
Originally Posted by
Ady In Accy
I forgot how hard this bugger was! Also a slight extension to the route this year of at least 1 mile due to not being able to go straight across Grisedale Beck - back up the valley to Sheepfold and across the sensible bridge before heading back in the right direction. As with many races of late, super wet conditions and mist welcomed 78 starters. Felt OK up Catstye and Helvellyn, the fun started coming off Dollywaggon as the mist seem to belie about the steepness of the descent and I must have totted up at least 50 yards worth of torso slides at various stages. The ground past Grisedale Tarn was saturated and I managed a waist deep sink crossing a particularly boggy bit. For the 3rd time I managed to find a crap line from the top of St Sunday Crag down into the valley. Twice I have come off too early had had to contend with rocky drop offs and this year I over compensated, carried on too far and ended up doing more of a diagonal descent rather than a straight down sort of one. By this point I have to admit to being fooked and could only dream about the jam butts back at the village hall. As ever, the final climb up Grisedale Brow is one steep MF and had me using my kness at one point. Nice bag of jelly babies to delve in from the marshals at the stile before heading back down to the village hall for jam butts, egg butts, cheese butts and cups of tea. Didn't take a watch but when I looked at the village hall clock in between swigs of tea I reckon I managed around 2:40, 28 mins down on by best effort but i was just glad to scoff down some food and sit down.
Good effort by the marshals sat up the hill in those conditions, hope there was some grub left for you and thanks to Achille Ratti for putting on the event.