Martin - do you have a date fixed for your attempt?
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Martin - do you have a date fixed for your attempt?
Hi Daztheslug!
i have placed my intention with R Hakes at DP for the 22nd June, which is being considered, if not i may pick another weekend, late may or first weekend in June.
Cheers Martin
Did 17 miles approx. yesterday with 6,700' climb. Felt okish, strong enough to run big chunks of last 3 mile down Langdale. But 7 hours, far too slow oberall! I'm thinking I might postpone until next year. I only have two free weekends and one is the Lakeland 50 which might be my better option this year. I'll see how I go in March, going to try legs 1 and 2 on Friday.
my race diary is choc-a for late May/early June, but I might be available to support for 22nd/24th June weekendQuote:
Originally Posted by MartinJGriff
Martin - thought I saw you out early one morning last week as I was driving across Milford bridge on my way to work. Not seen you since Shining Cliff, sounds like you are getting into your stride and had a good outing at GG.
Just back from long weekend in Lakes did Legs 1,2(plus a bit) & 5 on separate days and even though I'm reasonably fit (Skyline in 2 weeks) it's the climbs that really make you realise training for a BG is going to be quite different to getting fit for an AL race even!!
I'm looking at sussing out the route and getting a good feel for the round this year, attempt next year. So if you need support or are heading up for a recce let me know. Might join in DP recce at Easter if there is room.
Cheers - JohnB
Hi JohnB,
Yeah seems like it's working out at the mo, will see you at the Skyline, bit of a slip on dates, so not running, marshaling on Mam Tor, look out for me at the start.
Training for an AL is something that you can plan for and execute, BGr is just relentless upping!
Sounds like you had a good weekend in the Lakes, planning a dash up and back soon, so might be worth setting it up.
Drop me a PM with your mobile, we can have a natter about dates and maybe get some upping in around Thorpe,Ps all help welcome.
Cheers Martin
Blog: http://alwayssearchingfor.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks Daz, any help more than welcome, will confirm attempt date.
Cheers Martin
Managed Wasdale-Honister leg. Bit slow 5.06, but fairly happy. Ran from Honister to Wasdale for the start point. Does anyone know the distance and climb for that route going down Gavel Neese? Also just as an aside, my Garmin recorded 11.7miles/5,800', which is at odds with the distance stated in Bob Wightmans site! (I'm fairly sure BW will be right mind!!)
Am having a good weekends BG training going up this morning camping in Langdale might go up Helm Crag and Gibson Knott to tick some Wainwrights off.
Then Saturday gonna run back along BG route to Langdale and Sunday pick it back up back to Keswick...
Have a good time Andy. I'll be following you on Monday ..... training plan for the next week is for a jog round 3Ps tomorrow (am resisting the temptation to run Blubberhouses 25) then up to Langdale on Monday for an easy belt round the Three Shires route, Langdale - Bowfell - Wasdale - Langdale on Tuesday, maybe leg 2 on Wednesday and then Honister - Wasdale - Leg 4 on Thursday.Quote:
Originally Posted by andygib1982
I will probably rest on Friday :D
It's a BG fest in them there hills! That's a good lot of training you two have got. I'm doing legs 1 and 2 on Tuesday.Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn P
A rest on Friday ?? Rest is for the week ha ha ha
Have a good un Martyn and you Geoff I bet your itching to go now !
Think I need to start training just to get that level of training!!! :wink:
I have just volunteered to support a mate of mine on his BG attempt on 23rd JuneQuote:
Originally Posted by MartinJGriff
I am now booked up til July! :o
Well, we managed the little plan above, but it wasn't straightforward. Three Shires on Monday was easy, thick clag on Swirl How and Wetside Edge made nav a bit tricky though. Tuesday started off OK, but clag came down around Esk Pike and stayed with us with intermittent snow .... the wind really got up while we were on Lord's Rake and it was a struggle to get on to Sca Fell summit, I crawled off literally on all-fours. Down to Wasdale for some respite, but of course we had to go back to Langdale ..... awful journey back over Styhead pass, straight into the wind and driving snow, my eyes really suffered, it was a relief to get to Rossett Ghyll out of the wind. Weds was brighter but the winds were still strong and increasing as we went up Clough Head, becoming violent by the time we reached the summit, windchill was -18c, I estimate gusts up to 80mph. We were halfway up to Great Dodd when I made the decision to turn back, we were struggling to put one foot in front of the other, slowly freezing and it would only have got worse by Helvellyn. I don't know if anyone else made it over leg 2 on Weds but if they did .... well [doffs cap]. By contrast, today was just gorgeous and we met Simon bright and breezy and went over to Wasdale on the Moses Trod and did Leg 4 and 5 in what were probably perfect conditions, hardly a breath of wind, clear skies and stunning scenery. Still lots of snow about though. And I still intend to rest tomorrow :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Martyn P
Martyn
I went for a boring old run around the Cheshire back roads on Wednesday... That was windy enough! You did well getting up Clough Head!
Hope the training is going well. Hope to bump into you soon.
Well, we had to try ..... yes, hope to catch up with you soon, when are you next heading up there for training?Quote:
Originally Posted by Clewy
Here's a pic of the summit on Wednesday. No prizes for guessing wind direction!
Attachment 5978
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn P
I think me and Andy Gib are up for a trot round the Anni Waltz next Tuesday then I'm up for Coledale the following Saturday.
Got a few more long runs planned before I go in June.
What date is your round?
8th June. Will try to catch up with you for a long one before I start tapering down. Enjoy your run out next Tuesday, you could always employ Dave A's tactic of dropping into the Slate Mine for a cuppa and chunk of Mars Bar cake enroute - adds an hour and some useful altitude :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Clewy
Had 8 hours in the chucking rain on Monday. Was a good run though and felt pretty much ok at the end, slight niggle in my left knee, but I think with a bit of rest it shouldn't be an issue. One big run left now and 16 days to count down...
I was up and around Skiddaw on Monday. Nice, wasn't it? Let's hope you get the weather in 16 days time.
Yes, it really was lovely out there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel
As pointless as it is, I have checked a few longer range forecasts and the general trend seems to be for the unsettled weather to continue. However, there appears to be the possibility of some settled weather for the north, which could work out pretty excellent for me. This is my faint hope and I'm clinging to it!
Good luck Hank!! Whats your start time, I might try and get up see you somewhere. Need to check work rota too tho. I've binned my effort for this year. I'm thinking of doing a couple of shorter challange things like Cumbrian Traverse and/or Tan Inn-Kirkstones Inn, I'll keep doing the BGR training thro summer and be in much better condition hopefully going into next year. I'd still like to get out with people, and I will once I am sure of my shifts etc. Good luck again, I'm sure you'll be ok! :)
Friday 27th, 1830, Moot Hall, going clockwise... maybe see you out there!
Just checked Hank! Nights on 27th/28th, so no can do, unfortunately!! Just get messages on the forum, I'll watch you from there!!! :)
Geoff.
Don't worry about the weather. There's nothing you can do... You'll be fine.
I'm on lates on the Friday (of your round) but hope to get up there for the latter stages on Saturday. What schedule are you working off?
I hope so.Quote:
Originally Posted by Clewy
1830 start at Moot Hall and then schedule is roughly 2230 Threlkeld, 0300 Dunmail, 0900 Wasdale, 1400 Honister. Any cheering on in the latter stages would be awesome... I'll need it!
I had a cracking couple of days recceing with friends this weekend. Leg 1 Saturday with MartynP was quite tough because it was cold but leg 4 yesterday with Fellgazelle and Becca was ace in the sun. Great to see some good training over the spring paying off and also lovely to see some familar faces including a few North Easterners out having fun too! :thumbup:
whay aye man :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Derby Tup
My last proper run today and now I'm in taper mode!
Parked in Threlkeld and went up Hall's Fell on to Blencathra and off the back to Mungrisdale Common. It's ages since I've been on leg 1 with any visibility and it was great to remember how nice it is up there. Refreshed my memory of the good line up the back of Blencathra and nailed the descent down Hall's Fell... started right, quick bit of scree, steep grass slope, contour down and left across the slope, under the scary crag and on to the ridge... steady pace and down in 24 minutes. A quick coffee and bit of pasta in the car and then went up Clough Head and on to Raise and back. Pushed the pace a bit and made 20 minutes on my schedule. Nice to know I can take it slower on the day.
At the suggestion of my leg 2 nav man I've started taking a slightly different route up Clough Head by climbing left across the slope after crossing the Old Coach Road and turning up the NE shoulder towards White Pike. It's obviously longer on the ground, but less steep and just feels better to me (I've always hated Clough Head!). 47 minutes it took me today and that felt ok, I don't think I could do the regular direct ascent in that time without blowing several gaskets.
I had a great run out in lovely conditions with distant tops visible and all the route laid out before me.
All sounds promising Hank. From what I have seen on here, you've made the investment and you're in a pretty good position to get round well.
I am going on 25th May and have a (very) few weeks left in my training plan. I've stuck to the plan; got great support; have stayed relatively injury free and have a healthy degree of trepidation about it, but looking forward to it all the same.
Going up again Thursday / Friday next week and then sometime on the first weekend in May. Need to recce Scafell Pike to Scafell via Foxes and do 2 back to back legs on schedule... and put the final few 10,000' weeks in.
Good luck on all counts and keep us posted:thumbup:
Good effort Geoff - And what you've just described is what I've heard referred to as the "Eagles" descent off Blencathra. You're flying mate, it will be fine on the day :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank
p.s. 47 minutes to the top of Clough Head is fast!!!
p.s. 47 minutes to the top of Clough Head is fast!!![/QUOTE]
My thoughts exactly Martin!
Well I have a busy month of May with training in the Lakes every weekend pretty much, then a taper ready for 15th June. Less than 9 weeks to go for me now....
My thoughts exactly Martin!Quote:
Originally Posted by ashstroller
Well I have a busy month of May with training in the Lakes every weekend pretty much, then a taper ready for 15th June. Less than 9 weeks to go for me now....[/QUOTE]
47 minutes is very fast!
If you have less than 9 then I have less than 6... crikey:w00t:
It seems to be coming together though... Anything can happen on the day, but given constraints of family and work, I don't think I can have done much more. A few more big days and some consistent climbing / lactate work, then relax a bit. Good luck all.
All getting a bit close isn't it? 6 1/2 weeks to go for me. I've just had 3 weeks with insufficient training due to family holiday & a cold, although I did get a lot of Lakes tops done (walking with my daughter, so I didn't count that as training). Still, I got moving again at the weekend with 35 miles/13000 feet in the Lakes, & off to recce legs 1 & 2 again on Saturday so that'll get the bulk of this week's effort done. Recceing is now on course, with only the descent off Robinson I'm really worried about. I'll have to go back in the daylight & sort that out properly: it would be awful to come unstuck in the dark that close to the end. A 2nd recce of leg 1 should see me reasonably confident I can do that in the dark. Good to see a healthy number of Cheshire runners having a go this year (& Chris Baynham-Hughes' round last Saturday of course).
Been trying to work through previous thread on the descent off Blencathra. What's people tips ? Halls Fell took me 30 mins, so I'm not overly worried, but feel I'm missing out on another gully descent ? Am I ?
There's quite a bit on other threads on this. From what I've read & from talking to people the fastest way appears to be the Parachute, but you need to know it. I don't. So unless I end up with a pacer who knows it I'll be going down Halls Fell, & that's the way I'll recce on Saturday. I'll try to suss out the variant on the right described by Hank a few posts up, but I'm not sure I'll find it.Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanB
I'm thinking the same as you Splatcher. It's only gonna save 10 mins or so at best. If I get chance to reccie it then great. If not, not a disaster
The descent I use off Blencathra is (from memory!):
Looking down Hall's Fell from the summit drop down to your right on grass. If you look down and to your left you'll see a wide patch of scree, go down to the scree and follow its extreme left edge down. This is pretty steep, but the scree begins to steepen even more and drops out of sight; at this point leave left out of the scree and go straight down a nice tongue of grass that narrows to a little spur. Exit left at the spur and angle down to your left across the slope (not too steeply) and cross two or three thin ribbons of scree. There's the odd wee crag, but totally avoidable and no need for the use of hands. You'll come to a line of crags jagging down the slope and barring easy progress; follow the base of the crag on grass and round it at the bottom. The main ridge is now only 100m or so to your left. Don't lose any more height, just cut across the heather and Bob's your uncle. Edit: I've tried to mark this on a photo. The very start of the route isn't shown, but you can see the scree. 1 is the grassy section, 2 is angling down after the spur, 3 is rounding the line of crags and 4 cutting across to the ridge. The perspective of the photo is a bit odd. I'd say from the base of the crag to ridge is 1 minute. Also, you can't see where you would the join the ridge because it's obscured.
Attachment 6010
Also, I know 47 minutes sounds fast up Clough Head and I amazed myself, but I think it's down to the easier, less steep route. There's still a short, steep section, but once you hit the NE shoulder near White Pike it's a doddle... a nice trod and easy gradient that you can stroll up. For me it beats the long, stiff pull up the direct ascent. Give it a try!
That's great Hank - thanks. I'll try that out on Saturday. Last time I started down that scree but cut left onto the ridge as I didn't know what I was getting myself into if I kept on down. I'll probably take your advice on Clough Head as well on the day, although I'll be skirting round it on Saturday, as it's my last Wainwright & I'm saving it for the BG round.