Initially we'd planned to head up to the Lakes and do a big ride on our mountain bikes, the Lakeland 200. Reports though said that the ground was very wet after recent rain, so we were after a plan B.
James had mentioned the other week that a 14 year old had become the youngest to complete the Everesting challenge. Back in 2015 as part of the Rapha Rising challenge Tom had a go at Everesting Holme Moss, but at the half way mark on an undergeared bike he called it a day.
Tom fancied giving the challenge another go. After all nobody is getting younger.
I had a chat with James about suitable hills that hadn't yet been everested, and he suggested the gem that is the road to Stwlan Dam.
It's a gem for a number of reasons. Firstly it is a gated road, so no motor vehicles, except for access for dam maintenance. Secondly it is a fairly consistent 10% gradient. Finally it is a really pretty place to ride a bike, the scenery is stunning.
The weather forecast for the weekend looks OK, there's less than 1mm of rain forecast, so we decide on a 2am Saturday start. James kindly offers to meet us down there and support our everesting attempt.
Tom and I drive down on Friday evening. As we arrive just after 10pm it starts raining. We recline the car seats, and I set the alarm for 1:30am. The alarm goes off, but I've not slept, the rain has kept me awake. I message James to say that I am resetting the alarm for 6am. I awake and it is still raining, now though with added hailstones.
James says that the nearby Lakeside cafe opens at 9, and he retreats to his car. Just after 7am and I can see the cloud is starting to break, and the rain is now just showers. Tom wakes up and starts putting his cycling gear on. So I do likewise. A couple of laps before breakfast at the cafe is the plan.
Once we've started and the weather improves though, there is no time for a proper cafe stop, we are committed to giving this a proper go. Instead James goes to the cafe and grabs us a sausage sandwich and a coffee.
The weather is a mix, one minute it is fine, then the next we have our waterproofs on again. Though as the day progresses, the rain lessens.
The above picture was taken just after the 10th climb, and we were both feeling great. All those cols in the Alps and Pyrenees with laden bikes had made us strong.
What a pretty place to ride a bike.
James kept us fed and watered. Here he's prepared one of our faves a Firepot Orzo Pasta Bolognese , fuel for another few laps.
More pictures.
James as well as catering for us, rode a good number of ascents with us.
By the time darkness had come, we'd done 20 ascents, only 14 left to do. We were well over halfway, though it certainly wasn't a done deal. We were both slowing down a little. Needless to say as the night progressed we both felt more and more tired.
We talked all the time on the way up the hill. If you are talking to someone your focus is on the conversation, not the blister on your bottom, or the fact that you'd rather be pushing your bike than pedaling it.
I notice a mechanical as I'm grinding up the hill, I've lost 2 of my 5 chainring bolts. No worries James sorts that out back at the car by pinching one of Tom's and checking and tightening all the others.
Wow, a clear sky, and that meant a bazillion stars in the sky. We'd stop for a few moments at the top of the climb, and try and take some of that in.
The descents at night were cautious, there are lots of sheep on this hillside, many of which apparently like sleeping on the road.
We were riding slower, it was getting colder so we tried to minimise stopping time at the car. We wanted this done inside 24 hours.
One last stop at the end of rep 33. We turned off our Exposure lights for the last time grabbed a handful of Haribo washed down with some Coca Cola and headed back up the hill in the dawn light.
At the Dam we hugged each other then a "summit" picture.
James was waiting back at base camp for us to take the obligatory finish line photo..
Tom Seipp the youngest person to complete an #everesting age 12 years 7 months 22 days. 8954 metres climbed in 23 hours 21 minutes.
His Strava is a bit wonky as his batteries died a couple of times mid segment, the GPS chewed through batteries in the cold, but unusually we took two GPS units and my Strava is here.
Now to rest up for a couple of weeks before commencing the build up to Strathpuffer.
A big thanks to James for his help in catering for us, fettling bikes, and the use of his pictures.
