Monday 4th July 2005
The Rovers Return for another crack at the Vauxhall 4 Peaks Challenge - Charles for the 9th time, Andy for the 5th, and Ross and Tommo for the 2nd time each.Charles drives up on Wednesday picking the team up in Glasgow and after our last good sleep for 3 days we queue up for the official photos with all the other hopefuls.
Some teams look more glamorous than others but the boys do their best. Meanwhile our photographer shows off some shocking shorts.
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At registration we get a chance to see the amazing efforts that some of the teams have gone to with their cars. The Four King Peakers car is truly incredible while Cargill's car has a very fine snail on the bonnet.
At 4pm on Thursday the fun really starts at the Ben Nevis visitors centre. The sun is shining, the boys look relaxed and the amazing Wooden Tops team give TV interviews. We all go through the kit check for the first time and set off over the footbridge for the highest of the four peaks.
We are snapped on the long first climb as the sun continues to shine. Further photos are forgotten as first Ross has a major wipe out and then the heavens open for a very wet run home.
At 6 the next morning we are smiling again and on our way up Helvellyn - Ross now with stitches in his hip courtesy of our great medical team, Ian and Sarah.
We are in 2nd place after Ben Nevis with a time of 2hr 50mins and keep our position on Helvellyn with a time of 1hr 23m. The climb up Helvellyn is less eventful with fine views until we enter the clouds on the top ridge.
As we reach the bottom the rain comes down again - I am sure that it is following us down the country.
Click here for more of this year's 4 peaks race.