Hikers warm up for 100km charity Dales trek

A record 340 teams of walkers from across the UK and beyond will arrive in Skipton tomorrow ready to start the non-stop 100km trek on Saturday morning.

Event manager Louise Gebbett said: “We’re all looking forward to getting the event underway and we’ve been busy planning and preparing and getting everything ready to go.

“The participants will be looking forward to it as well – they’ll have been training for the last six months and their job now is to rest up, eat as many carbs as possible and get plenty of sleep to prepare for the work ahead.”

The challenge is as much a test of mental endurance as it is physical, requiring teams of four to complete the full route – the length of two-and-a-half marathons and with ascents the equivalent of scaling Ben Nevis and Snowdon – in under 30 hours with no sleep.

Walkers will have to be prepared for all conditions as they trek day and night across the exposed terrain, despite a mainly dry and sunny weather forecast.

“Up in the Dales it can be incredibly exposed and can have a different microclimate to the rest of the area,” said Ms Gebbett.

“It is quite a harsh environment but that is part of the challenge.”

The full route showcases some of the National Park’s most stunning landscapes, including 
Penyghent and Malham Cove.

“People come from miles and miles to take part, from right across the country and internationally, and they always finish saying it’s an absolutely stunning environment,” said Ms Gebbett.

“It is quite unforgiving – but amazingly beautiful.”

Trailtrekker is now in its fifth year after being launched in 2009 as an offshoot of Oxfam’s international 100km Trailwalker event.

Trailwalker began in 1981 as a military training exercise for the elite Queen’s Gurkha Signals Regiment in Hong Kong and has since grown into one of the world’s leading team endurance challenges, with 16 events in 12 countries.

The UK Trailwalker event, which takes place near Brighton and is still run by the Gurkhas, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Globally, the events have raised more than £60m for Oxfam’s work around the world and Trailtrekker 2013 is expected to add another £800,000 to the charity’s coffers.

“It’s an astonishing amount and it’s all thanks to the hard work of all the teams who have spent the last six months training and fundraising. We are hugely thankful to them,” said Ms Gebbett.

Volunteers are still being sought to help at this year’s event. Anyone who is interested is asked to email [email protected] or call 07867 372382.