Originally Posted by
Stolly
The trouble with the climb up Whernside isn't the hight of the climb at all - its the sheerness of it. One of the most impressive sights you can see in this race (especially from the nearer the back than the front perspective that I get) is the snake of runners going all the way to the top of Whernside before you. You start off this ascent in boggy moor land that undulates to begin with but then starts to steepen, steepen more and then for the last 2 or 300 feet steepen so that you couldn't imagine it being any steeper.
I've run the longer loop to the top of Whernside used by the 3 peaks walkers and have never got cramp at the summit - going straight up 'route one', as you do in the race, I've never yet not had crippling cramp at the top :D .