The Bullock Smithy Hike is a Long Distance walk that is organised by 3rd Hazel Grove Scout Group. Competitors have 24 hours, 12 noon on Saturday to 12 noon on Sunday to complete the ’56 miles in the glorious Peak District’.
This year the Hike was taking place on the first full weekend in September (as is tradition), the 3rd and 4th, and Tommy Tognarelli, Adi Tognarelli, Andy Thorpe and Ollie Hibbs (me) had entered. Tommy, Adi and Andy had entered with the aim of not only beating Tommy and Adi’s record of 14 hours 25, but going sub 14!! I had a time of 19 hours 15 to beat, therefore sub 14 was a massive ask, but I’d give it a go.
Saturday morning, race day!
Adi, or designated driver picked us all up and we headed to Hazel Grove Scout Hut were we had to check in and have our kit ‘checked’. We were given a list and asked do you have these? The obvious answer, yes. No one wanted extra weight to carry for 56 miles. After ditching most of our maps except the one Tommy had with the split times to beat 14 hours, we headed to the start line in Devonshire Park, where we collected our tag cards that get clipped at each of the 14 checkpoints around the 56 mile course.
At 12 o’clock the Bullock Smithy anvil was struck and we had started, we left the park at a run and were leading the Bullock Smithy!!
After about 15/20 minutes I knew I wasn’t going to maintain the pace that the other 3 were doing and had to stop running and start walking, costing them (apparently) 1.5 minutes, as good lucks were said amongst asking whether I had maps, which I didn’t as they got left in the car. I’d completed the course twice before so I had a pretty good idea of the route, plus there is always enough people to follow without needing a map.
The route takes us through Lyme Park to Bow Stones via Poynton canal basin, at this point I was still jogging the downhill sections. However, coming to the first major uphill, Chinley Churn, my legs weren’t feeling too great and it was hard work getting to the checkpoint at the top of a long, quite steep climb. From here it’s across to Edale Cross up another fairly long climb but this steep the gradient wasn’t as steep.
I passed through Edale Cross checkpoint and from there it was all downhill to Edale itself. At this checkpoint, there is the option of an interesting concoction of fruit salad and rice pudding, something I have never quite felt the need or urge to try! From Edale it’s over Hollins Cross and down into Castleton.
This is the last photo I took as from this point on, my legs decided they did actually want to walk, where as before I was quite happy to wander along taking nice photos. From Castleton onwards it was all about the walking. From the checkpoint there was a group of about 10 that left for Cavedale and beyond that Peak Forest. This group stretched out on the climb out of Cavedale and I was left with a group made up of me and two two’s, Caroline and Steve and Brad and Liam. We were all has it happened aiming for a time of around 19 hours.
We were all very happy to reach Peak Forest in the daylight as last year the other 4 in my group had arrived just needing torches. We were even happier to get between Peak Forest and the half way point of Millers Dale, still without needing a torch. Now it was onto Chelmorton, otherwise known as ‘the doughnut one’, something all 5 of us had been looking forward too!! This year there was no caravan as in previous years but a collection of canvas, but there was still the jam doughnuts, so we were satisfied. Next stop Earl Sterndale and beyond that Bran Top and a hot dog.
At Earl Sterndale we were greeted with claps and cheers as I was the 100th person to make it to the checkpoint, this was a massive boost to our group as this confirmed that we were doing very well. We also enjoyed tracking people down and overtaking them, as there we had a couple of groups leaving as we arrived, it spurred us on, we wanted to overtake them. Which we did, passing two groups before reaching Bran Top. We also passed a wedding reception whilst the live band were playing teenage kicks, something we sing-a-long to! After a quick hot dog it was onto Cumberland Cottage.
The navigation between Bran Top and Cumberland has in the past caused problems, but not this year, all out navigation was being done off Steve’s GPS device, nicknamed the Oracle. He had the route programmed in and all we had to do was follow the little arrow as it moved along the blue line, too easy! Cumberland was a short stop where we briefly picked up another walker but he was soon dropped as he fell off the back of the group. We negotiated the notoriously bouldery and treacherous track from Cumberland to the road, then the route takes you round the edge of Macclesfield Forest and onto Walker Barn.
Walker Barn to the penultimate checkpoint of Whitley Green is a nice section, down through Rainow and then along a well worn path through fields and down into the top of Bollington, where we walk down the deserted streets except for us and another group of walkers (which we overtook). Onto the canal and two bridges later is the checkpoint. Next stop home and a full English breakfast!!
Middlewood Way is a large part of the final and it goes on and on and on and on! There are two options off Middlewood Way, the first is the recommended route along Towers Road and the A523 past five ways (Tommy, Adi and Andy went this way) or continue to Poynton Station and does the start of the 56 mile course backwards. We chose the second option. This is where Liam and Brad dropped of our group as Liam was struggling a bit (it was his first time). Now it was just a matter of dragging our aching legs and feet over the finish line at the Hazel Grove Scout Hut. Somehow Caroline and Steve managed to run up the final drive way and I wasn’t far behind as we all finished with the same time. Brad and Liam finished about 15/20 minutes after us and joined us for breakfast.
One thing that had kept us going to the end was the promise of a beer at the end courtesy of Liam. This was a refreshing end to the walk. Cheers!
Finishing times:
Tommy Tognarelli – 14 hours 10 minutes
Adi Tognarelli – 14 hours 10 minutes
Andy Thorpe – 14 hours 10 minutes
Ollie Hibbs – 18 hours 7 minutes
We’ll see you next year 1st – 2nd September at a checkpoint near you!