It's only flippin October!Quote:
Originally Posted by that_fjell_guy
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It's only flippin October!Quote:
Originally Posted by that_fjell_guy
Cheers Steve... I'll be in touch by e-mail. Probably doing a long day (~30 miles and ~7500') round these parts on Wednesday 2nd if you're free (which I doubt somehow, with it being a weekday?). Can't join the party on the Thursday due to work... but looking ahead, Saturday December 4th perhaps? I'll have the dog, so no more than ~15 miles.Quote:
Originally Posted by stevefoster
Aye! I know, but I'm the kind of person who needs to get focused and stay focused else I just drift. Time just slips away from me! At my rate with 6-8 months to go its about 10 to 16 recces, plus the other bits I get in. Work commitments, getting married in February!!!..plus other stuff eats away at my time! I never get all the training done that I want to, but then again, who does!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark L
Looking at doing Leg #1 Keswick-Threlkeld on tuesday, November 8th.
Cheenis & I will be recceing Threlkeld to Dunmail on Sat 10 Dec, weather permitting. Feel free to join us...
Splatcher I would like to come along with you, of course weather permitting. Will pencil mark onto my calender. Would be good to car share if space is available, would contribute to fuel cost.
I spoke to AshStroller yesterday (discussing a Leg 2 recce on the "Best Shoes for BG" thread parallel to this one) and I understand that they have a group intent on starting from Threlkeld around 1000-ish, they're staying in Grasmere overnight. I'll be there, as things stand they are going to pick me up from Dunmail around 0930. Hope to see you, what time do you plan to start? I was hoping to have Leg 2 done and dusted by 1500 and maybe have a quick stomp to the top of Steel Fell and back for the hell of it :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Splatcher
That's good, we'll join up with you at Threlkeld if we can, i.e. if none of us needs an earlier start. "Hell" is a good description of the climb up Steel Fell :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn P
It's quite amusing on the way back down too :D Look forward to seeing you tomorrow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Splatcher
Wot? We're going up on Sat 10 Dec as per my original post. I'm running the Gritstone Trail tomorrow...unless you're coming along for that as well...Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn P
You know, I'm as daft as the proverbial brush and obviously half-blind. Sorry Andy ....... for some insane reason I failed to notice the 10th Dec bit :oQuote:
Originally Posted by Splatcher
Oh well. Enjoy the Gritstone Trail.
Martyn
'Cheenis & I will be recceing Threlkeld to Dunmail on Sat 10 Dec, weather permitting. Feel free to join us...'
I might be interested in this. I'm off work as it stands. I'll check my calander etc. See how I go on Tuesday too. Cheers.
Anyone around on Wednesday 16th November? I'm thinking of doing the route of the Great Lakes Run (http://www.amblesideac.org.uk/GreatLakes_2011.htm), but will probably go up towards Stake Pass to take the trod up to Rossett Pike and so up the direct route to Bowfell, and then the BG route as far as Scafell, before returning to Langdale via Great Moss, Little Stand and Pike o' Blisco. So, not a pure BG recce, but a good run out... I think somewhere in the region of 25k/2000m.
Managed my first full BG leg recce on Tuesday...Keswick-Threlkeld. What a grueller!!! 6 hours!! Had problems getting across river after Calva...wasnt going to bad then, considering cloud was down. Not 100% sure I was in the right place, but went up to the fence, which was mostly down, only the top cable being there. After a bi of humming-and-hawing I attempted, rashly, a 'commando style' shimmy across, hanging below. Fell in the beck!!! :) Took a bearing from the river to Blencathra, but lost a little confidence half way up. ended up on a track and followed that...ended up below Foules Crag. Got on top, had a small problem identifying the top, as its been awhile since I was up there. Attempted Halls Fell in the cloud and damp. Very, very slippy!!! Re-tracked and went down Doddick, tho' I ended up missing the correct turn offpoint on the ridge and ended up more or less at Scales!!! Great day out!! Need to go up on a nice clear day and get my bearings tho I think. Oh!! Also...massive error trying brand new shoes out on such a long run!! Salomons gave me blisters!!:o
Sounds like a good day out :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by that_fjell_guy
sounds like a text-book recce to me!Quote:
Originally Posted by that_fjell_guy
I always feel that the more mistakes you make, the more successful it's been, as that's a shed-load of things that you won't do wrong on the day :thumbup:
I hope that this sentence rings true for my attempt in June 2012Quote:
Originally Posted by DazTheSlug
Hear hear!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by DazTheSlug
Quote:
Originally Posted by DazTheSlug
Indeed! That was my view! At least I extaricated myself from the various 'errors' and got to where I wanted to go...more or less...and did it safely. Still need to suss the river crossing, as thats the third time I've been and its always been a problem crossing. I'll possibly go up on a nice day from Threlkeld and have a nice steady look at it. I think I've now got the crossing point, but not sure about that fence crossing bit!!....and it was a great day out!! :)
Will you be doing a winter or summer round? The river crossing has been fine the couple of times I've done it in the spring and summer, although I imagine it is fairly bracing at this time of year, plus deeper.
I'm hoping for late May, early June. its not horrendously deep, but even when I took my shoes off to attempt a wade, it was very slippy and stoney underfoot. Came up about a foot or so the bit I 'dipped my toe' in. Hopefully I'll eventually get to recce with someone who knows the drill exactly, rather than approximately. I'm probably just being a wuss!!
The first time me and my mate walked up and down trying to find the best spot but you just need to cross it. You get your feet soaking on Mungrisedale common anyway. But it is much easier come summer. Happy to go round with you at some point - when are you likely to do it next?
I seem to remember it being vaguely thigh deep but not too fast moving. I just took the mountain marathon approach in that I needed to get to the other side and had to just 'man up', but it is was pretty nippy even in spring. The trudge uphill afterwards soon warms the legs back up again, though! I must get back to the Lakes again as I fancy a BG attempt this summer - a dodgy knee mucked up my plans this summer. I think Leg 3 is the main bit I want to recce, as I have only done that once after having run Leg 2 through the night, and my navigation was hardly triumphantly good!
Met a bloke from Otley AC (Simon) today plus a group of three lads on leg 3. Not a bad day on the hill and saw a fantastic Broken Spectre on Pike of Stickle :cool:
Derby was Simon doing alright? (I'm sure he was)
He was moving very nicely and in the right direction :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Macali
Doing leg 1 tomorrow if anyone's interested in joining.
We're meeting at Horse and Farrier car park in Threlkeld at 9am and taking one car to Keswick.
Anyone got any reports of the boggy bits over Hare Crag and beyond? (it seems to be boggier each time I go there)
When going between Scafell Pike and Scafell yesterday I tried the Lords Rake/West Wall Traverse for the first time and really liked it. I'm sure you descend less from the col for the bottom of Lords Rake than you do the Foxes Tarn route, and leaving LR before the chockstone to take the WWT and popping out of Deep Ghyll seemed pretty quick. Anyone else tried this route?
I'm glad you did, as I'd been wondering about this option as well. I've not gone that way for many years, but you're right about it descending significantly less than the Foxes Tarn route. It used to be slightly slower than Broad Stand, assuming you knew Broad Stand & could solo it quickly - 5 minutes I seem to recall (I timed it). But of course most people aren't as confident as that on BS, & using ropes will slow you down. If Lords Rake/WWT is reasonably stable these days I'll give it a recce in the spring.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank
I looked at BS and think it must be the quickest way if, as you say, you can solo it quickly and your pacer(s) can too. I reckon though that after 12+ hours running and the likelihood of the rock being wet, it's too risky for the big day. I don't want to use rope, so it's Foxes Tarn or LR/WWT for me. Lords Rake was fine... the chockstone is still there and there are a few other big rocks near it, but it looked stable enough and there's plenty of space on the sides to miss any slide. Deep Ghyll was probably worse in terms of looseness underfoot, but not dangerous. I did 29 minutes from top to top and was by no means pushing it.
I 100% agree with Hank. I was up on BS a few weeks back and decided that although I think I'd be happy to do it in good conditions, it would be a different story in potentially wet and claggy weather and there's also the tiredness factor - to say nothing of how your pacers feel about it. It will be LR and WWT for me with Foxes Tarn as a back-up route.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank
I did a Leg 3 support earlier this year and the route employed was what I think is called "Foxes Traverse" or "Climbers Traverse", where you drop down towards Eskdale as normal for the FT route, however you hug the bluff and get onto an outcrop/shoulder that means you don't have to lose as much height and join the gully much higher up. It's OK in dry conditions (it was), but could be a bit dodgy if wet or you don't have a head for heights.
Martyn
Hi guys, I decided very early in my planning to go this way as I didn't want the hassle/worry of climbing BS (I know a few others who had chewed over this for months!!!).Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank
I knew the route and used it on my round and was very happy with it. i think it is discussed in detail, with timings etc somewhere here on the forum)
Cheers, NB
I ve done Mickledore chimney a few times (solo) it feels safer than BS surprised it hasnt been mentioned on here
http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showt...ike-to-ScafellQuote:
Originally Posted by Nee Bother
In addition to the thread that DT linked to, there's a thread from a few years ago where I posted a shot showing the traverse line, PLUS it shows a higher line that you should avoid.
Tell me more...Quote:
Originally Posted by Chorlian
Hmmm. I read this thread earlier in the year and had sort of forgotten about it .... the "dodgy" Foxes Tarn route is the Climber's Traverse I mentioned earlier, I didn't know it was quite that frowned upon .... well, what I mean by that is considered dangerous enough to be banned in a race. In the wet it would undoubtedly be a bit scary, I seem to recall using a lot of grass to hang on to as we went along the shelf.Quote:
Originally Posted by Derby Tup
I did the Foxes Tarn Climber's Traverse on my attempt and thought it was fine - doubt it'd be "dangerous" even in the wet
I hated Lord's Rake when I recce'd it - still quite a lot of descent from Mickledore and steep/slippy (even when dry), didn't enjoy the rake(s) either (very steep/loose and not as direct as I thought it'd be), although didn't do WWT so can't comment on that aspect.
Hank. mickledore chimney starts just to the left of BS (20ft?) easy scrambling in chimney then one committing move out of chimney onto slabs above BS about five years since i have been that way so details may be a bit hazy i thinf it is graded mod or diff as a climb. ill be going this way in the summer
Never done it myself, but it's graded Difficult in my FRCC guidebook, 75m long (ie high).Quote:
Originally Posted by Chorlian
"Rockfall from Broad Stand constitutes a serious hazard on this climb. Continuing down the scree from Broad Stand this is the deeply-cut chimney bounding the East Buttress on the right. Scrambling leads to a chockstone which is taken on the right. The direct finish goes past the chockstone on the left to a belay below the double chockstone pitch. Climb the chimney to a ledge on the left and then the corner on the right (10 metres). Scree and a short chimney followed by a traverse right finish the climb. In winter a large icefall on the left provides a good finish."