Training Log Archive: Mark3

Not that tired actually but spent the day wandering around the Treacle Market (treacle stalls: zero) and eating eggs Benedict, pie, macarons, pear & ginger cake and fish finger sandwiches.

Can't complain.

Been meaning to come up here for a while as it's the highest point in England outside the lakes. When planning a route it was actually quite hard to find somewhere to start from; the tiny villages are are narrow roads and no parking. Eventually chose Knock as the place with the best name.

I flirted with 3/4s due to the minus 5 degree wind chill forecast, but decided not to believe that so went with standard shorts. Very pleased with this on the way up when the sun came out, but as got higher and higher into the clag it became more and more windy and unpleasant... After 90 mins when I got to Cross Fell shelter I had to ask a walker to do my coat up as my hands were too cold to function. Really need to sort the Raynaud's.

Lovely downhill all the way to Kirkland and then it was the choice between going back up again or the 5k flat back to the car...couldn't face bailing on a route two runs in a row though, so did the long slog back up again into the clag. Didn't seem quite as bad the second time. Another really nice downhill down the PW.

Probably underestimated this run too much. Took quite a lot longer than expected. Need to remember that now I've run 65miles it doesn't mean any run shorter than that is somehow easy!

Doubt I'll be coming back here though; terrain is similar to the Dales which is closer; if I'm driving for more than 2 hours I'll be going to the lakes (like everyone else, judging by the c.5 people I saw in 5 hours today).

Lazy. Long(ish) runs planned for tomorrow and Monday, though.

It's been raining the whole day, plus I had a lot of work. Didn't feel the need to go out.

Attempt at this route;
https://www.gofar.org.uk/no-cure-always-hope
with Allen.

Got 19/25ths of the way around but bailed based on a few factors;
- Allen was basically dead
- One of Allen's shoes was falling apart
- If we continued at our current pace it was likely to be dark when still up high and we weren't adequately prepared for that

Bit annoying, but hey ho. The weather was pretty good, but the wet rock made the rocky sections very treacherous and slow. There were more rock sections than I was expecting.

To Buttermere was fine and straightforward. Claggy on the Red Pike Ridge and very rocky up to Haystacks (no wonder the racing line on all the fell races which don't actually have it as a checkpoint is always to avoid it as far as possible) but very nice at the top scenery-wise. Down from Seat, there's a nice line to the N of the main path to Scarth gap which I haven't found before; good to remember. From Haystacks, basically straight-line from S end of Blackbeck tarn to Grey Knotts (went to the other one from my BG for a bit of variety; it doesn't have a cairn which fits with it being marginally lower as per Rob's research on the day) and then all fine up to Green Gable.

Down from GG was really slow due to the wet rocky scree and steps which aren't readily avoidable (that we could see). Straight up seathwaite was very picturesque, then down the other side, and a bit of slog to Allen (not been there before). Then the ridge between there and Glaramara was much rocker than expected, again this was new to me. Good views and good running down to Thornythwaite and then into Borrowdate, though.

Castle Crag was weird; apparently used to be a Hill Fort but it looked like it was entirely build of slate, the hill was like a slate mountain. Surprisingly, this was the busiest peak of the day (maybe because it's 290m).
Post-Castle crag looking at the ground it looked like the best way up to Maiden might be to go slightly diagonally up to Low Scawdel; ie between Goat Crag and Lobstone Band Door. That looked possible from below, anyway. There was also a trod up the wall from the forest corner 400m N on the path, although we aborted at this point and so don't know where it leads; but the originally intention had been S of Nitting Haws. It also looked like it would be possible to go all the way up the track to Swanesty How and then straight up to the trig from there. So lots of options if I was going to have another go at this - might do, since it was quite a good route actually.

Good day out. Only new summit missed out on was High Snockrigg...

Splits:
Causey 51
Sail 1:18
Crag Hill 1:28
Wandope 1:38
Whiteless 1:48
Dodd 2:59
Red Pike 3:10
High Stile 3:27
High Crag 3:43
Seat 3:56
Haystacks 4:17
Grey Knotts 4:56
Brandreth 5:04
Green Gable 5:21
Seathwaite 5:57
Allen 6:27
Glaramara 6:59
ThornyThwaite 7:19
Castle 8:20

...so we got to Castle in about the FKT for the whole round. I don't think I'll be challenging that any time soon.

Trying and failing to get back before more rain.

Legs still feeling good.

Legs feel pretty amazing after a week off.

Lovely evening.