BG 2012 Recce's....

Recced leg 2 after work last night - it was a late one!

Conditions pretty poor - windy, wet with vis' down to about 5m, I kid not! On the plus side it can't get much worse on the day.

First time ascending Fairfield via Cofa Pike, always done it the other way around. I do prefer the zig zags down to Grisedale Tarn but not convinced from there on! However it was hard to see anything around us so maybe there was a slightly better route we didn't take.

Anybody any thoughts on the best ascent of Fairfield?

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Originally Posted by lantern rouge

Recce'd Leg 1 again ... a bit of navigational ambiguity on Leg one and then a tentative explore of the parachute drop... ?

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Hi Simon, what was up with Nav??
Parachute drop......well, how far did you get?? Did you continue to bottom??

Interested Auld Ken

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Originally Posted by Spooney

Best way up Fairfield?

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Jury still out on Fairfield, been up both ways several times!! Last time we were up there we went down zig zags (ish) and climbed to right of Cofa, seemed to take ages and mates who went to right of Tarn and up main path got there about 6/7 minutes before us!! However they didn't enjoy the climb and whinged a bit when going straight back down the same way!!

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Originally Posted by Nee Bother

Jury still out on Fairfield, been up both ways several times!! Last time we were up there we went down zig zags (ish) and climbed to right of Cofa, seemed to take ages and mates who went to right of Tarn and up main path got there about 6/7 minutes before us!! However they didn't enjoy the climb and whinged a bit when going straight back down the same way!!

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It was me who led that little group up Fairfield wasn't it Ken? Tell you what, I bet it was more like 10 minutes faster, but the bottom line (I believe) is that straight up and straight down is still faster than the Cofa Pike route. I also remember finding a couple of short grassy lines to the left of the main descent routes that I don't normally see (it's usually dark when I come down Fairfield) and think I came down pretty fast. I'll be up on leg 2 before long, must try and find those lines again.

Apart from that, how are you doing?? :D

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Originally Posted by Martyn P

It was me who led that little group up Fairfield wasn't it Ken? Tell you what, I bet it was more like 10 minutes faster, but the bottom line (I believe) is that straight up and straight down is still faster than the Cofa Pike route. I also remember finding a couple of short grassy lines to the left of the main descent routes that I don't normally see (it's usually dark when I come down Fairfield) and think I came down pretty fast. I'll be up on leg 2 before long, must try and find those lines again.
Apart from that, how are you doing?? :D

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Hi Martyn,
Not too bad mate, not getting anywhere near enough miles in but that's the way it is at my age!!
Hope your training going well and you back to full fitness.
Yup, I remember you went up and down there pretty quickly :thumbup:. Our little group went a bit too slow for me tho' so i'm still not convinced, i'm going to time both routes with Ash next month so will keep you posted.
Ken

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Originally Posted by Nee Bother

Hi Martyn,
Not too bad mate, not getting anywhere near enough miles in but that's the way it is at my age!!
Hope your training going well and you back to full fitness.
Yup, I remember you went up and down there pretty quickly :thumbup:. Our little group went a bit too slow for me tho' so i'm still not convinced, i'm going to time both routes with Ash next month so will keep you posted.
Ken

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Not too bad thank you, last week was tough with some serious mileage, but the injury is behaving itself and I'm nearly back to full fitness ... I just wish my ankles would stop creaking!

Let me know what you come up with re. Fairfield. I know that the true summit is a little open to debate, so could you do your timings to the shelter? I'm taking leg 2 a bit seriously at the moment, as Becca has asked me to navigate on her round and I don't want to bugger it up for her. I've got a couple of good navigators on leg 2 of my attempt, have been very lucky with support and have a cracking team.

Martyn

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Originally Posted by Nee Bother

Hi Simon, what was up with Nav??
Parachute drop......well, how far did you get?? Did you continue to bottom??

Interested Auld Ken

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Well, the nav problem was picking up the right trod off Skiddaw... we came off the top and over the fence too early, which meant we were too far over to the right.. the correct trod was to our left. But this is was recces are for, eh!?

As for the parachute, we probably did come off it too early and re-joined the main ridge of Hall's Fell, but I didn't enjoy any of it:o!

I seem to recall the Doddick is paved with gold (so to speak!!) and we'll have another look this week. Going up Wednesday and staying overnight in Threlkeld.

You around Ken?

Well I managed a successful recce of Leg 4 yesterday with Ken (nee bother), yewbarrow certainly lives up to its nickname!! Some very technical rocky descents in this one, certainly not my strong point, but I did well all the same. It has given me a clear indication of what training I need to do between now and 15th June!!
I was pleased with my strength and current fitness level...

Hi Simon,
When we recce'd leg 1 in Sept or Oct last year in very wet conditions, we came down Halls fell ridge and a couple left the summit at the same time, ran down the Doddick route, we beat them down, not by much but if it was a drier day I think we would have been even quicker.
I know Ken mentioned to you in previous communication that someone else would be tagging along on your attempt in May, well that is me, so hello and good luck!!:thumbup:

On the times I've recced leg 2, once i went the zig zags way and the look of the climb up the side of Fairfield was not appealing. Round to the right means you can drop your bag off and there looks to be less climb and descent. If your in a good rythm then it pretty much flies by, especia;ly the descent as it's possible to hit a couple of grassy bits to avoid the rocks.

I think myself and Martyn will get to have a chat about it anyway as we are recceing leg 2 next Sunday. I have a day of hiking around Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks planned for the day before :-D Hopefully I'll get better luck than I did last time I ran up there. Ran down to the right of Grizedale Tarn with my girlfriend and dislocated my shoulder. Luckily I was bale to pop it back in before MR had to be called :-D