In terms of nasty step descents I think those going down into Dovedale, and those from Red Tarn down into Oxendale, are the worst - very steep +/- wet +/- slippery +/- sloping the wrong way. Instead of the steps down into Oxendale, I would much rather go up and over Blisco.
12.08 miles, 3,515 feet, 3 hours 45 minutes: Rothay/Miller/Low Sweden Bridges - rock step - Low/High Pikes - High Bakestones - Scandale - Red Screes - Roundhill Farm - Ambleside. Overcast, with no distinct cloud base, a few brief patches of blue sky, intermittent drizzle/light/moderate rain, a moderate wind from the south west. Terrain saturated/streaming and slippery. I saw about a dozen walkers on the fells; 5 runners seen - 3 in the valley, 2 on the fells.
Going up the rock step is quite safe in the wet - the first 6 feet or so is quite straightforward, then there is a 5 foot smooth vertical rock with no decent foot steps - this is best left alone, and some rock steps well around to the right taken instead. These rocks do slope slightly the wrong way, but there are some really good hand holds to compensate.
10.19 miles, 3,538 feet, 3 hours 22 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 3 sides (west, then east, then south east), and along the ridge to the true top. Sunshine and high clouds, no rain, a moderate wind from the south west. Terrain very variable - anything from dry to wet/saturated/streaming; very slippery in places. The main paths on the fell were very busy with walkers; 4 other runners seen.
9.11 miles, 2,880 feet, 2 hours 54 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including Fishgarths Wood, Todd Crag, Lily and Loughrigg Tarns, down and up the race route to the road at High Close, and up the steps opposite Loughrigg Tarn. Sunshine and high clouds, mainly the latter; intermittent drizzle/light rain; a very strong blustery wind from the south west. Terrain very variable; slippery where wet/saturated. Not many walkers on the fell; 2 other runners seen.
The wind was so strong I did not get to the very top of Loughrigg on my second visit - to do so I would have had to get on all fours.
For anyone who does not know how to find the (Loughrigg-Silver How) race descent to the road at High Close: head north down the main path towards Grasmere for about 50 metres - the path is rocky on the right, grass zigzags on the left - where it flattens out there is a large solitary boulder and a cairn - turn 90 degrees left and take the grassy trod through the low bracken - it curves around to the right and goes just to the right of a small tarn - ignore the trods to the left and the right and keep going straight on down - once on the path it is obvious - it is a good way both up and down.
13.07 miles, 3,528 feet, 4 hours 14 minutes: Rothay Bridge to Fairfield and back, going up and down the eastern half of the horseshoe, staying on the race side of the wall apart from a couple of hundred yards below Hart Crag, and using the rock step both ways. Sunny with some thin high clouds; the occasional top was obscured by cloud banks. No rain nor significant wind. Terrain anything from dry to saturated and slippery. Quite a few walkers on the fells; 1 other runner seen.
Again I was "paced" - on the ascent - all the way from Low Sweden Bridge to Dove Crag - I only got away from this strong walker when it flattened out and I could start to run.
10.35 miles, 3,296 feet, 3 hours 14 minutes: Wansfell Pike from 2 sides (west, then east), including along the ridge to the true top. Overcast, with the cloud base just catching some of the highest tops. No rain. A moderate wind from the south east, only really noticeable on the ridge. Terrain very variable - dry with good grip in some places - damp/wet/saturated/slippery in others. Quite a few walkers on the fell. No other runners seen.
9.78 miles, 2,571 feet, 3 hours 10 minutes: Loughrigg trails, including down and up the race route to/from the road at High Close, and up the steps from Loughrigg Tarn. Overcast, with the cloud base at about 2,500 feet, and some large cloud banks at various levels below that; generally rather misty. Constant drizzle/light rain; no wind. Terrain saturated/streaming and slippery. I saw about a dozen walkers on the fell; no other runners seen.
From the top of Loughrigg down to the road at High Close is half a mile and 600 feet each way. The tarn I mention on this route in #2304 is not the one you can see from the top.
Originally Posted by Mike T
My Hallin Fell reps came out at 550ft in half a mile... if i was going up them in close to 6 and half minutes i was moving well.
Well over a foot a second - that is good going.
9.57 miles, 1,762 feet, 2 hours 25 minutes: Rothay Bridge - Clappersgate - Bog Lane - Skelwith Fold - Skelwith Bridge - Black Crag - back the way I had come, but leaving out Skelwith Bridge. Sunshine and clouds, misty in the distance, the cloud base was at about 2,500 feet. No rain; a moderate wind from the south. Terrain saturated/streaming/slippery. Not many walkers on this route - I saw about half a dozen runners from the Langdale marathon/half-marathon.
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