Three Peaks Challenge - Pen Y Ghent to Ribblehead

After the sum total of around one and a half hours sleep each, taken in intervals over the course of the night everyone was just raring to go!! At least it was dry even if it was still dark!


Ready for the off!


Ross, Chris, Nu and James - the first to get to Ribblehead at around 9.30am - think they may have been running!




Next in were Chloe and Dave - they held this 2nd position for the entire day, brilliant job.


Working tirelessly to ensure that all our walkers were fed and watered were Sandra and Bob, I helped too when I wasn't taking photos! (Actually that's a lie - Bob went to the pub, but only cos Sandra and I made him!!)


Here they come!




And all still smiling!


Compeed plasters saved the day time and again.


Jacob and Lydia, one down 2 to go!


Already the blisters that were to be his undoing were giving Alex grief.


Rick, Adele and Rob make the most of the chance to sit down.


Just ouch.


I swear Rachel was THE most coordinated person doing the three peaks on Saturday, perhaps ever - even her earrings matched!!


Here he is, the instigator!


Anna indicating just how happy she is! She and Joe now can lay proud claim to having climbed Pen Y Ghent, no shabby achievement either I reckon!


Simon and Joe and his poor sore hands - he fell on the road and grazed them.


Chocolate biscuit to the rescue!


The youngest of our group to complete all three peaks - well done that man!


The gang with peak 2 looming in the background.


Sardines - Steve never leaves home without them!

Three Peaks Challenge - Wearnside & Ingleborough

The second rest stop was between Wearnside and Ingleborough - from what I could gather the climb up Wearnside was nothing in comparison to the knee grating agony that is coming back down.


The path zig-zagging down Wearnside.

The trail of people coming off Wearnside! With the naked eye they were invisible, Bob, Sandra and I were discussing how weird it was that we knew all those people were out there but we couldn't see them - then I looked through my zoom lense and there they all were!



By the time everyone was getting to the 2nd rest stop the weather had changed and was drizzly and feeling a lot colder - I have no idea how anyone summed up the energy or enthusiasm needed to keep going up the big, black brooding lump that is Ingleborough and the third and final peak.



First one's to set off were James, Ross, Chris and Nu.



Jacob looks less than thrilled by the prospect of Ingleborough!






At this point Adele and Lydia had decided to call it a day....


As had Alex who's feet were badly blistered.


And then ... Lydia changed her mind! This is her, right at the back RUNNING to catch up with her Dad and Simon, what a trooper!

Three Peaks Challenge - the end!

And then after twenty seven miles they made it back to the Pen Y Ghent cafe to clock in their finish times. I love these photos, as tired and battered and blistered as they are each and every one of them managed to raise a smile - well done folks, what a huge achievement!

Playing with my new strobist kit (& Project 52: Self Portrait, week2!)

One of the sessions at photocamp on Sunday was a Strobist session - basically how to light photos using one light and inexpensive kit (rather than hugely expensive studio set up) it was a really good session and the people that had the kit and knowledge were hugely generous with both, as soon as I got home I ordered my own kit, compared to other photographic equipment it really isn't expensive and I am thrilled with the results for a first try.






This was the last one of about 60 photos, I have no idea what I do with my face but I looked certifiable in most of them! Dying to try this kit out on some one that actually looks nice in a photo!

Project 52: Self Portrait

The first pic. Not planing to blog them all but might do sporadic one's. This one is worthy merely by dint of being first!

Photocamp Bradford

Oh my poor blog, has been left unloved for such a long time, I feel terrible. To be honest not much camera action once I got home from my holiday, more than made up for it this weekend with my first visit to Photocamp - not sure who's initiative it was, apart from being based on the "Bar Camp" concept in the States, but this one was organised by Jon from the Leeds Flickr group with lots of help from fellow members. It was the most brilliant weekend for meeting new people, learning loads of stuff and taking photos. Actually only took a few but the ones I took reflect the fun I had. Have now joined the Leeds Flickr group as well and think this is going to lead to lots of exciting new creative challenges. Oh and started Project 52; Self Portrait! Am going to take one self portrait a week, for the next year - as someone who HATES having her photo taken I thought it was only fair and I reckon I'll learn loads......