http://www.photoreview.com.au/review...30SW_front.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by dominion
Absolutely brilliant and as tough as old boots
Printable View
http://www.photoreview.com.au/review...30SW_front.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by dominion
Absolutely brilliant and as tough as old boots
I think my weekends overtime in Wigan has just been spent!
11. Giggleswick Scar, Smearsett Scar, Catrigg Force, Attermire Scar and Warrendale Knotts from Settle
Date: 08/02/09
Distance: 11.5 miles
Ascent/descent: 1,800ft
Route map
Time: 2 hours 7
Okay, okay even I'm getting fed up with all these beautiful runs in the snow! The HPM 30 miler that had been planned for today was called off and I half thought of zipping over to Winter Hill for the fell race... but didn't on the basis that racing on rock hard ground with now gripless fell shoes didn't seem like a good idea. In fact ever since I ran through all that bog in and around Bleaklow a couple of weeks ago, my walshes have suddenly chosen to rot and fall to bits. That mud is like acid - it even made my legs dry up and shed skin!
Anyway this morning I ran from home again, this time heading up above Gig Scar and climbing up the smallish peak of Smearsett Scar. A stunted, wind battered tree that often appear on postcards of these here parts:
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/2915/p2080155fo8.jpg
The final climb up to the top of Smearsett was very steep and culminated in me having to wade through a snow cornice of sorts that was running along the top edge. There was a fabulous view of Pen y Ghent though, here zoomed in:
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/6623/p2080162gg2.jpg
And looking the other way was Stainforth in the valley with the Attermire and Warrendale Knotts ridge line on the horizon beyond:
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/8338/p2080164xw0.jpg
After Smearsett I ran down to Little Stainforth, over the narrow bridge at Stainforth Force, through Stainforth itself and up the Pennine Bridleway to Catrigg Force, just as much an icicle as a waterfall today:
http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9520/p2080165uu5.jpg
Then I hacked up through Attermire, zig zagged up to the trig at Warrendale Knotts and dropped off the other side back into Settle. I must admit I felt a bit weary towards the end too so just as well I didn't have to try and run 30 miles today!
Hi Stolly
Great pictures. Any idea waht the snow cover is like on Whernside and Ingleborough at the mo'. Going up there this weekend. Cheers.
Originally Posted by SLM99 in Three Peaks Race thread
The Maltese contingent is planning a recce this weekend (14/15 feb) and wondering if anyone local can kindly advise likely snow conditions. I'm guessing more snow and ice than the Malta half marathon in 2 weeks time, but how much?
Thanks
Ay'up Stolly
Your runnin adventures are th'only thing worth lookin at on this forum.
That pic of "tussocks" on the Settle 'ills run would be well worth enhancing...reckon it could be a competition winner.
wharfee
Too right wharfee, Stolly's pics are inspiring, nice to hear from you again;)Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
Now then wharfeego! 'ow do? :)
nit so bad lad. that'll do. sithee.Quote:
Originally Posted by Derby Tup
Waaaaaaa hey.......he's back.Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
Ive missed the need for subtitles.....welcome back.:D
tha's pullin a fast'un there owd stol...the camera you really use is the one that took the photo of the one shown on your post;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
(I can feel a Morecambe 'n Wise quote comin on...but I won't be so predictable).
ps...send me the tussock photo in full resolution and I'll see wot I can do wi' it.
Will do - pm me your email address would probably be bestQuote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
Give us a peep when you have finished with it/won the Silsden camera club prize with it. Looks like a field full of coconuts!!Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
Silsden? that's down bluddy south lad! try 'ellifield!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Ady In Accy
12. Helwith Bridge, Smearsett, Faizor, Wharfe, Studrigg Scar and Moughton
Date: 14/02/09
Distance: 8.25 miles
Ascent/descent: 1,200ft
Route map
Time: 1 hour 46
The first time (and last time) I did this run was in May last year on a Settle Harriers mid-week run. Its a fantastic route for sure but its where I knacked my knee such that I couldn't run at all for two months and could only run in pain as a fat cripple for two months after that! So with that in mind I was a bit wary to say the least. Starting off the route veres round the side of Smearsett Scar before dropping down into Faizor. I saw the first lambs of the season in this field with Faizor looming ahead:
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/5224/p2140186wa6.jpg
After that it was up the other side and then through Faizor and Wharfe Woods before dropping down into Wharfe. In actual fact I made a couple of wrong turns in these woods making my actual run probably a mile longer than the 8.25 - my memory from last May was a bit crap to be honest. The teeming metropolis of Wharfe with the big blob of Moughton behind:
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/3591/p2140189pv1.jpg
Then I headed up the track towards Studrigg Scar, a sort of mini-me Malham Cove. It was all limestone boulders with no water coming over the top of the waterfall (it probably does in wet weather) but underground there must have been a strong torrent of water as I could hear it quite loud and clear.
From here on I was in the trackless, rocky, pot-holed wastes and ridges of the south side of Moughton. Its real knee (and ankle) fcukeruperer country for sure.... as I know first hand. There is one trig point on top of one ridge but to be honest they could have placed it in all sorts of places. The trig seen here (to the right) with the tiny spec of a walker beside it and Ingleborough on the horizon behind:
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/1885/p2140195ro6.jpg
Long Scar on Moughton - the pot hole I fell down last May is somewhere down there:
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8476/p2140197eg5.jpg
The run finishes with a fantastic descent down a long grassy bank between two quarry sites to Foredale before trotting back to Helwith Bridge. A fabulous run but Faizor/Wharfe Woods sure are easy to take the wrong turn in.
13. Pen y Ghent, 3 peaks route to Lodge Hall and the Ribblehead road, Park (frigging) Fell, Ingleborough and back to Horton
Date: 15/02/09
Distance: 17.5 miles
Ascent/descent: 3,500ft
Route map
Time: 3 hours 28
It had been my original intention to saunter around the 3 peaks route this morning but, what with spending most of last night at Airdale A&E (stitches needed for my daughter who gashed her knee) and all the ice and snow on the tops, I decided to turn it into a 2 and a bit peaks run with a hack up Park Fell after Pen y Ghent and then a ridge run through a shit load of massively drifted and now slightly thawing snow to Ingleborough before cutting back to Horton via Sulber Nick. There were almost white out conditions in the low cloud and snow coming off of Pen y Ghent:
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/1710/p2150203jq5.jpg
After that it was all a blurred mixture of ice, snow drifts, mud and oodles of standing water pretty much all the way to where the 3 peaks route meets the Ribblehead road. This believe it or not is the iced up pot hole just before Hull Pot - looks kind of cold for a dip....
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/7555/p2150204ae5.jpg
Kind of muddy (and grimacing from the odd fall) by the time I got to the road after about 1 hour and 44 minutes:
http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8990/p2150206fx5.jpg
Then it was the steep climb up to the ice and snow wastes of Park Fell and the ridge line from there to Ingleborough. Least said about this the better - it was either a wall to my right with huge snow drifts to wade through or stagger around or a wall to my left with even bigger drifts. You can't get the true sense of scale from this picture but this snow drift was shoulder height!
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/598/p2150209el4.jpg
All in all Park Fell was bloody hard going (and must rate as a darn good stand in for practising running up Bleaklow in the high peak marathon) but once I'd got to Ingleborough and was on the track back to Horton the run became really enjoyable with mud up to the gun'oles to wade and trash through. Brilliant.
This looks like the run I intended to do back in December Stolly but chickened out on the day and then various bugs kicked in and it got put off even longer:(Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
I was planning to do a 3 Peaks Recce this weekend and I may do this route then rather than the full route. It covers the two sections I am not familiar with and I have never gone up Park fell from the road only come down. I hope this recent warm weather has at least shrunk those drifts a bit though :)
14. Pendle - half tour route
Date: 21/02/09
Distance: 9.25 miles
Ascent/descent: 2,250 ft
Route map
Time: 1 hour 37
I was hoping for clear weather this morning but when I arrived in Barley at about 9 am the cloud was low over Pendle........ as usual! All the same it felt like shorts and helly weather and I didn't bother with a wind proof or gloves for the first time in what seems like ages. And about half way up the diagonal climb to the trig on Big End sure enought it was freezing cold, with a bitter wind and almost dark with the fog~low cloud. Doh!
All the same it was enjoyable running with not too much mud (for Pendle). At the turn at the wall beyond the trig, I set off on the short cut line rather than follow the wall and stream. This soon proved not such a good move, as I lost the trail in the poor visibility, and had to hack off back in the direction of the wall to avoid getting hopelessly lost.
The view up here was grand as usual for Pendle:
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/1512/p2210211.jpg
In fact I can count on one finger of one hand when I've been up here and be able to actually see a view not obscured by cloud and/or wind driven rain. The normal variables are just the degree of cloud thickness, the speed of the howling gale, exactly how much driving rain and how minus the wind chill factor is! Today though no rain at all!!!
My navigation wasn't too bad apart from a little bit of too-ing and fro-ing near to the Nick of Pendle (checkpoint 2 in the race I think) and at about the hour and a bit mark I found myself at the bottom of the second climb to Spence Moor:
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5987/p2210215.jpg
The stains on my helly by the way are ingrained vaseline over my 'breasts' with the one above probably snot or dribble..... or both! Then it was a nice climb and run over the ridge to the top of Ogden Clough and the Geronimo descent. My view, nicely lined up with grass all the way down, just before I threw myself off the edge:
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6403/p2210217.jpg
After that descent the run in to the finish is a doddle; here's the view from the style coming off Pendle with pretty much the whole run in before me:
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/2655/p2210222.jpg
Drop down, cross the fields to the left of the wood in the centre of the picture, over the hump and whiz down the other side to Barley village hall.
Lovely run out.
15. Settle, Stockdale Lane, down the side of Kirby Fell to Malham, Gordale Scar, Malham Cove, Langcliffe path back to Settle.
Date: 22/02/09
Distance: 17.25 miles
Ascent/descent: Circa 2,000 ft
Route map
Time: 2 hours 57
Although the weather wasn't exactly perfect this was a humdinger of a route with some Yorkshire Dales running at its absolute best. Nothing too high to climb either. I set off from home heading for Malham over the tops via Stockdale Lane and, like yesterday, once I got above about 1,200 feet I disappeared into the cloud with not alot to see. Coming down the other side though, down a super fast descent to Malam off of Kirby Fell, everything sprung into to view again:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/1323/p2220235.jpg
I whizzed down here and a couple of walkers at the bottom must have been seriously impressed as they said they 'thought I must of been on a bike, I was going so fast'. Hehe, tourists eh? Easily impressed.
After that I zipped through Malham, past the youth hostel and followed the path towards Gordale, passing Janet's Foss on the way. Bit too cold for a dip today though:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3135/p2220236.jpg
Then it was up the Gordale Scar valley....
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3350/p2220237.jpg
.... up the waterfall before back tracking along the rim of Gordale Scar, dropping down on the Malham side and heading off for the Cove. After a while I finally emerged onto the Malham to Arncliffe (and Settle) lane at the Langcliffe gate. The path from here on was exposed to a nightmare, eye wateringly frigid wind from the northwest, with nowhere to hide for almost 4 miles. You never drop below something like 1400 feet here either with very open 'big country' all around - nothing much in the way to the north until you hit Pen y Ghent and west until Ingleborough.
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8506/p2220239.jpg
Finally just before hitting Langcliffe itself I branched left through the fields and dropped down into Settle.
Lovely jubbly.
16. Edale Skyline Race Route Recce
Date: 01/03/09
Distance: 19.5 miles
Ascent/descent: 3,700 ft
Route map
Time: 4 hours 46
Well a fantastic forum outing to Edale today with the added bonus of some (begrudgingly given up but much welcome) insider tips on the race route itself. Even though one or two runners did chicken out on the day (Baaarby and Derby T'up I'm looking at you) the turn out was still probably 20 strong... plus 3 dogs.
A fabulous route in what has to count as great weather for the Peak District at this time of year. Really boggy in the first 'corner' to and beyond Brown Knoll, much rocks and mud between there and Ringing Roger. From there on the ground improved alot but the climbs of Win Hill, Lose Hill and finally Mam Tor all added piece by piece to the hard slog and seeing Mam Nick car park on the final drop down from Mam Tor was a welcome sight.
Amongst the great forum turnout it was really nice to make a new friend as well. Yep, Dave was great company for me for much of the first half of the run. And yes he is 'barking' mad but I have to take friends as they come; beggars can't be choosers.
Dave leading the charge early into proceedings:
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/3807/p3010242.jpg
Most of the team at Brown Knoll Trig - Dave up to his tummy in it far left:
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1166/p3010247.jpg
Lose Hill with the Edale Valley beyond (largely hidden) as seen from the top of Win Hill. For those that haven't been there, Win Hill is a bleeding long way off at a tangent from the Edale Valley itself:
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4495/p3010267.jpg
Looking towards Mam Tor from the top of Lose Hill:
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/1691/p3010271.jpg
Sooooo.... what are we all recceing next?
17. High Peak Marathon
Date: 6th/7th March 2009
Distance: 43 miles and quite possibly then some
Ascent/descent: Maybe 5,800 ft
Our route as best as I can work out
Time: 13 hours 10 minutes
Never having run anything near 40 miles before, let alone 40 miles through thick peat bog, I arrived at Edale village hall on Friday night really looking forward to the 'test' but, as the same time, not really looking forward to it that much! Our team, the rabid dogs (a name given to it by a someone who dropped out months ago) was a motley collection of me, Dave (a chap who interviewed me for a job a couple of years ago but didn't give it me!) and two hardened Dark Peakers, Jim and Roy, both of whom came in as replacements not so long before.
Incidentally, as an interesting aside, along the way Jim told me where the colour scheme for the dark peak running vest came from (if colour scheme is the right word); he may have been kidding (but I don't think so) but he said that the brown came from the peat bogs (a big tick there), the mauve from all the heather and they yellow from the sunshine!!!! How er... sweet.
Anyway at 11:06 pm on the dot the rabid dogs were unleashed and off we trotted down the lane in the direction of Hollins Cross, our first of 18 check points to come. Then it was Lose Hill, down into Hope and up Win Hill, a fantastic descent in the dark through misty woods to Ladybower Resevoir and then following the road in a loop towards Stanage Edge.
It was sort of the plan that we would aim to run the HPM in 12 hours but I could tell from the start that this was probably not a goer as from an early stage we seemed to choose to walk quite easily runnable gradients. All the same it didn't worry me much as I was really doing it to 'do it' and was pretty happy to bumble along.
At Stanage Edge we went up into the clag and drizzle and, in line with the weather forecast, it was plain for the first time that a whole heap of night time, clagged out running on a largely trackless ridge lines lay before us. Then we dropped down to road at Moscar for our first tea and sandwich stop at maybe the 10 mile or so point.
From here we ran down the road to Cutthroat Bridge and then up onto the ridgeline aiming for Lost Ladd. We were now socked in in the low cloud, only just able to make out our only small cones of light and our immediate path before us. It was maybe 2 in the morning and we were destined to stay 'socked in' for the next 4 hours of running as we tried to track our way around the huge loop of peat bog (sorry ridge line) that lay before us. Much fun and games ensued but eventually, after a couple of navigational errors and at least one navigational miracle, we found ourselves wading knee deep through the bog in the early dawn light heading towards Swains Head.
At this point an (annoyingly) cheery IanDarkPeak and his team caught up with us which was handy. Ian could have been born in the mud of Bleaklow and his pathfinding came in very handy in getting to the Pennine Way. He found us the 'north west passage that avoids most of the maze of peat hillocks - if you want to find it, you first have to find Knob Rock (can't for the life of me see where the name comes from) seen here:
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7791/p3070280c.jpg
We now had found the Pennine Way and our route finding worries were over. Just maybe 15 miles of running over tough ground were left and oh.. the 'small' obstacle of Kinder Scout en route. We trotted down the Penninne Way to the second tea and sandwich stop at Snake Road Top:
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2103/p3070282.jpg
Kinder wasn't a difficult climb or anything as we were already high up anyway. But once up there its very much a rock and boulder fest so quite hard going. One bit of the Kinder plateau seen from er... another bit of it:
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5600/p3070285.jpg
After Kinder the Edale valley pops into view and the path towards Brown Knoll was now clear to see. In a reverse of last weeks Edale recce the path was now a doddle and we duly trundled round. Finally on the last little climb to Hollins Cross the end was in sight:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1488/p3070288.jpg
And we now raced down the final descent, neck and neck with an all girl team, and arrived at the village hall for a very welcome coffee and bowl of stew.
Fantastic route and super challenging, God knows how many flat and dry miles of running that route is the equivalent of. 70 maybe? (Or 100? 300? 3000?)
Breathtaking stunning photographs Stolly.
18. Whernside ridgeline north to south followed by Gragareth and Great Coum south to north starting from Dent (aka Le Tour de Kingsdale)
Date: 15th March 2009
Distance: 19.5 to 20 miles
Ascent/descent: Maybe 3,550 ft
Route
Time: 3 hours 45 mins
And at long last I've got around to doing this humdinger of a run. I'd planned to run this with Ady and a couple of others at the end of December but flu buggered that up; mind you on what was a lovely spring morning I'm kind of glad I didn't run it before today.
Starting from Dent football pitch it was a case of following the southern most road east until I could get on the track up Whernside, following last September's Whernside Fell Race route. The climb is all runnable but reasonably tough, especially lower down. Dentdale as viewed from the track towards the Whernside ridge line:
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7213/p3150296.jpg
After reaching the Whernside ridge it was really just a case of running Whernside top to bottom...... which takes a little while believe me. There's a steady jaunt up to and beyond some small tarns before picking up the main walkers route from Ribblehead to the Whernside trig - the view looking down towards Ribblehead just as I'd hit this main drag:
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1597/p3150298.jpg
Following at least 5 miles of following the same never frigging ending wall that splits Whernside along its spine and I at long last popped out below Ewes Top with a stunning view of Ingleborough in the cloud:
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/8869/p3150302.jpg
Then I dropped into the southern end of Kingsdale and spent a good while climbing to the top of the Gragareth~Great Coum ridge heading back north towards Dent again. Kingsdale as viewed from the little bridge right at the southern tip:
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7722/p3150305r.jpg
The climb, apart from a small limestone boulder field at the start, was all wading through untracked tussocks, cotton grass, rocks and boggy sedge with one or two walls to hop over en route. Once on the top though there was a steady trod to follow, adjacent to another never ending wall splitting the ridge line perfectly.
The cloud now closed in on me for a while and didn't really disappear until I was dropping off Great Coum towards Dent. I didn't follow the descent here of the Whernside fell race but to be honest the route I took down was no quicker or easier to run. Given that the Fellsman in May comes this way I thought I'd try another way down anyway, not having a clue if the Fellsman asks you to take a certain route down here. Finally on now laggy legs I returned to civilisation in Dent.
Anyway an absolutely brilliant run.
Where exactly did you go up to Gragareth? (It sounds like you were further down than the Fellsman route.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly;206454The climb, apart from a small limestone boulder field at the start, was all wading through untracked tussocks, cotton grass, rocks and boggy sedge with one or two walls to hop over en route. Once on the top though there was a steady trod to follow, adjacent to another never ending wall splitting the ridge line perfectly.
The cloud now closed in on me for a while and didn't really disappear until I was dropping off Great Coum towards Dent. I didn't follow the descent here of the Whernside fell race but to be honest the route I took down was no quicker or easier to run. [B
On the Fellsman you go ~330 from Gt Coum summit to Flintergill and then follow the path into Dent.
I went up right at the bottom end. I followed the track from the top of the waterfall walk and then picked up a small footpath going up straight west. This led me to another trail that contours north but I soon had to leave this to hack to the top of the ridge. The Fellsman takes a straight line from Whernside trig down into Kingsdale doesn't it and presumably takes a straight line straight up the other side? I went up miles :) lower down than that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilgrim
From Whernside you run down the ridge to the Kink in the wall approx 2-3k from the trig and then head to KingsdaleQuote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
Thanks Ian. I was puzzling about that as Gragareth is quite a bit lower than the Whernside trig. I think I know exactly the kink you're on about.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak
Do you go up Gragareth from Yordas Cave on the Fellsman? I can vaguely remember my mum telling me about that.
That looks about right on the map - I'm awaiting my fellsman manual (assuming I got in) which I'm sure will explain all.
OK... I've found last years manual.
"On leaving the Whernside checkpoint, do not take the direct route down Blackside Pasture, but stay on the east side of the ridge wall until it can be crossed using the stile at NGR 724789. Proceed down High Brown Hill Pasture, using the marked gateway at NGR 714791."
Kingsdale CP is 706790 which if Yordas Cave. From there it's flagged across the fields until you join the wall running up the hill to a stile at 691795. Turn left towards the CP.
19. Edale Skyline Fell Race
Date: 29th March 2009
Distance: 21 miles
Ascent/descent: 4,500ft or so
Route
Time: 4 hours 7 mins
Route profile:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/993...ofilesmall.png
Well I think I made a complete balls up of this race. My (with the benefit of hind sight) completely stupid game plan was to get up Ringing Roger quickly and then hold my place come hell or high water for the first 6 miles all the way to Win Hill, zoom down to Hope and then ‘recover’ on the climb up Lose Hill and try and run at my standard trot for the final…. erm 12 or 13 miles. You can tell that I wasn’t thinking about pain, the ‘somewhat testing’ terrain (especially on the last 9 mile stretch) or the potential for wheels falling off when I dreamt this fricking idea up!
The race for the stile at the off:
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/7769/dmctz51692.jpg
To begin with though, things went surprisingly to plan. I started near to the front of the herd on purpose, got through the potential bottleneck at the stile without any trouble and wasn’t passed by too many runners on the climb up Ringing Roger. I then held my own all the way along that long ridgeline east, around the corner at Jagger’s Clough and out down to the path beside the woods at the start of the gradual climb towards Win Hill. This wasn’t done at all comfortably though with me running at full on ramming speed and painfully short of oxygen all the way. Warning bells should have been ringing but I didn’t hear them.
I reached the checkpoint on Win Hill at 59 minutes, perhaps having lost no more than a net 4 places since Ringing Roger, but my legs were now starting to hurt, which wasn’t a good sign. I had a fast descent down to Hope, albeit with one very loud expletive that would have echoed around the valley when I turned my right ankle painfully, and took a welcome drink from Manhar at the Hope checkpoint.
I now found myself 7 miles in and already in bad shape. My legs hurt more at this point that they did at any time on our reccee a few weeks ago, more than at the finish of the full tour of Pendle last November and more that at any time when I did the High Peak Marathon. Quite simply I had shot my bolt! By necessity I took it steady going up Lose Hill and managed to trot the ridge line, from there all the way to Mam Nick, to get there at the 2 hour mark.
After a brief stop for a drink, I then remarkably didn’t feel too bad getting to Lord’s Seat and for a while I thought that my plan would now kick in and I’d find some running power from somewhere. Unfortunately the bogs from Lord’s Seat to and beyond Brown Knoll well and truly took their toll and I was staggering badly come Jacob’s Ladder, and being unremittingly overtaken by all and sundry.
I then decided to cut the corner, instead of following main track up past the white bags of paving flags, and I’m certain this did me no favours either. All the runners up to my left seemed to be…. well, running along a path while I was staggering through tussocks and boulders. Anyway having finally hit the main path again I picked up a bit, but at no drop to my 'grimace-ometer', all the way to Grindslow Knoll. I was now not in ‘prime condition’ and the final running around and along the ridge line from here back to Ringing Roger was dreadful with loads of runners passing me as I shuffled, stumbled and tripped along.
The marshalls at Ringing Roger though cheered me up with their ‘fantastic sense of humour’ (albeit fantastic humour very much at my expense) and I managed to keep running down to the finish, crossing the line somewhere around the 4:07 or 4:08 mark. Stolly romping home:
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3083/dmctz53301.jpg
I could tell immediately that I hadn’t exactly paced this race very well with my legs now completely shutting down and cramping up. To pour fuel on the fire, my right ankle, which I turned again just after Grindslow Knoll, now forced me to limp like a complete cripple. It was great to lie flat out in the sunshine at the end there but, that said, getting back up again was nire on impossible and I think it must have then taken me a good 30 minutes to walk back through Edale village to my car. I would have gone to the village hall for a cup of tea after had I been able to do it… but I couldn’t face the huge ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ 200 yard walk!
On the positive side what a fantastic training exercise – race yourself into the ground for the first 7 miles and then try and see if you can survive the following 14! A truly brilliant route in fabulous weather with marvelous organization and marshalling….. but with me being far from brilliant, fabulous or marvelous at getting frigging round it.
Pictures kindly borrowed from the Dark Peak web site
20. Settle Hills Fell Race route (backwards)
Date: 3rd April 2009
Distance: 7.5 miles
Ascent/descent: 1,750ft
Route
Time: 1 hour 19 mins
I was working and studying for an exam from home today and, having been at it from about 6 am this morning, I'd had enough by 2 pm and sodded off for a run in the hills. Its a route I've done several times now following the Settle Hills fell race route as organised by Settle Harriers. Its a lovely route which for added steep hillyness I chose to run in reverse. Whilst the race itself starts from Settle town centre and hacks off into the hills in a north easterly direction, I started from home and went south through the fields and climbing up to Lambert Lane (very much a carthorse of a track):
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8694/p4030352.jpg
After that it was a case of clawing my way up the sheer grassy face of High Hill (cracking Whernside 3P training) before drifting over the top down towards Attermire Scar, with not another soul in sight:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7451/p4030356.jpg
A brief pose and breather in the sun:
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/1705/p4030357.jpg
Then I hacked back around the far end of Attermire by Jubilee Cave and back over a very tussocky field on the top of the ridge line before dropping down from Ben Scar to the main track back to Settle, which follows the wall heading off towards the top left of the horizon in this picture:
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/5615/p4030360.jpg
Running the route this way round finishes off with a super fast descent back into Settle with me then just having to trot home past the Rugby Club, adding maybe half a mile to the race route. A lovely run in beautiful spring sunshine with shed loads of bouncing lambs in all the fields.
What a fantastic post, thank you.........pics and all.
What are you studying for, Stolly??
21. Horton to Hill Inn..... via Pen y Ghent and Whernside
Date: 5th April 2009
Distance: 15 miles
Ascent/descent: 3,200ft
Route
Time: 2 hours 44 mins
This morning I ran the first two peaks of the 3 peaks race route (sort of) with two work buddies of mine and one of their friends - they are running the 3P for the first time at the end of the month but hadn't really run the route before. They were also stronger runners than me but fortunately one of them had 'impaired' himself running Pendle yesterday so I managed to tag along okay.
It was an absolutely glorious morning for it too and once we hit the trig on top of Pen y Ghent the views were marvellous:
Looking towards Settle still under early morning mist...
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1488/p4050413.jpg
And our next destination, Whernside, poking its head through the clouds...
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/8606/p4050414.jpg
From the trig we didn't bother following the true race route but instead blitzed a more direct (but much boggier) route via Hull Pot, eventually picking up the race route at Long Mires. As the crow flies this line is probably 3/4 of a mile shorter but thats sort of balanced out by the ground being tougher going. We made good time (well for me we did) and hit Ribblehead after 1 hour and 40...
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/3349/p4050416.jpg
Then it was straight up the steep side of Whernside following the race route, with me hitting the trig in incredibly good shape (and not a twinge of cramp) another 37 minutes later. Looking towards Pen y Ghent in the now far distance from the Whernside trig point...
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6491/p4050419.jpg
We then blitzed the descent to Chapel le Dale and arrived at Hill Inn with my watch saying 2 hours 44. Legs also in good shape............. which is probably a sign that I'll completely screw it up on race day!! Fabulous run all the same.
22. Hill Inn to Horton..... via Ingleborough
Date: 10th April 2009
Distance: 7.5 miles
Ascent/descent: 1,600ft
Route
Time: 1 hour 14 mins
To finish off a 3 peaks recce from the week before, I trolled over Ingleborough from Hill Inn with a friend who is a 3P noobie this year. The weather was very cloudy with some drizzle so I didn't bother with any pictures - although I took this one of Ingleborough from our starting point on last week's run :rolleyes:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9707/p4050410t.jpg
And this one of Ingleborough in all its glory from the beginning of last week's climb up Whernside:
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9347/p4050417m.jpg
Anyway running this last third of the 3 peaks route with fresh legs is an absolute doddle and, unlike during the race itself, a really lovely and enjoyable run. We zoomed up the flagged path to the foot of the steep climb onto the shoulder Ingleborough, whizzed up that, smiled and laughed as we climbed to the top and then zipped across to the trig. We then glided all the way down the track to Horton and felt fresh enough to almost sprint over the last two hillocks near to Horton (that can feel like mini kilimanjaros in the race itself) and down to the car park at Horton.
And our time was 1 hour 14 so, taken with a huge pinch of salt, adding that onto my 2:44 last week will give me a sub 4 hour 3 peaks time.................. or not as the case may be :D
Ha Ha:D Do a sub 4 hour and I'll buy you a pint!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
Well, last year I reached Hill Inn in 2:44:18 and finished in 3:58:25, so that sounds a pretty good schedule for a sub 4 hour finish.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
23. Anniversary Waltz Fell Race
Date: 11th April 2009
Distance: 11.5 miles
Ascent/descent: 3,600ft
Route
Time: 2 hours 18 mins
Well it was a glorious day for a fell race on Saturday in Stair and, having got there early, I wandered up to the track below Catbells to take some of the scenery in....
Catbells and the final descent to my left:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/7426/p4110435.jpg
And far right the small matter of Robinson ahead:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/4377/p4110436e.jpg
Having well and truly blown up at the Edale Skyline by starting off way too fast, I was determined to take things a little more sensibly for the Anniversary Waltz and actually look to enjoy the race. So, at the off, I set off at what I'd call my steady pace. Its quite a nice start anyway in that trying to fit a wedge of getting on for 500 runners down a lane and then a track nicely keeps the lid on over cooking things straight away.
By the time I'd reached the bridge just as the road starts to climb and meander towards Robinson, I hadn't particullarly been overtaken by that many runners but there again I'd purposely put myself in the middle of the pack at the start. Fleeter zoomed past me here though, looking (at that stage) in fine fettle. It was surprising that some of the runners actually chose to walk up bits of the slight incline here, given that what was to come, but good also in that I managed to over take a fair few runners on the approach to Robinson.
At the base of the climb I chose to fork right in line with most of the pack but, half way up to the first ridge, I followed a few who took a leftwards diagonal looking to cut out some rocks and a small bump on top. I've no idea whether this was a good route up or not but it seemed pretty good. All in all my climb up to the top didn't feel too bad and I was able to run okay too on the descent in the direction of Hindsgarth. I was now running with a bunch of runners that give or take I was with all the rest of the way round - they'd generally descend faster than me whilst I'd generally catch them all up on the climbs.
Again with my Edale 'bonking' still fresh in my mind I made sure I carried a drink and some jelly babies with me for this and I was mighty glad of the odd drink and JB on one or two of the climbs.
I'm not sure we (ie inferring someone else was at fault here) took the best line around Maiden Moor so I may have lost a bit of time there but, as we neared Catbells, I still felt in pretty good nick and managed to nail one or two of my troupe now as they began to flag. Smiling for GeoffB at Catbells:
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/6471/img1033x.jpg
Then I threw myself off the edge......
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5887/dsc01196m.jpg
......going hell for leather to the finish, picking off maybe 5 runners on the way down, and only then getting the odd twinges of complaint from my legs as I tried to maintain the pace down the lane at the end. I overtook Fleeter on the way down Catbells who'd well and truly bonked and who, probably understandably, didn't much appreciate my tongue in cheek shout of 'tosser' as I greeted him entering the finishing field.
Fabulous, fabulous race.
Not a bad time that Stolly, you looked fresh as a daisy when you passed me on CP1. :)
24. Pen y Ghent following the 3P race route
Date: 13th April 2009
Distance: 6.5 miles
Ascent/descent: 1,650 ft
Route
Time: 1 hour 14 mins
Almost every time I run up Pen y Ghent, I never follow the Pennine Way either going up or down. I think that comes from my preferred Brackenbottom route up being quicker (but tougher) and the off path route heading down to Hull Pot being muddier and more fun. And that the carthorse track up the Pennine Way used to feel psychologically draining when I was a crappier runner than now.
Anyway, with the 3 peaks race looming, I decided to run both up the race route and back down to Sell Gill Pot but, once there, instead of hacking north as the 3P does on what by then is easy running on the Pennine Way, just trot back down to Horton. Going up was a nice and relatively easy run all the way to the trig, hitting it after 40 minutes, and then it was a rip roaring descent pretty much all the way to Whitber Hill. A quickish climb up that, turning left at the corner of the wall and then down through the gully leading to Sell Gill Pot, hitting the turn there just over the hour mark. Then all that was left was a shortish trot down the Pennine Way back to Horton and job done.
As is usual in the Yorkshire Dales at this time of year <cough> the weather was wall to wall sunshine and I ran in my orange High Peak Marathon T shirt. As I chuffed into Horton, a walker asked me how I'd done in the High Peak Marathon and, as has happened a couple of times before, was duly underwhelmed with my 13 hour response!!! Why the hell do they call that a marathon?
The carthorse track going up:
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/757/p4130441u.jpg
Not far from the top, looking back at the Pennine Way trailing below:
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3687/p4130443.jpg
Coming off the trig looking left towards Ingleborough:
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4890/p4130447p.jpg
Looking ahead with my trod in view:
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3580/p4130446.jpg
Good account with very good photos.
Thank you for sharing them with us.