Wasdale

[Toreador]

The weather can't have been that bad, someone did a 21:40 BG yesterday ;-)

[Fell up fell down]

Thanks again to all the super human marshals and sandwhich makers of CFR . And a great big thankyou to Fiona fullwood of Dark Peak for navigating the black sail pass for us when me and a few others had lost the plot. It was certainly Grim Peter "Travs" ( hope your quads feel better) thankfully Fiona brought us down brilliantly. Next year wont come fast enough #unfinishedbusiness ;-) lol! great meeting you guys

Bill Beckett Chorley A&T

[One-eyed Wonder]

The weather can't have been that bad, someone did a 21:40 BG yesterday ;-)

We saw his GF at Brackenclose I think asking where he was likely to come off Sca Fell. If its the same guy he did legs 2 and 3 on his tod! Respect.

I had my first DNF yesterday. I took an OK line from Seatallan and hit the SW flank of Scoat fell much earlier than I anticipated and then for some reason (probably the foul conditions) I thought I had got the nav totally wrong and was on the flank of Haycock! The time lost trying to work out where I was and get back on track meant that by the time I got to the col between Great and Little Scoat hitting the cut-off at Pillar seemed unlikely. Found two other guys here also struggling and we agreed to stick together and get off the tops as the weather was unbelievable for summer. Never seen anything like it. I read on here once that 'discretion is the better part of valour'. Certainly true in my case.

[Nicky]

I would not like to over exaggerate today, plenty of people got round, and I saw on Facebook that one legend of fell running merely described it as 'wet and windy'....

I think he meant me! So I have written a piece on my race experience to help others attempt and hopefully complete the race. And to add my thanks here to the organisors, marshalls and helpers. http://runbg.co.uk/Articles/2016%20Wasdale%20Race.htm

[anthonykay]

Some recent posts have suggested that the weather at this year's Wasdale race was unexpected in Summer. I have never run the Wasdale or Borrowdale races, but I do have one abiding memory of walking on Scafell Pike.

It was the second Saturday of August, and the weather was pretty much as experienced at Wasdale this year: horizontal rain, being driven by a wind that made it difficult to stand up, let alone move forward, especially on the boulder-field around Scafell Pike summit.

I was ten years old at the time. Outdoor clothing in 1968 wasn't what it is now, and I certainly didn't have the best of what was available even then. But I survived the soaking and battering, and it didn't put me off going into the mountains.

[AlanB]

As I have written elsewhere, the FRA safety requirements can be traced directly to the report "Safety of Fell Races" produced by CFRA in 1981 following the death of Bob English in the 1981 Ennerdale race. Simply the best.

Very interesting thread this. Ash's post is particularly insightful "I then lost contact as I was pretty much spent by this time and got lost somewhere on the flanks of the mountain with absolutely no visibility and driving rain and wind. At this point I just kept heading down hoping to hit something I'd recognise but my legs stopped working and I was stubbling around and falling over, next thing I know I'm being picked up by some fell walkers that took me back to the Wasdale head inn"

This seems to be another serious incident narrowly avoided.

I'd be keen to hear more about what GB refers to in his "Safety in Fell Races" quote. Is there something available on the web to read ? Respect to all - finishers or not.

[blencathrafrommykitchen]

Another note of praise from me for the marshals yesterday.
As my clubmate commented on the way back, "That was proper hardcore marshalling".


Think I was with you on Gable then Blencathrafrommykitchen - or if not you then it was someone else who was also finding they had difficulty seeing with and without glasses. If it was you, ta for removing my foot from the hole I wedged it in on the way up!!

Yes, that was me. I think you would have got your foot out eventually!

[Fellwalker]

It was warm but pretty grim up high as long as you kept moving. Even though it was 10 degrees on the summits if you stopped for longer than a few minutes it felt cold due to wind chill etc. Good experience for those who have never been subjected to weather like that a to what a paper weather report can translate to up on the summits. Glad everyone got back ok. See you next year?

[Manhar]

Pleased to see you arrive back in 1 piece Ash at the finish field. A pleasure to meet you Fozzy at Greendale. Anyone on the start line has my utmost respect on a day like Saturday, however.....

Didn't know wether to cringe at the comment of 1 runner to Joss along the lines of "this is a laugh". I understand all about laughing in the face of adversity & I do hope sincerely you got round but it's not the attitude I would have for Wasdale.

[Graham Breeze]

I'd be keen to hear more about what GB refers to in his "Safety in Fell Races" quote. Is there something available on the web to read ?

I have written 4/5 paragraphs on the death of Bob English and after in part 2 of A Sense of Perspective in the Autumn 2015 Fellrunner.

The CFRA document was 16 typed pages + 8 pages of appendices. After 35 years it has clearly dated - it's value was in starting more rigorous thinking about safety in fell races that has led us to where the FRA is today.