Winter BG 13/2/15

[dudley roberts]

01:38 and ive got him just arriving at threlkeld

[Andrew B]

Oh dear
Will be interesting to hear what it was like

[Mark Smith]

Oh dear. Looks like they binned it off at Sticks Pass. Bad luck guys.

[Bobster]

On leg 1 it was slow going in the mist. Visibility down to about 5 metres on all tops. Despite being down on time everything was smooth and iain seemed comfortable to go at his own pace.

[lakesponyboy]

Report below of my attempt. Combination of poor visibility and safety of pacers led to dropping off at Sticks - probably only brought the same decision forward... Was feeling comfortable all the way, but struggled to maintain speed with little prospect of gaining later in the day.

'The Attempt'
First - a MASSIVE thanks to anyone who helped in any shape or form - without you it wouldn't have happened.
The weather through Friday was not looking good, so it was a nice surprise to start at 9pm and very little rain. Three pacers from Cumberland Fell Runners on leg 1 - great bunch of lads. Uneventful climb to Skiddaw, with a biting wind at the top. Main problems through this leg were tussocks and marshes (both unavoidable), and snow patches and poor visibility (less than 5m at times!). Odd navigational problems here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary, and down to Threlkeld about 35-40 minutes down on schedule.
Quick stop, then back out with Kie and Lucy. Good line up Clough Head, slightly right of perfect, but again back into the hill fog from about 600m. Lost the main path several times, but never for long, and increasing snow patches as we travelled through the Dodds meant more time lost. I was already thinking of where decisions would need to be made (Helvellyn?, Grisedale Tarn?, Dunmail??), but this was brought forward by Lucy starting to lose feeling in her feet, which then spread to ankles and into her calves. I always said safety would be paramount in any Winter attempt, so rather than split our group, I decided to pull at Sticks Pass and head down. I must say that the prospect of another couple of hours of hill fog didn't really appeal anyway...
So - I started, tried, and didn't succeed (sounds better than 'fail'). It also emphasised just how tough a Winter BG is going to be if you want to finish.
Winter BG season is now nearly over (end of Feb), and as far as I am aware, no successful Winter rounds this year - anyone want to join me in December for another go??

[Bob]

Hard luck Iain.

A lot of luck in winter attempts - far more so than in summer, you could have firm snow that supports your weight when running or it's just firm enough to stand on but collapses when you start to move (very, frustrating and tiring). I've supported two winter attempts, one successful in very cold and lean conditions, the other not - in even colder snowier conditions.

I can't remember how many had indicated to me that they were attempting a winter round this season but only one has succeeded - Tom Hollins.

[johnsty]

Bad luck mate.Safety first is the way to go