The Union Flag Walk 4 and 5 Ends In A Storm

Dover to Cape Wrath

The team then went to Dover Castle where the castle staff was waiting to give the team a tour of the castle plus the war time tunnels. This was enjoyed by the whole team and was a great gesture from the castle staff and a fantastic way to start the event.

On the 5^th of May 2011 the team once again set off for Dover Castle to begin Union Flag Walk number 4 and with 12 walkers and 4 support crew the team left through the castle gates to begin the 1400 mile walk.

After leaving the castle the team of 12 walkers were split into pairs that would walk together for the 6 stages of each day's walking with partners to be changed each day in order to learn from each other.

The first two days were spent walking on the North Downs Way, followed by Greensand Way and Thames Pathway ending in Richmond, London on the 6^th of May with the first 120 miles covered.

On the 7^th of May the team left Richmond and walked into Twickenham Town centre where they gathered to do some fundraising before the Army v Navy Rugby Match. Before the match the team were met by Alan and Catherine from the charity The Baton  http://www.thebaton.co.uk/ who presented the team with a cheque for £500 plus a Baton that would be carried by team members throughout the walk.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day as it was a chance to reunite with long lost friends as the annual event has to be the biggest reunion in the world. This day was followed by a day off which was spent taking the team members around the Imperial War Museum and around the sights of London.  Unfortunately at this point two walkers had to leave the team for personal reasons and another 3 joined the team.

The next few days were spent following the Grand Union Canal leaving London and passing though Milton Keynes and Northampton. It was from here that the terrain started to change and become more challenging.

The team followed the Midshires Way past Derby and Nottingham and then followed the Limestone Way in the Peak District where the weather started to take a turn. The team were now battling the weather and the conditions of high winds and driving rain and spirits were still high and the VIA Team were beginning to see real changes in those taking part.

We had three new team members join us at this time that would replace three who were scheduled to leave us.

The team then began to follow the Pennine Way and the weather continued to get worse with almost zero visibility in the hills and some walkers had to be taken off due to the severe conditions. This is when the team really started to pull together and help each other out.

The team then crossed the border where it followed St. Cuthbert's Way and roads into Edinburgh where they were greeted by staff members at Edinburgh Castle and were given tickets to all areas of the castle. This was a bit of a break in the weather for one day and again the weather turned when the team followed the Union and Forth and Clyde Canals into Glasgow.

The team set up camp in Strathclyde Park and it was soon evident that conditions were not good as the ground they were pitched on became like a swamp due to the wet weather. In driving rain and strong winds the team got the canoes we were carrying on the vehicles onto the lake at Strathclyde Park which was enjoyed by all who took part although the conditions were shocking.

The team were scheduled to spend two days at this site and have a day out at Go Ape in Aberfoyle but a decision was made to cancel Go Ape because of the extreme weather as there was an Amber Weather Warning given out for high winds and rain.

It was decided to move the camp forward as everyone was covered in mud and the kitchen tent became impossible to use. We moved to a site we had used in the past called the Beinglas at the end of Loch Lomond as we had already started walking the West Highland Way which passes right through the campsite.

The surface was a bit firmer here and we set up camp and had a meal in the restaurant where we made plans for the next day depending on the conditions. It rained the whole night and when the team assembled for breakfast we assessed the situation and decided to wait to see if the weather changed.

It brightened for a short period of time and we split the team into 3 groups for the days walk. It was during this walk following the West Highland Way that the weather really took a turn for the worst with 100mph winds and driving rain. 

The days walking was still completed with high spirits and it was when we returned to camp that we saw the evidence of how strong the winds were with all the teams tents strewn around the campsite and everyone's equipment and clothing soaked.

It was with regret that a decision was made to end the expedition due to the weather forecasting more strong winds and rain and without any tentage and no dry kit the team ended the event with the plan to continue it in August with a new challenge thrown in.

All the VIA Team would like to congratulate everyone who took part for the efforts and the personal achievements they individually made and as a team. Hope to see you all again soon for our next challenge.