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“On a High …”The Scafell Pike Challenge 2009 by Darren Niman
This Scafell Pike Challenge 2009 was, in a nutshell, a truly amazing and memorable experience. To be able to take part in such an event was a privilege; to be able to use one’s abilities to help make a difference to peoples’ lives is surely the most rewarding thing. Although I do not have Epilepsy, I am very well aware of its effects; I was made aware of the charity Epilepsy Action after meeting my musical companion and soulmate Mimi, a talented young violinist and Music Librarian who plays in the Alderley Edge Orchestra and Manchester Beethoven Orchestra. These two orchestras are where we both play; I am the Principal Timpanist. Mimi has a full time position as Music Librarian at the Royal Northern College of Music. Although Mimi and Emily (her friend whom she met on the Ben Nevis challenge in 2008) were not able to join us on this occasion, this particular weekend was dedicated to them and I stated that after dinner on Saturday evening.
Meeting up with the other participants at the Glaramara Outdoors Centre in Borrowdale on Friday 3rd July, we were made extremely welcome by the Directors of Charitytrek, Ian Glassey and Alice Watson, two remarkable people whom I would love to meet again soon; I would have no hesitation in working with them either in a voluntary or professional capacity. One of the guides at the centre gave us a briefing about what to expect and a quick kit check followed, then we all made our way to the dining room for a most excellent repast, the irony being that after all this getting fit lark, we were confronted by probably the most tempting, delicious food ever seen in the Borrowdale Valley.
The next morning, after a lovely filling hearty breakfast, we were introduced to our guides for the day, Tom and Lucy, then we all hopped on a nice big red minibus, driven by Ian to the start of the walk at Seathwaite Village. The route on the way up took us over Stockley Bridge and past Styhead Tarn, then up the ‘Corridor Route’ underneath Great End, progressing through the gusty wind and mist and then to the top of Scafell Pike. One has to admit, after a gap of some years from mountain walking, doing this major climb was quite something and when approaching the top, I don’t know where all my strength came from but it was amazing, something just inside me compelling me to go, go and go, not giving up. This was a very philosophical moment and I mentioned this to Lucy and Tom as we approached the summit. If you can believe, you can achieve. If you can set your mind on something, with determination you can succeed. If you can live your life to the full despite having a disability, then go for it.
At 2:20pm, we did indeed make it to the top and it was like a busy transport interchange. People everywhere. Like Didsbury Village on a typical weekday. Even in that weather, the mist, the wind, people everywhere, huddled over their sandwiches. Was there a great view from the top? No such luck, but we did it, we did it. We could always ‘Google’ for somebody else’s photo’s later on.
Despite reaching the summit and its associated euphoria, we also sense its profound emptiness. In his typically uncompromising assessment, Alfred Wainwright himself, the famous father of Fellwalking, says:
“Nature’s design for the roof of England is a desolation of stones of all shapes and sizes, a barren waste where only mosses and lichens can find sustenance, an inhospitable desert without grace, without charm and without colour other than the drab grey of volcanic rocks.
Man’s contribution to the scene is an huge circular stone platform, a plaque commemorating the gift of the summit to the nation; an Ordnance column, and litter. There is no beauty here.” – Fellwalking with Wainwright, 1984
It is perhaps a sign of the times that despite mankind’s achievements, his ability to conquer some parts of the world, there is perhaps a downside …
The summit was no place really to stop and have lunch; Tom and Lucy decided to bring us down somewhat for a bite to eat where at least our sandwiches wouldn’t blow away. Before descending, there was going to be a bit more climbing and some precarious territory not for the fainthearted. Boulders, chasms, more boulders, requiring much mental and physical agility. This was Broad Crag down to Esk Hause eventually passing Sprinkling tarn then the long steady descent along Grains Gill back to the car park at Seathwaite. This was a full, daylong exercise and duly rewarded with a lovely three-course dinner back at Glaramara Outdoors Centre, where we celebrated and relived the exciting events of the day with Ian and Alice; Ian had spent the day working on his laptop and expressed his tiredness after trying to finish some material for forthcoming events, gaining much wry sympathy from we trekkers who obviously hadn’t worked that hard during the day.
Other visitors to the Glaramara Centre were well aware of our activities and congratulated us on our achievement. We were then presented with our certificates; some of our party had done the walk to raise funds for Alzheimers Scotland.
On Sunday morning, we all had another hearty breakfast before saying our goodbyes but am sure that one day some of us will meet up for another challenge or open event. Personally, I spent most of the Sunday morning in Keswick having a potter about, then morning tea and cake, followed by a long sit down on a wooden bench at one of my favourite spots, Friar’s Crag, an ideal spot to gaze out over Derwent Water and contemplate. What a fantastic weekend, which will live in my memory for a very long time. I hope everyone who participated in the weekend raised plenty of funds for Epilepsy Action and that it will go someway to help people with Epilepsy in the long term, funding developments, medical research and community / social projects.
July 2009
