This week I’ve been gaining a bit more insight into how the Kielder Challenge runs, as things are really gearing up for it here at The Comb. Rory has been heading out to scout potential bivi sites as there have been a lot of clearances in the surrounding forest and many of the sites Reivers Development has used for bivouacking have been felled. And not to mention how many trees have been blown down by the recent storms. Usually he would work out the routes first but because of the clearances he’s had to find bivi sites first and work the routes around them. As you can see, Rory has been hard at work clearing a prospective bivi site:

When I was shadowing Rory I picked up some sneaky tips for Challenge competitors. Very important to remember if you’re going to be spending a chilly night in the wilderness!

• Your focus should be how to stay warm, dry, and comfortable overnight.
• Share the jobs out, e.g. building, scavenging, cooking, planning for Sunday’s task.
• Don’t forget that you can bring some useful items with you to help you set up your bivi site. For example; a foldable saw, cable ties, ponchos. Remember to keep it light though!
• Check the site for anything which might cause injury or discomfort through the night. Check for stones under your sleeping area, low-hanging branches or logs in the path to your designated call-of-nature site!
• Try to work quickly and efficiently. No matter how tired you are or how bad the weather is, sleep is important.

Getting your bivi site right is so important, mainly because you’ll need a large, comfortable working area in which to prepare for Sunday’s task, which can take hours. The good news is we have Challenge Training Days to help prepare veterans and newcomers alike for the event. I think I might do one, all this talk of outdoor survival has got me feeling very unadventurous and I want to learn how to make a bivi first-hand!

Here goes……..

Our first week was… interesting, to say the least. Severe storms cut off the power to the whole valley and we discovered, to our joy, that the water here runs off an electric pump. So when the power goes out we have to live by candlelight, collecting water from streams and cooking on a camping stove! Far from being the massive inconvenience it should have been, the power cuts were actually quite fun (!) giving us the chance to live off our wits a bit and really, really appreciate electricity when it finally came back on. Everyone at The Comb and in the nearby villages banded together admirably, checking on neighbours and stocking up larders for people. Not to mention hefting an enormous generator to Greenhaugh (the nearest village) in order to get the place back up and running once the power had been out for nearly 48 hours. Just a shame it didn’t work!

We’ve had a big group of people staying at The Comb this week and they’ve had a great time; clay pigeon shooting, bike rides, problem solving and walks along the Reiver trails with a very knowledgeable local guide. Encouraged by their adventuring we set out to explore The Comb and the surrounding area, where we quickly stumbled upon what must surely be the mascot for the Kielder Challenge…

I kind of like him, he has a certain je ne sais quoi, don’t you think?!

Northumbrian Water - Kielder Challenge Winners 2010

Well, it’s all over and done with for another year. We’d like to thank all the teams, marshals & helpers. Everybody did a great job!

The results are as follows:-

1st Northumbrian Water – Strangely In The Night 1062 points
2nd Cape & Sabic – Sabic Cape Allstars 1000 points
3rd Northumbrian Water – The Bottom Notes 940 points