Langdale Men's Weekend, 16-18 September 2005

A social weekend of gentle walking and much fellowship

A most enjoyable weekend with men from St. Thomas' Church based at Barclays Bank Rock and Mountaineering Club Hut behind the ODG. Ten of us spent the weekend eating, walking and socialising. Friday night's backgammon and shuffleboard was followed by a walk over side Pike and Lingmoor, just in timew to observe the Three Shires Fell Race as we halted at Blea Tarn. As the runners streamed by we washed each others feet in the tarn and walked past the descending runners at the back of the field. It was interesting to observe both the front runners and the back markers as someone who is neither. Then on to Pike O Blisco where we threw rocks, splayed ourselves on the rough rock and thought of England.

After that it was down to the Sticklebarn for an excellent evening of musical entertainment with Pete Lashley. An errant fire alarm at 2.40 am. ensured that we were a bit blurry eyed come Sunday morning, but seven of us enjoyed a communion on the hill beside Rossett Ghyll, then it was on to Hanging Knotts and Bowfell, before descending via Hell Gill. All in all, an excellent weekend with a re-union to come in Ray's hot tub.

Pictures here

Ben Mhic Cedidh & Beinn Odhar Bheag, 2 September 2005

8 miles, 1280m, 3 hrs 30 mins

A nice case of being able to mix business with pleasure. After an afternoon meeting in Glenfinnan, I took the opportunity to enjoy the evening sunshine on 2 fine Corbetts. Despite feeling sick for most of the ascentdue to the effects of a cold on top of the fatigue syndrome which had laid me low since the Borrowdale Race, it was a pleasure to squelch through the bogs and feel the rough rocks beneath my feet. And to cap it all a delicate pink sunset over Rhum. What more could one ask for!



More Pictures here

Borrowdale Race, 7 August 2005

17 miles, 6600 feet, 3 hours 30 mins 5 secs, 35/375












25 minutes faster than last year but that was in some heat and only 10 days after my Knoydart Round. For once I thought that I'd start a bit quicker and I paid for it. I found myself pretty much on the front line at the off (2nd from left in the picture), but that was probably a benefit at the bridge bottleneck. The first mile was okay, but after that I really struggled (see picture!). I seemed to have no power in my legs and I felt weak from the first ascent onwards, including the downhills where I would normally expect to bound down. This made for a hard race! I just kept being overtaken all the way up to Scafell Pike and for the first time ever, thought about giving up, but persevered and in the end it paid off. After Scafell Pike things improved a bit and I was no worse than everyone else. The last section over Dale Head was much better than the previous year in the heat and all things considered, I was pleased with the result. The weather was perfect - a cool breeze and clouds clearing to bright sunshine.

Ben enjoyed watching the kiddies races afterwards - tug of war, egg and spoon, etc., but couldn't be persuaded to take part on his own.

> Results

Esk Hause pictures
Styhead pictures
Honister pictures

Snowdon Race 23 July 2005

10 miles, 3250 feet, 1 hour 25 mins 45 secs, 76/465

Results

Not really my style this race, but with it being televised and being a bit of an event, I decided to have a go. Despite the forecast, the weather was set fair - quite warm and some sun. I started slowly as usual and struggled on the uphill. Its runnable nearly all the way, so there's no relenting for the 5 miles up and I was disappointed to get to the top outside the first 100 in over 58 minutes. However, I really enjoyed the downhill. There seemed to be quite a lot of runners who weren't used to rough paths and I managed to pick up about 30 places to finish 76th by covering the 5 miles down in a much more competitive time of 27 mins 25 secs. Need to practice those uphills!

Kentmere Fell Race, 17 July 2005

11.9 miles, 3300 feet, 1hour 47.31 mins, 20/200

Another hot race, but at least there was only an hour and three quarters of it this time. After feeling pretty washed out all week, I actually performed much better than I had anticipated and paced it about right, overtaking throughout the race. One more blood blister gained to make it 5 toes out of 10.

> Results

Wasdale Fell Race, 9 July 2005

20.58 miles, 9000 feet, 4hrs 57 mins, 40/238. Results

A tough race as all who tried it will verify. On the hottest day of the year in the Lakes so far, 238 set off and only 133 completed the race. All went okay for me until Pillar when the exertions of the past month caught up with me and my toes started to make me wince with pain. I lost sight of the few runners in front and tried a lower route under the path to Sail Pass which was a mistake and lost me a bit of time. I fared okay on the traverse up to Beck Head and on to Gable, but then things started to go awry. My toes jabbed with pain at each step down the Breast Track and instead of overtaking the two in front as I would have expected on this sort of ground I struggled to stay with them. From then on was an unremitting slog in the heat and I just couldn't manage more than a shuffle. The heat and the two 24 hour runs over the last month just reduced me to a sorrowful pace and my poor toes which were black before the race couldn't take any more on the downhills. I lost it going up Scafell Pike and instead of being able to enjoy the last run off, it was a trial of pain with my toes and I was overtaken by 3 more runners coming down. Still I finished in under 5 hours and given my lethargy of the previous week was quite pleased with that in the conditions. 25% of the starters were timed out! Cramp struck with avengence at the finish and I struggled to get my shoes back on due to the cramp. I was supposed to be supporting Gary on a BG attempt later that evening so was not looking forward to the pleasures of Yewbarrow to Gable in the dark in my decrepit state. Fortunately Gary had given up much earlier so I was not subjected to a night of pain after the days' exertions. What joy is fell running1

Glen Etive Round, 25/6 June 2005

57 miles, 30,400 feet, 30 hours 20 mins, solo unsupported on sight

Hill challenges come in many different forms but there can’t be many more all round trials of character than the round of Glen Etive which I circumnavigated on 25/26 June 2005. The bare statistics fail to tell the tale of a truly brutal but magnificent round of:

• 16 Munros
• 3 Corbetts
• a Marilyn
• and numerous other tops

that surround one of Scotland’s finest glens. The round was completed solo, without support and on sight, with just one road crossing where I had pitched the tent in a fine position next to the river. I have rarely been on a long outing of such continuous steep and difficult ground, so that a journal documenting this seemed appropriate as a record of this wild adventure.

> Diary of the Day
> Schedule