Stolly's Running Adventures

[Derby Tup]

HOMESICK thas only been gone 2 days

Actually I've only been here for 7hours

I always get homesick when I've been drinking

[stevefoster]

Actually I've only been here for 7hours

I always get homesick when I've been drinking

How can you tell the difference between homesick and i've had too much to drink sick

[Derby Tup]

How can you tell the difference between homesick and i've had too much to drink sick?

Very difficult Merry - it takes years of expericence of both

[stevefoster]

Very difficult Merry - it takes years of expericence of both

TBH i know that, called god on the great white telephone many times
Used to do it before rugby matches without drinking, and at home games

[Stolly]

30th November 2008 - Horton, Ingleborough, Park Fell and.... er Selside Loop - 11.75 miles and maybe 2000 ft up/down

OS Explore Route

And what a completely brilliant morning for a fell run. A hard frost, clear skies, snow on the tops and not much of a wind. I'd never before run across from Ingleborough to Park Fell either so it was another ridge line to add to my list.

Setting off and getting up the path towards Ingleborough towards Sulber Nick and I seemed to have the whole mountain to myself - apologies for going all tree huggy but it was an almsot spiritual feeling of complete freedom and of being a small harmless speck in a wonderful wilderness. Things haven't been quite ticketyboo at home recently but running for me is always a massive release from all that crap and today was no exception - the view towards Sulber Nick and Ingleborough going up:



And looking back the other way towards Settle the horizon was a silver haze with Pendle Hill in the far background to the right:



Once I'd reached the final climb to the top of Ingleborough there was a fair smattering of powdered snow on the ground making for an icey climb up (and down) but the view from the top, looking towards Whernside and ribblehead was unbelievable:



Then it was a case of just heading along the ridge, skirting Simon Fell and aiming for the trig on Park Fell. This was a georgeous snow run now, maybe 2 inches deep in places, and over ground all new to me as well. After reaching the trig, my original intention was to drop down to where the 3 peaks route comes out onto the Horton ~ Ribblehead road and follow that track up to the Pennine Way before following that back to Horton. As usual though I was running 'on memory' with no map and hadn't actually looked at the map for a few days. For some reason I had it in my mind that I needed to vere right at or around the trig and, seeing a path right (albeit a completely unused one with no foot prints at all visible) and ignoring the well used main drag (actually going where I wanted to go), I hacked off that way without thinking! After following the path all the way down more or less, and second guessing the route through a couple of fields lower down, I finally appeared on the road............. but in frigging Selside, nowhere near where I'd intended!

The view back towards Ingleborough from Park Fell before my crap navigational skills kicked in:



This was a big mistake but rather than back track I decided to cut my losses and run on the road back to Horton, shortening my run by at least 2 or 3 miles and kind of ruining what had been fantastic up to that point. All the same a fabulous run over all and snow for the second week running.

1 hour and 58 minutes start to finish.

[Stolly]

6th December 2008 - an intended Settle Loop via Rye Loaf Hill but it all went tits up - about 8 miles and at a guess 1500 ft up/down

On a stunningly beautiful Settle 'alpine' morning with shed loads of snow on the ground I set out to run this route but, instead, ended up running this: OS Explore Route. The run was still fabulous but I sort of inflicted quite bad cuts/grazes to my lower legs on deep ice crusted snow such that I had to retreat and turn what would have been a lovely long run into a shorter (slow and more painful) alternative. Basically running in 12 inch deep icey snow, where nobody else has run before to crunch the snow down, wearing shorts with bare legs, is leg razor cuttingly torturous and I have left a pretty good blood trail in the hills to prove it!

Anyway no need to describe the run particularly; just judge it by the pictures:









Not quite finished....

[Stolly]

Part 2...









A painfully slow 2 hours and 1 minute but very tough conditions to be trying to run in in the first place!

[Multiterrainer]

Cracking pictures Stolly

Expected to see a bit more red though

Hope legs are recovering ok.

[Stolly]

Cracking pictures Stolly

Expected to see a bit more red though

Hope legs are recovering ok.

Doesn't quite do it justice but here's my left leg in action!

[Multiterrainer]

Doesn't quite do it justice but here's my left leg in action!

that's more like it!!!