Great Whernside

[mr brightside]

Really want to do this but i'll have to see what the knee says. Great view of Dowber gill on the way, if it's rained recently the section accross the peat bog after Hag Dyke will be very slippery. If i remember rightly there's quite a lot of gullies and slippery peaty walled channels.

[PeeJay]

Here is a description of the route which I wrote for the FRA magazine when the race was in the championships a couple of years ago.


4 miles 1555 feet part flagged. This is very much a straight up and straight down affair. The start is on the public footpath in the field next to the campsite and without any pre-amble, runners are immediately confronted with a tough climb through the initial fields. Follow the footpath all the way and after a brief respite in its angle you arrive at the former farmhouse of Hag Dike, now an outdoor hostel. After negotiating a couple of gates through the grounds you are on open fell and faced with the next obstacle, a steep broken gritstone crag, topped by a number of fine cairns. The path takes the line of least resistance tending rightwards to the top of the crag. Here the ground underfoot changes to boggy, peaty energy sapping mire! Despair not, you are soon beyond this and as the ground suddenly steepens for the final climb it becomes firm once more and as you pass through a number of erratic gritstone boulders you will see the summit cairn above your head, perched in its superb position atop a fine gritstone crag at (SE 002739). Go round the cairn and you are now faced with arguably the most exhilarating descent in the dales. Return from whence you came and don’t forget to stop before you hit the wall at the finish – seriously!

[Derby Tup]

Cracking race this! See you there Peejay

[mr brightside]

Fingers crossed, sounds like a good opportunity to polish up my descending.

[Al Fowler]

Fingers crossed, sounds like a good opportunity to polish up my descending.

Big long strides, mouth gauping open and let your arms fly about uncontrollably.
Works for me anyway.


Can do it this year, but it looks a cracker so its going on my list.

[mr brightside]

Big long strides, mouth gauping open and let your arms fly about uncontrollably.
Works for me anyway.


Can do it this year, but it looks a cracker so its going on my list.

It's the breathing i find hard, i always end up with diaphragm cramp. Long slowish breaths from low down was what i was advised by Brett, but i still need to get a balance between speed and breath. You can't go fast and breathe steady.

[Al Fowler]

It's the breathing i find hard, i always end up with diaphragm cramp. Long slowish breaths from low down was what i was advised by Brett, but i still need to get a balance between speed and breath. You can't go fast and breathe steady.

Good point.
I struggle with my breathing as well....a photo of me from langdale demonstrates it perfectly when im flying down the last steep grassy slope before the campsite and not getting any oxygen.
A huge vein is popping out of my forehead!

[scott baistow 93]

Good point.
I struggle with my breathing as well....a photo of me from langdale demonstrates it perfectly when im flying down the last steep grassy slope before the campsite and not getting any oxygen.
A huge vein is popping out of my forehead!

a similar thing happens with me if i dont get food within and hour of a short race i get really light headed and feel ill and dizzy dosent affect when im in the race so i carnt complain

[Stagger]

Might see if the Stagger clan fancy dragging the old boy up and down one day this week. Great route even for a walk

[Derby Tup]

Might see if the Stagger clan fancy dragging the old boy up and down one day this week. Great route even for a walk

Have fun if you get chance to come over. God's country is Wharfedale