Jasper (Snowblader) and I set off from Llanelli at 8am and promptly got
lost within 5 miles of our hometown.
Four and a half hours of driving later and we pulled in to the car park
outside the Snowdonia railway station to see a couple of people
unpacking unicycles from cars.
There's Neil, Mark, Craig, Aaron, and Steve.
Ian pulls up a few minutes later and totally confuses me when he walks
over and introduces himself as I'd completely forgotten he was coming.
The blank look on my face must have confused the hell out of him.
Ian's on a Nimbus 26.
Everyone else except for Jasper (who's on his 20) is on a 24.
I have to admit I was tempted to take the 29, but was afraid the legs
wouldn't take the constant braking.
Conditions are perfect.
Warm, but a little overcast.
The long slog up starts in a dramatic fashion with Jasper UPDing on a
cattle grid.
His foot slips into the grid and I think we all had visions of a
horrendous break if he shifted his weight one way or another.
For the start of the walk we are accompanied by a lacrosse team (don't
ask).
It seems the comment of choice from passersby is "You're not going to
ride those down are you?"
We have a break at the halfway cafe where Jasper breaks out the biggest
bar of chocolate I've ever seen.
And he's got more stashed away in there too.
We crack on upwards and have a brief break at Kit's wall where, one by
one as we arrive, -all- make the same comment.
More walking, more steepness.
Another quick break at the last tunnel before the summit.
The view once you emerge from that tunnel is truly spectacular, and is
worth the climb alone.
A little further up a debate begins as to whether it would be easier to
walk up the train track or the pathway.
Mark and I choose the train track, and having walked both with a uni, I
definitely think the train track is easier (the train had finished
running by this time of day).
Mark and I met up with Ian and Jasper near the summit, which was
incredibly busy due to a Four Peaks challenge race (I think it was four
anyway).
We wait for the others just below the summit and watch the lacrosse
team have their photos taken.
The weather at the summit is fine, with the occasional cloud blowing
past.
The view, as always, is breathtaking.
Jasper was telling me that he's been to the summit twice and both times
he couldn't see a thing because of mist, so I'm pleased he got the
chance to take in the incredible view.
The others catch us up as sweaty shirts are changed for dry ones and
fuel is taken on board.
The traditional summit photo is taken and everyone gets set for the
descent.
There are several comedy moments when Jasper almost drops his borrowed
camera, then has to run back to the summit to find his gloves only to
realise they're in his pocket.
Craig performs a textbook forward roll from a UPD which I believe is
captured for posterity on film somewhere.
Having walked up the train track I know it's going to be easier to ride
back down, so Ian and I take that route.
The gravel is crunchy underneath the wheel, and occasionally tips us
off, but I reckon it's a lot more ridable than the pathway.
After a while Ian and I reach the tunnel with the spectacular view
where we sit down and chill for a while, waiting for the others.
Soon familiar voices reach our ears and we get off our comfortable
grassy patch, walk back through the tunnel to see the lads riding
down.
Steve is on his way down and both Jasper and Neil are filming him.
He hits a little rough patch, is pitched forward and for one moment I
think he's going to run it out.
Then his feet hit a dip and he's pitched forwards, landing with his
entire weight on his knees.
We can tell from his reaction that he's hurt himself badly (parents
three miles down the path were shielding their children's ears from the
echoes of "F*CK! F*CK! F*CK!" that bounced off the mountains).
Aaron and Craig clean Steve's cuts and we wonder what to do next.
The pathway back down is very steep and treacherous and Steve will
never make it in his condition.
We decide the best option will be to walk down the train track.
The gradient is much more subtle and manageable.
We manhandle Steve onto the track.
Mark and I decide to walk down with him.
Mark has taken a bad fall too and has twisted his ankle.
The others decide to carry on down the pathway to get help.
Straight away Steve's knee swells up like a balloon and walking becomes
very difficult for him.
He rests on my shoulder as we walk, each step becoming more painful for
him.
After a little while Jasper and Ian meet us on the track to take our
equipment off us to make the descent easier.
They both head back down the mountain to liase with the others.
We plod on, Mark in contact with the others on his mobile, seeing how
close they can get a car to us.
At one point it is easier for me to physically drag Steve by his feet
down a grassy back that ran alongside the track.
Elegant it's not.
But it makes twenty yards in quick time.
And the laughing raises the spirits of the three of us.
As time goes by Steve's knee gets more and more painful for him, and
frequent breaks are needed for him to rest his good leg, or to switch
from one side of the rails to the other (the track became very narrow
in places).
Steve can manage maybe a twelve inches with each step.
And that's a good step.
Time is getting on and with the progress we're making I'm wondering if
we'll get off the mountain by nightfall.
Thanks to Mark and the other guys, a plan is hatched to carry on down
the railway line until it passes close by to a farmhouse.
Farmhouse = road.
Road = car.
I have to admit I was a little dubious about the plan to start with,
but am more than happy to admit that I was wrong.
I was all for getting back on the pathway.
I'm glad Mark talked me out of it.
But there was still a hell of a way to go.
Mark went on ahead to see if he could find a spot to get from the
railway track to the road.
It didn't look good.
All I'd seen lining the railway track so far had been barbed wire.
There's no way Steve could get over that.
The breaks between walking are becoming more frequent.
Poor Steve is having a hard time and is obviously in a great deal of
pain.
And then, as we're having another break, just like Omar Sharif's
appearance in Lawrence Of Arabia, a figure appears on the railway
line.
It's Ian, walking back up the railway line to help us.
I could have kissed him.
At least now Steve can rest his weight on two people either side of
him.
Once we get going, things are a lot easier.
It's still hard work.
Steve's not the smallest of people.
We still need to take breaks every now and then.
But we move a lot faster.
When Mark shouts out from several hundred yards away that he's found a
sty which will get us off the line and to the road there is much
rejoicing.
"Do you think Steve can get over?" He shouts.
"He'll get over even if I have to f*cking drag him!" I pant back.
As Steve carefully negotiates the sty, we see the others drive up the
farm road and know that things are nearly over.
Craig joins us and entertains us by giving Steve a fireman's lift for a
little while before we resort to the tried and tested method of dragging
him down the grass like a sack of potatoes.
I have never been so happy to sit in a car in my life.
Steve is absolutely exhausted.
We all drive back to the car park where Ian says goodbye and the rest
of us head off to the youth hostel.
It's almost 10pm and just getting dark.
Much of the youth hostel is a blur.
The guys cook a great curry, but being a diabetic, and it already being
past my time to inject and eat, I settle for a squashed tuna roll that's
been in my bag all day.
Steve has been carted up to bed (1st floor) and we check up on him
every now and then, taking food and drink.
Highlight of the day for me was finding out the youth hostel sold beer,
and buying some cold bottles which hit the spot.
Mark said his goodbyes after the meal and we all retired to the lounge,
where we talked about the day.
Until the fire alarm went off, and we all had to rush upstairs to
manhandle Steve down the stairs.
I still think throwing him out of the window would have been quicker.
After the excitement of the fire alarm (a false alarm) everyone went to
bed while I stayed up to watch a move and finish my beer.
(Does anyone know how Osmosis Jones finishes btw? I fell asleep on the
sofa and woke up as the credits were coming up).
I stumbled to bed at 3am and just fell on my bed still fully clothed
and slept like a log.
We all had a lazy Sunday morning where we all just chilled at the youth
hostel.
It was a beautiful day and would have been a crime to do anything
strenuous.
Steve told us that he would get his leg checked out as soon as he
could, and Jasper and I said our goodbyes and left.
Four hours later we were back in Llanelli, tired but happy.
So...
Same again next year?
--
Into the blue
'ok you primitive screwheads, listen up! you see this? this... is my
boomstick!' (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad8ghkzzi9g)
'best movie theme tune ever'
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0nwe4xqdmm&feature=related)
'imagine' (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w0finuhtnk&feature=related)
'i must tell ze birds!' (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clwuso7vbze)
'blucher' (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn9ddajjje4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Into the blue's Profile:
http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/12084
View this thread:
http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/69569
Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com
