Great Lakeland 3Day 2012

[Don't fear the sweeper]

What's up? Everyone still knackered?

Day 1: Wall End Farm, Langdale – Pike O’Blisco – Caw – Black Combe (!) – Whitfell – Dalegarth
Planner’s route choice: 47 km with 2500m ascent
Weather: Medium strength cold wind but fairly sunny
My time: 9:20 Fastest time: 6:23
Difficult to decide which way to go from Caw to Black Combe.

Day 2: Dalegarth – Wasdale Head – Styhead Pass – High Raise – Steel Fell – St Sunday Crag – Patterdale – Troutbeck Park
Planner’s route choice: 48 km with 2700m ascent
Weather: Cold wind, hail between Wasdale Head & Styhead Pass
My time: 11:28 Fastest time: 7:02
I thought ascending High Raise would be the hardest section, but it turned out to be the head of Threshwaite Cove.

Day 3: Troutbeck Park – Caudale Moor – Red Screes – Fairfield – Tiny tarn just near Stickle Tarn - Wall End Farm
Planner’s route choice: 29 km with 2100m ascent
Weather: Very windy (used my thicker cag and was glad of it), some hail but mostly rain from Grasmere to the finish
My time: 7:57 Fastest time:4:20

Day 1 was quite knackering as there were long stretches off trail, for some reason I did lots of traversing and had wet skin sloughing off my toes. My local hills Pike o'Blisco, Swirl How, Dow Crag & White Pike felt easy but the tussocky wastes of Corney Fell & Black Combe made up for it! It was great to arrive at the camp and be able to grab your kitbag full of dry clothes, large tent and loads of food.

Day 2 was mostly on tracks, paths and trods, apart from the way we descended from Steel Fell. We certainly got to see a lot of the Lakes!

Day 3 had the worst weather but the prospect of a hot bath and home comforts afterwards. Made my worst navigational mistake on this section when I went very close to Silver How when going between Fairfield and Stickle Tarn - most of the others I spoke to went via Easedale Tarn.

All in all, a great weekend, and I'll be back next year!

[Toreador]

Yes, still completely exhausted. Surprisingly my muscles don't hurt, but my whole body aches instead and I need to catch up on a lot of sleep!

My stats:
Day 1 49km, 2400m ascent, 9:25. The long dogleg out to Black Combe felt a bit artificial, but at least I got to see an area I've never been before.
Day 2 48.5km, 2900m ascent, 11:10. Started well, even the snow near Styhead was fun, but the crossing of Threshthwaite Mouth nearly killed me!
Day 3 28km, 2050m ascent, 7:01. Still suffering after Sunday so started early, hoping to miss the bad weather promised for 9am. Stayed fine until 1pm when there was some light rain, which turned heavy about 30 seconds after I finished Was overtaken more than once by some people, so must have made some good route choices!

Not sure yet if I'll be back next year. The first 2 days were a bit too far for me (shorter than Joe's epic 100 miler, but longer than the other GL3Ds I've done). But there's plenty of time for the bad memories to fade...

Sweeper: good to see you, glad you finished on Monday, I kept expecting you to pass me again!
Mark: How's the calf? (I was the one whingeing about blisters when you told me you were heading back to Langdale!)

There'll be some photos once I've found the energy to download them.

[Mark Smith]

Well done all. I enjoyed it, despite pulling out with a very tight calf midway through day 2 (one I tore before on the fells, an experience I had no wish to repeat).

I managed day one in 8 hrs something and felt really well. I liked the format and atmosphere of the event too. Well done Shane et al.

The calf is fine now, Im having it looked at tomorrow but pulling out was a wise move as it was so tight by the time I got to the car that I was limping. Maybe it was the shoes, the lack of training...who knows but I'm so glad it didn't tear and that warning signs learned from previous scrapes were heeded.

Well done to those that did it all

[sw04]

It was good to meet you Mark, shame you had to pull out but it sounds like you did the right thing.

I think all of us who came down from Aberdeen enjoyed it, it was a well put together event with good courses & campsites with a good atmosphere throughout. It was certainly tough and this week is a much-needed recovery one. On day 2 in particular it was amazing how much of the Lakes we covered, with almost every leg being a distinct run in it's own right. Like mountain marathons all it takes is a little time before I'll be keen to enter again next year if possible.

My main concern now is that my last two trips to the Lakes have had uninterrupted clear, dry skies with little wind. My next trip is much more dependent on cooperative weather but I am pushing my luck to expect it!

Colin

[Mark Smith]

Hi Colin, was good to meet you too - you are in great shape and have that look in your eye that suggests nothing will stop you getting around the BGR in a few weeks time. I have to admit as to being jealous as hell, it's a great place to be mentally and physically.

The weather is generally more settled in May than in June. May and October always seem to be the best months for settled weather in the Lakes.

Good luck and remind me, when are you going again? Might be able to swing a pass...

[sw04]

Mark,
The GL3D has given me a certain degree of confidence that I'm there physically, but I'm taking nothing for granted. Planned date is 26th May, ~8am start (anti-clockwise). It will be a low key attempt, relying on mutual witnessing as much as possible though we do plan to have individual support for the latter half where possible. That's not all in place yet but I haven't resorted to a request on here - yet! Let me know if you get a pass though!

Colin

[Don't fear the sweeper]

Yes, still completely exhausted. Surprisingly my muscles don't hurt, but my whole body aches instead and I need to catch up on a lot of sleep!

Good to meet you too. My legs seem fine too - shows I didn't push myself enough! I guess your whole body ache is partly due to using poles.

[Toreador]

My routes if anyone's interested:

http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook...=2022&i=206078
http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook...=2022&i=206081
http://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook...=2022&i=206084

[Toreador]

http://results.sportident.co.uk/home...1&mobile=false

(you have to select 'Course' from the class dropdown)

[Toreador]

Is anyone else doing this at the weekend? The weather looks to be shaping up pretty well at the moment!