Quote Originally Posted by keswicksimon View Post
Interestingly though, it took 24 minutes to get to the gate (hoping for 17 as suggested). .
I am surprised.

It is under 2 miles(but only just), almost all downhill at an easy gradient, almost all on very good running track - so 8.5-9 min miling is not a fast target under those conditions.

Since the BG is over 120 naismith miles, and therefore faster than 12 min equivalent flat miles arguably you cannot do 12 min miles downhill on good paths and still succeed on the BG as a whole.

But as I said in the OP - some of "what works best" is down to people - I have been a better runner than climber - although after a 5 years mostly enforced layoff with injuries am neither runner nor climber now!

For information, I did this route on a hot day (27C) - having been out 2 days previously and done a similar distance so was already knackered rather than fresh. I had also climbed up and down blencathra twice that day looking for descent lines off blencathra.

It will be interesting to see what others make of it.