Ian Misses his 55 @ 55

After 23 hours, 60 miles and 25,000 feet of climbing a dash of common sense prevailed and rather than setting out for the final 5-6 hour last leg I retired at Threlkeld, utterly exhausted. Not enough daylight, too much bracken and some of the most greasy rock I have ever encountered did little to help. By breakfast at Wasdale I think I was about an hour behind the schedule and although the rock thereafter was never quite as bad as it had been on Great Gable conditions didn’t improve enough to allow the time to be recovered. It was, as Paul Murray suggested, probably just too late in the year.

Fantastic support from Pauline, Richard Baker, Albert Sunter, Karl Taylor, Philip Dewhurst, Suzanne Budgett, Ros & Paul Murray, Ed Swift from HRMI, Dave Bateson, Richard Scott, Bill Williamson, Julie Laverock and Rae Pritchard. Others, including Mary & Andy White, looked in on the mid-afternoon “party” at Dunmail, as did Billy Bland although he didn’t wait on me arriving.

Next June is only 9 months away so I’ll have to get a calendar out soon and I think I may already have identified the 56th Peak.

Thanks all, until next time.

Ian Charters