Yesterday was meant to see me and a friend have a go at the Cumbrian Traverse but the prospect of clag on the tops and wet conditions underfoot meant that the chances of a decent time were shot and Kent is a long way for him to come for a damp day out on the fells - we postponed. Giving Duddon a go for the first time instead was a bit of a spur of the moment thing. I knew the ground from the 3 Shires checkpoint onwards, in theory at least - the first half, really not so much.
In good weather I guess it'd be a hard but mostly runnable long race but yesterday felt like much more of an adventure, one of those ones where I had my map and compass in hand for almost all of it and runners would appear and disappear in different directions in the mist. Highlights - finding the lovely trod from Little Stand down to the top of Wrynose, running in the same small group as Nicky Spinks for a bit between Dow Crag & White Pike, before she skipped effortlessly off into the gloom ahead of me, the kind marshals on top of White Pike who fed me Jelly Babies.......the lowlights - having a bit of a bonk and getting quite cold on the stretch down from Swirl How, disappearing up to mid-thigh in some nameless bog somewhere, picking a rubbish line off White Pike then triumphantly summitting Caw only to realise I'd actually just needlessly climbed Pikes instead. All in all a fab day out and massive thanks to the RO and his team and especially all the marshals up on the tops for giving up their day to make it happen.
Reply With Quote
