Adrian's BG (2nd Attempt) - 02/09/2011

This was the re-run of Adrian's Bob Graham after the first attempt, back in June, had resulted in a completion just outside the time limit when hideous weather had been compounded by some navigational problems on Leg 2.

This was a lighter-weight feeling attempt with only Adrian's wife Clare and Keith R providing some road/bike support and the pacers and navigators dropping in as they were needed.

I navigated leg 1 with Richard R doing the carrying and feeding duties. We were up Skiddaw in a mere 74 minutes, gaining on a large group ahead much of the way, and in fading light I hit the trod down Hare Crag spot on. Unfortunately at around the 7 mile mark I plonked my right foot down in a boggy hole and set my achilles off again. It had almost healed (the left one has), but was irritated by the Ellesmere 10k last month and is obviously still not right.

Rich took over the nav duties as I headed back down to Threlkeld via Skiddaw House. It was a quickish jog down for me, with not too much damage done, so I had time for a pint and a coffee in the pub before jogging over to see them come off Hall's Fell. The group mentioned above turned out to contain Sarah Rowell and Andy Peace, with a Pudsey and Bramley runner going for it. They came through six or seven minutes ahead of Adrian and Rich. I joined them for the run through the village and across the A66 to the meet at the cricket pavilion.

Adrian set off on leg 2 with Andy D and Rich about 15 minutes up on schedule, and with a nephew's birthday party at 10:30 in Leicester I had to set off, reluctantly, down the A591 to try and get a little sleep.

Keith texted me just as I got in to say they were through Dunmail still about fifteen minutes up, but in the morning no news later turned out to be bad news, as really horrible weather had conspired to put an end to Adrian's second attempt at Wasdale.

Never mind, I'm sure he'll be back up there in the spring...

Another Amazing BG Weekend - 24-25/06/2011

Adrian climbing Bowfell, powered by Pauline's cake. Cake deliveries by me!

What a fantastic sport this is! I'm just back from an amazing weekend in the Lakes, supporting my friend Adrian's BG attempt. I didn't want to let anyone down, so had opted out of pacing / navigating to go on "resting" my various niggles. Not that this was going to stop me helping!

We all gathered at the Moot Hall just after 6pm on Friday to see Adrian off, with the two RR's, Rick and Richard pacing leg one. The weather was dry and not too cold, but the overcast was threatening worse. Another group set off a couple of minutes before Adrian's, and there was also a local group going at 7pm, all clockwise.

Richard, Adrian, and Rick ready to leave the Moot Hall

As a non-runner for the weekend I thought the best thing I could do was to head over to Langdale and hike up Rossett Gill (yes, hike - the rucsac was too heavy for running really) to camp at the top between Rossett Pike and Bowfell.

Walking up Mickleden with The Band in front

View up Mickleden to Bowfell just as the first few raindrops started to fall...

As I got to the top section at about 21:45, the rain started. I put the tent up quickly on a spot just in the lee of the ridge (Angle Tarn side), had a brew and set the alarm for 05:00 (the schedule was for 06:04 at Rossett Pike) and tried to sleep. Excitement and incresingly wild conditions outside kept me mostly awake but I got off about one, and was woken at 04:30 by the wild weather and full daylight.

Working out when Adrian would be arriving, 4:45 am.

I boiled water and filled the thermos, got dressed and went outside to try to get a mobile signal and check what the score was from the Dunmail handover. Eventually I got a text from Pauline to say Adrian was going strong but an hour down on schedule at Dunmail. Looking around, I wasn't suprised. The weather was gross, I was cold, and I'd been in a relatively sheltered tent overnight, not running along the Hellvellyn ridge.

Anyway over the next hour I got the brews sorted and then headed up to the top of Rossett Pike to see the groups come through. The local group (I think the chap was probably an Ellenborough runner from subsequent conversations) came through first, Jackie Winn was navving (I've met him before but didn't recognise him from the 3 square inces of exposed flesh under his cag hood until it was too late). Ten minutes or so later came the next group, with a lady aspirant. I'm not sure what happened to her later on.

Finally Adrian appeared, with Dale and Andy. They came from such an odd angle that I nearly missed them - I think Dale must have a trade secret line onto Rossett Pike. Anyway I got my scates on down to the tent and poured drinks for the three of them. I grabbed a couple of cakes and some sandwiches and headed up Bowfell with them for a few hundred yards, feeding Adrian and the others. After a few minutes I turned back to the camp.

By now everything was absolutely soaking, with about quarter of an inch of water on the tent floor! What had seemed a nice flat sheltered hollow had turned into a big puddle overnight. I packed up and headed down to Langdale to get the car. I was in Keswick by 1030, and while I was having a coffee I got the message from Pauline that Adrian was still looking strong, but was an hour and a half down on schedule at Wasdale - this would mean that with a 23 hour 15 minute schedule he'd be 45 minutes too late at Keswick...

I thought I'd do my best to try to help him keep going, so I headed up to Honister, where I met Val who'd be pacing leg 5. She was obviously now rather too early, but not to worry. I got some water boiling and filled the flask while I changed into my second lot of running kit, then headed off in the rain up the incline and onto the Brandreth path. When this crosses the fence you can drop down onto Moses' Trod, which cuts around the north of Great Gable to Beck Head. With some fast hiking I was there at about 13:30, ten minutes behind when Adrian should have got there and now about an hour to an hour and a half ahead of his ETA based on the timings at Wasdale. It was hammering down, and very misty and the path isn't all that clear so I was worried I'd miss the group. I was also cold, so I hiked on up to Kirk Fell.

On the way across the plateau I saw the Ellenborough group, still going well, although there was only one nav / pacer with the runner. I hunkered down in the shelter at the summit and pretty soon I heard voices, then saw Adrian. He had Oz and Tiggy, two of his ultra running mates, with him, and two others I couldn't recognise under their cags. Anyway I got a cup of coffee down Adrian (on the run), and poured a weak black tea for the pacers, which they took with them on the way up Gable. Again the navigator's lines were superb - the route of Kirk Fell was so smooth and straightforward compared with the tourist route I'd come up.

Adrian had picked up maybe 10 minutes, so was now only an hour and 20 down on his schedule or, more importantly, about 35 minutes down on the 24 hour time. I know of some amazing last leg runs, so I was still hopeful. I dashed back to Honister (a full on run) to get everyone there ready and geared up to expect Adrian maybe a little earlier than we had thought.

When he showed up they'd made good time over Gable and not lost any. He was still looking ok-ish, and he had a great set of pacers for his final leg - Andy (again), Val, his son Joe, and another chap I didn't know... Pauline told Adrain in no uncertain terms to get a wiggle on, and so he grabbed a soup and headed off into the mist up Dale Head. We all charged round to Newlands, where we waited what seemed a total age. The chap from Ellenborough came through, looking ok-ish, with plenty of time for his run in to Keswick. Very soon behind him Adrian and the team appeared. Sadly though, despite making up a load of time, there was only 35 minutes left for the five or so hilly road miles into Keswick. The team went straight through to our cheers, and we set off to follow them in.

I hared round to the Keswick side of the Portinscale bridge, parked up and changed yet again, this time into a pair of shorts (it had finally stopped chucking it down) and a Lifa. At this point one of life's surreal moments occured. I looked up and there was a bloke standing on the opposite side of the road who looked the spitting image of Billy Bland, Bob Graham superhero. I have a picture of him on my wall!

At these moments no one ever says anything sensible so my opening gambit was "You are who I think you are, aren't you?" Evidently he was, and we had a really nice chat for ten minutes or so. Billy is well into his cycling now, and it was good to see that his competitiveness is still there as he told me about his quest to get under seven hours for the Fred Whitton Ride. He was very humble, but had a few words of advice for me too. He asked about Adrian, and I was able to fill him in. Just then the Ellenborough guy appeared across the bridge. He looked pretty beat, but was clearly going to make it. Billy wished Adrian good luck; I said he'd probabl be along in fifteen minutes or so - I'd passed him on the road near Swinside.

Just as Billy turned to go, amazing Adrian and the team appeared over the bridge. He'd cut the Ellenborough guy's fifteen minute lead at Newlands to just a minute or so. I got in with the group and tried to be useful over the last mile to the Moot Hall, but sadly as we hit the track through the park the 24 hours clicked over. At that was left was to run up the main street to the Moot Hall...

Adrain put a little spurt in over the last fifty yards or so and finished his BG attempt, about 24 hours and 10 minutes after he'd started. He'd made up over 35 minutes on the final leg, but sadly it wasn't quite enough. The Ellenborough guy finished just ahead for what must have been about a 23:35 round. I didn't see any sign of either of the other groups at Honister or in Keswick so they must have cut (or been very fast).

Anyway, despite the disappointment I think Adrian can see that he is well capable of doing it - we would just need better weather or a slightly quicker second leg. Billy Bland told him that he'd cruise it on a good day after he'd finished.

The most important thing is that we all had a brilliant time, and everyone really stepped up when it counted and did everything they could. The competence of some of the guys on the hills has to be seen to be believed. Andy's speed and the ease he moves with, Dale's clever lines and knowledge of the hills, Oz and Tiggy's assuredness and teamwork, and Joe's dedication, supporting his dad physically in the last mile or two as the pain from the feet started to tell... I also admire the generousity and kindness of everyone who came to support. Above all though, it was Adrian's quiet determination and spirit in the face of 24 hours of truly horrible conditions which made it's mark with me. This is a brilliant sport, and out in those wet, cold fells I saw a lot of great people doing inspirational things.

Steel Fell - 30/05/2011

Got chatting to John after breakfast and discovered he's
a former Mercia Fell Runner, so I reunited him with the
club vest!

On the Bank Holiday Monday I couldn't bear just to drive straight home from the Lakes, so despite some pretty iffy weather I dumped the car on the northbound verge at Dunmail and wandered up Steel Fell: now I know why people seem to be going so slowly up there on BG videos - it's flipping steep, even the bottom bit.. Mind you there's a path, which there wasn't 20 years ago when I last wandered along this way.

Looking down to Thirlmere from just west of the summit of Steel Fell

Calf Crag, with High Raise in cloud behind

I had a good mooch round on top, over towards the tarn on the way to Calf Crag, and a little way down the south slope towards Greenburn Bottom. There's a nice perched boulder of probably a couple of tonnes there.



Perched boulder with Calf Crag behind

On the way back I met three separate walkers / runners, and had a nice chat with a lady from Abbey Runners in Leeds. They were all out on recce for separate parties in June, the Abbey Runners ladies were going to have a go at the Billy Bland Relay challenge.

Another view of Thirlmere, this time from just north of the summit on the way down.

Owen's Bob Graham Mk.1 - 28/05/2011

Owen, Matt and I arrive at Threlkeld.

Sorry there have been no updates for a while, due to pressures of work, and this being the only real running I've done for a while (and most of it was really a fast walk).

I took it easy after the tweaked calf on the 24th as I'd promised to navigate my friend and colleague Owen Mills on Leg One of his 40th Birthday Bob Graham Bash. Having got up to the Lakes with no major problems and picked up Matt Dilley who was going to pace Leg One, we settled in at the bunk barn and met some of the guys who'd been on the lost dog epic recce with us in March. Notable among these are Alex Cowin, fresh from a fairly rapid OCT race and Ste Brock, who'd run a 21:58 Bob Graham in pretty poor conditions with support from Owen the week before.

Anyway 5pm came and it was off to Keswick for a 6pm start. I was struggling a bit with the calf (right one) but massaged it a bit to get it warmed up and eased, and eventually we were away, a minute or two early at 5.58pm.

Me, Owen and Matt outside the Moot Hall - Photo: Alex Cowin

We had no mistakes leaving Keswick this time, and a steady climb up the Latrigg path, jogging the flatter bits, and trying to keep Owen from going out too fast. The long grind up Jenkin Hill was mitigated by a great view back to Keswick and Derwentwater, and we were fairly soon jogging again on the flatter section bypassing Little Man. I had to try to slow Owen down again on the slope up to the summit plateau, and we were soon up there. Matt was brilliant, keeping Owen chatting while I concentrated on giving brief updates on our progress.

It was pretty windy up top and at this point I did something stupid!

When you're nursing a sore calf, jogging across a rocky summit, and trying to stay upright in the wind, it probably isn't a great idea to try to jot down the summit time (84 minutes, 1 under schedule if anyone's interested). This involves holding the pace card in one hand and the pen in the other. At this precise moment a big gust of wind blew me over a pointy rock and I stumbled, pulling the calf a bit and then really bashing the top of my right foot as I tried to recover. Idiot!

Anyway 30 seconds hard running got me caught up with Owen and we both counted down the 600 metres to the turn point. I recognise this by the strange arrangement of four fenceposts, but you need to be over to the east about 50 yards from the path to see the fence. From here with clear weather the path down to Hare Crag is really obvious. It was a little boggy on the way down. I ran because I knew I was struggling now with a lot of pain in my foot and calf, and I wanted (i) not to alarm Owen after only one summit; and (ii) to sort out the essential kit for Matt - I knew I'd be holding them back later, if not on Great Calva, then on the drag up to Mungrisedale Common.

Owen and Matt are out there 200 yds in front, past the sheep fold

So with real regret I passed Owen the map and timing sheet, compass and pen, and gave Matt the bottle of Owen's energy drink I'd been carrying. Matt seemed pretty unflapped (great for a BG newbie) and just got on with pacing Owen up Great Calva, as I set off down towards Skiddaw House. As I reached the Youth Hostel there, I saw Matt and Owen top out on Great Calva, now two minutes up.

I had a good chat with a chap staying in the hostel and then set off for Threlkeld, hobbling a bit at first, but later able to jog gently down (but in some pain).

Just beyond Skiddaw House on the way down to Threlkeld

Looking back up towards Skiddaw House and Great Calva

Blease Fell and Gategill Fell from west of Threlkeld

When I arrived in the village, the support vehicle hadn't yet arrived, so I headed up the old road as far as a path which doubles back through the fields to Gategill Farm. Here I could watch the lowest section of the Doddick Fell ridge and hopefully give some advanced warning to the road crew of Owen and Matt's arrival. The crew duly arrived and I saw the runners on Doddick pretty much simultaneously, so I headed up past the farm to the beck crossing under Hall's Fell.

I had a brief word on the way up with the lady from the farm as she fed her hens. She said there had been a bad accident in Gate Gill the night before, with the MRT called out. I later found out this was for a guy supporting another BG attempt. They'd gone down the parachute route but he'd slipped, broken a wrist and fractured his skull. He's OK thankfully - the MRT must have had a job getting him out: it's a bad place to have to be rescued from...

Gate Gill, and the phone camera was struggling for light at 21:35

Anyway, Owen and Matt appeared, still going great guns, and I ran down to the vehicle with them, arriving 8 minutes early. Owen had some pasta and tea and pretty soon was heading off into gathering darkness to tackle Clough Head. Matt and I went back in the Landie to the barn to get some sleep.

Owen fuelling up, Matt chilling, me mithering

Handing over, Matt's having a nice sit down.

Sadly Owen had some digestive problems during the night and had to pack his attempt in at Dunmail, but we will be back, possibly in August, for another go.