Some interesting routes out that way.
Looking forward to it already!
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Some interesting routes out that way.
Looking forward to it already!
It does look an interesting venue.... anyone for Lank Rigg?!?
Trying to plan my calendar for next year, and having missed Peris this year, and the addition of the South Mynd Tour champs race (or Black Mountains in the Welsh Champs) into an already busy month... I may have to commit the ultimate sin and give the LDMT the chop for next year...
This year's Mountain Trial has been cancelled. Gutted :(
http://www.ldmta.org.uk/entry.html
I was really hoping this was one of the races that may have been possible to put on this year with competitors starting at one minute intervals and no set route. Sadly, not to be with sound reasoning behind the decision.
Also very gutted to hear this, as i have accomm booked for this weekend. Perhaps something long instead.
I wonder if they'll keep the 2020 venue the same for 2021....
I have a concern that many races cancelled this year will not go ahead next year due to a growing NIMBY attitude amongst residents of villages, including my own, where the events are based.
This will not be restricted to Fell Running but to any event that attracts large numbers of people from all over the country.
Whilst not in agreement with it I do have some sympathy with that point of view.
It's a shame but I think it's understandable for such a complicated event. I've had very mixed fortunes with the Trial. I haven't done it often but out of six entries two have been cancelled altogether (Eskdale and Borrowdale) and two have had the shortened courses (Thirlspot and Mungrisedale). Never the organisers fault, just the weather. I haven't entered for a year or two now as I'm usually away but I am tempted for next year.
We were talking about the OMM at our club run on Tuesday and wondering whether it would go ahead. I think it's going to be difficult and Llani Boy is right in that most villages won't want to take the (extremely small) risk of a load of potentially Covid carrying fell runners/cyclists/others arriving from different parts of the country and infecting their village. At the moment would organisers have to ban competitors from Leicester or just hope that they stayed at home? It's won't be easy to put on a race in the current climate.
The LDMT stated that "The decision to cancel has been made in view of uncertainties over Government restrictions, insurance cover, the granting of land use permissions and the goodwill of the local community."
I can't see how the OMM can get round these uncertainties although I really hope they can. I think it might be a long time before races resume especially for adults.
I'm hoping that children's races might be able to start again in September so my daughters can race again. This is when the government effectively removes the need for social distancing for children by reopening the schools.
Entry is now open. I think with the complete lack of any fell running for me of late, I'll be entering the short again.
I think i'm going to miss it this year unfortunately.
Planning a trip in the opposite direction to you PeteS, to run the Stretton Skyline and South Mynd Tour on consecutive weekends in mid-september.
Which is a shame... but september is always packed with clashes, and potentially even moreso this year.
Thanks for the heads up PeteS, just entered...only done it once before but loved it.
Entries are now being taken for this years La Sportiva Mountain Trial. The location is Loweswater Village Hall, in the North West corner of the Lake District. The date is Sunday the 12th of September. Full details of this long standing Lake District classic are on the website, including entry details.
Someone once said "You aren't a fell runner until you've done a mountain trial"........
http://www.ldmta.org.uk/
Just entered the short course. Currently under physio instructions of no more than 2x5k a week so thought it best not to push my luck with anything more ambitious!
This weekend will see me undertake my annual MOT and it will be a test after a year or so plagued with injuries and very few long days out in the fells. So, short course it is for me which apparently will have a separate map collection point to the medium and classic. I think you can therefore assume (though I confidentially predicted the Grasmere trial wouldn't cross the A591) that the short will head south whereas the longer routes may head to the far side of Crummock water. The fells to the west of Mellbreak are a mystery to me but looking at the map the opportunities for sheepfold as a CP are plentiful! There is also the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Floutern Tarn which I last visited during a very wet week of youth hostelling many, many years ago. Having gone into a bog virtually up to my waist, I vowed never to return that way and so it has been.
Good luck Pete... i chose to miss out the LDMT this year in the hope that i'd have an attempt at a sub-3hr Stretton Skyline.
As it turns out the Skyline is off, and should have done the trial!
Spent a torrid morning on the fells west of Mellbreak a couple of years ago in zero visibility... no help to an LDMT recce... all i can offer is the east and west flanks of Hen Comb are horrifically steep, uneven and boggy, and best avoided. The Burnbank, Blake, Gavel fell ridge is also very slow going except for the path linking the tops. Shortcuts are difficult. There's a fence-line to the west of Floutern Tarn which takes you up onto the Great Borne/Starling Dodd ridge, and this is a surprisingly quick (if steep) way up onto that ridge if needed.
Thanks Pete - useful information.
I will be up in Lakes on Friday morning so hoping to get out that way, do a recce and tick off another 3 or 4 Wainwrights leaving Saturday free for a more relaxed wander around the area. Looking forward to it immensely - my first non-virtual race in 18 months.
Not running this year due to a niggling injury that won't hold up to a long day in the hills. Will be helping out on the day, hopefully not on a rain-swept control in the middle of nowhere.
Beware the A66 is shut from Embleton this weekend. Approach via Whinlatter recommended if coming from the East.
Just finished todays classic course. Was first starter, weather was pretty good, clear visibility on tops after about the first hour. Had a much better run than 2019 and finished in middle of pack in 33rd.
Think legs 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 had the most route choice, the other legs seemed to me to have a fairly obvious route choice. Travs, we did end up to the west of Hen Comb and I can confirm that it was boggy and very uneven, not good for tired legs!
Good to be able to sit on the grass at the end and catch up with a few people from my old club in York.
Results which has a link to RouteGadget
https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/LDMTA/2021/LDMTA/
The classic looked tough. Must have been some interesting route choices coming back over to the Buttermere/Ennerdale side what with no swimming allowed!
I respectable 25th in the short for me. Initially disappointed but with the year I have had, I'm glad to have just finished.
There was little in the way of running crossing from Blake fell to Hen Comb and down to Floutern Tarn. Horrible bog, tussocky grass, heather and peat hags to contend with. Much better progress after that until the descent to the foot of Mellbreak which saw me come a cropper a couple of times. Then an absolute mare trying to find CP5 as I contoured round far too high, realised my mistake and then ended up descending in waist high bracken. Enjoyed it thoroughly though and glad there's life in the old dog yet.
Well done Pete and Chris.
The Classic looks as tough as ever, and some really interesting route choices taken on the RouteGadget.
Any predictions on where this might be this year?
I'm going to stick my neck out and say Patterdale/Glenridding. Hopefully we'll find out in next few weeks.
September is always busy, and i've got space for one more race... either the Trial, or the Black Mountains British Champs race.... really is too much fantastic choice in September!
Looking at the list of previous locations, if you were a betting man you would probably plump for somewhere in the far Eastern fells or on the opposite fringes of the Lakes e.g Wastwater. I guess a lot comes down to availability of host venues though. Personally, I'd love a trial in the Northern fells - plenty of good running and some challenging nav if the weather is bad. Having recently completed the Wainwright book, it's reasonably familiar territory so I may stand a chance of not getting too lost!
I'd thought Far Eastern Fells, but wondered if Howtown/Longsleddale etc had the capacity to hold 500 people.
St John's in the Vale then....
Would imagine it would head east into Dodds/Helvellyn range. But i suppose it could possibly head west to High Tove-Ullscarf, then cross at Dunmail, a la the Grasmere race a couple of years ago...
Sadly i'll not be there... September a notoriously congested month for races, and this year i'm going for a big pb at Stretton Skyline, the British Champs at Black Mtns, and Peris... that's enough for anyone!
Interesting choice. I think you are right, Pete. Seems logical to head South and East to take in the Dodds and Helvellyn range and beyond. But there again, I stated (probably on this thread somewhere) that the Grasmere trial wouldn't cross the main road so what do I know!
Been reading a bit about the history of the LDMT.
The old courses in the 50's and 60's were basically just a list of mountain summits... for example starting at Seathwaite, and the only checkpoints being Pillar, Scafell Pike and Scafell...
Also another one starting in Wasdale, had a similar theme, taking in a number of inconveniently placed summits on both sides of Wastwater.
It would really be attractive to me to go back to a similar theme... don't get me wrong, its fantastic as it is... imagine this year's event from St Johns in the Vale having checkpoints such as... Hart Side, Birks, Hart Crag, Birkhouse Moor, Green Side.... now there's a proper day out.... simplicity is the key (and no re-entrants!!)
Sounds like a great idea - especially the 'no re-entrants' bit. Had enough of those on the Langdale trial to last a few years yet....
I was looking over the map recently and pondering whether we may see something akin to the Patterdale 2014 trial for the short and medium courses.
What you get depends on the planner.
Sometimes you get someone with a an orienteering influence so the fine nav is more prevalent.
Sometimes you get someone more fell background so it's a bit more ridgelines and macros route choices.
Variety is the spice of life.
Entries are open for this year's Mountain Trial. It will be based in St Johns in the Vale.
Entry fee kept at the same price as the last many years. Includes, map, sportident timing, meal at end and a very extensive prize list. Got to be up there as one of the best value races? especially if you stay out for 6 or 7 hours..........
Entries through SportIdent https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.ph...&event_id=9767
So after about 18 months of injury rehab where I'm not only able to run on hills again, I even managed a reasonably quick (for a 56yo!) road 10k race last month, the question is do I go for the safe short again or do I up the stakes and go medium? Classic is definitely out.....
Go for Medium. It's a nice morning/day/weekend out....
I was considering the long, I've not run it for a few years but I've done a few 50k/60k races this year and will have spent a month in the Alps so should be going fairly well. Having said that my nav was shocking at the last Kong MM....
Well good luck if you go for the long race - sure makes a good day out for some!
Looking at previous stated distances/climb for short and medium races and then comparing to my actual routes throws up a ballpark 30% factor for estimating actual distance and climb. So I'd guess that this year's short 15km/1100m and medium 21km/1500m are more likely to yield 19.5km/1450m and 27km/1950m respectively.
Entries Close for this year's Mountain Trial at the end of August.
This year's trial takes place at St John's in the Vale, full details and entries on the race website. https://www.ldmta.org.uk/
Hey Travs, I see you star on the LDMT info page!