February sapper mag:Layout 1 21/1/09 16:19 Page 49
heavy rain. No one could walk let
t) Back! J
alone pedal a bike up what was no
doubt going to turn out to be Mount
une 2008: Adv Trg week for Everest and the last thing on anyone’s
Boat Ops, 36 Trg Sp Sqn, 1 mind was sitting on a saddle for hours.
RSME Regt. A bit of gentle mountain Having agreed a slight change to the
biking? Some camping and a few plan (we decided to only go one way
nights out in the north of England? as we didn’t think the bikes were up to
This was what we were lead to the return leg …) we got back on our
believe; how wrong were we? bikes and headed off into the distance,
The week was organised by WO2 dressed to impress in bright red Army
(QMSI) ‘Andy’ Poole. The idea – to Benevolent Fund t-shirts. Leading the
complete the Coast-2-Coast (C2C) way was Cpl Chadwick, an experi-
cycle trip - was sold to us as ‘the UK’s enced tri-athlete and probably the only
premier long-distance cycle route – 140 one who knew what we had let our-
miles of magnificent scenery, from the selves in for. By lunchtime we had
Irish to the North Sea, taking in the reached one of the highest points on
sights of the Lake District and Northern what had now become our ‘Epic
Pennines along the way. As part of the Journey’. Hartside was 1903 feet
National Cycle Network, the C2C uses above sea level. A lovely little place
mainly traffic-free trails and minor described as ‘A spectacular viewpoint
roads and is fully marked to help you overlooking an area of outstanding nat-
navigate with ease. No wonder thou- ural beauty’. We might have described
sands of cyclists every year, of all it slightly differently as all we’d seen
abilities, take up the C2C challenge’. on the way up was “Tarmac” and the
“Cyclists of all abilities – easy. fog that had now set in.
Let’s go there and back, in 1 week” After a brief stop for a brew and
said Q Poole, followed by “I’ve been some much needed cake it was to be all
on the web site and little kids have down hill from here on in (so we were
gone one way in 4 days”. told). The day finished in the pictur-
Monday 2nd June 2008: ‘D-Day. esque little village of Greystoke from
Five highly trained athletes were lined where we were transported via mini bus
up at the start point in Sunderland, to a TA Centre in Workington which
dressed smartly in PINK Breast Cancer was to be our digs for the night. The
Campaign t-shirts (apart from menu was not particularly appealing
Sgt ‘Mark’ Warburton, whose excuse that evening (pasta and sauce) so it was
was something along the lines of “they off to the pub where we were joined by
don’t make one that’s big enough for my the Sqn OC and SSM who thoroughly
shoulders”). All went well for the first enjoyed our company as we told stories
couple of hours as we took in the sights of our epic journey for the remainder of
coming out of Sunderland. Four hours the evening.
in and disaster struck; the first of many After a good nights rest it was on to
punctures. As I laughed at Andy Poole the final push; 42 miles of what by now
it was pointed out that I too, had a punc- must be all down hill. The day started
ture. Something I hadn’t had to deal surprisingly well then…….. disaster
with since I was about 12 years old. struck. For some unknown reason we
Towards the end of Day 1 we all turned off the straight, level A66 and
began to feel the effects of 10 hours in went off into the hills again. 10 miles
the saddle. We’d covered in excess of later (all up hill) we turned back onto the
60 miles, all of which I’m sure was up A66 to find that we had covered about
hill, and some people were beginning 500m. We had taken two hours to do
to think that maybe we had bitten off what would have taken two minutes had
more than we could chew. We arrived we followed the road signs. With only
at our destination where our support 10 miles to go to the finish line people
team had already set up camp. Pasta were starting to ‘hang out’. Every little
and meatballs were on the menu or a incline felt like a mountain but with the
trip to the local town to the chippy. A end in sight and the white vans clearly
night under canvas should make for a visible we powered on to a triumphant
fantastic night’s sleep – except if you finish. No champagne; no trophies; not
share a tent with Cpl ‘Countryman even any good looking women to con-
Generator’ Chadwick. To say he gratulate us on our achievements, Just
By: Cpl M Hood snores is a massive understatement. Carl and Colin, our trusty drivers who
Day 2 started off to the sound of had supported us all week.
February 2009 Sports
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