BG Training

[keswicksimon]

Hi Andy
If I don't go on a planned trip to Rum this weekend ( because of a really crap forecast ) I'll join you for your leg 1 and 2 recce if you don't mind.
The route down the side of Hall's Fell that Geoff describes is one I used to use a few years ago. Since then I've stuck to Doddick which gets me to the A66 in a very comfortable 28 mins. There's a few awkward bits but I've found ways round those as you might expect. However, I'm keen to remind myself of Geoff's route.
As for Clough Head, "HANKS" way sounds a good one which I'll try on Saturday. Are you sure you can't be tempted to the top of Clough Head?

GEOFF... at what altitude are you picking up that NE spur on Clough Head?

[Hank]

GEOFF... at what altitude are you picking up that NE spur on Clough Head?

Around 525m... angle across from the style and aim below the rough ground marked on the Harvey's maps. The (broad) spur is initially steep, but eases off. By trending more to the left you'll pick up the trod from White Pike sooner. On Monday I went pretty much to White Pike. It's worth a try. Also, it'd be easy to skirt the summit of Clough Head for those that wish to avoid it!

By the way, 28 mins down Doddick to the A66 sounds quick to me. I feel like I'd have to really fly down to make up for the path run at the bottom. It's all about what you're comfortable with though I guess!

[Martyn P]

There's quite a bit on other threads on this. From what I've read & from talking to people the fastest way appears to be the Parachute, but you need to know it. I don't. So unless I end up with a pacer who knows it I'll be going down Halls Fell, & that's the way I'll recce on Saturday. I'll try to suss out the variant on the right described by Hank a few posts up, but I'm not sure I'll find it.

Tom Phillips took me down his variant of the Parachute on Saturday and I found it OK and preferable to the Halls Fell ascent, it's steep and involves scree, but none the worse for that. We took it really easy and were down in Fellside in 27mins. I will be going that way on the day itself. My GPS trace is here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/168253907

I saw your comment about the Robinson descent, which way are you planning to go? I have mixed feelings on this ...... I don't really have a problem with heading down to the crags and going over Snab Bank or dropping down the scree to the valley floor, particularly if you know the little short cut around the last set of crags, but I know a lot prefer the early drop off Robinson thus avoiding the crags completely. I did it the other week with Keswick Simon and I'm not sure, it's very tussocky and steep and once on the valley floor felt like a long way to Newlands, I have to wonder how that would feel on totally knackered legs.

[Derby Tup]

Hank's suggested Clough Head route sounds well worth a look. Clough Head is far worse than Steel Fell (steep but not long) and Yewbarrow (50mins is time to stroll up and stop to take photos, even on tired or unfit legs) imho. The majority of contenders finish leg 1 (often well) up on schedule and in really good spirits but then they're faced with the best part of an hour's ever-steepening slog. It's possibly the worst climb on the round for me

[Bob]

It's similar to the way I went on my round - once through the gate at Newsham House head for the point at which the old coach road goes round the ridge. There used to be an old railway waggon there. It's pretty dry across the lower part of the fell and much easier going above the coach road than the direct line.

I did it in 53mins on my round and it didn't feel rushed.

[Splatcher]

I saw your comment about the Robinson descent, which way are you planning to go?

At the moment I've no idea. It's the only bit I haven't seen in daylight. My only experience of it was pacing Saturday's run by Caz & Chris, when Alan led us down the scree. I knew at the time that I'd never spot the right place to descend in the dark without some careful recceing. My gut instinct is to get off the ridge early, tussocks or no tussocks, as long as there's some sort of path at the bottom. The scree was pretty horrible anyway. I hope losing a few minutes here won't matter, but getting lost in the crags certainly would. I'll be checking this out the weekend before my BG attempt (i.e. Sunday 27 May).

[#1Spookster]

Of course, if any BGR attemptees don't like the climb up Clough Head they could always go the correct way round (ACW) and turn it into a descent!!!

[Mark G]

Of course, if any BGR attemptees don't like the climb up Clough Head they could always go the correct way round (ACW) and turn it into a descent!!!

But if you do that shouldn't you then run up Blencathra via the parachute route?

[keswicksimon]

Went up Robinson yesterday to re-recce(!) my descent east into the valley floor. I straightened up my route a bit; I had a tendency to move onto more tussacky grass than I needed to. Bit am convinced for me thats the way to go.
Tried the variant up Clough Head today. It did feel very comfortable so will try this as part of a leg 1/2 recce thsi sunday to check out timings.
Also did the Eagle descent off Blencathra just to remind myself why I switched to Doddick. Although it shaved a couple of minutes of my Doddick time, I did feel a little bit more knackered than I'd like. Doddick stays!

[keswicksimon]

Sorry for not being clear. The variant is "Hanks" - see recent posting in this thread