Look at it the other way round though - if that person we were with was on their own out in Fleet Moss and had a panic attack, the consequences don't bear thinking about. So, unlucky for me maybe but those rules are there for the safety of all, if you enter you accept them so it's just tough, really, if it holds you back a bit. You can always enter again the following year!
And I think we've all felt the guilty relief when we get grouped with someone who is confident of the right route across.
Its not the holding back - you get the time added back anyway - its the fact that when I've been running (even for a short time, let alone all day) I get hot and stopping for 40 odd minutes means that I can cool down, quite badly. This was especially the case in 2009 when there had been a deluge of wind and rain over Blea Moor which also blew away the Cray checkpoint tent. Waiting for 40 minutes in a pig truck, completely open to the prevailing wind, was worse than the Blea Moor deluge and that was really darn tooting bad itself!Originally Posted by plodding bear
And anyway like you said the rules are the rules but in an ironical way its an instance of a safety requirement being not very safe at all
Last edited by Stolly; 03-01-2012 at 04:55 PM.
Just got the application form for the 2012 race which I cannot attend as I'm double booked!
:sneaky:
pm me if anyone wants the paperwork sending on?
Glad you got your time back - we did not in 2010 but it was only 15 minutes, but 15 minutes is 15 minutes.Its not the holding back - you get the time added back anyway
And anyway like you said the rules are the rules but in an ironical way its an instance of a safety requirement being not very safe at all
Anyway - enough of my gripe over this rule - my application has been sent off today so I hope I get a place.
Yep last year I got grouped on my first fellsman at Cray. Worked well for me as I feel I was starting to tire. The group of 4 set off and the team work shined through. Encouragment and past experience got us home. I do remember feeling cold and frustrated at having to wait. Hoping to go all the way solo this year :thumbup:.
What is the general concensous (finger in the air guess) of a target time to get round solo?
How did the relocation of the 2 CPs affect peoples times? - Which route was best?
Any opions are gratefully received.
Paul
To get round solo you'd have to get to Park Rash by dusk, which is what 5 miles on from Cray and the other side of Buckden Pike. I reckon those 5 miles could take at best an hour and a half. I don't know what time dusk is but assuming its 7:30 pm, you'd need to be at Park Rash by/before then. Park Rash is I'd guess 7 or 8 miles and a small matter of Great Whernside from the finish so you will have need to have done the first 53 to 58 (depending on your navigation and line
Last edited by Stolly; 04-01-2012 at 12:48 PM. Reason: Dumb mathematical error
As I recall to get around solo you need to get to Parkrash (above Kettlewell) before 1900 might have been 1930. Hope these times don't change due to it being a couple of weeks earlier. I reccon last year I lost time farting around between Fleetmoss and Middletounge checkpoints. The quick lads took the road route and went up to the Middletounge checkpoint.
Sunset is approx. 30 minutes earlier than usual due to the change of date.
Just as well it wasn't moved a week earlier or the clocks would have gone forward during the race!
Judging from past results the last non grouped runners come in at about 12hrs30-ish.
For what it's worth as an indication of times, last year I did Cray 9hrs10, Park Rash 10hrs24, Yarnbury 11hrs53 & Finish 12hrs10. I would estimate that everyone who finished 5th up to 11th (the last solo runner) passed Hell Gap within a 2min window.
As for route choice, it was only my first Fellsman last year and I had never been to the area before, so there are probably more qualified people to comment. However, although I don't know what the first 4 did, the latter 7 solo runners all took the line along the fences to the south of Fleet Moss, picking up the quadtrack (easy to find on Google Maps) after passing Deepgill and following this around till a direct line to the CP could be taken. I personally very much doubt the road option to the relocated CP is faster as the line along the southern edge of Fleet Moss is very runnable without any significant climbs. After Middle Tounge I & the four behind me took a direct line to the northern boundary wall of the High Pasture. The two guys who reached Middle Tounge ahead of me appeared to take a more northerly line which seems to be slower as I got to Hell Gap ahead of them.
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