ah sorry, was getting confused - gillside is on ullswater
one I meant was Bays Brown at Great Langdale - chapel stile
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I've got one good reason to do this, and that's to run past three shires' stone in less of a meltdown than I did during duddon ...
Since Langdale is a championship race and full, I'm planning to do the 3 Shires for a change this year. Wanted to know if anyone could help me with any of the following:
(1) Is it broadly comparable to Langdale?
(2) Route wise is there a "crinkle crags" equivalent (i.e. difficult to find!)? The route off Blisco looks a bit tricky and then up Lingmoor.
(3) The route seems to be on 2 OS maps. Should I go for a Harvey's or a Pete Bland special?
Looking forward to my first proper race since 3 Peaks:)
Wait for a reply from the experts, as I did these a LONG time ago, but Three Shires is a beauty, a joy of a route, and MUCH more interesting than Langdale. You are right about the descent off Blisco, tho there's a well trodden path now. Up Lingmoor is easy, down is tricky. Even the stars go wrong sometimes. But you can't go hopelessly wrong by that stage, and even the wrong route choice will only mean a matter of minutes (which matters, of course, if you are at the sharp end of the field!) But you will have a great day out, and you will have a warm welcome in Little Langdale.
Three Shires 13m-4000ft
Langdale Horseshoe 14m-4000ft
ive never done these races before but Langdale maybe slightly more runnable the Three Shires i think also the terrain may differ on both courses even though there really close
Have to disagree with you there Scott. I did both last year:
Langale - 2.47
3 Shires - 2.21
The 3 shires is definately more runnable, most of the hard work is done on the first ascent up Wetherlam, this does however blows your legs away. Agreed about the terrain though as 3 shires is far less craggy.
Is this just turn up and get a pitch or do you need to prebook? Is it on the road driving into Langdale on the way to ODG? Finally is it preferably than the NT campsite by ODG
So many questions and I should really be more worried about how unfit I am for this race
map
think it might be less busy than the NT and nearer to race start / finish maybe?
I'm hoping to run but I'm a bit of a fair weather runner. So will have to see what it's like on the day.
I'd say the two races are fairly similar; terrain, time, distance, climbing all being much a muchness. I can't see why someone would enjoy Langdale and not Three Shires.
Don't get cragfast on the climb up Wetherlam - if you try being too clever in cutting off the corner to reach the summit it can get a bit steep!
When decending down Wet Side Edge, don't forget to turn off left down to the Three Shires stone. Follow a trod rather than the main path down to the stone.
Don't forget to double back on yourself off Blisco summit a la Langdale, but remember not to continue down the Red Gill route...
Flagged from summit of Lingmoor to the finish.
WARNING!!! There is now a "2-person at a time" posted on the bridge which is around 100yards from the start. That should thin the field out somewhat...
I went to recce it last weekend and noticed that sign on the bridge. Looks like people will need to use the river then!
I noticed on a map a foot[ath cutting off the road about 1/2 way down and heading over another bridge further down (Slater bridge i think). Would this not be allowed?
Thinking of trying to fit this in before I go travelling. Is there a route map anywhere online for this, or can anyone give me a rough outline of the route?
Cheers
Mike
not doing my recce today, didn't like look of weather forecast :o
so next Friday (28th) is looking like the day...
Could someone give me a lift round from Windermere or Skelwith on the day please?
thanks
Mary
right
my car has juuuust squeaked through it's MOT :o
so it's off up to Little Langdale tomorrow:D
weather forecast is for wet/windy, but what the heck, I'll get wet
never done it before, so really looking forward to that climb up Wetherlam... :eek:
splendid time on Friday
took pretty cruddy line up Wetherlam, ended up struggling across boulder fields and up ludicrously steep bits - but should have people to follow on the day going a better way!
why did nobody tell me what an AWESOME spot Swirl Hawse is? I was prepared for the view back into the valley, but the view over Levers Water and Lake Coniston all the way out to Morecambe Bay was a pleasant surprise! :cool:
followed Prison Band up to Swirl How but thought I could see a different line, although doubt it'd be any quicker
think I did quite well round the back of the Carrs and down to 3 Shire Stone
which I reached in 2:08, so to make the 2 hour cut-off I'll need a better line up Wetherlam, drier underfoot/better choice of shoes plus "race head" on - I'm predicting 1:57 :D
there look to be quite a few possibilities up/off Blisco - will probably just follow if poss, but if I'm spaced out/clagged up at that point I at least have a vague plan
I pre-reccied the wall descent to Blea Tarn back in April, but spotted a couple of access stiles so thought I'd try the path down to the back of the woods... DO NOT recommend - mainly due to some RAZOR SHARP stones/boulders higher up which would be LETHAL if you slipped and fell on one :eek:
the weather deteriorated somewhat over the last hour up/down Lingmoor, culminating in hailstorms and nearly getting struck by lightning, but my Montane Atomic jacket did it's job admirably
SO looking forward to race day now...
Me and Mark 'peawet' Sammon reccied the full route yesturday.
It was fairly ok weather in the village but as soon as we left the track to tack the diagonal line through the bracken up the weatherlam the weather turned pretty bad.
It took us ages getting across all the rocks and nasty sections up to the summit, and we set off to Swirl How straigh away because it was so cold on the top.
Down to the prison band it was quite sheltered so it was a nice break from the battering wind and allowed my hands to regain circulation again.
Mark navigated us around Great Carrs is it called? perfectly and we headed off down to the three shires stone.
We went a little too far going down but we just took our own line down to the road which turned out to be perfect.
At the three shires stone i have to admit that i hit a real low point and all i wanted to do was call it a day and go and get warm and dry becaue we'd been out in the terrible weather for 2:15 minutes soaking wet and freezing cold.
But on we plodded up the blisco, i cant remember much of this climb as it didnt seem to be quite as steep as i expected.
We found the perfect path leading off blisco and didnt do too badly finding the path that leads you though the nasty rocky bracken down the blea tarn.
Why is that bridge compulsary????
This climb up to lingmoor fell is a proper sting in the tail....we where both pretty knackered and i tried to run up it but my legs where really dying.
The decent back to the finish was pretty fantastic, although i feel on race day i might be too knackered to attack it.
First time ive ever done a run with 4000' of climbing.
I think come race day, for the climb up Weatherlam...i'll follow the track all the way to the the point where you are in-line with the ruin and take the obvious path upwards and then start the diagonal accent across the roacks to the top - that may be the most common way of doing it but i didnt have a couple of hundred people to follow so i dont know.;)
thanks for the recce details both al and daz - I might try and recce it myself a few days before as I'm in Langdale for a few days before the race ...
did a final long training run today - spent about 4 hours hacking around the Crowden Horseshoe (with a few "add-ons") - not as much ascent as 3Shires, but I felt strong all the way round and even after I finished - I think I am now as ready as I'm going to be for Three Shires, so my 13 day taper starts now! :D
I'll be reccying this on Tue 15th if anyone fancies joining me.
Looks like you will all have the long walk in again from Hodge Close quarry.
http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showt...470#post252470
yep, announcement on the Ambleside website
nice warm-up/warm-down jog :D
not for those who don't drive to races it won't ... ;)
why wasn't Lingmoor flagged last year? too much for the organisers to do on the day?
do we know if the start will be delayed til 11:30 like last year?
I would guess there is a reasonable chance of a delayed start. The field was 300 plus last year and the walk in was an unknown.
Will everyone leave loads of time to get there this year? Hmmmm............
Who needs the flags anyway? It's not the most taxing piece of route-finding even if you choose to shave some of the corners off. ;)
Damn!
Ive got work at 6....i'll get in the good books with my manager and see if i can delay my shift an hour or two.
I agree that lingmoor doesnt really need flagging....Even in mist i think it shouldnt be too difficult....but by then i'll be totally knackered and had it been flagged it would make thing alot easier...but not to worry.
.
Just noticed this message on the Ambleside web, so be prepared to arrive a bit earlier than normal. This worked ok last year, although the walk back to the car seemed a lot further than the way in !
Three Shires Race
It probably wont surprise those of you who've experienced the Lake District version of the 'BarbequeSummer', to learn that the parking fields that we use for the Three Shires Race are once again under water!
We're reverting to 'Plan B' and will be using the same parking as last year, at Hodge Close Quarry (GR318 018). This involves a flagged 1.5 mile walk to the race venue. Please follow the directions of our signs and marshalls and be prepared for a parking charge (probably £1).
Sadly this will also mean that we will be cancelling the Junior Races.
Sorry folks - but this is the only way that the race can go ahead this year.
Selwyn
Yes, I spotted that yesterday. I'm not surprised. I was looking at the website to see whether it was pre-entry, and concluded that it's entry on the day only.
I'm going up for this one, anyone else tempted?