Gritstone Any Time Challenge

Had an outing, anti-clockwise of this one yesterday, exactly a year to the day since I did it last year (not deliberate...just odd) and trimmed eleven minutes off my time, so a still-steady 4.41. Started from Roach End with a quick up-and-down the Roaches before heading off on the long section to Axe Edge (via Gradbach and the Head of the Dane to avoid most of the road) and was surprised to find so few other people out on quite a decent day by the standards of this summer so far.

Will have to try a clockwise outing next time, and Noel's route down off Axe Edge...it looks quite quick going down-bank to me.

Had my first go at this '5 trigs' on Sunday. Was knackered from long run on sat(get the excuses in early....). Went clockwise from Cat, ie Shining Tor first. Nice and steady, a few sit down rests, met John Amies mountain biking and Martin and Mandy running. Ran with Mark McDermott who has done it a couple of times before. 5hrs 2 mins. Will do it faster anti clockwise next time.......... Great route : )

Did this again today, anticlockwise, Shut first, from the Cat, with Jonny W, George 'the master' Bate and Clivebaby. Great weather, 4hrs 23 dead, George and Jon could have gone faster but that was fast enough for me!

Sounds a grand day out in good company Geoff... shame I was in Cornwall, but then, you'd have left me by Cumberland Clough anyway.:rolleyes:

Interesting. Mightnhave a go.
There is (was?) an ldwa I ran that did an western loop rather than this eastern one from rushton spencer called cloud 7 - 7 tops 35 miles from rushton spencer over hen cloud, roaches, shuttlingsloe, cat and shining tor then down western ridge
Teggs nose, wincle, finally the cloud and home.

planning Thursday or Friday off work to go round this
start/finish from Wildboarclough and go clockwise
intending to break 5 hours...

bit claggy on the tops, but stayed dry, so pretty good conditions for solstice
clocked 5:03 (gaaaah!), still an improvement on my previous best of 5:16
it was very wet underfoot though, so could definitely knock a bit more off in drier conditions

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Originally Posted by DazTheSlug

bit claggy on the tops, but stayed dry, so pretty good conditions for solstice
clocked 5:03 (gaaaah!), still an improvement on my previous best of 5:16
it was very wet underfoot though, so could definitely knock a bit more off in drier conditions

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I saw you just about to head up towards Shutlingsloe. I was driving past with the kids. Nice one on beating your previous best. :)

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Originally Posted by noel

I saw you just about to head up towards Shutlingsloe. I was driving past with the kids. Nice one on beating your previous best. :)

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so that was you that blinded me with your headlights then nearly ran me over!? ;)

I had a brief chat with a couple out running with their dog up at the Roaches trig, but apart from them hardly saw anyone else - just how I like it, hills to meself :thumbup:

[just worked out that the 5 Trigs has almost the exact same distance/ascent as my next big race The Hebden, so hopeful of breaking 5 hours on that!]

Its been a while since ive been round the 5 trigs, but 6 of us decided on a leisurley trot round today. 4hrs 40mins. Its always been a very enjoyable training run and today was no different. Finished at the Cat for a well earned pint.

Really enjoyed my little trot around the Five Trig Challenge this morning. I started at the Roaches (finger post at the bottom) ran up and then down on the path rather than the dropping off into the heather as the weather was challenging and seemed easier to stick to the metaled path. What it meant was that I completed the road section on fresh legs and further that there was not last climb on tired legs as after Shuttlingsloe it was a steady run back to the Roaches. I completed in 3hrs 55 and really pleased with that given the weather conditions. A lovely run thanks Mr Moorlander

I'm considering a run around this next Saturday if anyone is around and would like a jaunt out.

Well I had a run round today. Took me 4:50 which I was disappointed with as I'd hoped to clock close to 4 but I think I choose some poor lines. Started below the Roaches which threw in some extra climb. I ended taking a mountain marathon style route choice onto Axe Edge which wasn't great. Probably walked more of the climbs than I really needed to and spent more time looking at the map than I had to. I would really like to do it again some time... shame I live in Northumberland.

Considering this Sunday..

Something of a thread resurrection, but hoping to have a go at this today, mildly niggly Achilles allowing... I assume it's pretty wet up there at the moment?

Maybe not .... dead feeling & achey legs, so did grin low - Solomon's temple - Burbage trig - shining tor - cat & fiddle - 3 shires head (with a quick swim to cool the leg pain) - axe edge - grin low. Nice run on very wet ground & very changeable conditions. Pretty glad I didn't do any more as legs feel reasonable rather than destroyed today.

Give it another go later in the summer I think!

Thread resurrection - again(Depeche Mode, anyone?)

Going to have a crack at this on Friday 26th Aug, with my OMM partner as a warm up for this year's Medium Score Class.
May start, and therefore finish at the Crag Inn at Wildboarclough, which although it has changed hands recently, should be open for a beer by the time we finish.

Thinking of going clockwise, doing the 'hard ascent' of Shutlingslow first, then bagging Shining Tor, C+F, Burbage, Axe Edge and then leaving the Roaches to depend on time/ legs etc

Any tips?

I did this a few weeks ago in the baking heat, found it harder than expected, not sure i've got many tips to give as i went anti clockwise from cat and fiddle, except maybe dont underestimate it.

Great day out yesterday, slow and steady on an anticlockwise circuit starting at the Crag Inn.
Carrying approx 5kilos as OMM practice, made it round in about 6hrs30, but we stopped for 'lunch' approaching Axe Edge and a brewup at Burbage trig, probably about 40mins stoppage time altogether.

Weather was ideal - visibility to the Mersey, with a cooling breeze

Had a go at this today - tougher than expected. Managed it in 3hr 50min, probably only made 2 navigational errors. Really enjoyed Axe Edge. Didn't enjoy the roads up to Flash.
Agree with an earlier post - the offroad line from the roaches trig is terrible. Instantly regretted it!

Reviving this old thread. 1st attempt today. 3h22. A/C from C+F.

It looks like this challange has seen some interest of late, and looks like Gaz is gunning for top place. Bryan Lomas has been the holder for quite some years now, but has recently been toppled by a Roger Taylor in a new time of 3:11:52.
I have started to keep a tally of all finishers times, albeit mostly historic times taken off this thread. If anyone would like adding to the list, please let me know inclusing age cat and club. It would be great to see this challenge get some more attention, especially now that the Cat and Fiddle pub is now back in business for some post running carbs!

Had a crack at this yesterday, underestimated the conditions, d'oh!
Managed to get round c-cw, start/finish at the Cat and Fiddle 3 hr 40 min.

I was out and about on the route yesterday and saw quite a few people trotting along looking to be doing the same, in particular a chap taking the line off Axe Edge trig along with his collie dog. Was anyone out and about over the weekend, both weather and ground conditions were pretty bob on for it?

There is a report on FB that Tom Fellbaum has done this in 2:30:33, with Nathanael Brooker achieving 2:44:47 on the same day. This seems extraordinary: taking 15% of the previous record of 2:58:07, quite apart from it being a remarkable time for the distance and terrain. Tom did it anticlockwise, Nathanael clockwise. [So Noel, if you saw a bloke coming off Shutlingsloe with a hang-glider, that was Tom; whereas Nathanael was the guy running the whole way up the east face of that hill.]

The FB report refers to them finding the "most efficient routes", but of course doesn't give any details of routes. Does anyone here know any more?

He's on Strava so you can see his trace: https://www.strava.com/activities/4977491739 (or maybe you need to be a follower?)

An amazing time. For those into your Strava segments, He got nine top 10s on that route (including a KOM). Which is pretty impressive as many of these will have been set by people not running 30km!

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Originally Posted by noel

He's on Strava so you can see his trace: https://www.strava.com/activities/4977491739 (or maybe you need to be a follower?)

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Thank you.

I've been musing about having a toddle round this myself (although I doubt whether anything will come of it, and it would be a walk rather than a run), and it's interesting to compare Tom's route with what I was thinking about. I'm with Tom between Shining Tor and Shutlingsloe (direct south from ST summit, and along the path through the upper part of Macc Forest, rather than the boring route along Cumberland Brook). I would also be with him on the NE flank of the Roaches, straight down to the Black Brook valley. But I definitely wouldn't do that dreadful road run from there to Axe Edge. And I would prefer clockwise, starting at Goldsitch to go up the aforementioned heathery flank of the Roaches at the start, then up the steep side of Shutlingsloe.

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Originally Posted by anthonykay

Thank you.

I've been musing about having a toddle round this myself (although I doubt whether anything will come of it, and it would be a walk rather than a run), and it's interesting to compare Tom's route with what I was thinking about. I'm with Tom between Shining Tor and Shutlingsloe (direct south from ST summit, and along the path through the upper part of Macc Forest, rather than the boring route along Cumberland Brook). I would also be with him on the NE flank of the Roaches, straight down to the Black Brook valley. But I definitely wouldn't do that dreadful road run from there to Axe Edge. And I would prefer clockwise, starting at Goldsitch to go up the aforementioned heathery flank of the Roaches at the start, then up the steep side of Shutlingsloe.

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I guess few people think of that route from Shining to Shutlingloe as the majority (including myself)seem to start from the C&F.