After the wet day, the rock was going to be a little less secure, so the party decided that a quick trip to the north of the ridge would be best. Bruach na Frithe, always an easy climb, was the target. At last here was the snow which we'd been looking for! As we ice-axed our way to the top, Skye played its usual trick and the weather closed in. After bagging the Munro and becoming soaked through, it suddenly seemed a jolly good idea to try An Basteir. In the end sense prevailed, and, sitting on our rucksacks, we slid back down the mountain. By now, the rain had widened all the little streams which we had crossed on our walk-in. Damian Riddle impressed everyone by pirouetting on a stepping stone and falling gracefully into one of these raging torrents.Day 4. A long day on the mountains: two different routes to the summit of Mhic Choinnich had been followed by two different ascents of the Inaccessible Pinnacle. Philip Needham can be congratulated on getting half way up before realising that he wasn't wearing a helmet...
Next day (Monday) saw the group ascend Bla Bheinn by the long ridge. Taking lunch half way up the peak with a view over the whole Cuillin was one of the highlights of the trip, particularly with the sorts of bizarre conversations that the altitude inspires.
Mark Tocknell's plan to take in the Pinnacle Ridge on Tuesday was foiled by evil weather, and so the group girded up its collective loins and returned to Westminster after a very successful week.
Damian Riddle
The other end of the phone suddenly went very quiet.
I breathed slowly and gently, my eyes clenched tight shut, and my fingers inadvertently crossed; I had been expecting this.
'So, let me get this straight,' came my mother's voice after a few seconds of a silence more expressive than any words could possibly be. She became mute once more, obviously trying her hardest to understand what I had just told her. Finally, she spoke again, slowly and pointedly: 'Let me get this straight. You want to do this Lyke Wake Walk thing. In the middle of Yorkshire. In the middle of the night. In the middle of Winter... And it's forty-two miles long.'
Well, she hadn't said 'no' straightaway. More to the point, unlike everyone else, she hadn't said that I was m...
'Nick, as your mother, I think that I ought to be the first to tell you: you're mad!'
I laughed down the phone line. 'Mum, you are by no means the first.'
Madness is often associated with the moon.
However, as far as I can remember, there was no moon on the night of the Walk. Although, that's not saying much because the majority of my memories are confused and blurred. Maybe amnesia is a symptom of madness...
I am sure that there are many other traits which indicate a slight lack of sanity; perhaps included in these are singing maniacally to the empty black moors, throwing yourselves in the muddiest boggy bits you can find, seeing and hearing people through the mist only to find on closer inspection that they are a sheep bleating or an upstanding rock, or screaming to the stars that you can go on no further without your legs breaking, and yet continuing to drag yourselves on - we walk, therefore we hurt, someone had said... we hurt, therefore we walk, another had countered, inspired with determination and a resolution to defeat the Walk.
However, the surest indication I have that the Walk induces madness is when someone asks me whether I would do it again next year and I answer: 'You just try and stop me!'; mad or not, we were all brought together and bound by the closest comradeship I have ever known. The Walk was painful. The Walk was challenging. The Walk drove us all mad. It was more rewarding than I thought possible.
If this is madness, count me in...
Nick Clark (Rigaud's)
We were welcomed by 1970s tower blocks and yellow net curtains. This was our accommodation. We were based in Swansea University's campus where we slept, studied and supped every day.
Our trip involved both physical and human geography. We studied Swansea's city centre and its decay, and the Lower Swansea Valley, a site of redundant industry that has brought with it crime and poverty. A huge attempt has been made recently at boosting the local economy and this was central to our study. The second half of our stay was spent studying the beautiful coastline and its quaint rural settlements. Swansea lies on the Gower Peninsula, which has recently gained the status of 'an area of outstanding natural beauty'.
Nightfall brought exploration of the local night life. Unfortunately our mapping of Swansea's services in the day brought little hope of any excitement by night. However, we took advantage of a peaceful five days out of London and discovered many old and attractive pubs.
The working day was long, yet rewarding, and the week passed quickly. Our return to London was welcomed yet the contrast was astounding. Life in Swansea is very different from one amongst the bright lights and I, with my counterparts, learnt a great deal in a very intense five days.
Daniel Joseph (Busby's)