BGR a way forward?

[stevers]

Exactly. And that brings us back to the thread. The BG is well trodden now. Isn't it time we moved on and got a bit more imaginitive about what we do as a challenge?

Although they keep updating the 42 Peaks booklet, the "Story of The Bob Graham Round" is over. There's no longer a story, just a procession of large unwieldy parties going round and round it, trying to get their names on an obscure list.

Open your minds BG people - there's a whole world of mountains out there. Think up something new!

Fair point and you could accuse me of hypocrisy since I'll be out supporting with one of the parties this weekend. But I do think that most BG contenders move on, I for one am pretty unlikely to try and tackle the whole thing ever again. I also think that the interest in the story of the BG is about the contender and not so much the history of the event, and in this way it's never over!

Don't worry too much about the BG - I think that interest will probably fade away a bit over time, it's just peaking at the moment what with the book and all.

[stevers]

Some paths I don't like, like Houndkirk, but I think they deliberately did that to make it a boring 4x4 drive.

Houndkirk is an ancient road rather than a path anyway - I think it might even date back to Roman times or earlier. If you want I'll go for a spin along it in the 4x4 and let you know if it's boring!

Anyway, must get back to work - shame, this thread just got interesting!

[JohnK]

Surprised I'm in the minority...it's not a rough ground issue its 100's of square metres of mud where there should be plant life and animal life..

It's not about what is underfoot..I think my times at races like Jura show I can take a bit of rough stuff..it's just having grown up in the peak I think what we have now is preferable. Not preferable to a nice trod of course.

Ideally it'd be a nice narrow trod, but once it gets to a 2-3 even 4+ m wide eroded path I think we have to consider stepping in and controlling the impact. It's not about what is under my feet, its about leaving as much of nature unaffected by our impact as possible, whilst still being able to get out and enjoy it.

Maybe its a contraversial view, but I don't think its as simple as any path maintenance = bad.

TBH all the so called path improvements are doing is screwing up natural water courses etc and creating and adding to the muddy morasses you refer to, the laying of 100s of mtrs of flags, rock and shale is not conducive to natural erosion.

I reckon that the best example of erosion is the beauty created by the passing of Glaciers and that is still ongoing and the mud and mess that was and is created as they pass has seen a wonderful transformation by nature which is still ongoing and it is not until man comes along and lays a load of flags that things start to look ugly.

Whats a bit of mud just another challenge after all even on the BGR

[IainR]

Houndkirk is an ancient road rather than a path anyway - I think it might even date back to Roman times or earlier. If you want I'll go for a spin along it in the 4x4 and let you know if it's boring!

Anyway, must get back to work - shame, this thread just got interesting!

Have you seen it recently:
http://www.planetfear.com/news/Hound...Peak_2654.html

Used to be a nice sandy track.

[JohnK]

How is it that our forbears were able to maintain the old drovers roads and coffin roads without screwing up the environment.



even that Bloke called WADE left some splendid examples of roads in Scotland that still exist today after some 300 years, they were that good that modern road makers even decided to tarmac over some of them and create ROADS:w00t:

[Bob]

To a large extent the byways that were intended as roads worked with the terrain whereas footpaths, especially modern ones or their renovated brethren don't. The road builders thought about drainage, even the Romans did it this way, things like gradient were more important than the shortest line. I doubt that they got everything right first or even second time though.

[IainR]

How is it that our forbears were able to maintain the old drovers roads and coffin roads without screwing up the environment.



even that Bloke called WADE left some splendid examples of roads in Scotland that still exist today after some 300 years, they were that good that modern road makers even decided to tarmac over some of them and create ROADS:w00t:

With houndkirk I think they were forced into such drastic action somewhat, although I'd like to think there was a more cautious approach possible.

The problem is the law here, they are legally vehicle tracks, but were originally put in to be used by a few horse drawn carriages, not lots of 4x4's at a time. Totley Moss has been similarly destroyed.

[Fellhound]

Use of motor vehicles on these legal byways is definitely a thorny issue. Many years ago, in my motorcycling days, I was a member of the Trail Riders Fellowship, an organisation which, certainly at that time, had a very sensitive and responsible attitude. Unfortunately, many of the motorcycle and 4X4 groups these days don't seem to have, with powerful engines, huge aggressive tyres and unsympathetic driving styles quite common.

But we are getting away from the thread here.

IainR, I've sent you a PM.

[simon cox]

A couple of suggestions:

1 only one supporter per section - to get a way from the sausage machine approach - would encourge the person making the attempt to know the route as one would then most likely go for someone who could carry the most!
2 all rounds have to be completed in the day they are started - a return to traditional values and if you cant make last orders at the Kings Arms well that simply isnt criket!

Oh and yes, I did only have 5 support runners one being my brother who ran the road section into keswick, he also did the car support though missing me at Dunmail did strain my sense of humour!

Cheers,

[Baggins]

Oh and yes, I did only have 5 support runners one being my brother who ran the road section into keswick, he also did the car support though missing me at Dunmail did strain my sense of humour!

Cheers,

Well done Simon :thumbup: