Layby on A498 to Nantgwynant car park
4.8 miles
Like a well oiled machine Take Five muddled around for a few moments before racing off towards the next checkpoint leaving a shattered Stumbles to sort out the transportation.
The route down to the old power station follows a gravelly downhill track and Taps and Choker were raring to go. The pace was very quick as the whole team pushed hard to maintain the good time being set for the day. The path follows the stream heading down towards Lake Gwynant passing through deep meadow grass and boggy areas. At times the path seemed to disappear but Taps kept everyone on the straight and narrow, although at times the map had added real rivers as Taps lost half his body weight in sweat.
Things became more tricky as Take Five entered a wood on the side of the lake. Of course faced with the decision of heading down a precipitous drop, hanging on to trees and sliding on bums or taking a right turn and going up a hill, Choker took the obvious decision. Which is why the team ended up on a cliff face in the middle of a wood with huge boulders under foot and no path. Fortunately everyone took consolation in the fact that the team ahead of us had made the same mistake.
Dropping down towards the lakeshore a path was picked up, although it took the sighting of a jelly baby for everone to realise we were on the right trail. As it happens, the correct path was one that stayed up high, but the two paths came together providing another opportunity for Loser. "I know a shortcut" he said leading everyone on a pointless detour around a copse.
The last time out the team made a promise to never cross walls or fences except at proper crossing points. This adds on miles, but also provides a sense of satisfaction that no country codes are broken. The team kept to this taking a longer route to the junction of the road, but still finishing off in a cracking time.
Stumbles was there to greet everyone with water and congratulations............ Uh. No he wasnt. In fact he was down the road stuffing his face with Lemon Drizzle cake and cups of tea, a fact he had great pleasure in telling everyone.
The end of day one saw Take Five in a good position, although thoroughly shattered from the near sprint on leg two.
