The maps have nothing to do with me- try NeilQuote:
Originally Posted by daz h
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The maps have nothing to do with me- try NeilQuote:
Originally Posted by daz h
My map arrived this morning and I'm all excited now. I especially like the comment on the map "the down and up route between Grindslow Knoll and Ringing Roger has not been shown. Energy and balls needed" :D
Thanks ( I think!) Andy, for confirmation that I'm in. It seems the 2nd class post selection ruse did not work.
Training the week before promises to be interesting involving sliding down various Bulgarian slopes. Carbo loading might be difficult what with the local specialities focusing on tripe soup!
Kingsnail, you've got every chance of stuffing me on this year's Skyline for a change ........
You're not any relation to; The BISCUIT are you?
The use of a second class stamp seems to suggest you are?
CribGoch - that's a pretty unfair comment as even sitting at home in front of the fire you still need some indication of heights to know whether a slope is up or down. When I teach navigation it's one of the basic but vital things to note. Sure as you get more advanced you can look at the way streams flow but on large expanses of open land in some areas it isn't always that obvious.Quote:
Originally Posted by CribGoch
Actually I don't think I ever need to - it's obvious for most maps I ever look at.Quote:
Originally Posted by lastmanhome
Well, sorry to be unfair and all that, but I still dont agree. Sitting at home in front of the fire is the perfect place to improve your map reading skills. The first time ever you pick up a map you might use the contour heights to work out a few basic rules for visualising the landscape, but this is hardly an 'advanced skill'. Some plateaux can have very indeterminate features, but if they are that indeterminate then interpretation of the contours is hardly relevant anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by lastmanhome
OK, so if after some practice you still need the contour heights to visualise the landscape, then maybe use the time honoured fell racing skill of 'follow the leader'. I suppose most do.
I used a black and white map, printed off the CLM web site for the Full Tour of Pendle this one. The contours were impossible to work out but I'm sort of glad because it would have been hell knowing Big End and that other frigging hill just before it were coming up. Ignorance is bliss :)
Of course I'll now know for this year's race and no reading of any contours is likely to change the shape of that bleeding hill.
Could be. Have you an entry 2-nails or are you doing your usual marshalling duty cop out?Quote:
Originally Posted by two toenails
I understand that the rather strange DPFR Chairman will also be marshalling at his usual base of Lose Hill spot and will be clad in unusual attire. A treat for us all. Perhaps you should follow suit 2-nails - don't you normally end up on the top of Win Hill? - just the place for some scantily clad fancy cross dresser in late March!
I'm always willing to help out at races but I draw a line at cross-dressing.
Well dressing is fine.
I'm too old to run so far now. Ahhhhh!
The reserve list for the Skyline race is here.
When places become available, people will be contacted in the order they are on the reserve list.
Everyone else who has sent an entry should have received confirmation of a place in the race from me, either by email or phone. If you have sent an entry, and you are not on the reserve list and you haven’t had that confirmation get in touch ASAP.
I used to know a cross dresser. He said it was nearly impossible to get clothes in the correct size, in fact some times he was positively furious:DQuote:
Originally Posted by two toenails
Yeah, i religiously carried that map round; never looked at it once!Quote:
I used a black and white map, printed off the CLM web site for the Full Tour of Pendle this one. The contours were impossible to work out but I'm sort of glad because it would have been hell knowing Big End and that other frigging hill just before it were coming up. Ignorance is bliss
It's not that i know pendle that well, it's just that in big races like this (and Edale S), unless you are a front runner, it's much easier just to follow the runner in front. Getting the map out will not help in the slightest (probably get a sprained ankle in the process!), and if you are up the front, then you probably recce'd it anyway.
In theory the map is there to help you if you get lost, and if the organisers want me to have one, if only for their insurance, then i am happy to oblige. Same goes for the mobile phone;)
Even in the biggest races people go astray - 2 years ago my wife was walking on Base Brown on Borrowdale race day, and had to tell a group of runners that they weren't on Brandreth.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyA
Hello one and all,
New to fell running and new to this forum so please be gentle!
Entered the Skyline and thought I'd head up today for a reccy.
Few questions for all the experienced "Skyliners" and locals.
I Started in Edale and cut straight up onto the second half of the loop at Hollins Cross.
Look the Lords Seat right hand turn and found myself following vague trods through knee deep bogs before arriving at Brown Knoll - is this correct?
Couldn't find the racing line beyond Jacob's ladder - I presume that just bypasses the peat bogs and boulders leading to Crowden Clough?
Slight Navigational error the otherside of Grindslow Knoll found me running down towards Grindsbrook Clough. Rather than back track, I thought I'd give the famous "down and up" a go - What is the general consensus on this route? Worth it or just too tough on race day?
Slogged up Ringing Roger in sleet and high winds, then down to the finish, soggy and tired.
I'll try the first part of the loop, in a few weeks time.
Anyway, sorry to ramble - any thoughts on the "racing line" would be much appreciated.
Oh and thanks to the chap I collared jogging up to Grindslow for directions. You said you would be on Brown Knoll on race day - are you on the forum?
Cheers
FM
Hello FM
I recce'd this the other week and had the same problem as you around Jacobs ladder between CP's 9 and 10. I'm not sure whether you should actually go down to Jacobs Ladder? I did when I went but did doubt myself when cutting across to Grindslow Knoll.
I did ask someone from my club who mentioned this 'down and up' route be interesting to see what most people think.
The so called racing line cuts after off the main path after Lords Seat at about SK 108 833 and follows an old wall which provides firmer going. From the Boundary Stone (BS) there is a route to the right of the main path which follows the right hand bank of a large dyke. This is often dryer although if its frozen underfoot direct is probably quicker.
After Brown Knoll you cross the wall / fence and pick up the newish paved path to the top of Jacob Ladder. There is line to right which misses out a bit of the Swines Back path.
Around the Wool Packs there is a line to the left which is more dirdect and avoid losing height but it takes a bit of finding.
After that there are a few direct lines probably the best is from the top of Grindsbrook at SK 106 876 to SK 109 876. This used to be a feint trod but is becoming very well used.
All this and more can be found on the map available at http://www.dpfr.org.uk/skyline/SkylineCourseMap.pdf I don't have any connection with these guys and I haven't used one myself.
I think its a fantastic route, most of the climbing is in the first half but the race really begins at Mam Nick. It is tough, especially in last years conditions. The route is fairly escapable if you know roughly where you are (turn right and go down hill) but the bit over Brown Knoll can feel very remote and inhospitable.
Enjoy.
Fell Monkey
hope you enjoyed the down and up :D
i was the guy 'jogging' up to Grindslow. yes i will be on Brown Knoll, but only briefly as i will be doing the race myself
if your not sure of the route, then recce recce and recce some more. as its not the place you want to be getting lost on the day, or if the weather is as crap as last year.
Yes approach to Brown Knoll is bog after bog, grassy in some places not grassy in others.
Top of Jacobs ladder either follow main path to east of Swinesback or contour up to the right on grassy "trods", saves a bit.
I have taken a left grough around Pyms Chair, rocky base to run on, and picked a grough up with water running into Crowden Clough, other groughs hit the edge between Pyms Chair and Crowden so be aware of the direction you are moving in.
Saves a lot of effort, :D if you get it right.
Did the down and up about 6 years ago, Grindslow Knoll to Ringing Roger, never done it since.
For the he-(wo)men may be an advantage but for me, a decent descender, the downhill was baulked by hidden boulders:eek: under grass and the uphill was just one to many at this time in a 20+ miler.
Does this include free food again at the finish? Last year's was excellent.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyJ
Yes, there will be free food available n the Village Hall
Cheers Andy.:)Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyJ
I understand that the rather strange DPFR Chairman will also be marshalling at his usual base of Lose Hill
Um, you better read this http://www.dpfr.org.uk/index.php?p=news&id=301
Skyline Jim, has the former Chair been exercising again thro' the long winter nights so as to develop his unfeasibly large right hand??
think that was that bloke that did You've Been Framed ........Quote:
Originally Posted by Ginge Whinge
Less than two weeks to the big day and my next proper race, I hope every one has the route well reccied and the weather gods have got their dates mixed up so we have a snowy Easter but a sunny clear day on the Skyline.
Fingers crossed
I might be dragging along a spectator with me on 30th - where's the best place to plonk said spectator (with binoculars) for the best all race view? Is the village hall at the start okay?
The skyline is almost a reverse stadium in a way - if in and around Edale itself is a good place to watch from, presumably everyone disappears towards Win Hill and for most of the run from there to Mam Tor but what about after that?
looks like you might get your wish for a snowy easter Ian.Hope the weather holds out for you in the skyline.
Stolly re spectating...bit of a tricky one, if its cloudy/claggy you won't see much from the valley at all. Assuming the spectator is fairly mobile in my opinion the best and easiest way of getting a good 'flavour' of the race is to walk up to Ringing Roger before the start and watch everyone do the first climb and scramble. Then you can walk back down through the village and up onto the ridge at Hollins Cross to watch runners come over Lose Hill (binoculars), run past and then the climb up to Mam Tor. When bored there its then a walk back down to the village and up to the bottom of the Nab to watch the finish.
Thanks :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bladerunner
Summat worth noting Clocks go forward on Skyline weekend so don't be walking up the road from Edale village hall to the Start thinking you have an hour and 5 minutes to spare when it's just 5 minutes. It's happened before and he (Andy Forsyth) is in Dark Peak!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bladerunner
You'll have to be sharpish to catch Lloyd, Rob, Si if your friend is a walker.
If you do get up to HC or MNick you could walk the route to J ladder and then drop down back to the start.
thats true Ian, forgot when we did it last year we ran from R.R. to H.C. However another advantage of going to Hollins Cross is if the weather is bad you can head back along the ridge to the plantation where you get some cover
there's also the option of Jacobs ladder as there is a wall to sit behind. So you could do RR and see if you can beat Lloyd to Jl going the other way:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Bladerunner
even Lloyd would struggle with that unequal challenge...to make it interesting you'd have to do R.R. to Grindslow Knoll down then up, G.N. to Upper Booth, then up to Crowden Tower, down to the bottom of Jacobs ladder then up to the top...infact that would make quite a good race
Can I just say that it seems only to be a year ago when the Skyline runners struggled with extreme conditions during the race...
No danger of that this year then.....:p
I'd love to be running it this year but I'm kind of glad I'm not looking at the gales outside my window today! :eek:
Best of luck to you all.
That sounds similar to the start of the Kinder Dozen - Edale to Grindslow Knoll to the bottom of Crowden Cough to Crowden Tower to the bottom of Jacob's Ladder to Edale Cross etc.. How about racing the Kinder Dozen?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bladerunner
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
yeah lets do it
I'm not sure if this can be true but I heard that all runners in this year's Edale, must give their mobile numbers in at registration or they can't start. Something about the race organiser doing random phone calls to runners during the race to make sure they know where they are. I don't know about anyone else but this seems like a daft idea to me. For one if it's very windy you're not likely to hear your phone ring, and for two I'd have to get my map and compass out to make sure I knew where I was for sure. Or what if you had to ask someone running close to you, would that be OK? :confused:
I was out running in Dunham Park today when I thought I heard my phone ring. That was strange as I never have it switched on. Anyway I turned the next corner and there was a group of Morris Dancers!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Fudge the Elf