundall. In total it was a 10.6 mile walk which took me 3 1/2 hours which I'm reasonably pleased with for a first attempt.

The route was almost deserted and I found myself quite enjoying the peace and quiet as well as the lovely scenery. That was until my walking poles started making a strange creaking noise that wouldn't have been out of place in an atmospheric scene before something dreadful happens in a horror movie. A few minutes later I turned the corner and was confronted by the scene below.....

Don't worry, I did check and it was definately doll in origin!

All in all quite a successful walk, my new walking boots, clothing, back pack etc seemed to hold out well and despite a few brief moments of confusion my map reading skills were sufficient. Some hours after finishing the walk I am however feeling less enthusiastic about the walk as odd aches and pains, as well as general tiredness, start to make themselves known. I'm clearly not ready to do the Three Peaks yet, I suppose that's why I have 6 months to go but still kind of wish my feet didn't feel quite so sore!



An introduction....

Three Peaks Challenge - three words that are going to rule my life for the next six months....

Towards the end of Janaury this year I decided I needed to 'do something' this year, that something as it transpires is going to be completing the (UK) Three Peaks Challenge in September. For the uninitiated the Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing each of the highest peaks in Scotland England and Wales (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike & Snowdon) in a maximum time of 24 hours.

Since signing up for the challenge my time has been taken up with things like kit lists, nutrition, books about hill walking and training plans. The aim of this blog is to try to record some of the mass of information and activity involved in preparing this challenge which I hope will be useful both as a record for me, and hopefully useful for others who are also comtemplating the challenge. Who knows, it may also be entertaining at times too.....

A little background to me, I'm Amy, age 28, from Norfolk (lovely but sadly not known for it's hills). Despite getting a reputation for trying out extreme sports/challenges in recent years (sky diving, kayaking, white water rafting, marathon running....) I'm really not what you could describe as a sporty girl. I do however like a challenge and can be pretty stubborn, so if I decide I'm going to do something then you can be pretty sure it's going to happen. I am also a type 1 diabetic, although this blog isn't specifically about being a diabetic doing the challenge I'm sure that's going to throw me some curve balls along the way.

So, if you've kept reading this long I hope you'll carry on to find out more about my ups and downs (no hill walking pun intended) over the next 6 months, my kit choices, frustrations, plans, training and so on.....