Bob!

[ashstroller]

Shame.....Good Luck next time lads!

[Splatcher]

Oh well. Best keep it a secret for now, while you line up another go.

[Hanneke]

I like your thinking

Its about time they set up a webcam at the Moot Hall for us armchair supporters

[Hes]

Hiya, sorry for the lack of posting folks, the signal was rubbish when it existed and my battery was on the way out. I also got a bit caught up in running the first leg with them and then going to all the pitstops before getting ready to run the final leg. It was so exciting (and nervewracking) and they were brilliant, really strong and going well so I'm gutted that the weather put paid to this attempt. I am sure Stolly will be along soon to report back but he is probably asleep right now! IMO they both have to give it another go and the sooner the better. They've got a good support crew and we're are all keen to back them again.

For the record, Gavin is a fellrunner friend from Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers and he has been planning the attempt for a year. He recently invited Stolly to join him and I think they made a good team. Gav's family was BGR HQ and his dad did all the logistical organisation and every pitstop. Support/pacers were me, most of the male fellrunning contingent of T&S (there aren't many but they are great lads), Ambrosia Kid and his mate Jason (thanks guys ) and a friend of Gav's who tried valiantly over 2 days to check out Broad Stand and to try and provide ropes for them in appalling conditions.

[IanDarkpeak]

Tough luck Stolly, next time...there's always a next time. a good try non the less.

[Stolly]

I'll post something more coherent tomorrow but to me it was just another fantastic adventure in the hills - Gavin only invited me to join him 3 weeks ago. Gavin was gutted though having trained for it for the best part of a year. It wasn't just bad weather - it was a combination of the weather being awful (very strong and fricking freezing wind coupled with really poor visibility) and us doing it anti-clockwise just in time for that weather to greet us on Seat Sandle, Fairfield, Dollywagon and the ridge to Helvellyn. Our team would have needed to know each of the peaks up there like the backs of our hands.... and we didn't. Grand day out though

[blencathrafrommykitchen]

We were out biking round Penrith/Shap/Greystoke/Caldbeck etc etc on Saturday and the views of the eastern fells were non-existent to say the least. If you enjoyed it then it was worthwhile irrespective of the result... and there'll be another chance before too long.

[Stolly]

Right I’m awake and feeling a bit more sparky now. Like I said our ‘Bob’ (attempt in brackets) was a fantastic adventure in the hills and the fact that we flunked out in the end hasn’t really worried me at all

A relatively major factor in our failure was probably our anti-clockwise 9am start on Saturday; amongst other things it placed the Dunmail to Threlkeld leg (which should be a time maker upperer I’d have thought) smack in the middle of the night which, to make matters worse, coincided with really thick hill fog and a strong biting wind. There had been hill fog all day above about 600 meters and, lets face it, it was always likely to be foggy up there but, what with the fog, the dark and the wind, we just struggled to find the first few tops on that leg.

Firstly Fairfield, then the best line off Fairfield, then the scree descent to the tarn, then the top of Dollywagon (which we had actually found but weren’t convinced that it was actually it - a hugely underwhelming cairn I’d say ), then Nethermost Pike which, by the time we’d figured out where it was (up from the path to our right), we’d reached the point of being an hour behind our schedule. By then even running on the track was hard with all our headtorch light being bounced back at us by the fog so our moving speed was just too slow. And our schedule didn’t leave much room for manoeuvre (set for 23 hr 19 minutes) so, given that we had little hope of making up time in the fog and that all the map reading was chilling everyone to the bone, we pulled the plug and dropped down to Thirlmere.

We’d actually been ahead of schedule by 39 minutes at one point (Bowfell I think) and I’d imagined that we’d do the Rosset Pike to Dunmail bit really well….. but we didn’t and gradually had lost most of our time cushion by Dunmail. My legs felt strong all day but I hit a really nauseous stretch going up Steel Fell from Calf Crag and Gavin my co-bobber was struggling on the climbs. That said a dozen slowly eaten Pringles sorted me out and we both felt much better by Dunmail. Even the climb of Seat Sandal (which must be brilliant running down the other way) felt good. But then all navigation wheels fell off in the fog.

So…. apart from all those excuses what have the Romans done for us

Thanks to all the team helping us; Hes on leg one (and who was primed and ready to rock and roll for leg 5 with Brett and Stewart), Karl and Jason on leg 2 (I owe you a rice pudding Karl), Stewart on leg 3, Billy and Martin for trying to set up a rope on Broad Stand but (rightly) deciding it would be fricking madness and Noel and Pete on leg 4. And thanks Stewart for not breaking your neck/cranium/legs/arms/spine on your 6 foot backward somersault with a half twist onto boulders on Broad Crag. And also Gavin’s mum and dad for their completely brilliant logistics and road crossing organisation.

I feel pretty damn fine and dandy today and can’t wait to have another crack! Hmmmm….. August?

[Hanneke]

August :d

[Stagger]

A good honest report Stolly.
And YOUR next attempt is planned for when???