THE BOB GRAHAM ROUND - Leg Five

Leg 5

 Support crew: Ian Roberts navigator, Andrew Kitts, Martyn Price

Leg five starts at Honister Pass and climbs Dale Head, followed by Hindscarth and Robinson, and then descends into the Newlands Valley with a road or off road option for the return to Keswick.  I took the road option.  Its about 11 miles, 2500 feet ascent.

It had been very hot on leg 4 and although Brian had stashed 5 bottles of water for us to pick up en route, the team (except me as I’d been well looked after) were thirsty on arrival at Honister.  I’d provided a 2 litre bottle of water for Martyn to use to fill up his camelback; I heard later he picked it up and drank it!  Following another lovely face and neck wash from Livi, a pot of rice pudding and mug of tea I was ready to set off again. 

As Martyn and Ian led us out of the Honister Slate Mine car park, Andrew took my hand; and they say romance is dead!

The climb up Dale Head was much more comfortable than the descent from Grey Knotts had been.  There was a chap who’d set up camp near the summit of Dale Head; it would have been a glorious night for him in a fabulous spot.  The views were packed with Lakeland peaks and it was still hot.  My long sleeved top didn’t stay on for long!  My team were all commenting on the breathtaking views; none of them had seen leg five in such perfect conditions.

It wasn’t long before I’d climbed and descended Hindscarth and reached Robinson, my 42^nd and final peak.  By this time I was really uncomfortable and refusing most offers of food and some of water.  However, I kept on and was completely focused on staying upright and moving.

 

As I reached the bottom of Robinson I saw a really peculiar sight; it appeared to be a white double decker bus.  It created some amusement amongst my friends when I asked what it was!  It turned out to be a trio of sheep innocently making their way up the valley!

I was too stiff and achy to tolerate carrying a head torch so I ran the whole of the road section by following Andrew and Ian, with Martyn at my side.  I couldn’t see the road surface but I didn’t really need to.  It felt like it went on forever and was far more hilly than I remembered!  I had to take a momentary pause when the blister on my left little toe expanded and ripped the nail out at the bed.  Just for a second I thought I couldn’t carry on, but I pulled myself together, put the pain away and carried on.

The final run through the streets of Keswick was magical.  It was dark but warm and there was a party atmosphere in the town.  I ran up through the market place to cheers and clapping; a welcome fit for a celebrity. 

 

The final sprint

  

Phew…there at last and I’m still smiling!

Triumphant on the Moot Hall steps

 Splits:

Honister Pass                      20:29

Dalehead                             21:07

Hindscarth                          21:27

Robinson                             21:54

Keswick Moot Hall             23:35

THE BOB GRAHAM ROUND - Part Four

Leg 4

 

Support crew: Martyn Price navigator, Geoff Clarke, Dave Swift, Brian Stallwood

Leg four starts at Wasdale Head and climbs Yewbarrow, Red Pike, Steeple, Pillar, Kirk Fell, Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts and descends to Honister Pass.  It’s about 11 miles, 6000 feet ascent.

You cannot imagine the bliss I felt as Livi offered up a lovely cold wet face mitt and bathed my now very salty face and neck whilst I sat in the deckchair in the shade of the trees in the Wasdale National Trust car park!  This was followed by Andrew with a generous lathering in sun cream.  I felt like a new woman!  I spooned down my rice pudding, drank a lovely hot mug of sweet tea and was on my way again.

The climb up Yewbarrow is a long haul and I remember being very pleased to see the cairn at the summit.  The descent off Yewbarrow and the following climb up to Red Pike is also a slog; the descent is a traverse around the back of the mountain and isn’t very runnable.  However, this section passed relatively quickly and with a new support team with fresh banter and Martyn leading the way it didn’t seem as bad as I’d expected.

The little out and back to Steeple was a special moment for me.  I used to have a severe fear of heights and had great difficulty descending because I was afraid of falling.  My knees would shake making me feel unstable and increasing the risk of me realising my fear! The first time I saw Steeple on an early BG recce it filled me with horror.  However, following a hearing about a friend of a friend who cured her fear with hypnotherapy I decided to give it a try….this from a girl who had no belief in anything of the kind!  After a single half hour session of Hypnotherapy my fear was cured.  This session was focussed on the concept and psychology of climbing tall steep ladders (which I have to do for my work) and on my fear of high peaks, specifically Steeple.  So, as I climbed Steeple, I remembered my fear, the therapy, and had a brief moment of victory as I touched her summit and turned to look at the view!  It was a moment I enjoyed very much!

Leg 4 is my favourite part of the round.  The peaks are beautifully defined, steep and rocky, and there is a huge amount of pleasure to be gained from visiting them.  This day was particularly notable on account of the heat, clear views and great company.  Martyn led the way and, like Geoff Andrew and Yiannis before him, was finding all of the best lines.  Brian had brought his Collie Harry along (aka Haz or Hazzer) which added to the entertainment for me.

 It’s not meant to be pretty but its fun ha ha!  Traversing from Steeple to Pillar.

Geoff who continued with me from leg 3, Dave (Dave who’d already been up most of the night to run with me on leg 2), Brian and Martyn continued to keep me fed and watered; although I was beginning to rebel a little….boiled potatoes were definitely not to be tolerated any more and the feeling of sickness was not to be leave me!  Martyn produced some Kendal mint cake which proved very tasty and palatable.

I was becoming increasingly stiff and the blisters on my feet were becoming more difficult to ignore.  I’d slowed down and was losing time, but not enough to be a problem.  My spirits were still high although I was becoming more careful as I felt vulnerable to falling in my sore and stiff state and was tripping a little.  It was with much relief that I finished the descent from Grey Knotts down to Honister Pass to a hearty cheer from my support team and friends who’d come out to see me in.

Martyn & Brian at Wasdale

 

Ian, Ken, Andrew and Geoff looking a bit serious……I think I was refusing to eat boiled potatoes on leg 5….it went something like ‘I’m not eating any boiled potatoes’!!!!

 Splits:

Wasdale Head                    14:57

Yewbarrow                          15:48

Red Pike                               16:42

Steeple                                 17:03

Pillar                                     17:37

Kirk Fell                               18:36

Great Gable                       19:21

Green Gable                      19:39

Brandreth                           19:55

Grey Knotts                        20:05

Honister Pass                 20:23

THE BOB GRAHAM ROUND - Part Three

Leg 3

 

Support crew: Geoff Clarke navigator, Gerry Dewhurst, Nigel Crompton, Pat Peers



Leg three starts at Dunmail Raise, climbing Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Sargeant Man, High Raise, Thunacar Knott, Harrison Stickle, Pike O’ Stickle, Rossett Pike, Bowfell, Esk Pike, Great End, Ill Crag, Broad Crag, Scafell Pike, Sca Fell, then descending into Wasdale Head.  It’s about 16 miles, 6,000 feet ascent.

The temperature continued to rise as we made our way from peak to peak across my least favourite part of the BG route which is the section from Dunmail Raise to Rossett Pike. 

Pat, Gerry, Nigel and Geoff took full control of my eating and drinking requirements and made sure I had the right combination of food, energy gels and fluids.  This was no easy task as I was finding any kind of food really unpalatable and was having to mince solid food with water in my mouth in order to be able to swallow it at all.  Even gels weren’t going down so easily by this stage.  We must have got through a huge amount of water.  There was never a moment when I needed to ask for anything; my every need was catered for.  Geoff was navigating and took us from peak to peak finding all of the best lines for us.
 

Despite the heat and an uncomfortable urge to be sick (which I ignored) I really enjoyed this leg.  The time passed quickly as I listened to the banter and enjoyed watching Gerry’s Staffordshire Bull Terriers Lilly and Pearl playing on the fell.  On some of the peaks we lost time but on others we were gaining more time so that I was increasingly gaining time on my schedule. 

The section from Rossett Pike to Wasdale is much more interesting and rocky, and I loved rock hopping in the sunshine with such great company.  I began to tire on the big climb to Sca Fell and descended slowly into Wasdale which meant I lost some time, but I still managed to arrive a few minutes ahead of schedule.

Ascending Steel Fell

It’s a breeze; this BG support!  Nigel chilling out at Wasdale!

Splits:

Dunmail Raise                     08:26

Steel Fell                              08:52

Calf Crag                              09:15

Sargeant Man                     09:52

High Raise                           10:02

Thunacar Knott                  10:16

Harrison Stickle                  10:24

Pike O’ Stickle                     10:39

Rossett Pike                        11:26

Bowfell                                11:58

Esk Pike                               12:20

Great End                            12:45

Ill Crag                                 12:59

Broad Crag                          13:10

Scafell Pike                          13:24

Sca Fell                                 14:08

Wasdale Head                     14:51

THE BOB GRAHAM ROUND - Part Two

Leg 2

 

Support crew: Andrew McCracken navigator, Dave Swift, Yiannis Tridimas

 

Leg two starts at Threlkeld and heads south up Clough Head, followed by Great Dodd, Watsons Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd, Whiteside, Raise, Lower Man, Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Dollywagon Pike, Fairfield, Seat Sandal then down to Dunmail Raise.

On the way up the road I had a pep talk from Andrew; he told me how much I was behind schedule by and that he was going to work towards making the time up.  His plan would include a strict eating regime; was I okay with this?......Yep; bring it on please!

 We took the gentle route up Clough Head along the western shoulder.  The climb didn’t seem half as bad as I was expecting but we did lose another 4 minutes so I was still running slow.  The traverse and climb to Great Dodd was completed to the scheduled time, so no more time lost but none gained….but Andrew’s feeding regime was beginning to work.  For the rest of the route we steadily gained time at each peak, and as we went I gained strength and enthusiasm. 

 Dave kept me entertained with tales of a life gone past and his running adventures in Scotland.  I’d been looking forward to hearing about Andrew’s fun at the Lanzarote Ironman but somehow he escaped saying much about this; was this modesty or did I forget to ask?!  Yiannis was tucked in behind us and I suspect was busy plotting his next adventure, it was enough to know that he was there sharing in what was a beautiful morning in one of my favourite parts of the fells.

The temperature went from rather warm to uncomfortably hot in the bowl between Dollywaggon Pike, Fairfield and Seat Sandal, where we were skirting around Grisedale Tarn….it must be nearing mid day me thinks:  The conversation went something like this:

Me:  ’Roughly what time of day is it now?’

 Dave: ’7:30 a.m’

Me ’OMG is that all?  It’s going to be hot later!’

Andrew: ’It’ll be hot in Wasdale but breezy on the tops; you’ll be okay’

After this, Andrew ran through what was needed at Dunmail Raise and for leg three so that he could hand over to the road crew and the leg three team.  He was checking what rations I had available and worked out what food and water I would need for the next stage.

We continued to progress well, and on the way up Fairfield we crossed paths with a couple of lads from Durham who were attempting a paired round with no hill support.  They were walking and looked to be struggling.  We caught up with one of them at the foot of Seat Sandal as we arrived at Dunmail Raise.

 At Dunmail, Livi and Ian were ready for me and I was handed a hot cup of tea.  My food choice was another tub of rice pudding which was produced by a young lad, who I later learned was Livi’s son.  As you can see in the photograph, I was in high spirits and was enjoying myself.  I was 8 minutes ahead of my schedule so I'd gained 18 minutes.

 

Splits:

Threlkeld                             04:12

Clough Head                       05:08

Great Dodd                         05:38

Watsons Dodd                    05:45

Stybarrow Dodd                 05:53

Raise                                     06:10

Whiteside                            06:17

Helvellyn Lower Man        06:32

Helvellyn                              06:37

Nethermost Pike                06:47

Dollywaggon Pike              06:59

Fairfield                          07:38

Seat Sandal                         08:01

Dunmail Raise                     08:17

THE BOB GRAHAM ROUND - Part One

On 7^th June 2013 I woke up late at about 9am and remembered that a. I had a day off work, and b. it was my BG day!  It was a beautiful hot sunny day and I spent it doing relaxing girlie things like visiting the hairdresser to get my hair plaited, painting my toe nails, pottering about in the front garden and having lunch out.  But enough about that….you want to hear about my BG!

Leg 1

Support crew:  Yiannis Tridimas navigator, Ken Maynard and Bill Williamson.

 

Leg one starts at Keswick Moot Hall, heads north up Skiddaw, followed by Great Calva, crosses the river Caldew, then climbs and descends Blencathra and finishes at Threlkeld.  It’s about 12 miles and 5,500 feet ascent.

After photos and banter I set off with my trusty crew at midnight on the morning of Saturday 8^th June.  The weather was balmy with only a gentle breeze; shorts, club vest, and a long sleeved top were plenty warm enough.  Although the sun had gone down, we could see a hint of blue sky near the horizon and the outlines of the fells were clearly visible.

Yiannis led the way and never faltered.  I had absolutely no appetite at all but I had promised myself that I would eat properly, so as Bill handed me my salted boiled potatoes I ate them including the tiny one he’d saved until last.  I seem to remember hearing the phrase ‘wash it down’ quite a lot; hydration was important as it was much warmer that we fell runners are used to!

I was entertained with stories of running adventures:  Bill has just completed his Ramsey Round (60 miles, 28,000 feet), Ken was signed up for a canoe course the next day with his wife Karen as part of his training for the Terrex adventure race (an epic 5 days of running, cycling and canoeing), and Yiannis had just completed the Tranter Round (36 miles 20,000 feet).  What a bunch of nutters we are!  It felt tough climbing the fells and I felt slow and heavy; not a good start.  I tried not to worry about it and focused on the banter and eating instead. 

The river Caldew was only ankle deep and was really refreshing; a very different experience to the once thigh deep icy cold crossing I made there!  As we crossed Bill pointed out that the sun was rising already.  We climbed Blencathra to the air filled with the sounds of the Skylark in full morning chorus as the light increased with the rising sun.  It was just stunning.  One of the northern fells looked like a volcano erupting as it was crowned with wisps of grey cloud highlighted in shades of red and pink.

The descent off Blencathra passed quickly and I found myself trotting along the road trying to think what I might be able to eat and wondering how bad the midges would be at my chosen change over location aka ‘Midge City’.  Andrew (my partner) had come out to meet us and ran in with us. I couldn’t have guessed that my perfect day would include a midge free ‘Midge City’ and that the bug cream I’d supplied for the team was redundant. 

I was greeted by Ian Lewis and Livi Butterworth; my road crew, and Andrew McCracken, and Dave Swift, who were ready to continue with me on leg 2. Dave’s wife Debbie had come along too to join the fun and lend a helping hand.  It was a bit of a sombre change over for me as I was behind on my schedule, but everyone was cheerful and soon had me filled with tea and rice pudding.  I said goodbye and thanks to the team and was on my way.

Splits:

Moot Hall, Keswick          00:00

Skiddaw                               01:28

Great Calva                         02:12

Blencathra                          03:33

Threlkeld                             04:08