Ok cheers Nic, is likely to be a solo effort - may do some variation of Downfall instead.
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Ok cheers Nic, is likely to be a solo effort - may do some variation of Downfall instead.
I intend my legs to be in absolute bits on the Sunday. I have the distraction of the qualifiers of the national club orienteering competition to not make me put in a foolish entry!Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffB
A shame but I'll just have to win it again so I can have another pop at defending the title ;)
For a bit in my calendar I had Black Combe as the week after Skyline - I wonder if similar is reason for the clash when the race was moved from the normal last weekend of March due to Easter.
Weather conditions for the Skyline are looking good BUT there is still plenty of SNOW around and it is still winter.
Just a reminder that the required kit list goes beyond the standard FRA kit minimum list for an AL race and is as follows:
•Waterproof cagoule with taped seams and integral hood
•Waterproof over-trousers with taped seams
•Approapriate fell shoes and socks
•Hat (we'll accept a Buff, but would prefer you carried something warmer)
•Warm Gloves
•Map appropriate for navigating round the course
•Whistle
•Compass
•Food (400 kcal minimum) = at least 2 mars bars, preferable more!
•Leggings (at least ¾ length)
•Two long sleeved tops
Fail to bring the kit you signed up to on entering and you will have to watch!
At the organiser's discretion this list may be relaxed on the day, but all competitors should be prepared to carry or wear all items listed above. We will have no hesitation in barring you from competing if you turn up without the stipulated kit. There will be kit checks for all runners at registration. There may also be random kit checks at the start and finish.
In addition, for the safety of you and fellow competitors, we recommend that you also consider carrying the following:
•Mobile phone
•Bivy bag
Sorry if you think this all sounds rather draconian, but it is done with your best interests at heart.
Good luck and have a safe race.
Dark peaks finest will have been at Blackcombe so may be some of Ba Ba's mates might have a chance..;)
Most of us are at BC as well. Looks like Jasmin in the ladies, Simon Harding/Jim Mann in the Men's? Jack Wood could double with BC though - unless he pops like last year when the explosion could be heard in the Dales!
Anyone at the "social" end of the pack running on Sunday ? Can't believe i've not done the skyline since 2007....... ;)
I will be very social as I'm sweeping the first half. If it nice I may even race to the finish from there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manhar
Not sure if I'll be running or not - tweaked my knee on Monday. If I'm running, does anyone know if the instructions to keep to the edge path along Kinder rules out taking the direct down & up line from grindsbrook to ringing Roger?
The Met Office would like to apologise for the complete absence of any rain, sleet, snow, hail or strong winds at tomorrow's Edale Skyline Race: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/w...ime=1457827200 . It is hoped that normal weather conditions will be resumed for next year's race.
The rest of my club are chasing glory at Black Combe today and giving Edale a miss, so there's plenty of space in my car. Anyone need a lift from Leeds?
Aye, looks like its gonna be perfect conditions for a changeQuote:
Originally Posted by anthonykay
MrRTS is going for a run out on this :-) As you drop down the rocky bit from Lose Hill make sure you are smiling for my camera. I'll have it on sports mode ;)
Good luck everyone
I think the moratorium is on going onto the plateau - I would take this as Wool,packs race line out (boo) but down and up is OK - your funeral! Don't quote me though!Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulE
Hey up Manhar!Quote:
Originally Posted by Manhar
I am up for socialising. See you there.
Here is the link to my photos of todays race. Well done to all. The light was a bit harsh for the photos but at least it wasn't raining!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/980116...57665722439971
How did folks get on ?
I was thinking I was going far too fast on the approach to Win Hill. Started to feel sorry for myself (like you do ) slogging up Lose Hill, went over on my ankle on the way to Brown knoll and it's a good job I'm a stubborn so & so, managed to make the last cut off with mins to spare to finish as mentioned at the social end of the field.
Thank you to all at Dark peak, especially the ladies in the village hall - I must have been looking pale/cold etc as they did ask me if I had warm clothing to put on - I was fine, honest, knocking my tea over was just me being clumsy, although I was v tired.
Hats of to my club mate - John Minta - Howarth hobble yesterday & the skyline today - can't decide if you're a legend or a headbanger - probably a bit of both.... :)
Just been looking at the photos Manhar. You have to get to the "social end" befor you find anyone smiling! Maybe the social end is the place to be?
What a great win for Jack Wood after doing Black Combe (he was one of the many at the sharp end who went badly wrong).
I got some nice photos today. MrRTS had fun on the race and just missed out on getting 4hrs. He was happy with that though. Photo's uploading so will post them tomorrow. I was at the bottom of that nice rocky bit at Back Tor. Only got the 1st 70 though as wanted to get to the finish to see everyone in. Great running and super weather :-) I like these two. Love the one where the kids ran in with this chap.
Attachment 8398
Attachment 8399
Here are some photo's I took yesterday at the base of Back Tor and a few from the finish line. Well done everyone. Share/download away :-)
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1Q...QY-tU0O95kCW-m
Impressive! Rick Houghton also - 5th V50 at Black Combe and 1st V50 at the Skyline (30 minutes ahead of 2nd!)Quote:
Originally Posted by benshep
Sun WAS a pain. Images from yesterday.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mossie...57664348922129
Was very impressed with this race - great organisation, super support from cheery marshalls (guess it helps when it's a lovely sunny day!) and a cracking course.
Personally, I found it much tougher than I thought I would. This probably comes down to lack of training (especially over hills), but looking across the valley from Mam Tor at how much you had left to go was pretty hard to take, Kinder looked miles off (and it was). Confess to having thoughts of jacking it in there, but somehow started to plod on and by the time I got to the next cut off, it seemed silly to walk back.Definitely the hardest bit for me was the section between Mam Tor and Edale Cross, really tough underfoot and a slow gradient.
Some how managed to get sun burnt....in March!!
So I found it tougher than say the Three Peaks. Wonder if that is just because of its unfamiliarity but did seem to me much rougher underfoot, even if not so long. Would be interested in others' views...
Managed to get a sun burnt head and neck! Not sure it was down to the suns intensity (in march!) or the fact it took me a while to get round!
Has the course changed over the years?
I have just been looking back at the results from the one occasion (A Very Long Time Ago) that I did the Edale Skyline Race: I was 55th (out of only 128 finishers), in a time that would have placed me 14th this year. The winner that year (Andy Darby) was about 17 minutes faster than this year's winner, despite the excellent weather this year.
Was it simply that the competition was less strong than usual this year, with an English Championship race the day before? Or has the bog monster (carefully excluded from the viewfinders of Mossienet et al) become more voracious over the years? Or has there been a change of route somewhere?
Whilst marshalling at Coffin Rock & Ringing Roger, I was told that the Skyline used to finish in a field below Grindslow Knoll. I'm not sure how long ago this was - IDP is likely to be able to answer this & give a fuller story than I can - but it would have meant the race would be a fair bit shorter (at least a couple of miles I'd have thought) with a fast downhill at the end.Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonykay
Reports from runners passing the last CP at Ringing Roger suggested that conditions underfoot were pretty poor over Brown Knoll, which will have slowed the field down somewhat.
I can confirm that the underfoot conditions on Sunday were the toughest that I have ever experienced in any fell race. Although this was only partly the reason for my poor performance!
Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonykay
before my time but yes it did but it also started up Grindslow so the circle was still the same. This year however the shortcuts on the plateau were out of bounds. 10-20 minutes difference possibly?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam W
Also you don't take the superfast descent down passed Twitchill farm any more, you double back to hope Brink, this is definitely further and slower.3-5 minutes??
Cracking race, thanks to everyone who made this possible. It never seems to get any easier.
Sunburnt, I wasn't expecting that...
I still need to crack the Great Ridge section, it does for me every time. I'm always flying (by my standards) to the bottom of Lose Hill, then it all goes to pot... strangely enough though, after Jacob's Ladder I normally perk up a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tractorboy
Agree that Hope brink is definitely slower than Twitchill, but the plateau short cuts were only worth a couple of minutes at best (depending on how quick you are). Unless you have some extremely canny routes involving a tardis IDP?!Quote:
Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak
Shame, it's going (or probably gone) the same way as Trigger...moors for who's future?
What a great race. First time i've done it and i was glad for good weather. I actually ended up getting stuck in a bog at the woolpacks. So very glad some folks were coming along after me to help me out. I expect that if the visibility was worse i would have taken more care going through there.
I couldn't possibly comment...:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Wardy
It's only a couple of years since I've done this and the route seems to have totally changed ;o(
http://www.dpfr.org.uk/pages/view/skyline
New route down to Ladybower
Avoids Twitchill
Must go over Back Tor
Must use new flagstones accross BK
Must stick to edge path through Woolpacks
No CP at Grindslow Knoll so no temptation to do the down and up
etc etc
I'm sure it's out of the organiser's hands but a bit of a shame to see the creepage over recent years to what it's now become.
Edale trail race?
Ha ha!
Just noticed what I wrote last year a couple of posts down.
What a grumpy git.
Ran the first half this morning...very muddy..I was going to take pictures but its was too claggy and I was dying from lack of fitness due to a virus.
I noticed all the changes except this one. Glad you pointed that one out, could have been an embarassing detour....Quote:
Originally Posted by Wardy
Barely any point doing a recce now...
Ha! I've never ever been tempted to do the down and up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wardy
Here's the full route for those that haven't seen it yet. Enjoy the new climb up Win hill. I suspect that will really hurt at the end of the race.
The route has changed for 2017 - as below (these checkpoints are still provisional, please check closer to the event)
Start and Finish:
Field at the bottom of Grindsbrook (GR123862)
Checkpoints
Ringing Roger (SK126872) - no SI punching required
Jagger's Clough (SK144881 - no SI punching required
**** changed for 2017
Stile - Path/Track Junction (SK157878) - no SI punching required
Gate into wood (SK171862) - no SI punching required
Track junction (SK190859) - no SI punching required
****
Win Hill Summit (SK187851)
Follow the marshals instructions on route via Hope Brink (A) and fell gate (B) - see map below
Hope (Edale Road) - (SK168845)
Lose Hill Summit (SK153853)
Follow ridge over Back Tor- no SI punching required
Mam Tor (SK127835) - no SI punching required
Mam Nick road crossing (SK125834)
**** changed for 2017
Track Junction - Rushup Edge/Chapel Gate (SK099829)
Follow the flagged track past Brown Knoll
****
Track/Path Junction 400m E of Edale Cross (SK080860)
Path/Stream crossing (SK105872) - no SI punching required
Ringing Roger (SK126872)
Finish (SK123863)
View the checkpoints on an OS map
Maps will be updated asap.
Download a map of the course (pdf, 2.5MB)
Download a map of the route back from Mam Nick (for retirees and possible bad weather route - pdf, 1MB)
Route Notes
We will be using the Sport Ident race tracking system
There are two time cut-offs as follows:
Mam Nick: 3:00 after the start
Track/path junction East of Edale Cross: 4:00 after the start
We hope we don't have to, but you should realise that these cut off times are subject to change if the organiser considers it is unsafe for runners to continue. This is for your safety and for the well-being of the marshals.
Competitors are not allowed to take dogs on the course. Rabbits are allowed if kept under close control ☺.
You will need to display your full race number during the event and confirm it with marshals as requested.
You will need to follow instructions from marshals during the event.
There are two road sections. Whilst there will be marshals present, you should be advised that the roads are open to normal traffic and it is your responsibility to take care!
If you retire at any time after registering you MUST report back to the village hall.
It should go without saying that you have no priority over other users of the peak district during the event, much of the route uses paths which are very popular and sections of the route can be busy. Please be polite.
Unless directed by marshals, the choice of route between checkpoints is yours, but with the following exceptions:
Keep to the path on the zig-zags under Ringing Roger – both going up and coming down. If you are caught cutting the corners of the zig-zags you will be disqualified and banned from future events.
As per the map below, do not cut down Hope Brink early. There will be a marshal at point A.
Brown Knoll - a flagstone path is being built here. Please follow any instructions given at registration and by marshals on the route.
You must follow the edge path all the way along Kinder, particularly near the Woolpacks (SK090 870) between Jacobs Ladder and Grindsbrook. Alternative routes or short cuts are not allowed. This is by specific request from the Landowner and Natural England.
We work very hard with the Natural England, the National Park and the National Trust to secure permission for the skyline. Failure to follow these instructions could jeopardise future even