Todays permitted exercise!

[Mike T]

10.02 miles, 3,288 feet, 3 hours 4 minutes: Loughrigg trails, ascending via Fox Ghyll, taking in Ivy Crag, Loughrigg top, down to the road at High Close, Lilly Tarn, Todd Crag, and descending through Fishgarths Wood. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet, drizzly for the first hour or so. Terrain saturated and slippery. A very strong wind at times, unpredictable in both strength and direction. I would not have wanted to be any higher. A few walkers on the fell, and four fellow runners.

[Mike T]

13.22 miles, 3,577 feet, 3 hours 56 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Roman Ruins - Champion Tree Trail - Blue Hill Road - Roundhill Farm - Red Screes - Roundhill Farm - Blue Hill Road - Skelghyll Lane - Ambleside. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 500 feet. Virtually continuous drizzle/light rain, a moderate wind from the south west - not at all cold. Terrain saturated and slippery. Only six walkers on the fell; quite a few lower down, and the roads are busy. Three fellow runners seen.

[Mike T]

10.03 miles, 3,893 feet, 3 hours 36 minutes: Wansfell Pike, including twice up/down the race route from/to the kissing gate, and Wansfell true top. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,500 feet. A moderate wind from the south, intermittent drizzle, not at all cold. Terrain saturated and slippery - there has been a lot of rain in the last 24 hours. Quite a few walkers on the steps, and two fellow runners.

[Mike T]

10.82 miles, 4,777 feet, 3 hours 51 minutes: Elterwater - Silver How - Lang How - Swinescar Pike - Blea Rigg - Sergeant Man - then back more or less the way I had come. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,500 feet, some brief patches of blue sky. A very strong blustery wind from the south west; a few minutes of painful rain. Not cold. Terrain saturated and slippery. I saw a couple of dozen walkers on the fells, and a pair of fellow runners.

[Mike T]

10.02 miles, 3,608 feet, 3 hours 11 minutes: Loughrigg trails, ascending/descending via Fishgarths Wood, and taking in Todd and Ivy Crags, the road at High Close, and Lilly Tarn. Overcast, with the cloud base between 1,500 and 2,500 feet. No rain whilst I was out. The strong wind from the south west persists, though it is not quite as blustery. Terrain wet/saturated and slippery. Lots of walkers on the main paths, some in large groups.

[Mike T]

9.5 miles, 4,061 feet, 3 hours 25 minutes: Wansfell Pike, including along the ridge to Wansfell true top and back, and twice up/down the race route from/to the kissing gate. Overcast, cloud base at about 2,500 feet, a few spells of sunshine, a couple of minutes of light rain. A moderate wind from the south west, colder than of late. Terrain saturated and slippery. Lots of walkers on the Wansfell steps.

[Mike T]

9.76 miles, 3,179 feet, 3 hours 3 minutes: Loughrigg trails. Sunshine and clouds, with some clouds just catching the highest tops. Overnight frost from the valley floor up, with some snow above 1,200 feet. A cold wind from the north - I am so glad I had three layers on top and bottom. Terrain frozen and crunchy in many places, though the grip was good if obvious ice was avoided. Microspikes carried but not used. Lots of walkers on Loughrigg top both times I went there.

[Mike T]

12.16 miles, 3,604 feet, 4 hours 4 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Miller Bridge - Low Sweden Bridge - up the Rock Step - Low Pike, with the wall on my left, swapping to the other side of the wall at High Pike - Dove Crag - Scandale - Red Screes - Roundhill Farm - Ambleside. A virtually cloudless blue sky, a cold wind from the north. Terrain frozen above 1,000 feet, with extensive patches of ice, and an inch or so of snow on the tops, more where it has drifted. Grip was OK as long as the ice was avoided - microspikes carried but not used. Quite a few walkers on the fells, and three fellow runners.

[Mike T]

8.83 miles, 2,494 feet, 2 hours 45 minutes: Loughrigg trails, ascending via Fishgarths Wood, descending past the old Golf Club to Miller Bridge, and taking in Todd Crag, Lilly Tarn, Loughrigg top, and to/from the road at High Close. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 600 feet, constant rain/sleet/snow depending on height - wet snow on the ground down to about 200 feet above the valley floor. A cold wind from the south. Very slippery in places. A few walkers on the fell, and one fellow runner. Microspikes carried but not used. So glad I had three layers on.

[Mike T]

8.91 miles, 3,600 feet, 3 hours 7 minutes: Wansfell Pike, including along the ridge and back to/from Wansfell true top, and twice up/down the race route from/to the kissing gate. Sunshine, clouds, and brief graupel showers. Cloud base just catching the high tops. Snow on the ground above 800 feet or so - some terrain icy above this level, making grip unpredictable. Microspikes carried but not used. Quite a few walkers on the Wansfell steps. One fellow runner seen.