Wasdale

[fellgazelle]

Then the three of us ran down brown tongue, missing lingmell nose... Ha!
Massive well done to all who even attempted it today. Gruelling to say the least.
Harv

Hope you went back up..?
I was sitting in Brackenclose car park at 8:00am this morning waiting for an aspirant BG'er to appear thinking how much the day reminded of the 2010 race. Weather conditions were almost a carbon copy (at ground level).
I have fond memories of that day as coming off the summit of Scafell Pike I spotted two runners in front and they were definitely in the race as they had numbers pinned to their chests (I wasn't falling for that one!) They opened up a gap on the rocky descent from the summit and I just about ran my bits off trying to catch them all the way down Brown Tongue. I felt right pleased with myself as I passed them near the bottom and then tried really hard to open up a gap. At the fell gate a marshall pointed out to me that I was in the Wasdale fell race and this was the checkpoint for a different event ( I think the 3 peaks yacht race?) and that my checkpoint was back up there on Lingmell Nose!
My first thoughts were a few expletives beginning with B and as I'm not one to quit I trudged back up, passing the two runners still descending, who looked somewhat surprised,and finally hauled my sorry ass over the line in just over seven hours!
Lesson learnt and I haven't done the race since!

Seriously though respect to all who attempted it today, it must have been very tough in the conditions

[blencathrafrommykitchen]

I ran round yesterday with my 18 year old son who enjoyed every minute of it - great experience for him but I'm not sure he quite realised how much nervous energy I was putting into navigating. I, on the other hand, couldn't see a thing with rain and condensation on my glasses, so the descents were a nightmare. If I took my glasses off I couldn't see and if I kept them on I couldn't see. So it was slow progress coming down from Pillar and Gable to say the least.

It was a good job the rain wasn't really cold - I think there would have been mass hypothermia if that had been the case, but one the whole if you kept moving fast enough you could stay warm. That said, I stopped at Sty Head to put two dry thermals and a balaclava on, and only then did I feel that I was maintaining my body heat.

I thought the race organisation was outstanding and the marshals deserve 100% credit for being so positive and encouraging in spite of standing in that weather for several hours. Thanks! If I can get some contact lenses and a better weather forecast I might go back.

[Graham Breeze]

.

I thought the race organisation was outstanding and the marshals deserve 100% credit for being so positive and encouraging in spite of standing in that weather for several hours.

Indeed.

If any one body deserves "credit" for initiating classic fell running as we know it today it is Cumberland Fell Runners' Association.

It was my speaking with Colin Dulson and Richard Eastman 15 years ago and my hearing the sentence "putting this race on costs me money but I will carry on for as long as runners continue to turn up" that led to the creation of the LCT.

As I have written elsewhere, the FRA safety requirements can be traced directly to the report "Safety of Fell Races" produced by CFRA in 1981 following the death of Bob English in the 1981 Ennerdale race.

Simply the best.

[Fozzy42]

I was only watching yesterday, but my God those conditions on the summits was atrocious.

I watched the start, then headed over to Greendale Bridge to see the first lot of runners through there and take a few pics, quite pleasant here, raining but quite calm, then back up to Scaffell summmit, conditions were atrocious, howling wind and horizontal rain. Was hoping to take a few photos at the top but dare'nt even get my camera out up there. Worst conditions I've known up there during summer, winter would be a different matter, but middle of summer you'd think it would be half decent. Certainly justifies the thorough kit check requirements.

Last year I did this race in just over 6hrs, I honestly think I would've been timed out yesterday, or got lost completely and still be out there now.

Enjoyed the day out though, utmost respect to all the runners, those who finished and those who did not, genuinly tough characters just for even starting, hats off to you all.

[Ash]

Hi all, my first ever post on here but just wanted to add to the thread. I ran at Wasdale yesterday and for me it was the worst conditions I've come across, not the coldest day (it was July after all) but with the constant driving rain and hail at times on the tops combined with winds strong enough to blow me over several times it all combined to be a tough tough day. I also ended with a first DNF but could have been much worse as I became hypothermic somewhere on the run down off Scafell to the finish. I made the fatal mistake of not running on a bearing (as I would normally have done) but as I'd gone over Scafell in a group thought I could just hang on and follow the rest down. I then lost contact as I was pretty much spent by this time and got lost somewhere on the flanks of the mountain with absolutely no visibility and driving rain and wind.

At this point I just kept heading down hoping to hit something I'd recognise but my legs stopped working and I was stubbling around and falling over, next thing I know I'm being picked up by some fell walkers that took me back to the Wasdale head inn. I don't have any memory of how they got me there. I was then looked after by a guy from the mountain rescue team and then by an ambulance crew who he called out. My body temperature was low and blood sugars low also apparently. I can't say enough about the various people who looked after me I'm certainly in there debt because without there help I'm not sure where I'd be this morning. Once I'd recovered my core temprature and blood sugars I was able to report back to the race HQ by this time it was around 20.15 I think.

I was in good shape going into the race and had done this one twice before in reasonable times so new what to expect. I had my top jacket on and hat and in honesty didn't feel as cold as I clearly was, I'd also eaten 4 gels and a chocolate bar on route which for me is a lot but I think that ultimately the effect of the constant battering of wind and rain took effect and my body stopped cooperating.

I was able then to drive home thankfully my day ending up in a 24hr Macdonalds in Keighly (the only place I could find to get any food)all in all a grim end to a grim day but one I can hopefully learn from. As others have said a massive thanks to the marshals and all those who helped out with the race they were certainly going over and above staying on summit checkpoints for so long in these conditions.

Cheers,

Ash

[CalFerguson]

Well done all, finishers or not, I still admire every one of you for having a go at it...something I don't dare do yet!

[BillJ]

Another note of praise from me for the marshals yesterday.
As my clubmate commented on the way back, "That was proper hardcore marshalling".

I ran round yesterday with my 18 year old son who enjoyed every minute of it - great experience for him but I'm not sure he quite realised how much nervous energy I was putting into navigating. I, on the other hand, couldn't see a thing with rain and condensation on my glasses, so the descents were a nightmare. If I took my glasses off I couldn't see and if I kept them on I couldn't see. So it was slow progress coming down from Pillar and Gable to say the least.\

Think I was with you on Gable then Blencathrafrommykitchen - or if not you then it was someone else who was also finding they had difficulty seeing with and without glasses. If it was you, ta for removing my foot from the hole I wedged it in on the way up!!

[AndyHolmes]

I was there yesterday and would just like to echo the sentiments of others regarding the amazing work of the organiser and marshals under very difficult conditions. Thanks everyone.

[that_fjell_guy]

I was'nt there yesterday but knew it wasn't going to be nice out there. As Graham Breeze says, these accounts are invaluable and people should read them, almost before they even enter their first event! Great write ups that really show what fell running is about from top to bottom. It sounds like one of those events most of us are glad we didn't do but wish we had! Chapeau to all who toed the line, marshalled and put it on.

[leechy]

A testing day. Time to rock the boat - does anyone share my disappointment at the start of the race - the marshals called out numbers for random kit checks but how many actually stood forward?

To my mind, those who didn't should have been disqualified. End of. OK, some were taking their final pre-race pee against the wall, but that's no excuse. Why have these rules if people can dodge them - especially in such conditions?