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12.06 miles, 2,123 feet, 3 hours 11 minutes: Loughrigg trails, taking in the Roman Ruins, Borrans Park, Clappersgate, Fishgarths Wood, Todd Crag, Lily and Loughrigg Tarns, High Close Arboretum, Loughrigg top, and descending via the trod bashed out through the bracken for Saturday's junior races. Sunshine and high clouds; no wind nor rain, terrain dry with good grip. Lots of walkers about; only 1 other runner seen.
7.09 miles, 2,791 feet, 2 hours 25 minutes: Tilberthwaite - Steel Edge - Wetherlam - Black Sails - Black Sails south ridge - Kennel Crag - Hole Rake - Tilberthwaite. Sunshine and high clouds; no wind nor rain. Terrain dry with good grip. Very few walkers about. This was an AAC run - there were 8 of us; 2 other runners seen.
To think Wainwright completely missed Steel Edge - it is such a good way up.
9.55 miles, 2,443 feet, 3 hours 38 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including watching the U17 and U20 races, and ascending/descending part of their routes. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. A moderate breeze from the south; a few minutes of drizzle/light rain. Terrain dry/damp with good grip alert from some rocks. Quite a few walkers on the fell.
There were about 110 juniors in total in the races. Their fitness, skill and bravery is to be envied.
11.65 miles, 3,089 feet, 3 hours 54 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 2 sides (E+W) including along the ridge to the true top. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,500 feet; hazy below that. A few minutes of drizzle. Terrain damp/wet; rocks slippery. Not many walkers about. 5 other runners seen.
I started with drills and strides in Borrans Park: high knees, bum kicks, straight legs, side to side, skipping, and hopscotch; then 2 miles worth of 120 - 140 yard efforts.
15.13 miles, 4,398 feet, 4 hours 58 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Under Loughrigg - Rydal - Fairfield Horseshoe c\w to Dove Crag - High Bakestones - Scandale - Red Screes - Roundhill Farm - Ambleside. Sunshine and clouds; initially the cloud base was at about 1,900 feet, later it was above the high tops. No rain; a moderate wind from the south. Terrain dry/damp/wet and slippery in places. Very few walkers on the fells; 1 other runner seen.
I went over the tops on the Horseshoe, including on the plateau. I found a new path over the top of Hart Crag - it may even be faster than the runners' trod to the south, and is certainly less rocky. Just as the main path starts to descend, opposite a large cairn, on the right, there are steps up in the grass at 90 degrees to the path - it soon flattens out, turns left, and joins up with the runner's trod. Then either join the main path, or, better still, if you know it, continue the runners' trod down to the wall.
9.34 miles, 1,654 feet, 2 hours 31 minutes: Loughrigg trails. Overcast, with the cloud base initially at about 2,000 feet, lower later. Virtually constant drizzle/light rain. No wind. Terrain wet and slippery in places. Very few walkers about; 2 other runners seen.
A few days back I passed some lads who looked like they were packing up after camping the night near Todd Crag. They left a large black scar in the grass, some odd bits of litter, and a large plastic bag full of I don't know what has been thrown into the bracken. It will be hard to retrieve as it is on a very steep slope.
Take only photos, leave only footprints.
9.42 miles, 3,063 feet, 3 hours 4 minutes: Wansfell Pike from the west and the east, and along the ridge to the true top. Sunshine and clouds; the cloud base was initially at about 1,500 feet, later above the tops. No rain. A moderate breeze from the south. Terrain damp/wet/saturated and slippery in places. Quite a few walkers on the fell. 1 other runner seen.
A sign not far from Stagshaw Gardens said "Please keep out - Japanese knotweed". It was not at all clear which piece of land the sign was referring to.
That's intriguing. Is there Japanese knotweed there, and the sign-makers are worried you'll spread it? It's not dangerous or toxic to humans or animals.
From the News and Star back in May:Quote:
Originally Posted by noel
The Cumbria Japanese knotweed hotspots for 2022 are: Carlisle with 33 infestations in a 4km radius, Maryport with 20, Workington with 22, Whitehaven with 17, Ambleside with 53, Windermere with 24, Kendal with 18, Milnthorpe with 22 and Barrow with 16.
13.25 miles, 3,233 feet, 4 hours 3 minutes: Fairfield Horseshoe anti-clockwise from Rothay Bridge, going around the rock step and keeping the wall on my left on the ascent, taking the tourist path over Hart Crag, and the trod to the north on the Fairfield plateau. On the descent I took the 4 grassy trods to the right/west around the tops. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,500 feet. Virtually constant drizzle/light rain, but not cold as there was essentially no wind. Terrain wet/saturated and the rocks in particular were very slippery. A couple of dozen walkers seen on the fell - I did not see any other runners.
Descending Nab Scar from the wall to the kissing gate took me 26 minutes - it usually takes me 27 minutes to ascend this section.
I came across a chap on the Fairfield plateau who had come up over Cofa Pike, and could not find the main path. Luckily he was not far from it, but he still had the challenge of Hart Crag in poor visibility to contend with.