Kinder O Trial 11m (2000ft approx)

An easy kit check for the organizers as the ones who’d checked the weather forecast were wearing most of the requirement, some even had waterproof bottoms on as well. From some of the conversations I’d overheard it sounded like they’d got caught out at Edale 2 years ago and were obviously not taking any chances. There were the ‘odd’ one or two wearing shorts!

They let you have a look at the map for 2 mins before your start time and then shoved you out of the warmth of the Scout Hut into the bitter cold. 10 Check-points to find, in any order you liked. I’d already decided that I needed to get the high stuff out of the way first just in case the weather deteriorated earlier than expected. This dictated a clockwise route heading out onto Leygatehead Moor then a bit of ‘up’n’over’ Kinder, skirting round Kinderlow End and then tracking the River Sett back to the finish.

You won’t believe it, but there are at least three Holly bushes and one Rhododendron Bush out there on the moor. How they got where they were had me baffled, all solo and not too titchy. We also got to visit some plane wreckage too, a bit spooky that. Having done some research it turns out that it was an American RAF plane that crashed on 22/07/1954, Pilot and Co-Pilot both killed. It appears that some people make a hobby out of visiting crash sites. No weirder than running round looking for Holly bushes I suppose.

Despite a bit of duff route choice to the first CP (takes a while to ignore the faster ones) I got round in under 4hrs (3:47) and the winner managed under 2hrs (1:49). So slightly over double, but pleased with this as was expecting a 4hr+ outing.

TF