Stolly Hill Runs 2010

[shaunandrachel]

..........listen to me-this is the guy that said, "oh, I've vaselined up" when I commented on the "shorts in extreme weather situation." Stolly had practically persuaded me to go with shorts more often until I witnessed the "haemorraging" from the thigh region pouring down his legs! I was more concerned about him carking it on the hills and how I would revive him at the time!! Many walkers today did say to him" bloody hell mate-shorts??" at which I pretended I wasn't really with him....My first aid at work" certificate doesn't cover "extreme bleeding whilst in the middle of bleedin' nowhere and First Aider has frozen hands" events!" Fortunately, you are a true 'ard Yorkshire Man Stolly.......

[Stolly]

A very very wet and soggy 3 Peaks run

This should have been about 23 miles and 5,300 feet but ended up being at least 25.5 miles!

23 mile version here --> route map

For this run I teamed up with Rachel, who's trying her luck at the fellsman for the first time this year and hoping to beat 4 hours 30 in the 3 peaks race.

My route of the 3 peaks cuts a couple of corners going up and off Pen y Ghent but is otherwise the full race route and although it follows a straighter line off of Pen y Ghent, it goes through far, far more mud and yesterday... water... water up to the sodding (sodden?) chuff holes!! In fact the whole route was completely and utterly waterlogged and it was fairly pissing down with rain most of the way round to add to the fun - what are usually little brooks and becks were full on raging torrents and any low dips and marshy ground became standing pools and mini lakes. Soooo... much sloshing through mud and water ensued with the occasional mad leaps over frothing becks thrown in.

We got to the top of Pen y Ghent, which was totally clagged out (as were all the tops), in a goodish time of 39 minutes but by the time we hit the Ribblehead road we were a bit behind schedule, finally getting to the viaduct after 1 hour and 52 minutes. Still, not doing too bad given the ground we had been wading through. Unfortunately though after Ribblehead the proper race route hit an impassable water obstacle - the beck (Little Dale Beck?) that has to be crossed just after going through the tunnel under the railway line (the beck that is always a little trickle and a handy water stop on 3P race day) was a raging white water (and brown water) torrent, 10 to 15 meters wide, 3 feet deep where ever I tried to get in to wade across and flowing at a dangerously fast rate. We tried crossing at various places but with no success and, at this point, decided to back track and just run up Ingleborough via Park Fell instead.

Fortunately/unfortunately when we got back to the viaduct we happened across some other runners who had a map and we were able to get back on track, crossing the 'water obstacle' at Gunnerfleet Farm and hacking up the side of Whernside from there. This though had added 2.5 miles and a lot of wandering and wading to our run, and totally screwing up our time with what must have been a wasted 45 minutes.

After that though it was plain sailing; plain sailing that is apart from my now drenched shorts causing the mother of all chaffage problems to the tops of my thighs; the left thigh top this morning is especially bad as can be seen from this picture here

I struggled a bit going up Inglebrough whilst Rachel breezed it but we both fairly whizzed down to Horton after that; me with blood now seeping down my legs and Rachel trying desperately not to laugh! Our time was 5 hours 30... so Rachel will have to pull her socks up if she fancies her chances of cracking 4:30 on race day!


Rachel 'wading' the 3 peaks near Lodge Hall




The normal crossing point of Little Dale Beck viewed from further up river




No go, even further up river



Great fun and another epic day out in the hills...despite me now probably having to go commando (and take great care in the shower) for a week or two!

[mr brightside]

Awesome

[tinyman]

My hat off to you and Rachel Stolly.
Great read I was smiling and wincing all the way through

[freckle]

Brilliant account and well done to you both....I am just sitting here thinking how many people do I know that would that kind of thing for fun on a sunday! not many! ......great pics and like tiny man i enjoyed reading the little story, even the bit about your recovery strategy

hope the legs heal quick!

[ratfink]

stolly, me and my friend helen had a drier day out on sunday. i did a bike ride on friday thinking we were going to do just whernside and ingleborough - then let myself be persuaded into doing the whole route. my own dramas involved getting to gargrave on the drive up and realising I had forgotten my fell shoes. i was travelling in clunky appproach shoes. fortunately helen had a spare pair of shoes to lend me - albeit in midget size. even more fortunately she suggested carrying a approach shoe each in case of need (good plan!). even nicer of her was whan she relieved me of the shoe iwas carrying on whernside. we did a mish mash route up whernside going over the bridge over the stream and then up the old race route path.

we also stopped en route for crisps and tea in the hill inn!

now i have two dying toenails but a big grin on my face.

[wharfeego]

...despite me now probably having to go commando...

I was wonderin' where that sayin' originated...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...going+commando

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question...5060710AAomRo3

[Stolly]

A steady trog over The Old Man of Coniston and Dow Crag

6 miles or so and maybe 3,500 feet

Starting from the top of the really steep lane up out of Coniston (parking in a disused quarry I think) --> Walna Scar track --> up the southern side of the Old Man via Little Arrow Moor --> Old Man Trig --> down to Goat's Hawse --> Dow Crag --> Buck Pike --> Brown Pike --> Walna Scar track back

Route map

A brilliant morning out with sprog numero uno in fantastic Lakeland sunshine. I have run and walked this little route loads of times before but not for a couple of years now and it was great to be back. The south side climb of the Old Man is definitely the best way up too and funnily enough is pretty runnable, after a steepish start.


Looking towards Wetherlam from the Old Man trig




And along the ridge north from the same spot (Scafell Pike far left I think)




Left to right Brown Pike, Buck Pike and Dow Crag with Goat's Water below




Looking back towards Brown Pike and Buck Pike



I ran in long shorts... and my chafed nether regions survived fairly intact!

[Stolly]

...continued

Oh and Coniston Water looked at its gorgeous best on the way there:



Fortunately the breeze picked up after the run, chilling the air somewhat, or my daughter would have had us attempting an open water swim/dip

[freckle]

Amazing pictures from today's adventure Stolly! very uplifting....thank you for sharing them