Bob Graham Round

[MorganW]

me too
I have an evil plan to start first thing in the morning...
[just not from Keswick ]

My mate Dave Cheesewright did his first round starting in Wasdale.

When told it wouldn't count, he did a Moot Hall round a few weeks later.

[DazTheSlug]

My mate Dave Cheesewright did his first round starting in Wasdale.

When told it wouldn't count, he did a Moot Hall round a few weeks later.

I was thinking of starting from Dunmail , keeping the darkness in the "standard" place

[andy k]

while we're on this, could someone briefly explain the merits or otherwise of clockwise versus anticlockwise

why people don't start at 9 a.m. right after a good night's sleep, rather .

Clockwise vs anti
not only affects where you are in darkness - aim to be on easy ground in the dark
but also the ground and climbs you are on as you near the end, getting tired.
Clockwise you get easy ground on legs 1, 2 and 5, with minimal climb on 5
Anti you get easy ground on legs 1, 4 and 5 but some big hard climbs on 5.

I went clockwise on my round following the Billy Bland quote of if you want to get round go Anti. If you want to go fast go clockwise.

But when supporting a mate who went anti both I and another mate who also did his round clockwise we reached Rosset Pike, looked at eachother and - "its easy from here!"

On getting a good night's sleep - I agree with you
It seems crazy to be finishing the BG after perhaps 40 hours awake, why not keep it down to 24 ?
But light is an amazing thing - it makes running so much easier and it helps you be alert and awake. So if it goes dark late in your round then you could find your commitment fading

I started at 5:30am thinking I'll get some decent sleep, 6 hours maybe -
I didn't get to bed at 10 and I didn't sleep very much
I was lying awake at 3 thinking - "this is good cool running time - I should be out there" (temperatures were at 25C and cloudless skies over the weekend of my round).

As with many things on the BG, choose the option that you feel suits you,
be it direction, start time or route and stick with it if you are happy with it.
Being happy with what you are doing and getting on with it is important - being positive. If you worry about better alternatives they will sap your energy and waste your time. Supporters need to be clear that they do it the way the contender wants not the way they the supporter thinks is best.
And no last minute changes.

[andy k]

Hi all,

I've just registered and am attempting the BGR in March if anyone has any useful info I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks.

You should really have been obsessing for at least 3 months already

[TurboTom]

while we're on this, could someone briefly explain the merits or otherwise of clockwise versus anticlockwise

also, starting times: am I right in thinking most attempts start in the evening or at night?

I realise it must be to do with which section you hit during dark, but it's always confused me a bit why people don't start at 9 a.m. right after a good night's sleep, rather than at the time you might usually be going to bed ...

Also.....You get to go up Halls Fell instead of down it....Not that horrible slog up Yewbarrow and the road run at the start

[IainR]

I realise it must be to do with which section you hit during dark, but it's always confused me a bit why people don't start at 9 a.m. right after a good night's sleep, rather than at the time you might usually be going to bed ...

You won't push too much.
Get the dark out of the way whilst you feel good.
HUGE mental lift as day light appears, which carries you through most of the day.

I started my paddy at 6pm, theory was get a few hours in day light, relax, calm down, build in, do the night, then you just have the day light left without the night stage hanging over you.

TBH 30 odd hours awake isn't such an issue when you get used to it.

[IWCharters]

There was a time when an early morning start on anti-clockwise round was favoured. Get as much done before dark then aim to reach the top of Halls Fell Ridge for first light. The 'dawn lift' that the new day brings helps you through the last leg and you arrive in Keswick for breakfast.

Fundamental decision is which way round, then where to have your night section which determines your start time.

The Dodds are "easy" in the dark, "easy" because the ground is good and won't slow progress much but, and this is a huge but, in poor conditions in the dark navigation can become very difficult indeed.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

[The Navigator]

Where would you rather be with 4 - 5 hours to go after being on your feet for almost 20 hours?
Somewhere around the summit of Gable in the early evening sunshine with a gentle trot down to Honister and an easy final section, or at Threlkeld in the dark with those three MASSIVE climbs to come.

[Bob]

I think you need to know how much the darkness affects your speed. So it may be better to do the Skiddaw section in the dark where you aren't being slowed down as much then get the Helvellyn section in the daylight where you can make good use of the light in "easier" terrain. Also a lot of attempts have floundered on the Helvellyn section when visibility hasn't been very good.

As for clockwise/anticlockwise: I prefer clockwise because I don't think my legs could cope with a 3000ft descent after 63 miles!

[Mark Smith]

For summer, i think the 7/8ish pm starts are better for the c/w rounds (those that arem't going to be under 20 hrs anyway) because once the darkness is done, it's done. When the sun comes up you know it;s going to be light until the end.

That second period of darkness can be tough mentally.

Regarding the issue of a/c rounds and those big three climbs at the end, i think it's the descents i'd be more wary of at that stage of a round. The way off Blencathra is gentle, calva's descent is short (600') so they're ok, but that final drop off skiddaw could be hellish with screaming quads, as Bob rightly points out.

Let's face it, no direction or start time is easy, and you;ve got to graft no matter what

Good luck and enjoy the obsessing

ST