Attempts 30th June-1st July

[Brummy John]

Well done!

I attach a pic from the end of Sarah Rowell's, taken on Saturday:

Sue29.jpg

[Toreador]

Apparently they had done no recceing and trained in a tower block in London. They had maps but weren't using them, instead following a GPS (hence the descent of SS). They had no support, other than one of them was HOPING his wife MIGHT be at Wasdale!

Sounds admirable to me, the spirit of adventure is not dead

[Hes]

ha ha, although I know I should be totally appalled, a part of me has a sneaky admiration for the audacity of that attempt!

A very big well done to those that were successful in their BGR attempts at the weekend. I supported Stolly and Gavin's a/c attempt and it was really tough out there.

Sounds admirable to me, the spirit of adventure is not dead

[Stolly]

One of the brilliant things about going anti-clockwise on Saturday is that we met a few attempts (and one BG relay) going the other way. I saw Sarah 'somewhere in the clouds' on our Honister to Yewbarrow leg and another couple of bunches coming up the side of Yewbarrow itself. I didn't see any mad suvvenors though - that said we took a totally different line up Scafell to the one used by runners coming down and, once up there, we didn't come out of the cloud again until Rosset Pike. We didn't attempt Broad Stand because of the conditions but when we were on Mickledore I did hear some suvvenor like shouting coming from that direction (Broad Stand was invisible in the fog). And I hope the guys we saw in the wind and pea souper fog on Dollywagon in the wee small hours made up their time okay.

[saz]

you were movning darm well when we passed Stolly, I remember thinking I wish my legs felt like all your looked...

[mountain bag]

Phew, that was a tough weekend out in the fells. My eternal thanks go out to my support crew for having more faith in me, than I had in myself at times on my round. Well done to all those out there - both contenders and pacers. Anything else this summer would have felt a bit like being robbed. In horse racing parlance the going was very heavy underfoot. Conditions overhead were strong gusty winds, giving regular rain and some hail on a couple of the legs.

The two gentlemen from London had an interesting BGR strategy. GPS with the 42 tops and very little else as a guide to get round. They had terrific leg speed and strength over the early legs, far greater than any London training should reasonably have given them. They'd set off at the same time, with same expected total round time and same direction as myself. It became apparent on Great Calva that their lines were going to prove 'interesting' as they passed directly over the fence through the scrub, using my teams head torches they got back on to a more sensible line. They'd overtook us by Blencathra. We saw them taking a more than 'sporting' line, low and right on Halls Fell, we felt we could not allow them to continue without at least giving them the option of a less direct but safer down Doddick, to my relief they took our option, it was very slick and pretty dark at the time. Mostly they fended for themselves on Leg 2. They introduced themselves following us up Steel Fell - the only name my brain took in was Richard. Leg 3 saw my slower leg speed took us past them as again some more interesting lines were taken. I'd said we were doing Lords Rake but I was quite unsafe to head up that line and we took to Foxes Tarn. Initially they followed my line before realising it was leading them away from Lords Rake. My drinking the water flowing down Foxes probably saved my round, by Wasdale our tortoise round was ahead again and the wheels had returned to my wagon.

I think they were only short of a 'BG round map' which would have given them a deeply impressive round time. However I advise a lot of caution as I shuddered to think what could have occurred if they hadn't taken some experienced advice on the top of Blencathra. Wasdale MR looked busy enough when we arrived at the lake head. Leg four had some considerable slick rock but I didn't see them again. I got round in 23.27 but could not hang around long at Moot Hall a warm, dry bunk house was calling.

[GeoffB]

One of the brilliant things about going anti-clockwise on Saturday is that we met a few attempts (and one BG relay) going the other way. I saw Sarah 'somewhere in the clouds' on our Honister to Yewbarrow leg and another couple of bunches coming up the side of Yewbarrow itself. I didn't see any mad suvvenors though - that said we took a totally different line up Scafell to the one used by runners coming down and, once up there, we didn't come out of the cloud again until Rosset Pike. We didn't attempt Broad Stand because of the conditions but when we were on Mickledore I did hear some suvvenor like shouting coming from that direction (Broad Stand was invisible in the fog). And I hope the guys we saw in the wind and pea souper fog on Dollywagon in the wee small hours made up their time okay.

Ah! That must've been you we passed then, as we headed up Yewbarrow. There were 3 of us, were there about 5 of you?

[MarkL]

Apparently they had done no recceing and trained in a tower block in London. They had maps but weren't using them, instead following a GPS (hence the descent of SS). They had no support, other than one of them was HOPING his wife MIGHT be at Wasdale!

I'm very curious. Does anyone know whether they got round in time?

[mountain bag]

Happiness is the last hill on a long day...

rob on robinson.jpg

More pictures here

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=70892acafa