Feeling better

What a difference a day can make. Or a night in this case. I slept
really well, and got over nine hours, and it's flooded my enthusiasm
back. Actually looked forward to my run this morning, a fartlek
(different bursts of speed randomly interspersed) 9km. It showed too, I
finished only 8 seconds off a PB, and felt like I had stuff left in the
tank. Hopefully when I do my tempo (constant relatively high speed
running) session over this distance next week, I'll set a new PB.
Provided, of course, that I get my sleep the night before. Hopefully my
enthusiasm will translate into a good swim session with the club tonight
(3000m and more I hope, I'm at a work event tomorrow night so can't make
the Thursday night session, and as such want a punishing one tonight!).



I was doing some statistic work on my mountaineering earlier, and
realised something. Raise, the final mountain I did on my hike on
Sunday, was the 100th mountain I've ever climbed. Admittedly, I've
visited peaks far more than 100 times, but sometimes that includes
redoing a peak I've already bagged. Raise was the 100th individual and
separate summit. So a fairly big moment, and one that I didn't realise I
was doing. If I had to decide on my favourite hikes, I'd probably list
my top five, in no particular order, as;



- Skiddaw in winter, from Longside Edge, including Ullock Pick,
Longside, Carlside and Bakestall (see photograph). A good number of
peaks, brilliant views of Skiddaw Forest, and some decent winter
mountaineering work.



- Mount Warning in the Great Dividing Range in spring, Australia. One of
the most unique looking peaks I've climbed, with amazing views from the
top and lush sub tropical rainforest on the way up. Big too, by UK
standards (3800ft).



- The Yorkshire Three Peaks in winter. Clear views in the main, and a
long and demanding hike across three very different mountains, finishing
up with a great pint of Theakston's Old Peculiar in a local pub in
Horton in Ribblesdale.



- Rannerdale Knotts in winter. A long time ago, but a good family outing
in thick snow up a small but attractive mountain on the shore of
Crummock.



- Catstycam in winter. A proper mountain, pyramidcal in shape with steep
drop on it's north side. This one require ice axe and crampons skills,
as did the ridge of Swirral Edge linking it to Helvellyn. A good
challenge.

03/02/2010