After Thomas Malory

Wayne Edy (founder of INOV-8) once teased me about the eternal search of fell runners for the “perfect shoe”: inexpensive, comfortable, supportive, lightweight, robust, grippy on every surface, lasts forever - the never ending quest.

Through this Forum I have noticed that Montrail, which name is presumably derived from mountain and trail, have an off-road shoe - the Caldorado. Caldorado? I remember when fell shoes were simply called Raid or Racer but I suppose if you merge the word for a volcanic cone and a rocky desert state in the USA you get Cald(era Col)orado.

The eternal search reminds me of that other quest: that for the Holy Grail and the challenge to recover it, as taken up by King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, for Christendom.

The Knight who achieved the Grail Quest was, of course, Sir Galahad: he who filled the seat at the Round Table that no man had previously been worthy enough to fill (Sege Perilous) and pulled the sword from the floating stone.

Has there been a fell shoe named after Galahad? Or any other Knights? Isn’t there something heroic and evocative of Arthur’s Knights about fell runners conquering everything in their path, whether man or nature - and rescuing maidens as they pass? Should we have the Nike Galahad? The Adidas Galahad?

Or evoke the exploits of other Arthurian Knights: Tor (notes of Dartmoor!), Cador or Laucelot, the greatest Knight of all. And what about Mordrayns (although aloud that doesn’t sound quite right) or Melliagaunce (allegedly a little too lustful)…but perhaps these are a Knight or two too far: and I must go off and clean my Mudclaws.

;)

Bit bored were we today Graham?

Good read though��

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Originally Posted by Graham Breeze

Has there been a fell shoe named after Galahad? Or any other Knights? Isn’t there something heroic and evocative of Arthur’s Knights about fell runners conquering everything in their path, whether man or nature - and rescuing maidens as they pass? Should we have the Nike Galahad? The Adidas Galahad?

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I have never rescued any maidens while running on the fells. Have I been missing something all these years?

not called Galahad, but the CEO of the company is:
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/...cle1614710.ece

Quote:

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Originally Posted by anthonykay

I have never rescued any maidens while running on the fells. Have I been missing something all these years?

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Be patient young man. There is still time.

Gawain and the Green Flash (or maybe wearing his green Nikes?)

I've just come across this old thread where I was complaining about not having rescued any maidens while running on the fells. Coincidentally, it is just two weeks since I fluffed an opportunity to rescue a maiden.

Deep in the Celtic yonder, a few miles from the home of the Clannad (Leo's Tavern), rises the mighty mountain Errigal. In the hostel at the foot of the mountain, the advice is to walk two miles up the road, to find the path up the mountain. No such nonsense for a bold knight like me: I headed straight up the steep heather slopes from the hostel. But I don't like returning the same way I have come, so I descended on the path, which is a badly eroded mess of scree until you reach the peat bog near the bottom.

A short distance below the summit, I encountered two young men (late teens), standing and talking to each other. Soon after, from the sound of their voices, I could tell that they had started to descend, at a similar speed to me (which wasn't very fast). Then, halfway down the mountain, I encountered two maidens of a similar age. One was sitting down, and cheerfully explained that she was shuffling her way down. I suggested that she would make better progress on her feet, taking short steps; then I continued downwards. But then I started to get worried: it was after 7pm, and this was no place for young maidens (or anyone else) to be stuck in the dark. I called back some further encouragement to stand up and walk down properly. But it was not long before the young men arrived; they appeared to know the maidens, and started helping them. So I felt able to continue downwards without further worry.

Ultimately, I was myself "rescued" by a maiden. Remember those two miles along the road from the path to the hostel? Well, on reaching the road I started running along it, but after a minute or two I heard the sound of a horseless carriage behind me and stuck out my thumb. The maiden driving the carriage stopped to pick me up. Remarkably, there was already a sheet of brown paper on the floor in front of the passenger seat: had she known in advance that she would be picking up a man with shoes covered in peat?