Milleneum ("lost our") Way Recce

Lets get some excuses in first.

1. planned to start at just after 5 but didn't manage to get going til after 7

2. food planning then was light lunch as I'll be finished by 7

3. never run this route before

4. Tom hadn't even looked at the map

5. Both of us pretty heavy legged from race on Sat

6. gps packed up

7. printed map covered course but no much beyond (hint)

8. it got very foggy visibility down to 30 yards

9. hard day at work

10. took no fluid/food

11. There are many millenium way paths that we're our path

I'm sure I'll think of some more before I finish

So after a delayed start, and having dropped a car at the end above Oxenhope, off we set, nice easy start, made our first wrong turn depressingly early, but retraced quickly and on our way again, apart from a bit of confusion crossing over to Cherry Tree, on we plodded above then down and through Goit Stock in full flow, then above Hewenden dip, under the viaduct and pretty much straight forward into Denholme. We were suprised we were a bit slow, partly the route, partly a couple of detours and partly underfuelled leg weary from Sat.

We sped up Hillcrest to the track and rather eagerly took a left turn (where we shouldn't have taken a left turn) and ended up on the main road in Denholme - off track again, school boy error that one, but decided to follow the road toward Oxenhope and found the track again where we should have come out. Feeling now like it would be nice to get to the end we were glad of some good track. The mist was closing in now as we connfidently reamarked that the resevour which we couldn't see was reassuringly along side us. So somewhere after that we were expecting a turn off. What we found was nice path and enjoyed the freeway, after a while we got a bit uncertain but carried on enboldened by MW markers, onwards and onwards. It slowly dawned on us that not only were we off route but off the map!. Still very poor visibility, but a slight break identified Ogden Water a hundred yards away! Decision time carry on and get a taxi, or back again, the later proved right but and here's the embarassment we hit the road above Oxenhope with the last of the light and the car over 3 hours after we set off.

So good team building, were mates now, a bit of a dreadful navigation and we were completely done in. I managed to go all cold and clamy on the way home, which confirmed that my blood sugar was worringly low.

Ah well bring on a bit of rest and Sunday