A Fast 3000ers
Muriel and Gillian were wanting to do the Welsh 3000ers Challenge. Although both ladies were experienced, they lived in Ireland and knew they would have few opportunities to reccee the route - and given that they wanted a fast walking attempt, they knew a route reccee would be invaluable.
As a consequence they hired us to provide the local knowledge. Being fell runners, we are always striving to get the fastest and most efficient 'line', so having this provided for them would potentially save hours on their challenge. Having a guide also means the mental stress and energy of navigating is avoided, thus allowing them to concentrate on just pushing themselves physically.
Following an assessment of their experience and level of fitness we realised that guiding Muriel and Gillian presented an exciting challenge for a speedy attempt. I was keen to get them to complete in a fast time of under 14 hours, and they were up for it!
After various phone calls and emails as well as our meeting the night before the event, it became apparent that their weaknesses in terms of going fast were moving efficiently over boulders or rocky ground and descending steep slopes.
As a consequence I kept the pace strong on sections they were confident on and then coached them through the rough sections. They performed magnificently and battled through the few low patches and fatigue to complete in just over 13 hours summit to summit!
From our perspective this was an extremely satisfying day out, having clients that were prepared to work hard and them seeing them achieve their goals.