Up(son)ing the odds - Lakes 24

[dave h]

I am a bit loathe to make this public, ( as someone who is a better runner will beat me to it!), but I am starting to need a bit of expertise hence this post. I posted a thread ages ago about the 24 hours record and as a result of the great responses to that, I got very interested in Chris Upson’s Lakes 24: 24 Marilyns in 24 hours. I have spent a while devising a round of Marilyns which will either match the 24 he did or up it by one (?), depending on my progress. I can never go fast enough to challenge the likes of Mark Hartell’s 24 hour record, but I think that a round like this might be just possible. I want to try and encourage an interest in Marilyns within 24 hours as it is similar to a score class in a mountain marathon – you choose the route, you just have to include the peaks in a certain time. I was also keen to have a start and end point away from Keswick. I shall be giving it a go in May, but will be doing some of it ‘on sight’ – I want it to be a bit of an adventure and so apart from a fellrunners ‘working knowledge’ of the Lakes (admittedly poor), I am not going to ‘rehearse’ all the sections.
That brings me to the main point of this post: I can’t work the following out from maps and I might not have the time to recce so…:

1: Is there a (relatively easy) way down the slopes from Grasmoor north to the beck?
2: Is there a (relatively easy) way up the slopes from the bank of Loweswater to the summit of Mellbreak?
3: Can you go straight down from the summit of Place Fell, south west to Patterdale?

Other minor worries will have to wait – I am going to deliberately set off not knowing what to expect on the ground in some places

[ChrisU]

Hi Dave, It's nice to see someone else showing an interest in the 24 Marilyns in 24 hours idea. It took me quite a while to figure out my Lakes24 route http://chris-upson.com/lakes24.htm

Orginally I hadn't thought of including Baystones and Harter Fell, and was planning on doing Pillar and High Stile, but after a couple of recces trying to cross Ennerdale from Pillar to High Stile, I realised this was an horrendous route option, and you also ended up with a long tough section from High Stile to Dale Head. Perhaps you could include the 3 Marilyns around Loweswater - Mellbreak, Blake Fell and Low Fell - after High Stile and before Grasmoor.

This webpage shows all the Marilyns in the Lakes:
http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/EWRegions/MarilynRegions.php?qu=M&gp=M34
It's not as easy as you might think to pick a joined-up route of 24 Marilyns, but good luck!

[Bob]

Re #1: Not totally sure but certainly there is a big crag NE of the summit that is definitely a no go area for runners. A good site to check out is http://www.madaboutmountains.com/waipan.htm and http://www.madaboutmountains.com/40707pa.jpg shows the face you are interested in.

[topofahill]

Hi Dave

This is going by memory from walks 20+ years ago so don't rely on it too much:

Re: Grasmoor: It's steep and a little rough going but I don't remember too much difficulty climbing south from the Liza Beck up towards Dove Crags and up the western edge of the crags (Brackenthwaite Fell) to the summit of Grasmoor. However, conditions were good when I walked it. Seeing as it's just a short walk if you park near Lanthwaite Green Farm, I'd recommend you recce it, or part way up at least.

Re: Mellbreak: not quite sure what you mean by the bank of Lowewater, but there is an established path (faint dashed line on OS) up the north 'nose' of Mellbreak (Raven Crag, White Crag). According to the OS I'm looking at now, the faint path starts from the bridleway at NY139201. As I remember it's quite steep loose rock in parts (scree). Again, it's not a long walk from Loweswater for a quick sniff at it and you can get a nice pint at the Kirkstile Inn.

Rob

[Joe]

3: Can you go straight down from the summit of Place Fell, south west to Patterdale?

I did this a couple of years ago. I seem to recall it was quite steep and near the bottom there was loads of scratchy dead bracken.

[Baggins]

Re: Grasmoor: It's steep and a little rough going but I don't remember too much difficulty climbing south from the Liza Beck up towards Dove Crags and up the western edge of the crags (Brackenthwaite Fell) to the summit of Grasmoor. However, conditions were good when I walked it. Seeing as it's just a short walk if you park near Lanthwaite Green Farm, I'd recommend you recce it, or part way up at least.

This is the ridge just left of centre in this photo I've thought of dropping down there as I often go up the West ridge but never got round to it yet.

Don't end up going down the West ridge it would be a very slow descent as they're lots of little crags on it and you have to weave your way around them.

I take it your heading for Melbreak or Low fell after this and have just come from Grisdale Pike? If your heading for Langthwaite green I'd say its faster going SW off the top via Red Gill It's the slanting scree run on the left.

Good luck.

[topofahill]

Dave

Adding to my last post:

Grasmoor: using the excellent photo which Bob showed, here's an estimate of the route I went (in 1988) - although it seems from the photo that apart from east of Dove crags there is no other feasable way higher up.

Just seen Baggins' post - ignore mine!

Mellbreak: there are a couple of shots of the path up the nose of Mellbreak here:

http://www.leaney.org/lake_district_...hp?walk_id=578

[wheezing donkey]

Dave, - Melbreak - from 13 years ago.
From behind the Kirkstile Inn in Loweswater village head S (ish) along the fenced track that is a Public Bridleway heading up Mosedale. Once through the gate and on to the open fell, bear slightly left and uphill from the PBW. An obvious trod takes you up to a rash of scree at the very N end of the W flank of Melbreak. The trod up the scree leads to the foot of craglets with interesting little shelves, slightly exposed but not technical or difficult. Above these shelves a trod climbs a steep heathery nose to the N summit.

Place Fell - from 23 years ago.
Out running with my brother's trail hound / collie cross on a length of climbing rope. We did a directissima down a very steep bracken-choked gully from near the summit to the vicinity of Side Farm. A very obvious line when viewed from the main valley road. Once down into the gulley, there was no going back with the dog towing me at full kelter!!

[Baggins]

This is the ridge just left of centre in this photo I've thought of dropping down there as I often go up the West ridge but never got round to it yet.

Just been down it this afternoon

Its quite fast coming off Grasmoor summit until you hit that craggy section on the ridge then I was forced a long way left (going down) to avoid it as the rocks are sloping and very greasy after a hail shower.

I could see a ramp line through these crags that would be ok if dry but with there being lots of little drops (only 5ft or there abouts) I didn't fancy trying.

The scree you see in the photos is no good either as it's slatey with lots of large stones in it.

In the end took 40 mins to get back to Langthwaite Green with all the faffing about.

I'll try the other descent next time I'm up Grasmoor.

[dave h]

Many thanks to all for the responses - I shall take all your advice on board. I've got it down to about 74 (horizontal) miles but the ascent is massive at around 29,000 feet. I made a mistake in talking about Loweswater when I meant climbing the East flank of Mellbreak from Crummock Water, having left the village of Loweswater previously. I hope to do a bit of light recceing in the spring so I'll let you know how it goes.