Non-stop climb Over Wales' Highest peaks
Ten pairs of socks were the only casualties in the 120-mile marathon
walk across rough Welsh countryside undertaken by a Stretford couple
and two friends, last week-end.
Mr. and Mrs. B. Black. Of 48 Marlborough Road, are both keen climbers
and skiers. Mr Black is secretary of the Karabiner Mountaineering
Club, and his wife Mildred is the treasurer. When they undertook to
go on the walk two other club members, Dennis Davis of Bramhall, and
Derek Seddon of Cheadle. Decided to go with them and three other club
members composed the "support party". "Don't ask me why we decided to
do the walk," said Mr. Black, As he limped around his home on Monday
having returned home on Sunday night after walking 120-miles without
any sleep, and climbed and descended the three highest peaks in
Wales, a total of 16,000ft in ascent and descent.
"I did not bother to go to bed, just cleared up all the equipment and
then went straight to work," said Mr Black.
Their second long walk
This is the second long walk which Mr. And Mrs. Black have
undertaken. In 1962, they walked the 128 miles from the highest
public house in England, Tan mill in Westmoreland, to the Cat and
Fiddle in Cheshire, the second highest in the country.
"This time our aim was to climb the three highest mountains in Wales,
Snowdon, the highest point at 3,580ft, Plynlimon which at 2,468ft is
the highest mountain in central Wales, and then on to Brecon Beacon,
at 2,863ft, the highest point in South Wales."
The walk started at 4.30a.m. On Friday, when the walkers broke camp
in the Llanberis pass. An hour and a half later, they were at the
summit of Snowdon and heading South over mountains, through valleys
on a carefully planned route which took them through the Cader Idris
mountains and Corris Machynlleth to Plynlimon. Then with brief stops
on the day for hot soup, and clean socks, when necessary, the party
tramped down the Claerwen valley past the reservoir where they
sometimes found themselves ankle deep in mud.
Lost Way
"We managed to get lost as we went towards Beulah." Went on Mr.
Black. "But at 2a.m. We met a welsh farmer, who managed in broken
English, to tell us the way."
After breakfast in Beulah, they started to cross the artillery range
at Senny Bridge, and it was here that Mr. Black decided to plough
ahead alone, as the rest of the party wen round the edge of the
range. "But I did the wrong thing for it was very rough going." said
Mr. Black. "The others walked one or two miles further and still
reached the meeting place half an hour before I did." Mrs. Black
surged on ahead up the final mountain, Brecon Beacon; "She arrived
about 20 minutes before the rest of us." Said Mr. Black
Drank a Gallon A Day
"We finished up in a youth hostel eating bacon eggs and beans to make
up for all the soup meals we had during the walk." Mr. Black went on
"I must of drunk a gallon of soup and water a day on the walk and
still lost half a stone."
"But it was worth it." He added. Mr. Black a tall lean 40 years-old,
is the assistant manager of a hire purchase firm and his wife who
owns an alpine sports shop in Bolton, have one 15-years-old daughter,
it was Mrs. Black in fact who had the inspiration for the walk,
because no one had ever done it non-stop before. They are both
frequent visitors to the Alps where they climb and ski.
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