Whilst working through injury, I'm keeping up aerobic fitness through other means - cycling and rowing, but nothing, of course really mimicks the pain and length of running. That is simply going to have to be just something I just get on with and trust my base.
For the time being I have been settling down with the kit list, making sure I have what I need, and if I don't have it, then begging or borrowing something that will help me make do. At the same time, I am making sure that if I DO borrow something, then I use it and get to know it in the time that I have before the race.
No point in running with kit, especially emergency kit. that you don't know how to use.
Trying to keep the weight down as much as possible, this is where I'm up to thus far.
Bag- OMM 20 Litre
Roll Mat - OMM duomat (nicked from another OMM bag and forced into the 20 litre)
Sleeping bag- Mountain Hardwear Speed 32 (borrowed from a lovely running partner)Cooking gear - Alpkit MiTi mug, crux folding stove and small gas canister (borrowed from a lovely climbing partner) (not yet borrowed, but I have a pocket rocket and Ti-pan on standby just in case
Bivvy - SOL bivvy bag
Torch - Silva runner + spare battery
Waterproof - OMM Aether Smock
Waterproof trousers - Montane eVent trousers
Knife- I still have yet to source a lighter one than my swiss army knife
Shoes- probably inov8 Orocs, or maybe terraclaws, depending on the conditions. would love to try out some new soon to be released shoes... but the chances of getting hold of a pair of those are vanishingly slim.
Gloves... crikey, don't talk to me about gloves, we'll be here all day. I suspect throughout the course of the event I'll go through 2 sets of fleece pile Montane Mitts, a set of Primaloft mitts. 3-4 pairs of stretchy fleece gloves and a pair of eVent overmitts. And maybe even a pair of "waterproof" sealskins lobster mitts.
2 buffs
a fleece ronhill hat
map/compass
GPS - garmin oregon
the lightest spare tops and bottoms I can find- to be honest, they're going to be the helly's that I have in a cupbord somewhere.
ski-goggles (not sure if a pair of wraparound oakley type protective glasses will do?)
extra, warm layer - Montane Verso
Spikes - Kahtoola Microspike
all wrapped up in large numbers of Alpkit waterproof bags.
There will of course be an awful lot of food going in there (something I'll cover in a later post), a couple of water bottles and a kitchen sink, but thats the bulk of the items.
I'm playing around with the idea of having a chest pack as well. In previous longer fell races, I have been fine grabbing food and stuff from the smaller waist pockets in the OMM bag, but on a longer endeveour such as this, it may well be a sensible thing to have a larger pouch which is accessible on the move.
We'll see if I can get a hold of one of those.
Now I just need to start getting a few more miles on my feet in the lead up to the event. It's what, just about a month away now. This should be interesting.
(this isnt a complete kit list... its just what I have cobbled together at the moment.... there are still some outstanding bits and bobs to get, so please don't shout at me that I've forgotten to include such-and-such... I probably know).
WHY?
As ever, a plug for Glossop Mountain Rescue - I'm doing this, the inaugural Spine Mountain Rescue Challenger as a part of Glossop Mountain Rescue, and raising funds for the team. We are all volunteers and give our time freely to help those in need in the wild places around the place we call home. Our patch includes Bleaklow, in essence, 250square km of high bog, and we are using this challenge to specifically raise money for the less glamorous aspects of MR.The medications that go out of date and need to be replaced. The MOTs for the Landrovers. The replacement waterproofs that get worn out by team members. The radios that get mud and waterlogged etc. We rely on donations to keep our charity going.
Head on over to the justgiving page to find out more.
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