More fitness training...

...the (17th) Pontesbury Potter. A tough 13 mile challenge using lesser know paths and tracks around Pontesbury hill and surrounding area. With cold, snowy, conditions forecast we set out on what we thought was going to be a wet day. Windy and a touch cold, but wet it was not - except for underfoot which in places was a quagmire after a couple of days of rain. Pontesbury Hill was a bit of a 'puffer' as they placed it on route in the last mile or so of the walk - hence the straggle right.

But where you go up you also come down. The day was useful in terms of stretching legs, expanding lungs, and learning to eat / drink on the move. We finished the walk in 4 hrs 40 minutes which puts us at about 2.5 miles /hour. This will be useful for planning when out on the C2C proper.
According to the Potter organisers a finish in under 5 hours qualifies one as a 'Strong Walker' (as in preference to Average Walker or Stroller).

Next scheduled event is an assent of Cader Idris.

Preparations

With about four months to go till the off things have been undertaken quietly in the background. In addition to checking and buying more kit - new boots, waterproofs, waterproof rucksack liners and plenty of Compeed - we have been turning to fitness.
Not long long ago some of us managed to grab a few days in the Lakes where we had time to check out the start of the walk at St Bees (also checked out the car-parking charges for later). It wasn't a great day for the weather, but it was dry. We took a gentle stroll to the lighthouse and back (a couple of miles) just so we wouldn't look like idiots on the day and not know which way to go. One thing that you cannot get from the picture is the smell. An on-shore breeze bought wafts of cormorant guano as they use the cliffs on which to nest.

Later a summit of Haystacks was performed - one for the joy of it - but second to get the lie of the land on what would be our first two days of walking. The picture left shows the view west back to the coast. The wet bit in the middle of the shot is Ennerdale Water where the C2C takes in the whole southern bank of the lake.
The next shot shows the valley floor with Black Sail Hut off to the left.

The following day it snowed - horizontally - so we just walked for an hour and back through the blizzard up one of the paths to Helvellyn. This was simply to 'get out'. When actually walking the C2C we'll have to put foot to path whatever the weather.