I contacted Tom Phillips on Saturday to pick his brains about the BGR as I was considering trying to make an attempt at it this year.During our conversation he mentioned that he was thinking of making a second winter attempt on Monday.My spontaneous personality urged me to naively offer to support Tom on legs 3 & 4( this offer was based on my intense study of the maps ha! ha! )Any way I arranged to meet Tom and his support in Booths car park,Keswick at 6pm.I left Brighton at 8.30 and drove the 360 miles.
Tom and company were bang on time and we went over a few points,it was about now that I realised quite how involved the organisation had to be to make this work.I have obviously read accounts of various attempts and the amount of support involved but at this moment in time there were only 4 of us,Tom,Dick and Ian.I was told that Toms friend Jules would run with him on leg 2 and that that Ian would run leg 1,4&5.We made our way to Moot Hall to be met by Bradford Dave who was to also run with Tom on leg 1.Off they went at 7pm and I jumped in the van with Dick.
Quite a lot went on between legs 1&3 that has already been covered in other reports so I will skip straight to my part in this attempt.
Started off with Tom on the first climb up to Steel Fell,seemed ok.In fact it all seemed ok until we started to encounter ice covered rocky accents and then more precarious ice covered rocky descents(not precarious in any way for Tom who just seemed to leave me standing)Then on to some large snow covered ice sections,I believe the first one was on the climb of Bowfell.I was starting to feel out of my comfort zone.Tom was kind to me and spared me some of the accents on the way to Scafell,I think he was trying to prepare me for what was to come,Foxes Tarn!!!!This was very very much out of my comfort zone he really did have to guide me through this section.Just before the ridge up to Scafell we encountered a second section of snow covered ice.Tom said just follow me across this and head up to the ridge.Off went Tom,no problems.I tried to follow in the small foot steps he had kicked into to ice.I got about 4 steps in and started to slip,I rammed my super light weight stick into the ice to break the fall and guess what it snapped,off I slid only to be stopped by a large rock( i was just a little scared)I made way up to meet Tom and I suggested due to my crap descending skills he go on so as to not lose any time.Off he went into the clouds.I got down safely in my own time.I obviously did not start leg 4 !!!!! (very ambitious thoughtin the first place but you what they say about hind site)
Some might say why on earth did I drive all that way to cover about 12 very uncomfortable miles,but the best part that I guess a lot of people will never experience was to be part of Tom very successful round and to meet a really great group of very dedicated people.I now realise why the BRG is held in such high esteem in more ways than just the person that completes it.I thoroughly enjoyed the whole 23 hours 18 mins and highly recommend to anyone thinking of attempting this to get involved withe supporting someone.Finally well done Tom I am truly inspired by your success.
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Originally Posted by L.F.F.
