Buttermere Sailbeck

[Fellhound]

...I can now no longer just check the FRA calendar to see what races are on, I have to check FRA, SHR, WFRA & every individual club website to check for races such as Pendle Cloughs etc. A ridiculous situation i'm sure a fair few others within the sport agree with. It's starting to make the pro/amateur debacle look good.

Regarding fragmentation, there is already a large amount of fragmentation due to the fact that the FRA is so arrogant that it dismisses "lesser" organisations as insignificant and only seems interested in bombastically declaring itself the be all and end all of fell and hill running in the UK.

It now seems to have begun a policy of excluding races that are not FRA registered from it's calender so we can presumably expect to see Scottish and Welsh races disappearing from the list before long.

Wouldn't it be better if all the race-promoting bodies nationwide worked together to further the aims of fell runners and race organisers? WFRA, and SHR are amenable to that but the FRA is too full of it's own importance and too determined to lay down the law on it's own terms.

THAT's the problem!

[PeteS]

Well chevin. Since you have failed to address my concenrs by PM which I would have preferred,

I am obliged to protest at your totally inappropriate characterisation of the legitimate concerns of worried RO - who carry the can as "unnecessary politicking"

........

It is inappropriate.

...and so is your post!

So on to sailbeck 2014

Well done to the RO for the outcome of Sailbeck 2014,

Yes, well done Rhys on a superbly organised event and the excellent manner in which those runners who got into difficulty were dealt with. Chapeau!

Also not enough is seemingly being heeded by runners in terms of navigation. Why is it those that went of course, a significant number appeared not to notice that in heading for grass moor they were travelling at over 45 degrees, even 90 degrees from the rough bearings they should have memorized in advance?

It is my view that the RO instructions to runners for an event like this should be to study the route on the map and "memorize the critical bearings and directions of travel so that they can be aware when they are travelling in substantively the wrong direction, demanding stopping and studying the map". The runners are not paying enough attention - and the runners instructions need beefing up because of it.

I don't mind admitting that I went a little off course after Eel Crag and went too far over to the Grasmoor side before I realised and headed back over towards Whiteless Edge. I've run over that ground loads of times before without trouble but the conditions last weekend were just horrible. It's an easy mistake to make and one I'm sure we've all made at some point somewhere. Of course when you are then lost compass barings are pointless as you no longer have a reference point......

Blimey!!! Rant over? Think he needs to take a break from the forum.....( Not wishing to get involved in a hot tempered debate but...) isn't the inherent risk involved what makes our sport exhilarating and exciting? Sure, we have to minimise the risk as much as possible but by making fell running completely safe it wouldn't be fell running. Were all grown ups and sometimes the weather /conditions catch us out...Sometimes we just have accidents that no one could predict. Having necessary procedures in place works like it did very successfully on Saturday and what could have been a disaster wasn't because the right people and systems were in place. Yes review is healthy but lets try and be positive please, ranting on here is just pointless and negative......

Well I'm with you Maggie. Sometimes the conditions in the mountains do catch you out but no one in that race was particularly ill prepared as far as I could see. Rhys and his team should be praised for the outcome and not slated for putting on the race, even though they went way and above the FRA guidelines. I was also particularly heartened to hear of runners abandoning their own race to assist those in trouble.

Those positives are what I shall take from this race.

[Witton Park]

I bet the gloves came in handy (no pun intended )

[PeteS]

Ha! Yes indeed.

[ChevinbyTorchlight]

Apology accepted 'Always Injured' - power to the people!!

By the way, I did wear just a vest for the race, I put my gloves on so my hands still worked and I could feed myself and access my bumbag, and was more than aware that had I stopped for any time I would have had to put my kit on straight away. However that is my choice and I believe I used my judgement throughout the race to assess whether I needed to put my jacket on. I do appreciate it looks reckless to some, but the only race I have ever worn more than a vest for is Great Lakes Champs Race t'other year when it was biblical, and I stand by my ability (and right) to self manage within set safety guidelines!

[Phil Winskill]

Brrr! You're a braver man than me. It's got to be good conditions for me to wear nothing but a vest. All the whippets around me were wearing thermals (Phil Davies, Pete Vale, Bill Stewart, Si Booth et al). For me, I consider how I'd feel if I had to stop. I'd rather take my chances with a thermal and a waterproof than vest and a waterproof....

[Maggie May]

Thanks Phil. ...
Vest for me Chevin-I always get too hot on races (maybe a bit of body fat comes in handy sometimes I didn't put my coat on til Eel Crag, wet through and freezing but felt immediate relief...

[andygib1982]

Give it a bloody rest allwaysinjured you come across as a reet tosser. Grind your axe somewhere else

[OB1]

What a t**t!

Teet?
Toot?
Tart?
Twit?

Oh I give up - which was it?

[Fellhound]

Give it a bloody rest allwaysinjured you come across as a reet tosser. Grind your axe somewhere else

AI is prone to the odd rant but he has the best interests of the sport at heart so please be a bit less caustic... A simple 'order...order' will do