From right to left: Cam, Will, Pete, Molly, Ben, Sam, Nia. The founding members of Club Solstice.
June 21st, 2018. Club Solstice set off on their inaugural challenge; to summit the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales in 24hrs.
The plan: Departing from Grindleford in the Peak District, we’d journey north to Fort William in Scotland and the base of Ben Nevis. At approximately 1700hrs we’d start the clock on the challenge and ascend Nevis. Next would be a drive through the night to Scafell Pike in the Lake District. Scafell complete, we would then travel into the early hours to reach Wales and the final peak, Snowden. All being well, the Three Peaks would be complete within a 24 hour time limit. Or at least, that was the plan.
Moral high as snow covered the top of Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis complete, two more peaks remaining.
“Off to a flyer”.
To summit Nevis, the highest point in the UK at 1,345m above sea level, we chose the simpler Mountain Track. Starting in Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, the route snakes around the hillside at a gradient steady enough take in the near-panoramic views.
Even in summer months the last few hundred metres up to the snow covered crest take us into thick grey clouds where the temperature falls. The Club, dressed in shorts and sunglasses at the base of Nevis, scrambled en masse through rucksacks for warm hats and coats.
Eager to make a good start, we’d surprised ourselves at the early pace. Having allowed around 5 hours to complete Ben Nevis, we’d done it in 3 and a half. Arriving back at the team cars around 2030hrs we were swiftly back on the road, heading south for Scafell.
Everything we’d read prior to the Three Peaks led us to believe that driving between each was a significant challenge in itself. Winding Loch-side roads, motorways, tight country lanes – we’d managed it all uneventfully travelling at night between Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike. That was, until the last corner before parking where a crater-like pothole blew a tyre on one of our much loved team cars. Time in hand after heroics on Nevis and a smooth journey, it was decided the tyre would be changed only once Scafell and peak number two was bagged. At circa 0230hrs, we began to ascend.
Affording a moment to take it in. Sunrise on Scafell. Just reward for scaling the second peak.
Head torches on, we again chose the quickest and simplest route, taking Brown Tongue upwards in darkness from Wasdale Head. Interweaved with tributaries to the Wastwater Lake, the path made for a steeper trek than the first peak. Climbing higher, the Summer Solstice’s shortest day of the year began to reward us with shades of an orange sunrise across Lake District peaks.
A memorable ascent, but to this day, it’s the myth of that Scafell descent that’s retold.
Part of the Club grabbed fate by the scruff with a hair-raising scramble down the second peak to change the car tyre. By the time we were back together having all completed Scafell, the car was once again ready to get on the road.
“No matter what, you’ve always got 10% left to give”.
Arriving at the foot of Snowden around 1030hrs – and though driving skills were tested by one loss of power steering – there was a comforting buffer of over 6 hours to complete the challenge. Or at least, that was the plan.
Awake for over 24 hours, now with sun on our necks and some weary legs, the lesser trodden route of Snowden’s Crib Goch was a final test of endurance.
A steep ascent with parts of sheer cliff took it’s toll and proved too much for some. One Club member, nauseous and sweat-drenched, relied solely on calm heads to safely guide towards the final peak.
Though this was far from the finish.
Not revived by sitting in Snowden’s summit cafe, talk of a Mountain Rescue helicopter being the only way down served as a cold reminder to how quickly cases of exhaustion (and all its forms) can become serious.
Time ticking, and with an unwell Club member, completing the challenge seemed both out of the question and irrelevant.
Alas, part of the Club went ahead and descended the better known Pig Track to reach the finish.
With few options left for the remainder of the Club who stayed at the top of Snowdon, walking down the train tracks seemed the simplest route to safety.
Somewhere between dizzy spells and a call to the emergency services, the unwell Club member saw clarity. Taking it steady, we all eventually reached the bottom of Snowden, narrowly completing the challenge within the time limit…and with a story to tell.
We’d done it the hard way, but by a slim margin the challenge was complete. An epic adventure to give birth to a new challenge concept seemed fitting and with it came a few lessons we feel obliged to pass on:
Ok, so this isn’t Everest (yet), but don’t underestimate the toll it takes on your body. Eat and drink lots of the right stuff (see more below) and steal a few winks in the back of the car when you can.
The UK has some truly underrated outdoors – make the most of it. Even if it’s not Three Peaks, at least one of these hills is within reasonable distance from many major cities.
Take the hassle out of planning. It’s been done before and people have put a lot more effort into documenting it (see below) than us, so your best resource is an online search – it’s as simple as that, it’s just important to realise what’s achievable.
It starts getting fun when things go wrong. (Easy to say that in hindsight at least).
As we left the peaks of the UK behind, Solstice I turned from vision to memory. October came, the days got shorter, the darkness rolled in, people retreated indoors.
But darkness also held excitement.
With dark came sparks of creativity in Solsticians dreaming of a moonlit adventure as they trundled home on commuter trains.
Conversations were had and invitations posted. It was on.
The starting point of the South Downs Way.
The Plan
The target was the South Downs Way. An 8000-year-old chalky path usually the preserve of those seeking a relaxing walk to take in the sun-drenched views from the ridge over the surrounding countryside.
Not tonight.
Headtorches on, 4 days before Christmas, we’d start in Winchester only once sun had set (15:53). The longest night of the year gave us 16 hours of darkness to run the 161km route between Winchester and Eastbourne, relaying in twos and threes as the rest of the team drove between the checkpoints.
A relay challenge on this scale required expansion of Club Solstice and so new members were drafted in. Standing strong as 12 we converged on Winchester with the ever-willing Lou (Miles’ Mum/Club Solstice super fan) on-call if (when) required. Having spent the preceding weeks raiding family and friends of the stock required to complete the challenge, and with a fleet of cars readied with sandwiches, soup, blankets and long-distance radios, we were good to go.
The Challenge
8
segments of 15-20km each, 2 segments per runner, with a final scramble along
the coast to Eastbourne pier en masse.
With only the beam of a head torch to guide us, logistics and timing would be key.
The Attack
Leg 1, Winchester to Exton (22km).
Holding
back the traffic on Bridge Street, the first three runners left Winchester City
Mill with the only day light we’d see until the rising sun on the coast 16
hours later. The rest of the team fired up the cars and set in motion what
would become a familiar routine by morning; one car to the midpoint carrying
water and food, the others to the checkpoint for the next runners to prepare.
The darkness rolled in, with a layer of thick cloud. 2 hours had passed, the team waiting nervously at the first checkpoint (a narrow farm track in Exton) for signs of life on the horizon, wondered if the concept of a Winter Solstice challenge had been a foolish one. The radio crackled into life, “2km out”. Strategy confirmed as viable, we jumped into life and the next runners stretching cold legs as flickering lights appeared on the horizon. The head torches were now bounding towards us, charging over farm styles and uneven terrain. Within 20 seconds the handover was done and the next three vanished into the night.
Leg 2, Exton to Butser Hill (18km).
One car to the midpoint, everyone else to the checkpoint putting soup on the camp stoves to warm the incoming runners. The mood buoyant with anticipation of the night’s antics and Club Solstice once again making the most of the British countryside. Again, radio crackles, head torches on the horizon, clambering at the clasps of the relay running pack, refilling waters, off they go.
Leg 3, Butser Hill to Cocking Hill (20km).
Three runners we knew could beat the clock on a good day, disappearing uphill at a frightening pace. Before we could catch a breath at the checkpoint, they’d made it through the midpoint well ahead of schedule. With a clear view of Cocking Hill from the end of the segment, there was no need for radios but to play music down and spur on the inbound runners. Lights soon appeared at the hill’s crest, followed by a 500m straight road sprint finish to the checkpoint. These goats had banked some valuable minutes as the next pair hit the chalk in trickling rain.
Leg 4, Cocking Hill to Amberley (19km).
As the runners made their way, the humble Hyundai Getz – that had so loyally carried us through Solstice 1 – roared across the South Downs National Park towards Amberley…until it didn’t.
The
Club were no strangers to a mechanical; in the dark lanes of the Lake District
6 months earlier a pothole had knocked out a front wheel and power steering. This
time the Getz had already taken the direct route over a curb, taking an insignificant
(yet worryingly large amount of) metal off the bottom of the car. Limping into Amberley,
the car’s electrics then all but gave up. The bonnet was raised but of course no
one had a clue what they were looking at. The most experienced mechanic (self-taught
via YouTube) was one of the current runners out on the track.
The handover onto the next leg was an ominous affair as three more runners took off into the night, not entirely sure who’d be there to meet them in Steyning and which car they’d be in.
Leg
5, Amberley to Steyning (21km).
The
rest of the team went on, leaving three behind with the Getz and some jump leads.
3 days before Christmas in the middle of the South Downs ruled out roadside
recovery. Potential problems were identified and dismissed as more and more
tools appeared from the toolkit. Still the Getz would not go.
It
took eagle eyes and a moment of inspired mechanical flair to spot something
sparking shoulder deep down into the engine, tighten an unknown bolt, and bring
the car back from the claws of death. We were back on the road!
The Club reunited at a lay-by on the outskirts of Steyning in a jubilant mood. We were over the halfway mark, had defied a mechanical, and had cause to believe yet another challenge could be completed. Essence of Club Solstice was in the air as we sat around the camp stove with music, food, and an ear tuned to the radio. The runners had belied the drama going on around them as they’d set off and came in strong right on cue. The now familiar handover routine occurred and the next team set off to Ditchling Beacon.
Leg 6, Steyning to Ditchling Beacon (17km) and Leg 7, Ditchling Beacon to Southease Station – (20km).
Running through the silent dark hills, we connected with nature and outdoors. This was the antidote to modern living and our obsession with how the ‘other’ lives. There were no comparisons to be drawn out here, no filters necessary, no likes to be gained. Just the moonlight and an 8000-year0old path well-trodden.
Now edging past 3am, clouds had given way to a clear starry sky and the cold that came with it. It soon became clear this challenge would be defined by getting through from this point to sunrise. Checkpoints became increasingly quiet as club members focussed on staying warm, eating and sleeping.
Leg 8; Southease Station to Birling Gap (24km).
The
final stint before the team run into Eastbourne and the runners set off in good
spirits when they reached the support car 10km in. The end was in sight – or so
we thought.
Heavy rainfall in the preceding week had flooded the Cuckmere River and the wooden bridge and public footpath along the flood plains were now under 4 feet of water as far as the head torch could see. Quick thinking and a check of the map revealed a 2km detour that stayed above the water line. The runners met the rising sun as they broke onto the coastline for three long and lumpy kilometres. Headtorches off, approaching pure exhaustion, now was the time to dig deep.
Leg
9; Birling Gap to Eastbourne Pier – 9km.
Since
the challenge began we’d been working as a team, but for the first time now we
ran as a team. We left the headtorches behind as the dawn sun lit the south
coast, Eastbourne pier our destination visible in the distance. The grassy
fields gave way to seaside town and beachfront promenade. Heavy legs creeped
ever closer to the pier!
We turned onto Eastbourne pier and faced the sunrise across the expanse of sea before us, knowing the longest night was now behind us.
We’d
done it in the dark mid-winter, here’s what we learned:
The UK has an expansive array of national trails and routes, the majority of which are well signposted and preserved (our thanks go out to the volunteers that do this). Google and you’re likely to find one of these not far from your doorstep so get out and get to know the country around you!
Winter doesn’t mean you’re stuck inside. Advances in outdoor gear mean that with a little investment, you can still safely explore the outdoors even on the UK’s colder and darker days. Still, stay safe, prepare thoroughly, and always make sure people ‘on the ground’ know where you are.
For those more unique challenges that require a bit more planning, divide the job up and delegate tasks. Collective brainpower goes along way.
Solstice II lives long in the memory. A landmark moment for our humble club, adopting new members whilst defying a logistical, physical and mental battle to complete the South Downs Way on foot, on the longest night.
But before we knew, it was Spring.
The longer days and shorter nights sparked life into the belly of the Solsticians. It was once again time to plan. And so we held the inaugural Equinox meeting; a meeting of kindred spirits that thrive in a collective bound by an embrace of the outdoors, no matter the discipline, distance or feat. Debate was held, ideas were presented. Previously we’d walked and run, it was now decided to be the time to cycle. The customary Excel spreadsheet kicked off preparation, trains were booked and bikes were serviced. Solstice III was underway!
June 21st, 2019.
The peloton assembled from all corners of the UK.
Trains rolled along the Northern Coast from London and Newcastle, cars darted up the motorway from the West Country and The Peak District.
The destination? Whitehaven, West Cumbria.
The challenge? To cycle the width of England from West to East, coast to coast; to charge against the sun across mountains and valleys on the day that it lingers longest in the sky.
200km. 3500m elevation. 8 cyclists. 3 epic support crew. A shitload of snacks.
The advance party of Londonites arrived in Whitehaven late morning following a painless train journey via Carlisle. After a quick Greggs stop, they formed base camp; a Premier Inn 10km from the start point of our adventure in Whitehaven harbour. Following a lengthy discussion (and copious Northern charm), the hotel staff agreed to allow bikes in the rooms – the group retired to set up camp and settle in to some much needed ‘tinker time’.
Excitement levels began to creep up as Loz arrived early afternoon. Unfortunately unable to participate due a broken collar bone sustained hurtling around Bristol in a bike race, Loz would take on support crew responsibilities for the weekend. He immediately hopped to, giving Mol a 10 minute crash course in how to cycle with clip-in pedals – something she’d never done before…
‘Tinker time’.
The remainder of the peloton would roll in throughout the day along with additional support crew in the ever willing unsung heroes of Club Solstice, Lou and Alan. This convoy came bearing gifts – the first Club Solstice stash, a splendid set of branded cycling caps! As afternoon turned to evening, Solsticians united and in buoyant mood, the industrial picnic production line set into motion, ensuring each rider had suitable sustenance to get it done. Snack packs set, the local pub provided a serious carb load made up of several monster burgers, triple chocolate sundaes and a few pints to cool the nerves for the following day’s challenge…
Sporting our new caps! From left to right: Oli, Pete, Loz, Cam, Mol, Sam, Nia, Will, Miles. Club Solstice.
June 22nd, 2019.
Alarms crackled into life at 3.30am. Any sleepy eyes were soon brought into sharp focus by double porridge bowls and some nuclear coffee.
Secretly horrified, Miles awoke to discover that his stomach issue from the previous day was persisting and nervous glances were exchanged as we wondered how he could manage 12 hours on the bike when the first 30 minutes of the day had already bought 6 toilet trips. In a fashion that would be seen often throughout the day from the flawless support team, Lou quickly stepped in to provide Miles with a cocktail of drugs to put his issues to the sword. With foresight others could only dream of, she also tucked a number of ‘grab bags’ into his jersey should the worst case scenario arise.
Stage 1
The peloton rolled out of the Premier Inn at 4.14am. Cruising 10km to Whitehaven gave a chance to warm up the legs as the first light crept over the horizon. With 8 rear wheels dipped in the North Sea, the support team released a cheer that signified the start of CSIII C2C; the journey east had begun.
The route started with cycle paths out of Whitehaven, basking in the glorious morning light. 15 minutes in, a shout from the back of the pack confirmed the first puncture of the day from Mol; an ominous sign. Thankfully, Club Solstice resident mechanic Pete (for reference see CSII blog post) was close at hand to get her back up and riding in no time.
The sun continued to creep out revealing a beautiful cloudless and still morning. After a couple of hours wiggling through the lanes of West Cumbria at a leisurely pace, a distinctive right turn after the hamlet of Rowrah took us onto a climb up into the Western Lake District. As the road rose from the valley floor, Sam picked up puncture number 2 of the day. Pete jumped into action, whilst the rest of the group took a moment to drink in the stunning rolling views of the Lakes’ foothills. The single track climb continued to grind up to Lamplugh and when crested it revealed a descent down to Loweswater, where the support crew waited at RV #1.
Whilst waiting for the peloton to arrive, the support crew dared a dip in the freezing water. An eerie steam covered the lake, providing a surreal backdrop to fill bottles and shovel bananas down. With spirits high, the cyclists mounted their steeds to tackle stage 2 of their adventure.
Loweswater.
Stage 2
After a quick whip round the lake, the peloton were through Lowes and across the river in no time and onto climb number 2 of the day; the Whinlatter Pass. Sandwiched between the peaks of Whinlatter and Hobcarton End, Club Solstice appeared from the valley’s shadows and turned downhill into a rip-roaring descent to Braithwaite with cheers and cow bells from the support crew on a particularly stunning section where the valley below came into view.
View from the descent of Whinlatter.
A rapid churn along the edge of Derwent Water saw Keswick come and go in next to no time. Single track gave way to the A66 for the grind up the valley floor between Skiddaw and Watsons Dodd. Road captain Sam duly took his spot at the front of the peloton, dragging the group along in his magnificent wake. The crest of Loftshaw Hill marked the easterly edge of The Lake District and it was here that Nia rose from her dropdown handles for the first time in 4 hours and the team started a beautiful, fast, flowing section of sweeping B road down into Penrith – and the end of stage 2.
Stage 3
Waiting in the centre of Penrith were the trusty support crew with hot brews and copious brownies. Spirits were high – the first big milestone, traversing the formidable peaks and troughs of The Lake District was complete. After a quick team visit to the immaculate Penrith public lavatories and a Beatles style pelican crossing video shoot, it was back on the bikes and on with the next leg.
Coffee stop in Penrith.
Stage 3 began with a largely uneventful spin across the flats and over the River Eden, digesting coffee and brownies. For the keen racers in the peloton, thoughts had turned to the main event of the day – preparing to do battle up the formidable, unrelenting, UK Top 100 Climbs listed, asphalt of Hartside Fell. At 7.87km, 407m elevation, average gradient 5% and a KOM belonging to Steven Kruijswijk (Team Leader of pro-team Jumbo-Visma with top 5 placings in all 3 Grand Tours to his name), tensions were running high as the group rolled into Melmerby at the base of the climb.
Will hit the front from the off, riding at threshold and putting the entire pack at a tempo that made individual attacks at best foolhardy; at worst, impossible. The unrelenting pace continued through the meandering turns as the kilometers ticked by at a painfully slow rate. The one glimmer of respite came as the pack turned a corner and saw Club Solstice’s’ logo emblazoned across the road; for a moment, the riders were transported to the mountain passes of the Alps, doing battle for the polka dot jersey. Alas as quickly as it arrived, it was gone, and the burning pain in the legs returned to the forefront of thoughts. One by one the pack began to thin, each finding their own limit whereby the wheel in front became too hard to follow. As the tree’s gave way to the barren, open expanse of the upper slopes, the remaining leaders found themselves able to do little else other than dig in, hold on, and hope that they could find something from deep within themselves for the final duel. A quick glance over the shoulder from long time pacesetter Will told him that his efforts to blow up the group had been fruitful, but not exhaustive; a smattering of pained riders remained. He slid back from the front, passing front wheel duties on to Oli. As the race rounded a steep and sharp right hand turn, Will then leapt out from 2nd wheel with a vicious attack that surely no one could follow – but alas, as the horizon came into view he realised he was not, as he had imagined, coming onto the final approach, but had at least another kilometer of riding to go. Disheartened but not dejected, he eased back into the group, much to the relief of the other riders. The jousting continued, a cat and mouse affair, until the summit was in sight and almost in reach. With little over a kilometer to go, Cam flicked up two cogs in the rear cassette and laid down a premeditated 30 second effort out of the saddle from 2nd wheel. Retreating back down the gears and back into the saddle, he chanced a look behind to see a 15m gap back to the remnants of the lead pack. Realising that the gap was not closing, Will launched a heroic last ditch effort off Oli’s wheel round the final switchback and sprinted for glory through the final 200m. It was not to be; Loz, Lou and Alan’s cheers from the summit were enough to propel Cam home, providing him with his first, and likely last, KOM against the powerful cyclists of the CS Peloton.
Having taken a decidedly different approach to the fell, Nia and Mol rolled through the summit approach some time after the leaders, soaking in the view, chatting away, and full of smiles.
The group gazed west at The Lake District peaks in the distance and the valley floor far below. 100km down, 100 to go. More drinks, more snacks and back onto the bikes as the easterly traverse of the Pennines began.
The top of Hartside Fell.
A beautiful sweeping decent into Leadgate followed, with endless views eastward across the barren Pennines. All of a sudden the road out of Garrigil ramped up to a brutal 14%, crucifying the 8 sets of legs that were still recovering from the battle of Hartside. Before the peloton could catch its breath, the road spiked again, rising between the peaks of The Dodd and Killhope Law. Now well and truly in the Pennines, the last 20km had been a stark reality check to the jovial mood and a reminder that there was much tough riding still to come.
A welcome descent of few words followed, down into the leafy valley village of Allenshead. Here the peloton met with the inexhaustible support crew, who were on hand to provide more hot drinks, snacks, cheer and the odd leg rub! Stage 3 was complete; the back of the ride had been broken.
Leaving Cumbira.
Stage 4
Rolling out of Allenhead, spirits were once again riding high. A couple of steep, but manageable climbs led the peloton to the top of the eastern reaches of the Pennines, with a glorious 300m vertical descent down off the moors and back to civilisation. Here the group were met by a police roadblock as they reached the Hotburn Plantation on the banks of the River Derwent. The 2019 Northumbrian Water ‘Tour of the Reservoir’ was completing its final lap of Derwent Water! Any thoughts of trying to hop into the slipstream quickly vanished as the race rumbled past, at a pace unbeknown to the Club Solstice peloton. Road block lifted, the group stopped for a quick, high spirited, dance-filled pit stop with the support crew on the north shore of the Derewent to celebrate another huge milestone; the Pennines had been traversed!
Stage 5
A testing 20km followed; the end was in sight, but the endless undulations of the Gateshead countryside provided little respite for increasingly weary legs. Finally, upon reaching Leadgate, the climbing relented and a gentle descent down to the Tyne allowed the riders time to reflect on a feat that was almost within reach. After surviving over 100 miles with no mishaps, Mol finally came a cropper with her clipped-in pedals, taking a fairly pathetic topple coming to a stop as the fatigue began to take hold. Crossing the river into suburbia, we followed the banks of the Tyne through its industrial heartlands and into the city centre. After a long day in the peace and serenity of the English countryside, it was a shock to the system to witness the early Saturday evening antics of Geordie Shore, with the riverside pubs spilling out onto the roads already.
It was a relief to punch through the chaos of the city centre and pick up a leafy cycle path in Wallsend; the final stretch to the sea. Cam picked up puncture number 3 of the ride (not bad going considering the prognosis had looked bleak with #1 and #2 picked up inside the first hour of riding!) and with Pete out of sight up the road Miles gallantly stepped to assist. However, the sudden hopping off his saddle seemed a metaphor for ‘pulling the plug’, and he had to disappear at speed into the bushes for the first wild fertilising of the trip (again, stellar performance considering the 6 toilet trips before the peloton had even left the Premier Inn – the sweepstake on wild poo count had been running into the teens!). By the time he re-emerged, the tyre was back on and progress resumed.
The cycle path gave way to the North Shields promenade, and slowly but surely the Tyne gave way to the North Sea. The peloton rose from their saddles to sprint up one final climb, hollered on by the support crew looking on from above. A right turn from the crest led down to the aptly named Haven Bay, where the cyclist rolled all the way down the slipway, onto the sand and, in perfect unison, dipped their front tyres into the glistening North Sea.
We’d done it! And to complete their flawless days performance, the support crew whipped out a crate of beer and some delicious homemade raspberry rum to toast the finale of an epic day out. After a quick dip in the sea to ice the weary legs, it was into the support cars (or back onto the bike, for an unlucky few) for the dart over the nights accommodation in Jesmond, kindly provided by Miles’ friends. After a round of showers, the last action of the day was a well earned pizza and pint, washed down with tales from the journey. And with that, the last of the evening sun faded away on another successful Solstice adventure.
Another Solstice challenge complete, the realities of what’s possible with a great group of likeminded individuals began to become apparent. But still, we learnt a heck of a lot:
Sure, we were very fortunate that our support crew so kindly gave up their weekends to follow us around in their cars. But without a doubt this trip is doable unsupported and there are ample online resources to help you tackle it. Failing that, never forget that adventure starts at your doorstep – this cliché really does ring true and it’s exactly what we’ll all go back to when enjoying the outdoors and keeping fit for our next joint Club Solstice challenge. In the words of a great: “Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” Eddy Merckx.
Competition’s fun, but not what it’s all about. Pushing yourself to come first can be as equally rewarding as following up the rear with a smile on your face. Don’t care what other people think, just enjoy it.
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