hpm-history-2005

This year’s HPM certainly turned out to be a true winter mountain marathon, with heavy snowfall in the preceding fortnight leaving drifts several feet deep at some point around the route. The conditions may not have made for fast overall times, but it was certainly one of the closest and most exciting races of recent years.

The Rolling Stones and The Incredibles II, having started 1 minute apart, matched each all the way round to Snake summit, where The Incredibles managed to slowly but steadily edge out in front, to deny the Stones a fourth successive victory. Even closer was the mixed race where the Sleepmonsters team, led by Tim Fairbrother, came in only 3 seconds ahead of Mawn Y Wrach to take the trophy. The veterans prize again went to Poles Apart who, coming in 6th overall, once again proved that you’re as old as you feel! Congratulations must also go to the teams at the other end of the scoreboard, who were still out as the weather closed in and conditions rapidly worsened.

Other notable events this year included a number of cases of snow blindness, as well as several shining examples of the spirit of this sort of event, as several teams stopped to help others in difficulty. The High Peak Club walking team managed to finish having been interviewed by the Police as they came off Win Hill. The officers seemed unconvinced by the team’s explanations of what they were up to!

Heartfelt thanks must be extended to the check-pointers and other support staff, who endured up to 36 hours of snow, hail, wind and sub-zero temperatures. Some even soldiered on without any poles for their tent, wondering how to make a screw-fitting stove fit a punch-through gas canister.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the event. I hope you enjoyed it, or at least didn’t have too hard a time! Best wishes to Chantelle and Pip, next years coordinators.

Chris, HPM Coordinator 2005