Fellsman

[caroleengel]

[QUOTE=Toreador;481605]Unfortunately not everyone is as sensible as you. For many (walkers as well as runners, though the latter are perhaps more guilty) light weight takes precedence over fitness for purpose.
It's not new - there was a Mountain Trial many years ago when there was only one finisher, coincidentally the one who'd worn a waterproof.[/QUO

What then are the organisers doing? Are they being selective when kit-checking? My experience has been that they are pedantic (and rightly so last weekend) in this area and to having the correct gear. So how is it that this light weight stuff that some entrants favour gets past the scrutinisers? I wonder if Jez could actually lift my rucksack, never mind run with it?

[Hes]

Aha! There are two Fellsman facebook sites. I also couldn't find it because I was looking at the fb page not the fb group. Cheers for the heads up dmd.

Maybe, it's one of the first signs of hypothermia.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/23059780048/
Search for Wayne Ogden.

[protodoc]

[QUOTE=caroleengel;481611]

Unfortunately not everyone is as sensible as you. For many (walkers as well as runners, though the latter are perhaps more guilty) light weight takes precedence over fitness for purpose.
It's not new - there was a Mountain Trial many years ago when there was only one finisher, coincidentally the one who'd worn a waterproof.[/QUO

What then are the organisers doing? Are they being selective when kit-checking? My experience has been that they are pedantic (and rightly so last weekend) in this area and to having the correct gear. So how is it that this light weight stuff that some entrants favour gets past the scrutinisers? I wonder if Jez could actually lift my rucksack, never mind run with it?

That is the whole point of lightweight kit, so you can run!

[Nicky]

Just found this on Youtube. An explanation of why the event was cancelled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UGoZHAEomI

[Hes]

I hadn't realised that a snow blinded person had been rescued on the Fellsman:
http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/201...ering-injuries

[karen nash]

me neither. Red and bloodshot eyes , blurred vision and halos round lights. Think it was wind not snow tho. I have had one case of snow blindness and it was much worse- I really did think I was going to be blind. Hope all are OK now- sleep and cool flannel on eyes sorted mine out. Oh and not using my contact lenses

[Stolly]

As a walker, I cannot understand why the Fellsman had to be canx. mid-walk. I was told it was the number of “incidents” – a broken ankle (could happen leaving your front door) and HYPOTHERMIA. It was a tad windy, it was a cold (very cold) wind, it WASN’T raining. So? This event takes place in the mountains (not the hills) and mountains deserve great respect. I obeyed the official kit list and, after checking the weather forecast, packed half as much again – winter, lined w/p trousers, an extra fleece, a neck warmer and three extra pairs of gloves and some ski-mittens – all I needed was the mittens. Once they were on, I could hold the cold metal LEDLaser in one hand and the Garmin Montana in the other. Warm as toast and spare clothing to boot in the sack. If you want some bad weather – try Scotland.

This is kind of difficult for the organisers to be honest. For those running I think the cancellation was spot on as runners by necessity don't carry so much heavy weight kit but, for walkers with all the right gear and experience, yeah it could be quite harsh. The runners effected would have been those expecting to do 20 hours plus I guess, which is along time to be out in those conditions. That said it probably deserved cancelling to give the CP marshalls some respite as their job must have been a nightmare. Maybe the answer is to have separate walker and runner tallies?

[Toreador]

What then are the organisers doing? Are they being selective when kit-checking? My experience has been that they are pedantic (and rightly so last weekend) in this area and to having the correct gear. So how is it that this light weight stuff that some entrants favour gets past the scrutinisers? I wonder if Jez could actually lift my rucksack, never mind run with it?

Sufficient kit to satisfy the rules is not necessarily sufficient for the conditions encountered. I wasn't there on Saturday, but went for a short low level walk round Malham, wearing far more than was on the Fellsman kit list, and was still cold.

I've made the mistake of going too light on the LAMM a couple of years ago, and it's not a mistake I intend to repeat!

[caroleengel]

This is kind of difficult for the organisers to be honest. For those running I think the cancellation was spot on as runners by necessity don't carry so much heavy weight kit but, for walkers with all the right gear and experience, yeah it could be quite harsh. The runners effected would have been those expecting to do 20 hours plus I guess, which is along time to be out in those conditions. That said it probably deserved cancelling to give the CP marshalls some respite as their job must have been a nightmare. Maybe the answer is to have separate walker and runner tallies?

Thanks Stolly for your sympathy - it was VERY harsh being my 10th and the only one I couldn't finish under my own steam. GUTTED is an understatement.

[IanDarkpeak]

That is the whole point of lightweight kit, so you can run!

...and when you can't?

even following the Miniumum kit list doesn't mean you shouldn't be properly prepared for the conditions in any race