PETE HUTCHINSON, THE SPINE CHALLENGER 108 MILES in 55 hours

Pete Hutchinsons report

The Spine Challenger first half
6 AM Saturday the 10th January
Car parked up at the ramblers arms, drop bag checked, tagged and dumped with 68 others. Last minute change in clothing layers, base layer, then thermal, plus fleece, Gortex top layer. Legs base layer, Gortex top layer times two. Feeling about right but I knew it was going to get hot climbing up Jacob's ladder, but it looks like rain so the plan is go easy to the top. Were I expect it to get much colder, that way I don't have to stop to add layers and get wet. 6:28 AM we make our way down to the start gantry, I can hear it creaking as it twists in the wind, and we are advised to keep well back in case it blows over. As if on cue the heavens open up, I look around and take in the other racers, thinking how I am going to compete with the racing snakes with ruck sacks that look about the size of my sleeping bag. I remind myself that I am not here to race, just to Finish safe. I pull my poles out and click them together, and we are off past the village hall, sharp right past the pub, a road section for the first mile, then left down a sheltered tree lined path. I feel myself getting a tad warm as we go through the stile and on up, starting to climb now, as we skirt Broadlee Bank Tor. The wind starts to knock us about a bit. "This doesn't bode well I say to myself, it's always sheltered here, it will be ten times worse over, Upper Booth and the Ladder. We didn't have to wait that long, as the wind started to knock people down like ten pins, when you wasn't picking yourself up, you were helping someone else to there feet. The more we swung around North the harder it came, then the machine guns opened fire with icy hail hitting us in the face at 70MPH, I ducked behind a wall and pulled my ski mask out, thank god Sandy had told me to take one along, I slipped it over my red face. A fellow racer suggested we should buddy up, and I nodded, this is getting bloody dangerous and we have hardly gone 3 miles. We get a little rest-bite as we reach Jacob's and start to climb, At the top the wind is hitting us from all directions, as we Head towards Kinder Downfall. When we get there we are greeted by Kinder up-fall! as the wind pushes the water up and over our heads. We stop for a few pictures, and exchange names. Sarah Fuller, one tough lady, who i later found out is also a walking map. We pick are way across mill hill and moss castle, and crossed the A57 snake.

 Only 10 miles and I am feeling weak, time to take on a little food. Sarah is so strong, and pushes us on whenever possible, jogging the flats, and down hills, power walking the uphill. I dig in, and we make it to Tor-side, my feet are wet and I feel some hot spots, and I need to change some base layers. Sarah tells me we can get cover, in the woods on the other side of the reservoir. As we pass between Tor-side and Rhodes wood, the wind off the water cuts through me like ice, I am not in a good place, and need to sort myself out. We have made good time, and passed some good runners. I don't want to hold Sarah up but have to stop in the woods. I sort my feet, change my damp gear for warmer dry layers, and grab some food. 5 minutes wasted and we lose 5 places. But I feel good now and, have realised I have to eat more to keep warm. We reach the A628 and get called over to the checkpoint we nearly ran past, Sarah gets some water and we head off. We cross the fell and climb to the A635, a short road section. I get to the cross roads. I realise I have lost my ski mask, "it was their at the stile, I must have dropped it" I tell Sarah to go on and I track back for it, it's a vital piece of kit in my armoury against the relentless wind. I find it and walk back to the road. I find Sarah just past the cross road waiting for me. I am feeling all in, as we turn again, And hit head wind as we head west to Black Moss. At the A62, Sarah's husband has driven out to cheer her on, and her two daughters are passing cake out of the window.
! we get a welcome cup of tea from a guy in a camper van, waiting for his mate. He asks if we have seen him, the tracking put him just behind us. We ask about the Spine racers, as we have been expecting the fast boys to pass us. We get the news that they where held back till 11:30. as we head off across Standedge, we contemplate when they will pass.


It starts to get dark as we approach the M62, the red glow from the city makes us feel a little sad, at the light pollution we inflict on the sky. We stop for food, before taking the foot bridge over the motorway. I start to feel a lot better as the night draws in as we pick our way over Blackstone Edge Moor, in the light of our head torches, 20 years of night shifts has equipped me well, and I start to feel like making up some ground. As we reach the disused quarry we see the lights of The White House, and we can pick out some head torches making there way down to the pub on the Halifax road, I glance back and see lights gaining on us at a lightning pace, just after we turn to head down to the reservoir, Pavel and a group of racing snakes fly past us, Shouting out encouragement as they go. My mind starts to think of the pub and a warm drink. But Sarah is having none of it, let's crack on she insists as we reach the car park and get a blueberry muffin stuffed in our hands, by one of the angels manning the check point. We take on water and they tell us "lots of the pack have stopped for food at the pub". best reason I could think of to run past, and steal some ground on them. We could see them sat in the pub through a big steamed up window, as we headed up the road and sharp left along Blackstone Edge reservoir. We can see head torches up ahead, I make out 5 and start to push the pace as the wind starts to push us a little, but Sarah is struggling and we slow to let her take on water, the sweet blueberry muffin has made her feel sick, sugar-hi, we suspect . But she soon recovers and we hunt down the lights ahead. We reached Light Hazzles reservoir, and pushed on to Warland, we passed Clare Holdcroft, Sarah had a chat and we pushed on. We had pulled about 30yards on Clare, when without any words passing between us we both started to slow, and Clare joined us, It was one of those nights you wouldn't put a cat out, and we wasn't about to leave Clare, and it felt right. As we got to the end of the reservoir and turned right along Warland drain. And then on flag stones over Cold-well hill, and Blad-scout hill. I take a tumble down the hill, I think it was at Withens gate. And nearly in-pale myself in the groin with my pole. I ease back and chat to Clare as we make our way up through High Stones to Stoodley Pike. Sarah needs to sort her feet out and we plan to stop under the monument. As we pick our way through the bogs and take five at the monument, a spine racer slips past us in the night, and makes his way down the soddened hills to Charlestown (Hebden Bridge). We roll into Charlestown, and check in at a lone Land- Rover, with friendly faces waiting to meet us. Then across the road, the girls know the area as they had reccied it. "Right" Clare says and I look in amazement. "that's not a path its a slate cliff face" In the conditions it was lethal, the steepest slate path I have ever seen, with water running down it like a river. It go's on for a good half mile. my lungs where bursting by the time I reach the top. I look at Clare and Sarah, they were muttering about the hill, but making it look easy, two very tough cookies I have teamed up with. We head off over the popples, it's very boggy and wet. We cross a road, through the tip of Fosters wood, then follow the road into Slack, and pass spine and challenger runners coming back out of check point 1. The rain is coming down heavy again as we cross a grassy hill down towards Hebden Wood. I slip on my arse three or four times, but I'm up quickly I don't want to stay in that position to long, as I can see the grave stones of the cemetery to are right. Sarah and Clare are chatting up front and the won't miss me till they get two the checkpoint. I hurry myself along down the bolder and bog feast that is the path two the scouts hall in Hebden Woods CP 1. We pick up our drop bags and the guys carry them through for us we only have the energy to kickoff our boots. We sort bags the girls eat, and I grab a shower, I had been dreaming of a shower. The girls grab some sleep and I go down to the kitchen and eat as much food as I can get down without making myself sick. 48 miles done I think to myself I feel like I have done more like 100. To be continued

 

The Spine challenger part Two
The power of the pasty.
After stuffing my face and gulping down pints of electrolytes. I sat and took in the atmosphere of the mess-room, it was like a hotline to how the race was going. Marcus Scotney had pulled out at Tor-side, we had heard rumours. I had been stood behind him on the start line envying his micro ruck sack, He had been blown over and done some damage. There had been a few pull out early, but most had made it to CP1 and pulled, or been pulled by the doctor. It was going to be hard to pull our sorry backsides out of this warm cosy check point. I checked my boots I had stuffed with paper to extract some of the bog. And it was time to raise the Girls we had said 2:30 and it was about 2:40. time had passed as quick as the racing snakes on Blackstone edge last night. By the time we had all our gear sorted we slipped out of CP1, hauling our battered bodies Back up the bog and Boulder path we had descended some four hours earlier. The wind had not let up and it was another bog infested common over Green hill and Clough head hill, as we picked up the pennine way, along Graining water then over it and out to Walshaw reservoir, I was getting sick of water, as all it brought us was cold wind, and was glad to head off over Withins height. We had expected to eat and get some shelter in the stone hut at top Withins but it was locked so we sheltered behind it and had a drink and I stuffed down three baby bells and a pepperoni extra hot smile emoticon.
We turned off upper heights it was good to be on the lower ground,but the wind off Ponden reservoir was in our faces. pushing on over Oakworth moor as day was about to brake. 7:30 and we all looked like the morning after a new year party.


And cracks in our armour were starting to show. I was in a running dream half way between sleep and conches-ness "what was that"!. I thought I had seen Bambi bounding over the hills just above Cowling. I rubbed my eyes, and Sara shouted it's my friend Kate. Kate had been watching us on the tracking, and we where not far from her, she came out in her camper van with soup and tea. "This way" and she bounded off over the bogs like a Thompsons Gazelle. We kicked of our shoes and repaired our feet slurping down soup and drinking tea, I made my apologies about my smelly feet and we were on our way across Surgill beck and through Lotherside. As we got to Thornton in cave Sarah's fella and girls surprised us again and asked if we needed food the girls turned it down, and I was a little worried about them not eating. I of corse tucked into a cheese pasty and we arranged to meet them just up the road, as there was a better parking place, and Sarah needed to sort blisters out. I was telling the girls how this was the best tasting pasty in the hole wide world, when Sarah had her first wobble, I think it was seeing her girls and Fella had put a chink in her armour, Clare and i plastered it over with words only distance runners would understand, like do you really want to come back and do this all again, and the old favourite "you will hate yourself in the morning. Last thing Sarah wanted was sympathy, that would have just shattered her. We started running and I told them they had to try one of the pasty's, down the lane and under a road bridge there was the camper van we jumped in and took on water and changed some wet gear. Sarah and Clare shared a pasty and perked up, nothing beats real food.


It was nice to be on a flat section and as we hit the canal, you couldn't get much flatter. A nice little section over a few fields and we where in Cargrave, one of Sarah's running buddies met us on the bridge and ran with us to the big stone bush shelter and toilets. He stayed with our bags as we raided the co op. I found the hot sausage roll and pie cabinet and preceded to empty the con-tense into a bag, lucky both the girls are vegetarians smile emoticon .
I grabbed another bag of baby bells and we were back to the shelter.it was filling up with other runners coming in, so we were on our way. It was getting dark, we could just see the head torches of two spine runners who ran through as we put our bags back on. I took the opportunity to use them to sight our way through this section it was getting dark and it's hard to find the gates and styles as their where paths in every direction. We could see the guys up ahead reach the fence or wall then track along it till they found the gate. I powered on knowing the girls could see my light and would follow. We crossed 6 or 7 before I lost the lights and we ended up in the corner of a field with no way over, lucky we saw a runner further over and cut him off as he reached the gate. Was I glad to see him it was Dave Dixon an experienced spine racer. He gave us directions down to Malham and slipped away into the night. We followed the river down and could see a big building in Malham as we made our way down to it we suddenly became surrounded by 4 sets of big eyes reflecting very scarily from the light of our head torches. We where being mugged by horses and I mean mugged they wanted my sausage rolls, and I was going to put up a fight for them. The girls made a brake for it as I tried to get my map bag out of one of the big brutes jaws. Then as quick as they came they were gone, off to mug some other poor runner. We made our way through the streets of Malham. And visited our first pub for a hot pot of tea and a warm up, then we made our way up cove road on to the track and steps up too Malham Cove, we took a left and some runners called us back "your going the wrong way" "no your going the wrong way" chips in Sarah. And we head off in the right direction, only to see them track back behind us ten minutes later. As we swing around the top to pick up the valley. Off they went again around the left side, Sarah shouts them back and then sighs, "men never think we can map read". They didn't know Sarah's secret she is a walking map. We pick our way down lethal wet limestone, and down Ing scar to Malham tarn. It's about 19:33 as we crawl into check point 1.5. 85 miles in the bag.

Spine Challenger part three
The Apocalypse
Check point 1.5 was a lot smaller than CP1 with basic hot water and drinks, Clare made some instant noodles. We knew we needed to rest, the battle of the last 40 hours had taken its tole. We had planned 4 hours sleep to recharge, and then take on the last 26 miles. The weather had to get better I thought to myself as I crawled into my Bivie bag, but as it was I could only manage to rest and listen to the wind blow everything that wasn't tied down away into the night. After about an hour I gave up on the sleep, and went to talk too the mountain rescue guys about something Dave Dixon had told us as he passed last night,and yes it was true we didn't have to go over Pen-y-Ghent. The wind had been so strong and to keep the race safe and everything even all competitors had been diverted, by Bracken-bottom scar to Horton. I raised the girls about 2:30. And they're was a feel of determination in the air. As we set off down the lane and through the valley out of CP1. By the time we reached Little fell we could tell the weather gods had not finnished with us yet, the rain was lashing into our faces stronger than we had previously encountered. Navigation had become impossible and we where relying on Sarah and Clare's memory and a little instinct. But as we went over the top things got a little bit scary. When we were not slipping over in the mud we were being blown over by the wind, we couldn't see the path, and to top It all Sarah was having problems with the hood of her Coat that turned into a proper stamping on the ground paddy. We managed to find the right cords to her hood and tighten it enough to give her a little better protection from the hurricane that had been unleashed on us, the only way I can describe it, imagine trying to climb down the slipperiest muddy bank, that has turned into a river, then some prat turns a power washer into your face. I went in front of Sarah as we passed the old mine to take some of the wind out of her face, and we some how made it down to the road. But I was now wet through and starting to shiver, Clare knew of a barn on this road, so we set off with the icy wind in our faces. I picked up my pace to try and warm up, but could feel this race slipping out of my control. At last we found the barn and it wasn't locked our luck had changed. I hung my coat up to drip dry and put the last of my dry gear on, as the girls had some food. We set off from the barn feeling battered but not beaten, and it wasn't long before we reached the path up to Pen-y-Ghent, sat in their land rover we came across the rescue guys, who had been tracking our progress over the top. We stopped for a chat, and jelly babies. Then were on our way. We followed the path that was nice and sheltered by a high wall on our left, and to raise our spirits we sang always look on the bright side, good choice Clare.

 Half way up was a small gate in the wall, Clare and Sarah pushed on it and it was as if it was locked, the wind was pinning it closed. It took all three of us to open it I dragged myself through and held the gate, I looked back as Clare had not passed,!what I saw was amazing Clare leaning into the wind like a ski jumper hovering all but for the tips of her boots. We grabbed her and dragged her through, the wind once again in our faces we picked our way down the Rock and slab steps, towards Bracken Bottom. Then finally down a steep undulating hill, with 3 meter limestone Craggs every few hundred yards, I am renaming it Broken Bottom, as I was on mine most of the way down, and have the bruises to prove it. We hit the farm track then road just past the farm buildings. Right at the cross roads, we could see the check point, but it didn't look right runners sat around drinking tea and soup, drying their clothes on anything they could find. The race had been stopped again, as it was two dangerous to go over Cam End and Ten End. Just! a Minute they have stopped every one for the last four hours, going over Cam End. And we had been out on fountains fell for the last Four hours, arr I guess they forgot to tell us about the storm, I'm sure fountains is 600, and Cam End 480. We got the nod that the race would be on again at 8am, not long to wait so we tucked in to hot soup bread and tea, and set too trying to dry some stuff. We looked at each other 12 miles too go, 100 in the bag we can do this. I put on every bit of clothing I had and we head out of the cafe and straight on the Pennine-way following the track up until we reach the Cam Road, or the road to hell as I would describe it, even with all the clothing I had on I was feeling cold and needed to eat, at this point everything seemed to be conspiring against me. Even my map bag, the zipper had got stuck, and my food was in it, the battle went on between me and the map bag, the whole of Cam Road, taking my mind off the weather, but I was the victor, and the prise was three baby bells and two pepperoni extra strong. As we left the road and headed up too Ten End, the Gods had one last try at spoiling our party as the wind once again picked up to gail force. We where fighting every step as the wind tried to blow us off the edge, at one point I was walking horizontal against the edge leaning into the wind to keep my balance, I had a fair few words for the weather Gods at that point, not a lot of them repeatable in this blog. But at last we caught sight of Haws and started our descent and Darren Hunt, one of the spine rescue team, and Clare's fella. Had come out to cheer us through the village. Home job done. well done girls, we beat everything. the rain, the wind, the hail, the snow. I thank the weather Gods for not making it too easy for us