Training Log Archive: Mark3

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https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/SLMM/2021/SLM...

39th today and 35th overall out of 78, so still top half. A few places ahead of John Abbott luckily! Good to catch up with him afterwards.

I had a pretty good nights sleep for a change (probably JN-related; was pretty tired) but Em didn't. Descriptions in advance (6.45am as per) made it look like today would be significantly easier than yesterday, and this was pretty much true controls-wise. Bit annoyed at #2 that the clag and the rock mapping led us through some totally unmapped horrible stuff, but at least it looks like most other teams had the same problems. I was happy with my Great Gable most of the way and then BG-line cut to the col rather than Aaron Slack, but didn't see the winner's route choice of avoiding either and contouring a lot: much better route. Good choices rest of the time though. As yesterday we lost most positions on the final steep rocky descent to the finish.

Saw someone literally running up it which was mental - I actually had to stop and watch for a bit, it was amazing to see. I couldn't have run more than 20m of that kind of steepness and he was making it look trivial. Don't know who it was; tried to find them on Strava afterwards but failed.

Overall, enjoyed it and made me want to get back into some MMs again - didn't seem to suffer from carrying the weight all that much as expected.

Not sure if I'm sold on the Salomon XA25 as a MM backpack - liked the race vest style bottle holders on the front as they definitely encouraged me to drink a lot more, but disliked the lack of a stretchy membrane on the back where you can stow a coat without removing the bag. Will have to get my mum too add one :)

Proud of Em for getting round and enjoying most of it (or at least claiming to) - hope she does some more in future.

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https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/SLMM/2021/SLM...

Saunders Carrock with Em. She was pretty nervous so I tried to be my usual calming presence (!!). In general happy with my route choices although a couple not implemented brilliantly; probably need more attention to altimeter. It didn't help that the mapping of rocky ground was pretty sporadic but we could probably have avoided a few of the boulderfields I led us through.

Some interested over-or-round route choices (1-2,2,3) and perfect weather near the start (warm, bit drizzly) and then thick clag for the last few controls 5-7 which was a navigational challenge. Nailed 5 but went one hill too far on 6, then was tentative on 7 due to the massive unmapped lump way over to the left - very lucky the clag cleared momentarily at just the right time! Due to the increased rain in the clag later on, rocks were very slippery which slowed us down quite a bit.

Passed several people covered in blood ("oh yeah he's fine; we're just trying to stop the bleeding") which was a bit disconcerting, especially for Em. But we made it back fine. Looking at Splitsbrowser we lost the most positions on the final steep rocky descent.

31st/78 on the third hardest course, I think she can be pretty pleased with that.

Drizzly evening in the main with brief pauses in the rain for some socialising. I had one Extreme Food and one Adventure Food, I think. The Adventure Food was better, but fewer calories/weight.

The plan was to walk back to Pooley Bridge (30 miles) but it had been so hot yesterday I was a bit of a wreck. Em offered to pick me up from Wasdale but I said I'd save her the extra 2 hours of driving by getting to Honister.

Thought it was a reasonable decision to walk along the SE edge of Wastwater - I didn't know there was a path and I'd never seen anyone on that side, but the OS said there was a path and who I am to argue?

Now I know why - there are sections of the path which are 100% scree, like to Glyder-levels, and those sections are 500m+ at a time. It took about 3 hours to get the 8km to Wasdale Head from Nether Wasdale; insane. It didn't help that it was insanely hot with no wind again. I actually had to stop for a rest halfway, which I haven't done on any occasion for years. I was actually going to call Em and ask her to pick me up from Wasdale, but I couldn't because I didn't have any signal.

Felt a bit better after an icecream, some crisps and some flapjack anyway, and then on the ascent to Beck Head after about 300m altitude there was a bit of a breeze and it all felt much better again. Fine all the way to Honister. Didn't realise how much the heat affected my mood until today!

Had been looking forward to doing this again for ages. 13:20 ish with N last time, which I thought it might be possible to get down to 12:45 or something with better weather/lines, but didn't really think sub-12 was doable until I saw Darren F had done it in 11:53 or something. That's when I knew it would probably be close. But I didn't know how much carrying stuff would slow me down.

Logistically challenging and no free weekends left for ages so decided to have a midweek attempt.

Drove to Nether Wasdale Wednesday night and dropped off a tent, then to Dunmail and a bag with 3L of water, some Clif bars (obvs) and L3/4 maps, and then to a B&B in Penrith. Setup complete.

I'd created my own 12-hour schedule based on my previous attempt but still knew I had to blast the first few legs to offset my predicted bad performance over the rocks later on. So started strongly through the nostalgic campsite of my 11-18 years and then first few controls all good. I knew I was up after Arthur's Pike by a few mins but not really what was happening after that since I'd written the timings on the map and it was awkward to get out whilst moving fast using poles - I'd also written some on my hand but a combination of sweat, suncream and pole-gloves put paid to those pretty fast.

After Wether Hill the higher path is probably better to avoid a bit of descent/ascent later, and best to recross the fence from Red Crag immediately after it otherwise have to cross some longish grass, but those are both seconds rather than minutes. Similarly was drawn to the NE cairn on Rampsgill despite the SW one being obviously higher.

I think the only possibility to save more time on this leg is down from Thornthwaite Beacon, it looks like heading further N and then W rather than NW straightaway might yield a grassier descent, but would need a recce. Otherwise remainder of this leg all perfect and finished 10 mins up on schedule.

Went a bit awry from Red Screes (water bottle faffing, took 1.5L so had to have bottle change stop) following trod too far N, but easy to correct as terrain is friendly around there. Line was good to join wall at Scandale Pass. Took a risk on the Bakestones Moss trod which was pretty vague and disappears eventually into long grass, but probably still faster than wall line. Vis was good off Fairfield for a change so was able to avoid a lot of the scree descent and come down the grass to the left of the wall. Everything good really and now 20 mins up.

4 min stop at Dunmail to add 3L of water (it was very hot; no wind; and I was not confident of being able to find streams at the right times) and some more food. Took BG line to Calf Crag and then contoured around the bottom, maybe wall slightly faster in dry weather? But not much in it.

Followed trod towards Rossett for too long and gained a bit of unrequired height around Mansey Pike, but realised more or less soon enough to contour a lot of it. Then just joined BG trod; not a bad route. Stopped for brief water bottle change going up Bowfell; no problems there. Fine all the way to Great End. Then tried to implement the line I've only done in the reverse direction in the snow, and realised pretty soon that that isn't really sufficient to count as a proper recce. Messed up the start and had to climb down some relatively dangerous stuff, but could see the grassy shelf I was aiming for and once I got there it was a great route. I think NW or NWN from the cairn rather than the W I did would be better, as if it's going to be downclimbing either way it might as well be a shorter one. Still - 25 mins up at the end of L3.

On the Great Gable climb, really began to feel the effects of the heat and so didn't cut the top path kink as planned. Bit of a breeze once higher up. Struggled coming down but keeping well right seemed to work as well as any other strategy. BG line in reverse to Kirkfell all fine, just felt really tough in the heat. Stopped for water in the stream adjacent to Red Gully (very steep; nearly lost a pole) which was the only running water I'd seen for ages; even the Bowfell stream would've been an effort to get anything from, so I think carrying the 3L was the right call.

Standard line to Pillar, off Pillar tried to cut back to main path sooner than I did at Great Lakes but I think too soon, somewhere in between would have been good. Definitely walking when I should've been running bits of this and from Pillar to Steeple, and Steeple to Scoat, due to the heat. Felt good otherwise. Weird weather - something I've never seen before; warm fog. Did not help.

Got a bit of mojo back up to Haycock as could sense the end was in sight and I was going to make it. Line off Haycock (recced on Google satellite only) was perfect, Seatallan definitely feeling tough but managed it, and then held it together for the final ascent of Middle Fell. Saw I was 31 mins up at the top and was keen to make the 11:30 stick, then basically overdid it and gained another 4ish mins on the final descent.

Very happy with 11:25. On a cooler day and with some final tweaking to lines, maybe 11:15 or something doable, but so logistically painful that I probably won't have another go until I'm 50. Definitely harder psychologically than the BG for the second half to be doing it alone - very conscious that I was tiring and so not moving fluidly and didn't have any help available if I'd have fallen off anything or whatever. Not many people out on a Thursday either!

The walk to the campsite was only a mile or so but that wiped me out.

Entire evening spent on packing and logistics. As will tomorrow be.

C • Why? 3