BBMC 2015

 Saturday saw yours truly, Spotty the action Berner and Private Spencer on the slightly extended BBMC 2015

A fantastic day, we were treated to Richard demonstrating how not to take your trousers off.

                               

Then how not to tie your laces

so while he busied himself with personal admin I took in the vista and pondered the distances involved, this is the far end of the hike, but before we get there we have to hike an equal distance in the other direction.

We posed for the obligatory summit pics in weather that was suited to endurance events, no rain, not too hot, not too cold, in fact just right. The next summit is across the valley past the woodland to the lumpy bit to my right.

This is the way down, before the slog all the way back up

for the compulsory summit shot

and fast forward several hours and 8 miles finds us at the opposite end of another valley but the good news is that ahead is not so much as behind.

Lots of time then to look at the views

and chuck a stone on the grave of the unknown hiker. The horizon is our next objective.

More shoe lace dramas.

This is the view from the privy. Yours truly was struck down by a horrendous stomach bug but I bravely battled on after digging a hole and adding a small mountain of my own.

As ever on endurance mountain events I was accompanied by a very fit dog

who was not a pleased as we were to find the 1 mile to go marker.

Here he is begging to go round again!

And so to the finish. 9 hours 45 minutes for 30.5 miles. A grand day out, no tears, no blisters, all for a cold cup of tea and some manky cake. (Standards have slipped!) However it was the 30th anniversary Big Black Mountain Challenge, I think I have done it some 15 plus times. Its always a challenge, always fun (when you finish) and always a chance to spend quality time with good friends (except the times I've done it solo) So a big thank you to Richard, Spotty and the Longtown Mountain Rescue Team for providing such a great mountain day.