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Thread: Bob Graham Route Choices

  1. #121

    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    Quote Originally Posted by Swiss Toni View Post
    2 weeks to go and i've got all the route choices sorted in my head apart from one...

    I'm still torn between going up Fairfield via the track behind Grisedale Tarn and the out and back climb/descent - or - the zig-zags down then going up via the Tarn outflow and the trod going towards Cofa Pike.

    One is further with less climbing and on good paths. The other is more direct and on good paths down and reasonable trods up.

    I'll be doing this in the dark by the way.

    I've done both, but only the more direct route in the dark. My gut instinct is to take the wider, more runnable descent and traverse around the tarn. It also has no nav issues, esp when you leave the top of Fairfield as you return the way you came!

    Still not sure.

    Any thoughts?!

    ST
    listen to Little Binnion ... pick good pacers and trust them.

    Jamie and I were saying only last week that neither of us have ever been on catstycam .... now, how weird is that! may just add in a small detour

    Seriously though, re dollywaggon - fairfield, I can't say I've ever timed each route, but I think I'd always go straight off dollywaggon, round the tarn and then up and down the same line on Fairfield. I just think there's less room for error navigationally, especially as you say you can re-trace your steps off Fairfield. I think the only reason for going off dollywaggon via the zig zags would be if the ground was icy, as this is a gentler descent.

  2. #122
    Master NotOnUrHelly's Avatar
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    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    I've done the zig zag path off dollywaggon and done the direct in the grisedale horseshoe race.

    The only bit of that leg that I have not done is Threlkeld to clough head. I'm sure you guys have reccied it to death.

    Only saw one chap from Tatt and the kinder trog today, did not introduce myself he was at the top off some steps and I would not have got up there

    See y'all soon
    Last edited by NotOnUrHelly; 17-06-2007 at 07:45 PM.

  3. #123
    Senior Member keswicksimon's Avatar
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    Thumbs up GC to BL via Skiddaw House

    Re: Great Calva to Blencathra
    Did leg 1 yesterday and tried the Skiddaw House variation.
    Usual BG pace: clocked SK in 1.22, GC in 0.43 then BL in 1.13. All these times are within 1 minute of what I would usually do on this leg.
    Interestingly though, it took 24 minutes to get to the gate (hoping for 17 as suggested). The run off Calva was resaonably straight forward although I had to continually scan the ground for the trod hidden under thick heather. It was always there but with lots of twists towards the end of the descent.
    On the ascent I more or less followed the grid refs but did have to drop 5m or so into Roughten Ghyll. There then followed 350m of climbing on good firm ground: but still, it's 350m rising left all the time. I was amazed it took an almost identical time to going down the fence line.
    I reckon when I try this way again I'll take about 70 since I won't need to concentrate so much, will take slightly better lines and have the knowledge that I know what's coming up.
    If you are a fast runner on tracks and are prepared for a single 350m climb then this alternative route is the one for you. (The good thing with going over the common is the climb is done in two parts.)
    The summit I had to myself except for several hundred noisey seagulls sat on the ground by the small tarn.
    The descent was via a little used route involving a 130m drop on steep grass SSE from the summit followed by a series of traverses and one further drop bringing you back on the ridge below ALL the scrambling stuff! 28 easy minutes to Threlkeld.
    Another great afternoon out. The solitude of Back O' Skidda takes a lot of beating in the Lakes.

  4. #124
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    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    [QUOTE=Mr1470;45609]Want to start do some recces through the rest of summer and into next winter.

    A couple of questions which have partly been covered before but I'm still not sure of the general consensus;

    iv) Robinson -so the accepted route is to follow the ridge all the way down to High Snab farm? Is it not worth dropping down earlier, just after the rocky step?

    see http://maps.live.com/?v=2&sp=Polylin...3ydgqys61_down off Robinson____#0000FF_008000_2pt_Single_Solid_t2qvy3 gqy2zj&encType=1

  5. #125
    alwaysinjured
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    Re: GC to BL via Skiddaw House

    Quote Originally Posted by keswicksimon View Post
    Interestingly though, it took 24 minutes to get to the gate (hoping for 17 as suggested). .
    I am surprised.

    It is under 2 miles(but only just), almost all downhill at an easy gradient, almost all on very good running track - so 8.5-9 min miling is not a fast target under those conditions.

    Since the BG is over 120 naismith miles, and therefore faster than 12 min equivalent flat miles arguably you cannot do 12 min miles downhill on good paths and still succeed on the BG as a whole.

    But as I said in the OP - some of "what works best" is down to people - I have been a better runner than climber - although after a 5 years mostly enforced layoff with injuries am neither runner nor climber now!

    For information, I did this route on a hot day (27C) - having been out 2 days previously and done a similar distance so was already knackered rather than fresh. I had also climbed up and down blencathra twice that day looking for descent lines off blencathra.

    It will be interesting to see what others make of it.

  6. #126
    alwaysinjured
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    Re: GC to BL via Skiddaw House

    Quote Originally Posted by keswicksimon View Post
    The descent was via a little used route involving a 130m drop on steep grass SSE from the summit followed by a series of traverses and one further drop bringing you back on the ridge below ALL the scrambling stuff! 28 easy minutes to Threlkeld.
    I was going to have a shot at traversing under the E side of halls fell ridge which this seems to describe.

    One thing that has put me off it, is looking from the top of doddick the heather looks awful deep!

    Are there trods? or is it a case of dead reckoning through? How deep is the heather? - and the next interesting question - do you think this is a safe route for a night/poor visibility descent?

  7. #127
    Senior Member keswicksimon's Avatar
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    Re: GC to BL via Skiddaw House

    I'll just have to work it bit harder at it. I think I was holding back a bit as I was unsure of the route choice as a whole. By the way what are your usual split times for leg 1.
    As for coming off Hall's Fell, the route I follow touches no heather. Descend to the left of the wide scree run to a cairn at the bottom of the scree. Traverse left for about 20m to a cairn. Descend at a 45 degree angle for about a distance of 30m to a cairn. Traverse on a trod for roughly 15m and then descend a short corner to a cairn and follow a rough trod horizontally to a point on the ridge. It sounds a bit vague thats because it is in places. Crudley, down a lot, across a bit, down a bit, across then down then across. Good luck.

  8. #128
    Senior Member keswicksimon's Avatar
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    Re: GC to BL via Skiddaw House

    Of course when I say SSE I really mean SSW? Tell my wife about it!

  9. #129
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    Re: GC to BL via Skiddaw House

    Quote Originally Posted by keswicksimon View Post
    I'll just have to work it bit harder at it. I think I was holding back a bit as I was unsure of the route choice as a whole. By the way what are your usual split times for leg 1.
    As for coming off Hall's Fell, the route I follow touches no heather. Descend to the left of the wide scree run to a cairn at the bottom of the scree. Traverse left for about 20m to a cairn. Descend at a 45 degree angle for about a distance of 30m to a cairn. Traverse on a trod for roughly 15m and then descend a short corner to a cairn and follow a rough trod horizontally to a point on the ridge. It sounds a bit vague thats because it is in places. Crudley, down a lot, across a bit, down a bit, across then down then across. Good luck.
    Could you please show us this route on
    http://maps.live.com/?v=2&sp=Point.t...a___&encType=1

  10. #130
    alwaysinjured
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    Re: GC to BL via Skiddaw House

    Quote Originally Posted by keswicksimon View Post
    Of course when I say SSE I really mean SSW? Tell my wife about it!
    Ahh!

    Now.

    When I was climbing up middle tongue I could see a level traverse path well down on the W side of halls fell ridge at about the height of the "nose" on middle tongueso that might be it : but the start seemed very indistinct - ie couldnt work out how anyone would get there in the first place! So that must be the lower part.

    The top of that descent looks horrendous when I tried it, although I didnt go very far, and didnt see any cairns!

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