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Yes - on the HBMR FB page Chris calls it the Hodgson 4. Like you I did not go to the cairn on St Raven's edge. I would have liked to do it a bit quicker, but did not want to risk a fall, or blowing up before the end and so not enjoying it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
9.06 miles, 2,550 feet, 2 hours 40 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 2 sides, including along the ridge to the true top, and up/down the race route from/to the kissing gate. Overcast, with the clouds just catching some of the high tops. A few minutes of drizzle; a moderate breeze from the south. Terrain dry/damp with good grip. I saw about ten walkers on the fell, and no runners.
I was told off by a farmer - "The path is over there - you should not be here" - it would seem my running causes more harm than the 4-wheel drive they had used to get to where we were.
12.74 miles, 3,210 feet, 3 hours 46 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Clappersgate - Loughrigg top - race route descent to the road at High Close - High Close Arboretum - Silver How - High Close Arboretum - up the steps opposite Loughrigg Tarn - Loughrigg top - past the old golf club - Miller Bridge - Rothay Park - Rothay Bridge. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. A few minutes of drizzle; a few minutes of sunshine. The moderate breeze from the south west was very welcome. Terrain dry/damp/wet and slippery in places. I saw about 2 dozen walkers on the fells, and six runners.
There are lots of tents in Rothay Park for this weekend's Lakeland Trail events.
The Loughrigg Silver How race route is blocked by bracken in places once across the road, so I was mainly on the Kendal Winter League route until the final ascent of Silver How, when the two routes combine. The race descent from Loughrigg top to the road at High Close is nearly blocked as well.
11.82 miles, 3,839 feet, 3 hours 47 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Blue Hill Road/Lane - Wansfell Pike - Wansfell true top - Kirkstone Road to the Inn - St Raven's Edge - Kirkstone Inn - Red Screes - Roundhill Farm - Rothay Bridge. Overcast, very misty in the distance, the cloud base was above the high tops. No rain; a moderate breeze from the south east. Terrain dry with good grip. Not many walkers about. The car park at the Inn was a checkpoint for a Lakeland Trails race - some people were applauded through whilst I was nearby.
This was part of the AAC 40th anniversary route - 23 miles and 9,000 feet if done in one go, but I will be doing it in sections, all from Ambleside, so the totals will be more. Roughly, the route is: Ambleside - Loughrigg - Silver How - Sergeant Man - Calf Crag - Steel Fell - Seat Sandal - Fairfield - Hart and Dove Crags - Red Screes - St Raven's Edge - Wansfell - Wansfell Pike - Ambleside.
19.22 miles, 4,484 feet, 6 hours: Rothay Bridge - Rothay Park - Under Loughrigg - Pelter Bridge - Rydal - Coffin Trail - Dove Cottage - Travellers Rest - Steel Fell - Calf Crag - Sergeant Man - Blea Rigg - Swinescar Pike - Silver How - High Close Arboretum - up the steps opposite Loughrigg Tarn - Miller Bridge - Rothay Bridge. Sunshine and high clouds; a lovely breeze from the south; no rain. Terrain dry/damp/wet - slippery in places. Lots of walkers about; I saw about a dozen other runners.
This was another section of the AAC 40th anniversary route.
16.94 miles, 5,104 feet, 5 hours 42 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Fairfield Horseshoe anticlockwise with some variations - Rothay Bridge. I went around the rock step; from Fairfield top I descended to Grisedale Hause and went up Seat Sandal, descending to the north then back up to Fairfield top; on the way down I took the 4 grassy trods around the tops to the right/west - on the 4th of these I went straight down to Alcock Tarn, and then picked up the Coffin Trail and finally the track through Rydal Park. Overcast, with the cloud base initially at about 1,500 feet, later above the tops. Hazy/misty in the distance. Intermittent drizzle, totalling perhaps 15 minutes. Terrain dry/damp with good grip. Not many walkers on the fells apart from 2 large school groups; the Coffin Trail however was busy. Three other runners seen.
This was the final section of the AAC anniversary route.
10.01 miles, 3,590 feet, 3 hours 14 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 2 sides, including along the ridge to the true top, and up (twice) and down (once) the race route from/to the kissing gate. Overcast - initially I was in mist above 1,100 feet, later the cloud base was level with the high tops, and there was some sunshine. Intermittent drizzle. Terrain damp/wet - the rocks in particular were very slippery. Not many walkers about. I came across the AAC Tuesday/Friday group a couple of times - there were about 15 of them.
Yet another of my favourite paths from the Pike is blocked by bracken - the race route is still OK.
11.02 miles, 2,441 feet, 3 hours 10 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including Fishgarths Wood, Todd Crag, Lily Tarn, up the steps opposite Grasmere, down the race route to the road at High Close, and up the steps opposite Loughrigg Tarn. Sunshine, brief light showers, and clouds just catching some of the high tops. Terrain damp/wet and slippery in places. Not many walkers about, though there was a couple of large groups. One other runner seen.
I was hoping that people doing or recce-ing the race route descent for the AAC 40th Anniversary route would have made a bit of a path through the bracken - nope.
11.04 miles, 4,050 feet, 4 hours 11 minutes: Travellers Rest - Helm Crag - Calf Crag - Steel Fell - Steel End - Dunmail Raise - Seat Sandal - south ridge - Travellers Rest. Sunshine and high fluffy clouds. No rain. A lovely refreshing breeze from the south west. Terrain dry/damp/wet with surprisingly good grip. Not many walkers about; no other runners seen.
I had a look at the direct descent from Steel Fell to Dunmail - I have come up it several times, but I have yet to be brave enough to go down it.
9.37 miles, 2,134 feet, 2 hours 46 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Under Loughrigg - Pelter Bridge - Rydal Water - Loughrigg Terrace - Loughrigg top - down to Grasmere shore and back up to the top via Deerbolt Woods - down past the old golf club - Miller Bridge - Rothay Park - Rothay Bridge. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. A few minutes of light rain. A moderate breeze from the south. Terrain damp/wet but grip was OK. Not many walkers about. I saw about a dozen runners, including a large group coming through Rothay Park.
Given all the bracken, the best route to Loughrigg top from the north at the moment is the tourist route up/down opposite Grasmere. It is 0.6 of a mile with 600 feet of up/down. The path through Deerbolts Woods is runnable both ways - 0.6 miles and 220 feet of up/down.