Settle Up

At 8 o'clock last night I was running(?) up Pen y Ghent on my own in the dark! No I am not completely mad but I must admit that I hadn't planned it at all. I had contacted the local running group, Settle Harriers, and having been told that Monday night sessions were slower and easier than Wednesday's, I duly turned up at Helwith Bridge at 7.30, expecting to meet lots of other runners. Exactly two other runners as it happened, both of whom were much younger, much fitter and much more used to the fells than me. Where are we going I asked: up Pen y Ghent they said! OK it is only three miles to PyG from Helwith Bridge but also about 1700 ft of climbing and it was going dark. I managed to stay with them for just over a mile but was clearly holding them back, so they went on ahead, promising to meet me on their way down. Things improved after that: I don't know if I relaxed or just got used to the gradient, but I managed to get almost to where the path on the 3 Peaks route joined my path, when I met the others coming back. They hadn't made the summit, turning back at the first rocky section instead. The descent was interesting: my head torch which was fine in the Thames Valley, was as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike at 2000ft on PyG. Fortunately, one of the others had a very powerful torch and we got down without mmishap. A very welcome pint then followed and they asked if I was going to turn out on Wednesday. I said I would but if that was the easy session, I think more embarrassment is in store tomorrow.