Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ydt
Daz,
many thanks for such generous comments. Route knowledge might have been a good point but on the negative side, I had to fight some pretty unpleasant bouts of cramp now and then.
...And to make you feel better, quite a few years ago, with Steve cliff, we were leading the race from Cockley Beck. On the way back from the Old Man with a good lead over the opposition and while circumnavigating Great Carrs in thick fog, we dropped too low and came up to Hell Gill below Mart Crag. That forced us down to the road and we had to run all the way up to the 3 Shires Stone. We finished third.
...And now that I started, I better add some more tails. It appears that this closing stage of the race gives people problems. A few years ago, in bad weather, my companion bailed out at Angle Tarn and I asked the marshals to let me carry on. I was lying second and slowly catching up with the leading pair. At the Old man they were only a few minutes ahead of me. I pressed on to finish first (out of contention) with a decent margin ahead of them. Aparently, apart from struggling a bit they took a less than optimum route around the area of the 3 Shires stone and I never saw them while overtaking them.
Yiannis
thanks yiannis
just goes to show recceing is priceless
im still at a loss to see which way back is the best from swirl band on the map.
i think we dropped to far to the left and lost the path , finally picking it up again somewhere near nettle slack.
but then as we dropped down to the road i saw runners coming down much further to my right, at least 300mtrs
what i did was and i will admit my mind was in another place was to think red tarn inbetween cold pike and pike o blisco was blea tarn:rolleyes: .
Iwas convinced we had to head up there.
we had both had a conversation further back and decided the checkpoint was right below us . Then Andy said no the checkpoint is another mile down the road. Then it all clicked into place. haha.
so yiannis please can you describe the best way back Do you just follow the path to three shire stone.
If so im at a loss to see where we went wrong???
having never seen that part of the lakes it totally threw me.
otherwise we had a perfect race.
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
daz h
thanks yiannis
just goes to show recceing is priceless
im still at a loss to see which way back is the best from swirl band on the map.
i think we dropped to far to the left and lost the path , finally picking it up again somewhere near nettle slack.
but then as we dropped down to the road i saw runners coming down much further to my right, at least 300mtrs
what i did was and i will admit my mind was in another place was to think red tarn inbetween cold pike and pike o blisco was blea tarn:rolleyes: .
Iwas convinced we had to head up there.
we had both had a conversation further back and decided the checkpoint was right below us . Then Andy said no the checkpoint is another mile down the road. Then it all clicked into place. haha.
so yiannis please can you describe the best way back Do you just follow the path to three shire stone.
If so im at a loss to see where we went wrong???
having never seen that part of the lakes it totally threw me.
otherwise we had a perfect race.
Daz,
Return along the contouring path but when it drops towards the col between Great Carrs and Grey Friar leave it and head roughly N to join a small path W of Great Carrs, which runs NE and joins the main ridge path to the Three Shires stone. It is a faint path and when in a hurry you can cross it without seeing it (as I did in the past). There are some small short cuts around Little Carrs but in bad visibility I would stick to the main path. You must have dropped too far W where the terrain is quite rough.
Yiannis
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ydt
Daz,
Return along the contouring path but when it drops towards the col between Great Carrs and Grey Friar leave it and head roughly N to join a small path W of Great Carrs, which runs NE and joins the main ridge path to the Three Shires stone. It is a faint path and when in a hurry you can cross it without seeing it (as I did in the past). There are some small short cuts around Little Carrs but in bad visibility I would stick to the main path. You must have dropped too far W where the terrain is quite rough.
Yiannis
And when Yiannis says 'Quite rough', that means 'impossible' for us mere mortals!!
I know the bit you mean, though, Yiannis. If you drop onto it just right there's a nice grassy 'ledge' with really fast running.
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Daz
Yiannis has given you the bare bones of the route under Great Carrs. Knowing when to strike off from the path that otherwise brings you to the col under Grey Friar is key. A pair struck off on a higher line than we did, perhaps 50 meters or so higher. We left it until we were a bit nearer the col. We arrived at the main path just before wet Side Edge at much the same time. My logic with tired legs is to keep on the path under Swirl/Great Carrs for as long as possible and try and make the contour over to the faint path as short as possible!
This year the path was very faint, more so than usual and I only just picked it out as we crossed it. There also seemed an absence of stud marks to help convince a tired brain that we were in the right place (perhaps because a number of pairs where elsewhere).
Just before you join the main path coming down off the Carrs at a flat area, there is a small but noticeable broken slab/crag feature on the right of the faint path which helps as a mental marker.
It's not a complex spot but definitely worth a recce next time you are passing on a nice day!
Morgan
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GeoffB
And when Yiannis says 'Quite rough', that means 'impossible' for us mere mortals!!
I know the bit you mean, though, Yiannis. If you drop onto it just right there's a nice grassy 'ledge' with really fast running.
im blaming you briggsy for not tipping me off taht part of the route haha:D
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Anyway where were you on Saturday Geoff? I think you might have told me before but I've forgotten.
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
daz h
im blaming you briggsy for not tipping me off taht part of the route haha:D
Sorry, Daz, I'll show you it on the 3 Shires Race!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Grouse
Anyway where were you on Saturday Geoff? I think you might have told me before but I've forgotten.
Hayfield all weekend - 3 glorious days in May. Saw Margarine on Friday evening - where were you, though?
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
GeoffB
Sorry, Daz, I'll show you it on the 3 Shires Race!
Hayfield all weekend - 3 glorious days in May. Saw Margarine on Friday evening - where were you, though?
ive never seem them together??
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
daz h
im blaming you briggsy for not tipping me off taht part of the route haha:D
That's a bit unkind, Daz. Geoff was the brains behind our route. I just transferred his thoughts to the map, and almost all of it was spot on - thanks Geoff.
Having said that, we didn't reccy any of the route other than Scafell Pike to Wythburn (and we did that in the opposite direction, and not very well), so we were very fortunate that visibility was good.
Re: 17th May - Old County Tops
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Marvin
That's a bit unkind, Daz. Geoff was the brains behind our route. I just transferred his thoughts to the map, and almost all of it was spot on - thanks Geoff.
Having said that, we didn't reccy any of the route other than Scafell Pike to Wythburn (and we did that in the opposite direction, and not very well), so we were very fortunate that visibility was good.
he knows im kidding;)
im merely pointing out he failed to mention that funny shaped stone where we should have turned right,haha.
the man briggs is truly in the premiership of navigators.
oh have either of you got a copy of the helvellyn race map:o
