Todays permitted exercise!

[Mike T]

8.21 miles, 4,390 feet, 4 hours: ODG - The Band - Three Tarns - Crinkle Crags - Red Tarn - Pike o'Blisco - ODG. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 1,500 feet. A very strong blustery wind from the west. A few minutes of drizzle/light rain. Terrain saturated - rocks in particular very slippery. I saw 8 others on the fells - 2 pairs of runners and 2 pairs of walkers.

The steps descending to Red Tarn were lethal - if I was doing that section again in the near future I would go on the grass well above/to the right of the steps.

There was a loud screeching noise coming from Stool End Farm as I approached - it turns out it was a chap demonstrating a jet-pack. Unfortunately I did not see him in the air.

[Mike T]

10.07 miles, 2,632 feet, 3 hours 13 minutes: Loughrigg trails, ascending and descending via Fishgarths Wood, and going up both the race route from the road at High Close, and the Lougrigg Tarn steps. Sunshine and clouds, with the cloud base mostly above the tops. A moderate wind from the west. A few minutes of drizzle/light rain. Terrain saturated/streaming and very slippery. Not many walkers on the fell; 2 fellow runners seen.

[Mike T]

8.68 miles, 3,038 feet, 2 hours 53 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 3 sides (west, east, and south-east), including along the ridge to the true top. Sunshine and clouds, some of the latter just obscuring the occasional high top. A moderate breeze from the west. Some of the rocks were dry, but the terrain was mainly damp/wet/saturated/streaming and very slippery in places. Quite a few walkers about - on my first visit to the Pike I was the only one there - on the second there were 13 others, and on the third, 14. No other runners seen.

[Mike T]

13.1 miles, 3,699 feet, 3 hours 45 minutes: Fairfield Horseshoe c/w from Rothay Bridge, going around to the left of Great Rigg, keeping to the left on the Fairfield plateau, and descending on the west of the wall between High Pike and just above the rock step. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,000 feet. A strong wind from the south west. No rain. Terrain damp or wetter, and very slippery in places. Quite a few walkers on the fells, and I saw 3 other runners.

2 of the runners came up behind me on Heron Pike, and I showed them the trod to the left around the second top.

The other runner and I left Fairfield together - she took the initially runnable tourist path to the right, and I took the trod to the left, which is runnable for longer, and I came out ahead of her on the descent to Link Hause. We split again ascending Hart Crag, she went to the right while I took my new route - 90 degrees right at the second cairn as the tourist path starts to descend - and again I came out ahead of her as we progressed next to the wall. I went through the gate just above High Pike, she continued on the race side of the wall, and I gained a bit of a lead, only for her to end up up ahead of me when I stopped to take some photos - she remained in front and possibly increased her lead thereafter - we both went down the rock step - I last saw her as she crossed the stile below it. What fun!

[Mike T]

9.24 miles, 2,655 feet, 3 hours 5 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Clappersgate - Todd Crag - Lily Tarn - race route/tourist path to the top - race route descent to the road at High close - left along the road and up the steps opposite Loughrigg Tarn - descent via Fishgarths Wood - Rothay Bridge. Sunshine and high clouds, a moderate wind from the north, no rain. Terrain damp/wet/saturated and slippery in places. Quite a few walkers about; no other runners seen.

A helicopter came in very low this morning and we guessed it was landing in Rothay Park. Apparently a poor pedestrian was hit by a car in the middle of Ambleside. Hopefully they are OK.

[Mike T]

12.83 miles, 3,634 feet, 4 hours 29 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Fairfield and back via the rock step, Low/High Pikes, Dove and Hart Crags, and staying on the race side of the wall. Overcast, with the occasional glimpse of blue sky; the cloud base was at about 2,000 feet initially, later it was above the tops. A few minutes of drizzle. A strong wind from the south west. I saw about a couple of dozen walkers on the fells, and 1 fellow runner.

On the way back, I stayed well to the north/left on the Fairfield plateau, thus avoiding the long rocky unrunnable section on the tourist path. I also kept well to the left both descending Scrubby Crag, and ascending from Link Hause, as a lot of it is grass.

I used to recommend going around the rock step, but now that the bracken is on the retreat, and given how rough the track going around it is, I would suggest having a thorough recce before rejecting it.

[Mike T]

7.09 miles, 2,389 feet, 2 hours 27 minutes: Wansfell Pike, taking in Borrans Park, Stagshaw Gardens, the Champion Tree Trail, and Blue Hill Road and Woods. Overcast, with mist down to the valley floor at times. A moderate wind from the west. Constant light/moderate rain. Terrain saturated/streaming - puddles and rivulets everywhere - very slippery. Nobody else seen on the fell.

[Mike T]

8.74 miles, 2,487 feet, 2 hours 52 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including twice up the steps opposite Loughrigg Tarn, and once down the race route to the road at High Close. Very sunny, with a few high clouds. No rain, no significant wind. Terrain wet/saturated and slippery. Quite few walkers about; no other runners seen.

There was a large group - 20 or so - descending the race route to the road - some had tennis shoes on - it requires care even with fell shoes on!

The race route thrashed through the bracken for the junior races a few weeks back remains an excellent way down - facing down hill from just above/before the top gate take the path to the right next to the wall, and just keep going next to the wall, across a couple of stiles, until it joins the path down from the kissing gate below Lily Tarn. Then go up right for about 10 seconds (it is better than carrying on straight down) before continuing the descent to the little wooden bridge and joining the road where it zigzags. It is 1 mile from the top gate to Miller Bridge using this route.

[Travs]

Mike, i went down the steep descent from the summit to Loughrigg Terrace on sunday morning, down the steep steps... that was really slippery in damp conditions.

[Mike T]

Mike, i went down the steep descent from the summit to Loughrigg Terrace on sunday morning, down the steep steps... that was really slippery in damp conditions.

Those steps are horrible to descend when wet - even when dry they are unpleasant. The race route descent is a much better way down, though that requires care in places.