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Thread: Bob Graham Route Choices

  1. #1
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    Bob Graham Route Choices

    Been wondering about some route choices for the BG. Has anyone got more details or ideas on any of the following please:-

    1) line up onto Clough Head from Newsham house. When I recced this earlier in January I went with Bob's suggestion of striking up left. My gut feeling is that this was a longer way and direct up might have been quicker (Bob also mentions on his site the alternative of following the fence). But the impression I had was that going left may have given less boggy ground - is this really so. It was pixxing down in January, and I came back down by the fence and didn't notice a problem...

    2) line off Grey Knotts to Honister. Has anyone an accurate description of the line that is more runnable down to the car park? Obviously going up one sticks to the fence, but going down there is a longer but quicker way out to the left...

    3) route from portinscale to keswick. I've never done this bit, but from looking at the map there are 2 footbridges marked. Is the best route to follow the small lane over the river and then right on the footpath marked on the map; or can one get through the hotel on Derwent Hill and make use of the other footbridge marked on the map. There's not a lot in it, but was curious which was better...

    4) route from Scafell to Wasdale. isn't there a scree run down somewhere, or is the best option the descent to the corpse road? Bob does mention on his site about cutting down right to some stile and then following a wall down to the bottom.

  2. #2
    Master NotOnUrHelly's Avatar
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    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    Regarding No4

    There is a scree run, it brings you out right near the national trust camp site at Wasdale. Im not sure on how this sets you up for yewbarrow though.
    Not sure on how to get to it either, it takes you down to Lingmell Gill from a quick check of my not so detailed map.
    Last edited by NotOnUrHelly; 23-01-2007 at 09:23 PM.

  3. #3

    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    [quote=
    2) line off Grey Knotts to Honister. Has anyone an accurate description of the line that is more runnable down to the car park? Obviously going up one sticks to the fence, but going down there is a longer but quicker way out to the left...[/quote]

    When you go over the stile on the summit of Grey Knotts go straight on (to follow the fence you would go to the right thats East after the stile) after about 20m a trod will be visibly going down but to the left, its not too hard to find, it goes further left than you think it should but its very fast.

    Bill

  4. #4
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    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    Re 1: The normal route is to take a bee line from Newsham initially via trods and then over damp terrain to a stile in the fence on the Old Coach Road and then up between two streamless grass gullies that are obvious from below. At the top of the gullies turn slightly right and then up the headwall either on the right to hit the ridge or alternatively pick up an indistinct trod just to the left of the steepest ground. There is also an alternative after Newsham namely to swing further to the right via indistinct trods to pick up the Old Coach Road further to the west and then follow that until the aforementioned stile.

    Re 2: I agree the route described is far quicker than the fence in descent (ie clockwise). From the summit (which I regard as the top immediately to the south east of the fence corner) go due north over the fence (no stile) and then trend well over to the left on a path.

    Re 3: I wasn't even aware of the other footbridge until I checked the map which actually shows 3 footbridges but only one (the one furthest from Derwentwater) with a public right of way. This is the one everyone uses on the BG.

    Re 4: I did the scree run on my BG but that is the only time I have done it. Generally I prefer the gentler descent (although still steep in part) further to the left. The scree run is only about 200ft in altitude so the advantage of its speed is minimal. I regard the additional risk of the steep ground and the additional stiles and fence to climb as negating this advantage but as usual it is really down to personal preference as there is very little difference between the 2 routes in time. They both bring you down to the Brackenclose.

    By the way I have counted over 40 significant route variations on the BG clockwise. There are no doubt several more on the anti-clockwise round.

  5. #5

    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    What about coming off Calva? Is it worth taking the east ridge instead of the awful ground to the south?

  6. #6
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    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    I much prefer the fence to the east from the top of Great Calva and then down by the stream to the river as the heathery ground to the south is trackless and dangerous for my ankles. The extra distance is very small.
    Last edited by Chas; 24-01-2007 at 02:47 PM.

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    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    Thanks for the feedback everyone. Any other significant route choices a budding BGer should be aware of? I've studied the information at Bob's site and poured over the maps, but I guess there's a lot of experience out there...

    Chas - you mentioned about 40 significant choices. Would you be prepared to share some of those please?

    I'm hoping to do a BG in 2008, and this year is one of experimentation and hopefully some support work for others. Early days yet I know!

  8. #8
    Member Aardvark's Avatar
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    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    There are many route choices but most of them are only minor.
    The only way to do it is to recce recce recce.
    Help with as many others as you can.
    Get good pacers and ensure you are of the same mind when it comes to route.
    On the day stick to the route you know and enjoy it.
    I found it good not to plan to the smallest detail, on the day you may need to be flexible.
    AA

  9. #9

    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    Quote Originally Posted by Swiss Toni View Post
    What about coming off Calva? Is it worth taking the east ridge instead of the awful ground to the south?
    Tell me about it, not fun with full camping gear and three days food

    Bill

  10. #10

    Re: Bob Graham Route Choices

    I;ve run both routes off Calva and they took similar amounts of time - very little in it. What i think is important and often understated is that i quite enjoyed going down the east ridge and thought the south ridge was an unenjoyable plod.

    There's something in the notion that when you know an unpleaseant section is coming up, you instinctively slow down so whilst the timing of the 2 ways off Calva might suggest one thing, it would be interesting to note how it affects the climb up Calva or even the run off Skiddaw! Just a thought...

    There is another factor that comes into play, and that is there's arguably less navigation to do coming off the east side. Of course, what would be perfect would be a strip of recently cropped heather on the south ridge so that the shortest route is also the most enjoyable!

    Doing leg 2 tomorrow on much needed day off (hopefully the weather will behave). Not too many route choices there, bar way up Clough Head.

    Incidentally, I do have support lined up, but if anyone fancies recceing a leg on 30th June this year, that's when i'll be doing my round.

    ST

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