Pen Y Fan Pilgrimage

Well another year has gone by and I am still alive and kicking. As I like to do every year, I head off to the highest mountain in South Wales - Pen Y Fan. Pen y Fan (pronounced pen.e.van) is the highest peak in South Wales and southern Britain, situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. At 886 metres (2,907 ft) above sea-level, it is also the highest peak in Britain south of the Snowdonia mountain range. The twin summits of Pen y Fan and Corn Du were formerly referred to as Cadair Arthur or 'Arthur's Seat' This is my way of seeing in the new year, along with many other people, as the crowds heading up and back proved. Arriving at the car park at the mountain base I was surprised to find the car park full, I was heading up much later in the day than normal, about 10am, as I thought the weather was going to prohibit my climb this year but a sudden brake in the wether sent me dashing out of the house heading for the hills. The weather was cold, but dry and a lot of blue sky above. But knowing the mountain as I do, I did not expect the weather to remain clear for long. My legs did suffer, but I did not notice until I got to the top and started to walk back down, it was then that my inner thighs started to cramp up. Not wanting to look a plonked I ignored the pain as much as I could and walked it off as best I could, I think I may have been walking a little funny and it felt as though I was going slower down hill than I did going up. As soon as I was within a couple of hundred feet of the top, where evidence of snow was plain to see, the clouds started to close in and remained there until my decent. It remained dry though, but very cold and no view. But no matter I got there, again, proving that at 50 years of age I was not ready to be an old fart just yet. Lets see what its like at the start of next year! I have included some images that I took during the climb.

Our Little Adventure

This morning I had to get up at 4am and head off into the night with my 15 year old daughter, to climb a mountain called Pen Y Fan, a 886 meter mountain in South Wales.

About a week ago my daughter asked if we could climb it together, I normally do this several times a year on my own, and I agreed.

After driving for about an hour we arrived, in the dark, at the car park at the base of the mountain.  We decided we would take the path to the top, path being a term I use in the loosest sense of the word in this case.

There was no rain, but it was cold and rain was obviously on the books at some time.
In the dark we put on our gear and prepared for the walk.

Setting off in the pitch dark, with only my daughters small torch for light, she insisted on having it on, we started up the slope.

On the journey up my daughter must have stopped at least 5 times to say, she could not make it any further and we had to go back, or she was going to throw up and we had to go back, or her legs were giving way and we had to turn back, but in each instance I told her to stop winging and get on with it and continue on she did.

Then the wind hit us, in every sense of the word, and we could nearly keep to our feet.  My daughter again sopped and wanted to go back, telling me she was scared.  I explained that being afraid was only a heart beat away from being excited and she should embrace the adventure and stop winging and get on with it.  So on we went, arm in arm keeping each other upright and on the path.

All the way up we also had the inevitable question 'how far to the top now' and in each case I would say 'just over the next rise' and on we would continue.

By now the rain had started and coupled with the wind was lashing our faces and stinging our eyes, even I was now getting a little anxious and kept my eye on the path ahead for any problems.
Then 'just over the next rise' and we were there at the top.

The look on my daughters face as she said 'we did it!' made every step up worthwhile.

We were cold and tired, wet and sore, but very very happy.

I got the camera out to get the proof shot of my daughter sitting at the top, but the rain and wind made it almost impossible to get anything.

So why was this such a big deal for us both?

My daughter suffers from a genetic skin condition called E.B (Epidermolysis Bullosa) the simplex form.  This means that her skin blisters and cuts much more easily than other people.  This form is not as bad as some types of E.B but still presents a range of challenges and restrictions on what a person can do when compared to others.  We have to make sure the socks and walking shoes are suitable and will not rub, the clothing when it is wet can chaff the skin far more than other people, removing the top layer of skin if care is not taken.

Then about a year or so ago my daughter was diagnosed with M.E (chronic fatigue syndrome) and was spending weeks at a time off school and confined to her bed.

We had to have a special school timetable made up for her so that she could attend school and keep up with her work without causing any relapses, which she was getting every 5 - 8 days.  I had to drive her to and from school each day as the bus journey was to much for her and there was little we could do together on the weekends as she needed this time to recover from the weeks exertions.

This situation continued for a little while before my daughter decided she had had enough of this illness and was going to beat it.

She started by reading every thing she could on the illness, as well as courses of action that people were trying to deal with the condition.

She then asked if she could go back to the normal school timetable, as she felt she was missing out on to much school activity as well as seeing her friends.

I am still taking her into school in the mornings but she comes home with all the other kids on the school bus at the end of the day.

She still has some 'down' days' but these are getting few and far between and in each case she pushes herself to get up and do things as best as she can.

So when I am walking up the side of a mountain which the British Army use for training their SF troops and she tells me she is tired and can't go on, you can imagine how that pulls on my heart strings.

But pushing and encouraging and supporting in any way I can is all I can do, the rest is all up to her.

My daughter is the gutsiest kid I know and I think I always will be in awe of her determination and guts to overcome the obstacles life has placed before her.