I can only comment on an anti-clockwise round but the last three climbs passed ok for me.....I'd recce'd that section so many times I'd actually grown to like it.

The dark was not an issue. Hall's Fell is just like scrambling so you'll never do it quickly and I'd rather be going up it steadily than trying to descend at speed. The run down to the Caldew is downhill; there is a fence to drag yourself up Great Calva on plus it's only a smallish top; a nice run off down to the bottom and then it's just one foot in front of the other 'til you arrive at the fence near the summit plateau of Skiddaw which is made easier as it's your last top.

The fact that it's then all downhill to Keswick (and that I was in the company of the best support team going) made that last descent fantastic...even though my knees were shot.

I don't like running on the road and I don't think I'd have coped well on a 5 mile road section to end with.