Printable View
Don't know what the record is, but someone will know. It's a possibility, but it's only 500m or so of slabs they've added - I suspect that the record going is going to be far more dependent on the conditions on the climb up Ikley moor from Weecher.Quote:
Originally Posted by jopari
Yeah you're right. I take it back ! It was a grumpy "first day back at work" posting !Quote:
Originally Posted by fozzy
Ok, after my recce yesterday, I've been having a bit of a think and a look at the maps - at the end of Rocky Valley, which route do people take?
I usually go immediately right up the hill, then round and down to the conduit/stream where it's walled, jump over that then straight up and on to the Pancake stone, but you could also drop down as far as the stream on the main path from Rocky Valley, then go right immediately after crossing - according to the Orienteering map there's a small path that comes back up straight to the Pancake stone. Climb is very similar on both routes.
Before anyone says anything, the route instructions on this section are very vague and I know some people drop all the way down to Cow and Calf Rocks before climbing back up to the path around the edge (this route is far longer and has a lot more climb).
Just wondered what people thought the best option was?
Graham Pearce has the fastest time on the current course (2:37:55 in 2011).Quote:
Originally Posted by jopari
I don't think there's a huge amount in it, I normally go down towards cow and calf but stay high as much as possible (ie don't go all the way to cow and calf) and head back up towards the pancake stone up the trod. I'm going to try a few different routes though and see what seems better before the day this time.Quote:
Originally Posted by fozzy
Yep, I agree with Rob. People were comparing ascent/descent 2 years ago, in the fog, & there were some big differences. And it seems that this is the point at which they occured. Like Rob says, stay as high as possible. We had a group of about 6 walkers 2 years ago who tried to send us in the wrong direction & thought it hilarious !Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Furness
You need to save your climbing legs for the assault up The Chevin !
I believe that something very close to what you describe here is the fastest line.Quote:
Originally Posted by fozzy
Immediately after the stream crossing, head up right and then swing left on a small path. This climbs gently for a short while, passes close to a huge boulder then dips down to cross a cart track, climbs out of the dip and takes you across to Pancake.
Can I bring Harry my border collie along to this? I've searched on the internet and the LDWA site but it doesn't say
There's nothing on the final details sheet either Stolly. I'm sure someone who's done it before will know (my first time this year:thumbup:).Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
For anyone not entered yet it does however reiterate that there are NO entries on the day for this event.
fozzy, your first route is the one I've settled on for the past few years, having tried your second route and other alternatives.Quote:
Originally Posted by fozzy
I tried your first route choice a couple of weeks ago. I definitely seems the most direct and has least loss of height, but I still hope to find a more elegant route, as my little legs struggled to get over the conduit to the path on the other side.Quote:
Originally Posted by fozzy
Hey Stolly...a bit of googling and I found post 273 on this thread which suggests that Harry would be welcome. He might even get his own certificate. Just don't let him trip up Multicoloured!;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
I think the other route is very similar (with slightly more climb), so I think it just comes down to which way it's easier to cross the stream - on the main path or over the conduit. I suspect the runnability on both routes will be similar.Quote:
Originally Posted by DinoF
Navigationally, I like crossing at the conduit, because it's easier to go up and over to the conduit before climbing straight to the pancake stone. If I remember rightly, crossing at the stream gives you a couple of paths to choose from and in the mist, it could be tricky to find the stone.
I did this last year, pretty sure there were some dogs along for the ride.
If anyone fancies a recce of most of the Rombalds Stride Route on sun, PM me - we'll be doing about 17miles in approx 2.5-3hrs (we'll be missing out the section from 12 apostles to Rocky Valley and instead will be dropping straight down the moor, but otherwise doing the whole route)
Think I saw you all and said hi. Hope you had a good run.Quote:
Originally Posted by fozzy
I was doing the opposite to you (climbing up from Burley Woodhead to the 12 Apostles and then doing the route back to Burley Woodhead. It was muddy out there but has been worse, and the flags beyond the trig point make it easier. I'm still not convinced by the climb over the stone cut between Rocky Valley and the Pancake Stone, but have still not found a better alternative. I did try the south side of the wall after Whestone Gate for the first time, and in wet weather it seems much faster the the 'proper' route on the north side.
Saw quite a few out today - hopefully we said hi back! I think we all had a good run. A few dropped out at Ilkley and got the train back (wimps!) - ended up running the last few bits over the fields and up the Chevin with a guy from Skyrac.Quote:
Originally Posted by DinoF
I tried the opposite to you today - dropped down to the stream from the end of the rocky valley and was then going to cut up to the Pancake Stone, but was running with my clubmate who wanted to stick to the letter of the written instructions. At least by dropping down to the rocks, we persuaded her that it was far better to stay higher and cut the corner - that climb back up to the ridge is awful.
Anyway back to my point. I don't think that the stream crossing on the main path is any quicker than crossing at the stone lined conduit higher up (it might be marginally easier if you aren't confident about jumping over the conduit), and I think it's more tricky from a navigational point of view to find the right path back up to the pancake stone. Cutting over to the right at the end of rocky valley and then down to the conduit is far easier - especially if visibility is low, since you've got a couple of catch points to guide you - 2 main paths, then the stream, then you're climbing straight back up and stay on the path to reach the pancake stone.
Anyone know what the entry limit is on this (had a search on LDWA and FRA and can't find it). I got my entry back (no. 483 I think??) but my brother who I'm meant to be running it with hasn't. Could it be a 500 limit?
All it says is "limited entry with strictly no entries on the day". It does now say FULL however.
Cheers Jez. Bit of a pain if my bro has just missed the cut. Might have to keep eye out for any spare entries.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jez Hellewell
gonna meet my friend on Ilkley Moor and run the rest with her
Did a partial recce today. Wasn't sure how I'd feel given recovering from manflu so pleased to do 16+ miles.
Parked in Guiseley at the end of the WestSide service road next to the bridge across the railway, followed the route to the edge of Baildon Moor but then deliberately went across the NE edge of the moor to Sconce Lane and picked up the route again just before Weecher, then on route to Twelve Apostles/Lanshaw Lad (the bogs mostly frozen on this section) before heading down the main path to the start of Rocky Valley then back on route all the way through to the end of the menston road crossings before deciding on a 'painful' flat 2 miles back along the main road.
My first time recce'ing the Rocky Valley to the ridge section and despite having read the comments/advice from Fozzy, DinoF and others I crossed the main stream at the end of the path, initially went right but not for long enough as I then veered left so ended up on the C&C ridge above the hotel so had the 'diagonal' stony ascent back up to the main path between Pancake Stone and Stead Crag.
Still a good morning out although not the clear blue skies of yesterday with plenty of haze and Ilkley itself shrouded in mist.
I had a look yesterday MT, I headed down the dales way from Lanshaw Lad (since when did they change the duckboards for gritstone? big improvement imho, I hate duckboards much more than gritstone), when I got to the top of rocky valley I headed across the ridge east. You need to bear right as you get through rocky valley on a fairly clear path before the stream and this leads you up to the culvert on a trod. Jump/wade across and you hit a decent path that threads along the ridge and eventually joins the path you would have come on to after the climb you did. I'm not sure it's massively quicker but there is less climb as you don't lose as much height.
Thanks Rob :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Furness
Re-reading earlier comments and yours above I now know where you mean - there were a couple of people walking down that path to join the main RV path today. I'll try and remember that on the day.
Looks like my brother did just miss out. If anyone has a spare entry, or hears about one, please shout up. Happy to re-imburse you. GrahamQuote:
Originally Posted by jopari
Does anyone have a memory map route (mmo file filef) for Rombalds Stride?
You're best off going on mapmyrun or grough and searching for it on there that's where I first found it.Quote:
Originally Posted by martin
MT - just be careful because there are quite a few little paths in that area. If you're going to hop over the conduit, then go R up the little path right just at the end of RV (before path starts to drop down to stream), then follow to cross over one path coming from the top to a 2nd, fairly major path. Turn L and follow this path and drop down all the way down to Conduit and follow obvious path on other side straight up to Pancake Stone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Multiterrainer
It's very easy if it's clear. If the clag is down, it's fairly easy to get disoriented in there.
The 2nd route is to follow main path from RV down to stream, cross over, then take path off to R immediately after crossing up hill for about 20m, then take faint path off that comes off to R which leads to a fork after about another 20m, take left fork which takes you direct to Pancake Stone. Then go SEE along the path that follows the top of the ridge.
I favour the 1st option simply because it's easier to follow and should be more obvious in the clag. Having said that, if it was very, very bad, I'd drop down to C&C and come back up.
Hopefully that'll help!
fozzy - thanks. Yes i've noticed the number of little paths in the area. Yesterday I started following your 2nd route but took a left fork too early instead of your second faint right path. I'm sure I'll be fine on the day, especially if I tag on to someone who's recce'd that section even more than I have (DinoF?;)).
Interestingly, despite having run over the moors so many times over the past 10+ years yesterday was the first time i've gone up along the RV path from West to East.
Ah - I see where you went wrong - that path does drop back down the the main path to C&C. To help me sort it all out, I took my garmin traces into google earth - all the paths and tracks are visible on the aerial photography. Also, the Orienteering map on the Airienteers website at http://www.aire.org.uk/club/cluborg/...POC 021211.pdf is useful for picking the paths more clearly than the OS map.Quote:
Originally Posted by Multiterrainer
On that map - the end of RV is just E of Point A marked on the map, and the Pancake stone is that large boulder marked SE of point E.
Yes. If you hang around at the top of Rocky Valley long enough, I'll turn up eventually. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Multiterrainer
The O-map is very useful, thanks for that - can see exactly where I went now.Quote:
Originally Posted by fozzy
Plenty of downhill for you to get away from me earlier:D.Quote:
Originally Posted by DinoF
Seriously, I see we've put same predicted time of 3.45 on Fetch.
This is based on expecting a 10 minute improvement from when I did it in the mist in 2010, although I didn't stray too much off the path then, and I am another 2 years older, so perhaps I am being a bit hopeful.Quote:
Seriously, I see we've put same predicted time of 3.45 on Fetch.
Intending to run the full course (again) over the next two weeks so will have a better idea then.
Either way, MT, I imagine we will see each other quite a bit on the day.
Hmmph. I hope you two gentlemen will at the very least leave a note at the finish line indicating which pub you've gone to :)
I'll tell you now Martyn, if it's my choice it'll be Coopers (opposite Morrisons Car Park), though I'm sure you won't be so far behind:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn P
I may well pop in to Coopers for a recovery pint !
Martin, Jez - can you save me and Martyn a seat each?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jez Hellewell
Although the mud and sweat on us will probably clear a sufficient space anyway
You may well be there before me Dino. I think it should be compulsory for all forumites to call in for a pint & a post race discussion !
i'll do my best! might get the rest of the P&B crew along too.
does anyone have a view on which side of the wall is 'better' from Whetsone to the Buck Stones?
I'm in this by the way, although my erstwhile running buddy for the day has chosen to do some etchings instead. That said Harry my collie is up for it and raring to go. Just a simple question? Is the route on-line anywhere... and I don't have a map.... and have never run in that neck of the woods (apart from a corner of Ilkley Moor). My plan is to just follow the rest I guess :)