Of course we wouldn't ever do that, would we? Oops!Originally Posted by Margarine
Don't worry Baggins, you wouldn't be the first forumite to go wrong before you were even in Fitz Park
Of course we wouldn't ever do that, would we? Oops!Don't worry Baggins, you wouldn't be the first forumite to go wrong before you were even in Fitz Park
I told you I'd remembered
I'm gonna get that cwazy gwouse...
Re Leg1 - descent from blencathra.
This year I have reccied pretty much everything there is. And I am now completely convinced that Dodick Fell is the way to go.
At an easy pace which would give 30-32 mins down halls fell ridge - I got to the bottom of Dodick in 16 mins - 5 mins to the farm gate at the foot of halls fell ridge. So it really is only around 23 mins to the normal changeover point a down the road from the farm.
So no contest in my view
To the top of dodick is fast. There are 3 rocky sections , at most 30-40 feet each and even these are only the same as the very easiest parts of halls fell ridge. Two of them are easily bypassed on grass to the right.
The lower sections are nowhere as steep as halls fell/ dont beat up your legs.
And the section to the gate from the foot of dodick is essentially downhill. It is certainly best to go into the stream reentrant at the bottom than to drop and climb.
PS - Id always assumed the direct route to fairfield was best. Im beggining to change that view. I took a dead reckon from dollywagon to join the wall at the bottom and right of the tarn - on easy spongy grass. And was up on fairfield easily in 36: I reckon the advantage is not in time: it is in effort - the descent is a lot easier and softer, and the climb is nowhere near as brutal.
I hadnt realised either, there is a decent grass descent line to the left of the wall ( avoiding the zig zags off fairfield) - with only one steep section involving 4 points of contact including bum to avoid slipping. Finally there is a good grassy ascent line on seat sandal to the right of the normal - shaly - slippy ascent.
Last edited by alwaysinjured; 31-10-2007 at 11:12 PM.
Agree with everything you say there, AlwaysInjured. Except I didn't know about the alternative ascent of Seat Sandal - I normally go to the left of the main path.
That's interesting news AI. I'm about to do some more recce's and had already decided, being an unconfident scrambler, that it'd be better to go down Doddick. But now it's "official" that I'm not even losing any time!!
Now all I need is for you to confirm that Lords Rake or Foxes Tarn route is in fact quicker than Broad Stand
Interesting to note that, after recent rock movements, Foxes Tarn seems to be regarded as more unstable than Lords Rake at the moment.
When I did my BG this year, one of my pacers went via Foxes Tarn and there was such a queue at Broad Stand that he beat me to the top! So it could be quicker (especially if you use the climber's traverse that Ali described earlier this year).That's interesting news AI. I'm about to do some more recce's and had already decided, being an unconfident scrambler, that it'd be better to go down Doddick. But now it's "official" that I'm not even losing any time!!
Now all I need is for you to confirm that Lords Rake or Foxes Tarn route is in fact quicker than Broad Stand
Interesting to note that, after recent rock movements, Foxes Tarn seems to be regarded as more unstable than Lords Rake at the moment.
Recced leg 1 today and did the direct descent 10m west of the summit then across Middle Tongue, got to the road in 23 mins, I think its quicker than Halls fell but will try Doddick next time.
Mate went down Doddick at the same time so we could compare them but he got lost and turned up 13mins later
Bill
Re: Bob Graham Route Choices
Just a small piece of news for all you BG contenders out there.
The BG 24 Hour Club's Guidance Notes and the standard Application for Ratification Form (C/w and A/w on the same sheet) are now available to download from the BG 24 Hour Club website at www.bobgrahamclub.org.uk
As things stand, you still need to register your attempt with Brian Covell, by phone or by post. Brian's details are in the Guidance Notes.
Cheers.
BGSec
Fascinating...I have struggled on the two occasions I have tried that, but maybe I am not going far enough down before crossing middle tongue, and just maybe I am cr*p at steep descents!!!Recced leg 1 today and did the direct descent 10m west of the summit then across Middle Tongue, got to the road in 23 mins, I think its quicker than Halls fell but will try Doddick next time.
Mate went down Doddick at the same time so we could compare them but he got lost and turned up 13mins later
I have still to try the line that drops down from the top w of the summit, then traverses back to the end of halls felll below the rough stuff. I will have a go at that in the next few weeks
I was recceing sections 1 and 3 over the weekend with a mate. We timed going down Hall's Fell and Doddick Fell and the latter was a couple of minutes quicker to the "waterfall" at the bottom of Halls Fell - and more enjoyable !
On section 3, we struggled to find any proper trods traversing from Rosset Pike up to Bow Fell.
Very sad news about the gentleman falling from Broad Stand.
Be what you wanna be !
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