Helvellyn Training Route

In the middle of May I managed to get out for a complete dry run training weekend for the upcoming Enduro214 event. I was joined by Jim, an ex Royal Marine, who has received support from Combat Stress. We were really lucky to have arguably one of the best mountaineers in the UK, Alan Hinkes along for part of the journey too.

We all walked into Red Tarn at the foot of the Helvellyn range surrounded by the classic scrambling ridges, Striding and Swirral Edge. Once there we set up our base camp and walked up to Catstye Cam (890m) for a better view of the surrounding landscape, with an opportunity to capture some drone footage.

Alan set off to meet some of the RAF Mountain Rescue team, whilst Jim and I returned to base camp. Scran cooked, hot wet made, and a lesson in how to play Black Jack. A couple of episodes of Family Guy and then it was time to get our heads down. I sorted out my camp admin with a dhobie, change of stoma and daily insulin injections before crashing out in the new tent, a Nordisk Oppland 2. My last one was destroyed in a storm.

The plan was to get up at dawn, sort out morning admin before striking camp and setting off on the route which would take us up Swirral Edge onto the summit of Helvellyn (949m). We remained on the high ground to Dollywaggon Pike before descending to Grisedale Tarn for a 5 minute rest. We then ascended once more up and over St Sunday Crag along the spur dropping into Patterdale.

I learnt some valuable lessons, what kit to leave behind and what food will work for the 25-day endurance event. It was also a reality check for how hard this will be, walking a minimum of a half marathon each day with serious amounts of climbing and descending. It’s imperative that I keep good control of my blood sugars for the duration of the expedition. Many people don’t realise, that as a Type 1 diabetic you risk life threatening hypos if your blood sugars drop too low, made even more serious being in a mountaineering environment with no escape if it all goes for a bag of rats! I need to reduce the weight in my bergan.