Just down from Skiddaw Little Man summit (865 m.)
Skiddaw Little Man summit (865 m.)
I’m planning on more and harder mountain hiking next year but feel I need to build my strength and endurance. So today’s session was a fitness training hike up from my Keswick front door (110 m.) to Skiddaw Little Man (865 m.). “Training hike” to me means structured hiking and rests, so about a three minute rest every 100 metres of altitude, as shown by the barometric altimeter on my watch; rucksac loaded to 5kg gross. The Skiddaw path from Latrigg Saddle is ideal for a training hike as it’s a steady climb, well-defined with relatively few scenic distractions.
The wind became a bit wild approaching the summits but no frost. Clearly there was a rain front coming in, which had socked in Helvellyn then the other summits, so time to descend.
Not a lot of hikers on the main path but I’d been passed hking up Spooneygreen Lane by a couple of mountain bikers riding banzai down from Latrigg Saddle; further up, another group cycling up and nearing the Skiddaw summits, also having a lot of fun; but then I passed them when they did a stop some way further up as they had to change batteries. Met them again at the summit.
I’m told people training for Everest summit attempts do something similar, but go back up for a second lap so 2 x 750 m. altitude gain for the day.
