Climbing Snowdon 1.

A fter several months of planning a group of some forty Trainees from the Forest Fitness Centre boarded this coach which a local company, Grindles, provided. The journey-time was about four hours each way - that included plenty of 'comfort-stops'. The combined group was divided into Teams, each of which was headed by at least one Instructor. The 'mix' of ages, fitness and abilities was quite varied - The youngest, Rebecca, was aged 12 years ... I have yet to find anyone who will admit to being the oldest participant. Rebecca was sufficiently happy about the trip that she is planning to do the next Fund-Raising Sponsored Climb of a mountain (Ben Nevis in Scotland) in June, 2000.

N aturally, the Instructors were very safety conscious - here you can see a group of them re-testing the mobile phones and confirmin phone numbers would work 'in the field' before starting from the Coach Park. With so many people of such differing ages, including some with Special Needs, it was as challenging for the Team Leaders as it was for the Trainees. The number of people per group was tailored to reflect how fit they were. For example, one Climber had had a fairly recent hip replacement operation and so was in the Special Needs group so that his well-being could be monitored by Alan and Barbara. There was another, a young lady, who was 'not quite so fit' and so she, too, was included in the group under Barbara and Alan's watchful eyes - enabling her to go at a pace that she could cope with so that she successfully accomplished her personal objective.

O ne of the preventative measures employed was the liberal use of bottles of 'Liniment.' Some people needed attention to their calf muscles whilst others found unexpected aches in their shoulders. In both cases the 'treatment' was the same - a warming rub and massage of the affected parts before they got too sore or stiff.

H ere, the wife of one climber is giving him a massage and warming rub of a strong-smelling liniment on his chest - He must have found it most invigorating to have the heady fumes accompanying him all the way up and all the way down. Nonetheless, he completed the climb successfully so it must have done some good !

H ere, young Rebecca is getting the liniment treatment. You can see that she is sensibly kitted out with long trousers, a warm jumper and that bulging ruc-sac filled with wet-weather clothing, a drink and an instant energy source. The peaked cap is not only "Kool" but is also quite important as, if the weather breaks, keeping your top-knot warm is as important as 'keeping a cool head.'