Arriving at the workshop at BNFL one back shop, Peter Todhunter was there poring his map, saying that he had one of the most spectacular runs in the Lake District for me to do. On inspection, I had to agree with his view and said I'd look it over. There was no real time to train - with 2,000 sheep to shear and a job outside farming it's difficult to fit everything in. I agreed on two training runs and a day on which we could do the whole run.
We went after a first shift, with Peter as driver and collected Colin Dulson on the way to Pooley Bridge. It was overcast, but the fells were clear along High Street and I decided to include Kidsty Pike. It gave great views of Haweswater and Riggindale and is well worth the extra five minutes. Running with Colin is always a battle; we have to test each other. It was great!
At Kirkstone, Colin needed sweet tea, so goes to the Inn. He came out with two tine plastic cups and had had to make it himself, at a huge price. Not a happy man! The rest of the run goes well to Dunmail and Peter reckoned about 5 hours in all.
The next free night, I arrange with Ken Ledward to collect me at Dunmail, after I had started at Bowderdale via Lad Crag under Haycock and then reversed the route to Dunmail. It was a long pull out of Sty Head to Great End, but then (it) went well to Dunmail - 5 hours.
On the day of he run from Pooley Bridge, Colin Dulson would do all of the pacing and his brother Peter, from Australia, would start off with us. It was a cold, damp, windy start and I used Colin as a wind shield - size is handy sometimes - but is was still very hard work abd we really had to dig in to keep the pace. Dropping off Thornthwaite Beacon we lost the wind in our faces and felt much happier.
Ken and Chris were camped out on Stoney Cove Pike and Bill O'Conner had driven through the night from the KIMM to take pictures; we had a welcome cup of Bovril. Here we dropped Peter, who had been suffering with the pace and he enjoyed going to Pooley Bridge with Chris, Ken and Bill for a full English breakfast - it made his day!
The run goes much better now and I feel good at Kirkstone. Quick refreshment and away on the nice, easy section to Dunmail for a quick coffee and a bun. Colin struggles up Steel Fell, but soon picks up and away we go. We made good time to Raise and then the heavens opened, with gale force winds; it was a nightmare. Thank heaven for Ken Ledward's hooded cags. They were down to our knees and a bit on the heavy side, but we were dry and warm. We could never have survived without them. A nice climb on to Bowfell, at least in shelter. Leaving Bowfell I mention to Colin that John James and Peter Todhunter are to meet us around Esk Pike, and yes, there they were, behind the cairn. I was quite pleased to see them. The first thing they ask is "Have you any sweets?", so I dish out the sweets. Then we make for Great End in thick mist. We didn't get a good route off. Having turned off too soon amongst big, greasy stones, slabs come out of the mist.. We head for the top of Skew Gill and now we are OK, arriving at the stretcher box. The weather worsens, if possible, rain spraying off the stones and Peter and John decide to carry on with us. After a few hundred feet Peter drops off the pace and goes down to Wasdale Head.
The top of Gable was a nightmare; we were holding on to stones with water cascading off them. I decide to bear left to miss the stones and take the fast run down the scree beds. I was looking forward to tea and buns at Beck Head, but feared that Chris and Ken had got stuck into the ale in the Scafell pub in Borrowdale. In fact we had been too fast and they missed us. John James was feeling the pace and I sent him round the back of Kirkfell, just Colin and I taking the Wasdale Head side of the crag for shelter up on Kirkfell. We were just pleased to get off the top OK.
We catch John James at Black sail and, finding him becoming hypothermic, send him down into Wasdale Head. I give Colin my last sweets and begin to wonder if he will make it, but he climbs well over Pillar. The mist turns day into night as we leave High Crags and it worsens as we come down onto the Scoat. Colin is losing body heat so he dons another cag. Even the sheep didn't run away, they stayed glued to the wall. Colin said very little; he needed all his energy to keep going. It was a fight to reach the top of Haycock, even with the wall breaking the gale. Leaving the top, the wind forced us to go left, down the scree. Soon we were out of the mist, which was nice and we had a clear run to Seatallan. We had to keep to the back side and below the ridge until the very last moment, to make any headway into the wind before climbing to the cairn. We could now see Middle Fell and the wind appeared to moderate as we climbed to its summit, the last top. We shook hands and jogged gently to Greendale Bridge. I lay in the river for 5 minutes - the water felt really warm - and then it felt good putting on clean, dry clothes. Mary had brought plenty of nice food, including a trifle and bottles of Guinness; it was great!
Why were all the visitors to Lakeland not on the fells today? We had seen very few on this trip.
Thanks to everyone who turned out to help. It was a day I shall never forget.
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