sterilising water on the hill

[Al Fowler]

What about small tarns.


Would people still risk those when theres no other water about?

[wheezing donkey]

Fellfarer, general rule of thumb is to pick up fast flowing water from streams; where it is tumbling (bubbling) over/down rocks. Thus the water is well aereated/oxygenated, which should kill most bacteria.
A chemist friend tells the tale of when he was teaching at a special needs school in central Scotland and had taken a group of kids wild camping in the Highlands. One night they camped at the foot of a waterfall, from which they drew their drinking water. The next morning they struck camp and walked upstream. 100 yards above the waterfall was the putrifying carcass of an old stag. No-one took any harm!
I would certainly be dubious about drinking from the peaty/brackish becks in Bowland. Although some mighty be fast flowing, not may 'tumble' over any significant falls or rocks. Plus around the 'gullery' on Ward's Stone you have the droppings from the gulls (at night) which spend the day feeding on the council tip at Salt Ayre. Also, Brennand Tarn is a staging point for migrating geese. A late friend ( RIP Pete ) who was a member of Bowland Pennine MRT, once drank from Brennand Tarn - vommitting and the trots and bed-ridden for 3 weeks - the bed of the tarn is reputedly solid goose droppings!!!

[Donkarlo]

You should be able to find plenty of running water on the Cumbrian Traverse.

I have always drunk from streams, ideally fast flowing over rocks as mentioned, and never had any trouble.

[andy k]

I've always happily drunk from the becks, though I try to use those that flow from remote ground (i.e. no one goes there so little chance of any contamination), or that issue from a marsh or such (moss is a great filter).
A small gentle flow from a marsh is fine in my book. ( I used one such on the descent from Grey Knotts to Honister the other day)

I've Never drunk from a tarn, wouldn't risk it.

I would say that just now the fells are very dry, with many small streams dried up.
So there may be long sections of the CT that have little to offer, those long ridge runs.
One source I've used in the past is just the Eskdale side of Esk Hause, where a couple of streams issue straigh out of the marsh ground, you need to stay left of the path and drop a little. Can't say whether there is anything there at the moment though....

If I were you I'd take a good few bottles with you, ones that you can refill when you get the chance. They don't all need to be full at the start. As you run you'll get a sense of how much you need and you can judge how many to fill when the opportunity arises.
The long ridge sections will be dry and your opportunities will be the climb out of Wrynose, Esk Hause south, probably off Great End also. dropping in to Honister (if needed), across to High Spy.

I think we were chatting on the green in Elterwater on Saturday over our beers.
Good luck on Sunday.

[IanDarkpeak]

I'd agree with WD, pretty much spot on. Avoid any Tarn that has regular campers by it, The BMC used to have a page on it's site with warnings about the water quality(health hazard) of some of the Lakeland Tarns. Water flowing in should be ok and avoid any water course that has livestock grazing regularly(mainly Valleys).

The spring by the Start of Billys Rake was only just dribbling last week and we eventually filled about 5 bottles from it with no consequences. I've drunk water direct from various streams and springs for 20+ years with no effect.

[sbrt]

My team-mate for this years Rab MM, takes medication which reduces his immune system. Any recommendations for water purification.

[DaveB999]

I used this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-TRAVEL-TAP...item4ce9ba646e

The travel tap purifier. The flow rate is VERY slow however, so it took me about 10 minutes to squeeze out a litre for drinking. My mate, who is not so fussed use Chlorine tabs.

As I was on stomach tablets, I really didn't want a stomach problem and this didn't add any taste

[mr brightside]

Steripen, expensive though.

[IanDarkpeak]

Chlorine are of only limited value. for best results use iondine tablets but the water must be clear. they are in effective in cloudy water. also check with doctor first as they can can problems with people with some medical conditions. Make sure you only use in measured dose.
1 tab per litre bottle.

[sbrt]

tks all