Friday 22 June 2012

Clag magnet





Kentmere horseshoe/Race route

Its amazing how a good downpour and a low cloud-base can turn a pleasant ridge run into a mini epic. Well, not quite epic but more than just a trot around a Lakeland classic that it should have been.

As usual, finding the starting point confuses me. Many thanks to the BMC for signposting Badger Rock, it confirms I am on the right path. Path found. Next feature to find is the re-entrant that heads up towards Buck Crag. This was the old footpath and is now a short-cut or the 'racing line'. It also leads straight into the clag. Bummer.

Once more into the clag, dear friends, once more.
 The racing line below Buck crag



Take a bearing for the wall then keep going and use the fence as a....... catch fence, then follow the main path, 'simples'.
I hit the wall then the fence. This is not how I pictured it to be. The fence is leading me downhill. It is now raining, heavilly. My handrail and only feature that can be seen through the rain  and mist, is trying to trick me. The only thing that is 'simples' is me.

Yet again it's time for the belay jacket of shame to come out. After a few minutes of mardyness, self doubt and anger at myself for being a f##kwit, I get my head together and manage to work out that I hit the wall in the wrong place, meaning that the fence was the wrong fence. Thankfully this means relocating and getting back on track is simple.

This wake up call is a good thing. The Kentmere horseshoe is a relatively easy route to follow for a competent navigator, even in the clag. Two things complicate this: One. I am trying to find the racing line, which at times goes off path following a trod. Two. I am a muppet.

Still sulking about making a dumb mistake and having no views, of what I am sure is beautiful scenery. I slow it right down (yes it is possible to go even slower than my normal pace) and concentrate.




Ignoring the runners trod around Yoke, I bottle it and take the main path over the top. Onwards to the first race checkpoint at Ill Bell, I start to feel more confident. I have a path to follow and now the steep drop into the Kentmere valley on my right, makes a good hand rail. Cool. I even feel brave enough to take the trod around Froswick. 

It has now stopped raining but the vis is still less than 50m. All I can see is the path/trod right in front of me and a  grey curtain of clag. I decide to cut the corner at the end of the valley, missing out High Street.
 Dropping down from Mardale Ill Bell, something changes. Just for a moment the grey curtains turn bright white, and by the time I reach Nan Bield Pass, there is a view. Perhaps I should have visited High street after all.


The cafe at Nam Bield Pass, Not quite as good as Hafod Eryri

180 degrees out eejit


Running back along the eastern ridge of the horseshoe is much more fun, now there is a view. If I had set off an hour or so later, the morning would have been very different. Different not better. Apart from the skylark on Ill Bell, I have had the fells to myself. Yes, I made daft mistakes and struggled in places that, a proper fellrunner/navigator would have laughed at but it was FUN. Well mostly.

The cloud lifting.
 Looking back over to Ill Bell



Back down in the Kentmere valley. Cloud lifted and sun shining.




Monday 11 June 2012

'Oh'!





The opposition

DVO EM league Orienteering 
Allestree Park
  
Allestree Park, the venue for my first ever orienteering event. This is part of most of my 'from the door' runs and where I take the hound for a walk. At least I shouldn't get lost.

Race organisers Kim and Russ of Derwent Valley Orienteers were very friendly and helpful.  I told them I had done some fell running so they knew that they were talking to a navigational numpty and suggested I try the orange course


With local knowledge and orange being one of the easier courses, I found all the controls ok and had a good run.
 Checking the results later on I was well chuffed to see I had come first. That was until I scrolled down and saw that I had managed to beat, mostly 10- 12 year olds and a 70 year old lady. Oh dear!. I guess it's  better than being beaten by a load of 10-12 year olds and an old lady.

Route gadget of the Allestree park courses.

Many thanks to DVO for putting on the event


Could a should a would a



















Tuesday 5 June 2012

101



A double celebration.101 posts on this blog (I didn't realise I had reached #100) and team Ibuprofens best ever result. 3rd  place MV in the score class, at this years Highlander MM.

I thought we had placed 4th but the package from Hands on Events that came through the letterbox today, says we came 3rd.

 Woo hoo! We have even won a prize.

I hope this doesn't sound boastfull but I am so chuffed that a pair of numpties like us has managed to come 3rd.


Monday 4 June 2012

Dark over Bryns mothers



Carneddau fell race 2012 (cancelled) 

Due to High winds, rain and poor vis above 700m the 2012 Carneddau race was cancelled. Fair play to the RO, I am 100% behind his descision. It was grim up there and it would not have been right to ask marshals to stand about in such bad weather. 

Personally I would have been happy to race. To me bad weather is just part of the challenge of fell running.




After driving over to Bethesda from the Midlands it would have been a shame to just turn around and head home, so Jonathan and I headed up to Carnedd Dafydd for a soaking.

One to go on the calender for next year, unfinished business and all that.