High Peak Marathon

[GeoffB]

Does anyone who knows the route fancy any xmas recces?

It may be good to have a few cars and do some legs. The bleaklow leg is the area I know least, never been from Lost Lad through to Bleaklow Head.

I'm sure I'll be doing some recces over the Christmas period, but it's not always easy planning ahead (family seems to get in the way!!). If I can give you a couple of days notice, however, Iain, I'll try to let you know.

[Luv Shack]

Does anyone who knows the route fancy any xmas recces?

It may be good to have a few cars and do some legs. The bleaklow leg is the area I know least, never been from Lost Lad through to Bleaklow Head.

It's the crux!
Can be a bit tricky in daylight, never mind a winters night
I'm sure you'll have plenty of "fun" in the deep mirey groughs...

[IainR]

I was going to recce at night. I think its best to understand how things are different at night.

[IainR]

Quick question here.

When you leave lost lad, I think, you go down sheepfold clough, then your next CP is cutgate? or something, apologies but from memory. So I think I'd follow the 'track' runs down sheepfold clough to the main valley, then head direct NW? to the main track again, is that the best route?

Or is that info very confidential?

[Martin Brice]

Well, i'm sorry to say I'll be at the start complete with wobbly legs and wobbly tummy, and this'll be the fourth year in a row. And last year I swore I'd never ever do it again. Whatever has come over me to be so weak willed to be persuaded to try again.
and to the previous poster: you need to be a lot more familar with the route if you're to get round. You've many happy hours ahead of you, with the map sitting in the warmth of your front room. By the time you start, you should know it all off by heart. In a nutshell, you go across Featherbed Moss - where it is very easy to go astray.

[goose fat]

IainR

I was wondering the same thing as you about the route from Sheepfold Clough to the next CP. I've never done it but I can see the route you mean and had considered that too but it all depends on the ground underfoot I'd say......which I'll know after a recce or two.

I was also wondering which route is taken up to High Neb? Following the road seems to have distinct advantages even if it's a little longer.

I was going to recce at night. I think its best to understand how things are different at night.

Not sure I'd agree with this in the first instance. It's worth practicing in the dark once you've recce'd it but you can suss out the best lines if it's light and then remember them for the night section. IMHO

[IainR]

Yeah true, I should do it in the light first, I know most of the area pretty well as I grew up in Sheffield, the only bit I'm not familiar with is bleaklow, and much of that follows the PW.

[IainR]

I was also wondering which route is taken up to High Neb? Following the road seems to have distinct advantages even if it's a little longer.

I also though the road was quickest. From there to Moscar I'd have thought it quickest to go via the top of the crags, though never done the whole of that leg below the crag, always ran along the rop of stanage.

[Denzil]

Quick question here.

When you leave lost lad, I think, you go down sheepfold clough, then your next CP is cutgate? or something, apologies but from memory. So I think I'd follow the 'track' runs down sheepfold clough to the main valley, then head direct NW? to the main track again, is that the best route?

Or is that info very confidential?

That is the route the majority (if not all) the teams took the year we did it. Unfortuately our leader thought it would be a good idea to go a more direct north to the main path and that was horrible as the heather was deep and the snow even deeper.

[IainR]

Yeah, I thought I'd try to get back on path ASAP, cheers for the info.

Also anyone know what the deal is with injuries before hand, and therefore replacing team members, is it straight forwards, A's running instead of B, or do you have to keep stum and just replace them on the sly? I'd have thought as long as you aren't changing your category they wouldn't mind?