Map collection somewhere up above Town End? Hard to imagine the later road crossing being south of Grasmere, so, like you say, looks likely to be Dunmail-ish. Bad news as there's nowhere from there that doesn't involve a stiff climb back on to higher ground and it's likely we'll be finishing over the much nobbled ground of Blea Rigg/Silver How!
Geoff Clarke
I'd have thought so... somewhere possibly on the path up towards Alcock Tarn. Looks like it needs to head that way in order to reach the open access land.Originally Posted by Hank
What a great day out on the fells today. When people say it is the 'complete test' in Fell Running i am inclined to agree 100%
Not one step is won easily. Strangely I didn't feel as physically stressed as say Buttermere or the Welsh 1000, despite clocking up 22.5 miles and over 10000ft. I think because the concentration needed to stay on course means a steadier pace is maintained, rather than pedal to the metal all the way round. Standing on the top of Dove Crag, staring down the north-east side of the mountain into the abyss in a storm, knowing there was a checkpoint somewhere down there, was quite intimidating for my first attempt to find a checkpoint on the LDMT!
Picked up the map at Alcock Tarn, then the above-mentioned 1st leg to the far side of a Dove Crag, a long leg. I went over into Rydale and climbed the flank of Dove Crag, but a lot of people appear to have gone round the Fairfield Horseshoe to get there.
Next leg was straightforward in terms of route choice, a traverse round the crags of Hart Crag down to a stream bend. Easy choice, but probably the most technically difficult leg, very greasy and steep crags abound.
Then another stream cp, this time on the Dunmail Side of Seat Sandal. I could only see one obvious route on the map, a slog up onto and over Fairfield, down Grisedale Hause and traverse round. But a few more experienced guys look to have found a better way, traversing round to Deepdsle Hause and Grisedale Tarn.
After the road crossing at Dunmail, a steep climb up Steel Fell and a long cross-country section to Tarn Crag. Despite surveying this area on Saturday in good weather, it was still confusing. Then a couple of shorter legs over rough ground round Sergeant Man, High Raise and back over Calf Crag.
The final long leg seemed to provide the most interesting route choice, to a sheepfold between Blea Rigg and Silver Howe. I suspect a lot of people took the most direct route but I couldn't face any more bog, tussock and rough traversing, and feeling like my legs were still full of running, dropped down into Far Easdale, all the way down the valley path, turning back up to climb past Sourmilk Gill to Easdale Tarn, then a direct traverse to the sheepfold. More experience would have showed me that I took a generally good route, but could have saved myself a mile by contouring round to Easdale Tarn instead of following the path strictly. Last couple miles followed easy paths back to Grasmere.
So got round, 6hrs45 which I'd have snapped your hand off for at the start. No major errors which was especially pleasing. The weather was pretty nasty for the fist half, very little visibility and frequent heavy rain. It cleared up after Dunmail but there were still storm bursts and heavy gusts of wind. A tough initiation into the LDMT, but overall I'm very glad I jumped in at the deep and andd went for the classic course.
I'll definitely be back next year. I just hope it continues to be on a different weekend to Peris. I can't miss either of these now, and that would be some weekend to have to do both...!
Hello to Dan Gilbert and Tindersticks, great running all round. And PeteS and Calvin I didn't catch you but saw you had good finishes as well.
Pete
Last edited by Travs; 10-09-2018 at 07:30 AM.
Great result Pete, well done fella.
I clocked up 25.6 miles with 10000ft.
Tough day out for sure.
Well done, Pete. Glad you got round OK. Sounds like you have got the bug and will be back again next year!
I did the short (13 miles & 4800ft) Training not been great of late so took it easy and apart from a bit of indecision leading to a bad route choice to CP2, had quite a good run. Enjoyed it immensely despite the weather.
Results and route gadget are here:
http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2018/LDMTA/
This was an interesting one. I went back up Mere Beck and contoured to the Blea Rigg ridge. I'm not convinced it was the quickest, but I didn't fancy the brackeny slopes up to the control from the Easedale route.
Like you I went via the Rydal valley and Dove Crag to number 1. I think for strong runners the horseshoe route would be quicker, but I wouldn't have been moving quick enough to take advantage of the good running. Agree re. the contour to 2, not a lot of fun.
Again like you I went over Fairfield to 3. I was happy with the extra climb to avoid more grim contouring. It'll be interesting to look at the splits for that leg as it was a tricky route decision.
I mindlessly ballsed up 6-7, which was super annoying as it was just about the easiest leg.
A testing day out in the hills. Just about enjoyable in retrospect!
Geoff Clarke
3 - This contour wasn't really a contour - at least not in the terms of the contour to 2. The slog up to Deepdale hause was tortuous though (especially as Wood and Fallas could be seen climbing better)
10 - the contour into Easdale was not the best, got caught in nipple-high bracken. The ascent into the control from blindmoss tarn was a slight risk given gorse/bracken but a route was found (bit of local knowledge from SLMM day1 made me think it would be).
Nic Barber. Downhill Dandy
Well done ba-ba.... I did briefly try and say hello to you at Dunmail, but you very much had your race head on.... hope I didn't break your concentration (it doesn't appear to have harmed your performance, congratulations on the win!).
I fancy myself as a decent ascender and tried to keep on your tail up Steel Fell, and whilst you were studying the map on the way up, didn't have too much trouble. But when you put it away and concentrated on the climb, you were well away! Jack Wood came past like an absolute steamtrain just before Dunmail, but looking at the splits, seemed to have suffered in the easy run in.
Well done Pete, it was a great day, but a long day too. I also went via Rydal and the Dove Crag ridge to CP1. I dropped lower to get to 2 to avoid the crags below Hart Crag. A bit more climbing but maybe a little easier ground. Up to Link Hause and over Fairfield to 3. Lost it a bit on the way to 6 and took me almost until 9 to recover. Opted for the Far Easdale route to 10, cutting the corner to get to Sour Milk Gill, which was a bad idea through a lot of thick bracken. Should have stayed on the path. Took a pretty much direct line to the sheepfold from here to the west of Blind tarn Moss. Was quite good going on trods and clearings through the bracken. Made it back in time to see the prize giving which was the target I had in the back of my mind.
I reached the penultimate control about 45s after Jack on the hill and he knew it. He took a duff line of (maybe got brackened) and knew I was gone so to some extent I think he jogged it in.
Nic Barber. Downhill Dandy
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