Ohhh, sounds exciting! :)
I ran 4kms yesterday, ankle just about held out, but not well enough for 3 days in the Lakes me thinks :-( Shall gine it another try tomorrow or Wednesday but it isn't looking likely for me now... maybe the weekend after...
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Ohhh, sounds exciting! :)
I ran 4kms yesterday, ankle just about held out, but not well enough for 3 days in the Lakes me thinks :-( Shall gine it another try tomorrow or Wednesday but it isn't looking likely for me now... maybe the weekend after...
sorry about my silence DTS and others. still very much on for fri, sat, sun reccies. good weather if the report lives up to reality! sorry to hear you'll not make it Hanneke. hopefully ankle better soon. will pm re meeting point.
IC - good to hear that you are still on for Friday :cool:
(I'll ring you on your mobile to discuss details...)
shame if mxhornet and Hanneke can't make it :(
any late takers for a 9:30am start from Keswick...?
Have lost most hope in being fit enough for the weekend, but shall decide tomorrow, after another little run...
Sorry but I'm going to have to become a definite no now :(
Daz, currently thinking of being up there on Thursday and have to be in Yorkshire on Friday to meet a builder. However, if that meeting doesn't happen for any reason....I may be tempted!!Quote:
Originally Posted by DazTheSlug
OK... confirmed with IC: Keswick Market Square for 9:30am start on Friday it is!
Mr1470 or all else welcome!
latest Weatherline forecast:
"Friday
Weather:
A bright and quite sunny day, just isolated snow flurries. Bitterly cold with frozen ground conditions developing on higher slopes.
Visibility / Cloud Base:
Excellent. Generally limited patches or well broken at 1000 to 1300 metres.
Wind / Temperature / Freezing Level:
Northwest 30 to 40mph gusts 55mph. Temperature minus 3 Celsius with high wind chill. Freezing level falling to around 300 metres."
so - a bit nippy and a bit windy - basically awesome! :cool:
I am REALLY jealous... going a bit stir crazy not being able to go out, but I don't want to risk that ankle becoming a chronic weakness :(
Awaiting the arrival of a wobble board, on advise of the fizz, to strengthen it and keep it and the other one strong...
I have two bikerides planned for the weekend, to try and stave off madness and boredom and depression...
Enjoy the run(s) this weekend guys! :)
Daz, won't be there tomorrow I'm afraid, got to get to Calderdale to meet the builder:(
Had a grand day today though. Parked at Dunmail, up Steel Fell, Calf Crag, across to Sergeant Man, then cut across to Rossett Pike before taking the Climbers Traverse up Bowfell. Down off Bowfell to (?) Ore Gap, down to Angle Tarn, over Rossett Pike, Pike O Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Sergeant Man(again!), Calf Crag (again) and Steel Fell(again!), Missed out High Raise on the way back 'cause I was worried about losing the light....which I did at the top of Steel Fell completely!!:D Had GREAT fun finding and then descending the gully down to Dunmail:p
Grand day out but very windy on top, powerful gusts at times.
Enjoy your day tomorrow.
Yes, Ore Gap...
Sounds like a fab day Mr :)
I am still jealous of those who can run, but trying to counteract that by riding my butt off... 100 kms planned for Saturday and another 50 for Sunday, then a 2 hour track session at the Newport velodrome on Monday eve... :)
This may sound a very dumb question, but....i was just looking at section 1 on a O.S map.
There isnt a path linking Skiddaw to Great Calve, or Great Calve to Blencathra.
Do you just make your own way across from summit to summit, or is there a path that simply isnt on the map.
From my own experience of leg 1 in the dark, its a boggy, heathery trog up Great Calva, a steep heathery, falling over descent down to the river Caldew, up Mungrisdale common, then onto Blencathra. That's why it pays to have a good navigator. It also helps if you don't twist your knee going up Great Calva, lose contact with your group going up to Blencathra, and come down Halls Fell Ridge by yourself, on your arse:eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Fowler
Sometimes you've got to make your own paths;)
As you drop down beyond Skiddaw, at the first flat bit, head right, cross the fence and make for Hare Crag. With a bit of luck you'll find the BG trod that's now developed, which cuts down left at the end and heads across to the main valley path. The route up to Calva is then a decent path through the heather.Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Fowler
From top of Calva there are various options. I've tended to cross the fence and then head diagonally down towards the fence going downhill. Follow it down to the stream, turn right and follow a trod all the way to the main path. Cross that on a trod heading for the Caldew, cross it.......and then it's pretty pathless!!
Only been there once... no proper trail paths as such but once you've done it once you know where you went wrong!:rolleyes::oQuote:
Originally Posted by Al Fowler
Don't know what Blencathra's like in nice weather - when I did it it was thick clag. I remember standing at the summit, looking at my compass, looking in the direction of Halls Fell and thinking "Oh.":(
(Bear in mind in run on my own.)
I think that the direct route from the track is now much better defined than it used to be - I headed right to gain the south ridge, which apart from about 100m is all on paths.
My preference from Great Calva is to head back down the south ridge for a couple of hundred metres or so then make a direct line for the cairn on Mungrisedale Common. There is then a path for most of the way onto Blencathra. All of this is much easier underfoot than following the fence etc. I reckon about 10 minutes quicker.
My God?Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilgrim
Don't know about that but 'leap of faith' came to mind!Quote:
Originally Posted by merrylegs
If you've got Memory Map I can send you my track on my bg for the first leg.Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Fowler
We hit the path spot on off Skiddaw and to Great calva. Heathery bash to the river and if there is light enough when you do it head just left of two rocks on the skyline. this takes you to a quad track which goes a good way up Blencathra, before cutting off under the scree slope to head for the summitt. Halls fell is easy Its the vertical bit over the edge.:D
Im afraid i dont have memory map. But cheers anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak
well Irish Carol and myself survived our Leg1 recce on Friday :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Al Fowler
we dismally missed the Hare Crag ridge off Skiddaw in the clag/driving hail and ended up somewhat off target at Whitewater Dash!
on the plus side, the weather was brightening right up, and the cloud-base lifting,
we trotted back down the path to Dead Beck, and the path from there up Great Calva is pretty well worn
we then hacked randomly across to Blencathra without any sign of even a minor trod - we did it in 90mins, compared to 70mins schedule, but I was slowing IC down a bit, and I suspect she would've managed 75-80mins on her own, and, having done it once, we would both be quicker next time.
we had a howling gale at our back on Blencathra, and when I pointed forwards and said to IC "Believe it or not the approved route is that way..." pointing into the abyss ahead, she looked at me like I either had no idea what I was talking about, or had gone mad.
I then pointed left towards the Doddick ridge and she said "that looks much more sensible"... so we went down Doddick!
just like publicly to thank Irish Carol (and her friend who accompanied us up to Skiddaw) for her company, and a great day out :)
Correct! In the dark with wet rock, Doddick is way faster than Halls Fell.Quote:
Originally Posted by DazTheSlug
...but in daylight and on dry rock...Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
I saw you all running up Shelf moor yesterday Geoff but was too far away to pick anyone out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak
Ian he is checking out a secret route for Tankies. Dnt tell him our one and we will pounce on him at the snake road.
There is a trod Al and its becoming more and more clear. At night though its one of the dilemas of the BG round and has been the downfall of quite a few attempts over the years.Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Fowler
It worries lots of BG contenders because of the earlyness to get it right as it comes so soon in the round.
No substiue for a recce
Forget Tracklogs, memory map man, or any of that stuff.
Get yrself up there or tag onto an attempt and support that Leg.
Its very boggy. Next time I see you I will bring a map of the leg:)
I was up there on Tues and couldn't find the trod :oQuote:
There is a trod Al and its becoming more and more clear. At night though its one of the dilemas of the BG round and has been the downfall of quite a few attempts over the years.
The weather was fairly thick tho and I didn't want to hang about too long on the top looking for it. I ran down along the right hand ridge, picked up a fence, which I followed for a while and went to have a look at Whitewater Dash.
Went up there again on fri to see if I could find DTS and IC - I was aware that you were going up there , didn't know what time though - think I must have been about 1/2 hr in front of you if you left Keswick at 9.30. Ran back over Sale How to Skiddaw House to get out of the wind/hail.
The trod doesn't start until about halfway down to Hare Crag. Basically head along the ridge from the summit of Skiddaw until just after the first steep drop (maybe 100m -150m); bear right to the fence; cross this about 100m before the fence junction (obviously you need to have reccied this in clear weather!!); head downhill to pick up a faint quad bike track after a couple of hundred metres; follow this until it begins to bear left and the trod is on your right. Don't have the bearing to hand - I've the following notes on my site:
From the car-park at Latrigg, follow the motorway of a path to the summit of Skiddaw. Continue in the same line to (GR263296) then cut down right and cross the fence to gain a set of quad-bike tracks. When these begin to bear left, cut to the right to follow a slight path which leads over Hare Crag to the Skiddaw House track at a small bridge (GR283303).
Hope this helps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob
You cross the fence where four posts are very close together (four posts in something like 10ft) for the last few years a small length of orange tape has been tied between two of them. Then go downhill on a 72 Degree MB
I keep to the right if anything on this bearing, you will drop down then traverse across the slope before dropping down again, when that happens start moving left as you go down and you should cut across the trod.
My way goes down to the Hare crag trod on the other side of the ridge from Bobs ie the Skiddaw side.
Tssk! :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Baggins
I've done three ways round/over Hare Crag - to the left; over the top; to the right. From memory the first two are fairly well defined in that area. Also note that the back of Hare Crag is rather damp :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Baggins
I meant to get on the trod in the first place :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob
Once you're on the trod I prefer to go round Hare crag on the left, its well worn and not far off going over the top itself.
of course, you could just blunder straight on to Whitewater Dash, and save yourself all the trouble of finding the trod down to Hare Crag and getting your feet wet in Candleseaves Bog ;)
[he says, desperately trying to sound like he did it on purpose :D ]
Oh I've done that :DQuote:
Originally Posted by DazTheSlug
Regarding the Carlside v Latrigg route option.
Yesterday i went up from Moot hall via Carlside and back via Latrigg.
As previously reported its a good half mile shorter via Carlside. I ran at appx 8min miling to Milbeck then walked the rest of the ascent apart from the short drop (wasteful) down to the head of the valley prior to the final rocky climb, and the summit plateau.
Unfortunately i left the (very good) path whilst on the phone to my brother and lost time in thick heather. i also stopped briefly to chat to a walker with a cute collie but nevertheless got to the top in 80mins. This is very similar timewise to most times ive gone the 'normal' way.
However, much as i hate the latrigg option i like the fact that you get a couple of running bits within the overall mainly walking ascent and there is no significant wasteful downhill
Overall verdict - a hung jury - retrial over Xmas hols I think
Anyone free and interested in doing some more reccie-ing Jan 23rd to 25th?
Hoping for some slightly warmer weather than the minus 19 with wind chill that DTS and myself had in Nov :)!!
When i was preparing for my round, a mate and i tested this out by setting off from the moot hall rogether and taking these two routes seperately before meeting at the summit of skiddaw. We agreed not to race and as we were about the same ability wise and had trainined together, we agreed to do it at a steady BG-esque pace. We thought this would be a reasonable test.Quote:
Originally Posted by bestathlete
He went via Carl Side and me via latrigg. He was 6 mins quicker but found it steeper and more tiring. I strolled up in 79 mins and felt like i'd barely started. We both agreed that Latrigg was the best option in terms of preserving energy and leg strength.
If he'd have been, say, 10 or 15 mins quicker than maybe we'd have changed. But tjhe steepness and reascent made Carl Side the less favored option for us.
Hope that helps
ST
I am travelling north this saturday to recce leg 1 in the afternoon (back to keswick along the old railway track) - then perhaps do leg 4 on sunday (I normally do this out and back from Honister) going out via beck head to wasdale - or leg 5 out and back from Stair.Quote:
Originally Posted by irish carol
Whatever I do not get done this weekend I will do the weekend after (10/11) plus leg 2 out and back from glenridding.
I would welcome some company if anyone faces a day out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Swiss Toni
I imagine i will abandon my Carlside thoughts now TBH. What about the acsent up the valley to the right side of the main Carlside path though?
Surely it will be very bad ground? i may descend that way next time I'm on top.
I don't recall whether that ground is bad, i;'ve been there once, years ago... I think the Jenkin Hill has much to commend it, although don't look south (if it's clear and not yet dark) cos it's a daunting sight seeing your mammoth day opening up in the view when you're just 30 mins in!!
ST
PS - actually do look south, it's a terrific view :)
Re Carlside
simple maxim proven time and again - straight is great
Hi Carol!Quote:
Originally Posted by irish carol
can't make this weekend unfortunately :( - are you still going though?
General Invitation To All!
I'm thinking of doing another Friday in March - either 6th, 13th or 27th
probably just do Leg2
or maybe go from Honister and do the latter half of Leg 4 and the start of Leg5
or some of Leg3...
or do a 3 Shires recce... :o
happy to go on my own, but company welcome :)
A Friday in March you say?
... I'll have to see what's going on, but it may be a possibility.
I'd be keen to look at Leg 3 or 4 (or both?)
I'll keep an eye on this thread.
Good luck if I don't make it myself.