Introduction

The Joss Naylor Lakeland Challenge route leaves Pooley Bridge to traverse 30 summits over a distance of 48 miles and climbs 16,000 feet (77km, 4877m).

The inaugural run from Pooley Bridge to Wasdale was made by Joss Naylor in 1990, at the age of 54; in very bad weather with heavy rain and a strong SW wind Joss completed the run to Greendale Bridge in 11 hours and 30 minutes.

Chris Brasher offered engraved pewter tankards to the first 20 runners to do so with the proviso that they raised at least £100 for a charity of their own choice. In January 1997, with 17 tankards already awarded, Chris extended his sponsorship. In 2001, with 33 tankards awarded, Joss secured on-going sponsorship for the tankards.

The challenge is offered to fell runners over the age of 50 to complete the run in set times according to their age group. The challenge is intended to be a "supported run" for individuals - each contender is to be accompanied on every leg for safety reasons and unaccompanied attempts will not be recognised. There is more information on the Challenge Details page below.

If you are interested, please have a look at the Challenge Details, download a schedule or contact me using the email address on the Challenge Details page.

Thursday 9 January 2020

Nick Combes (M60) - 29 June 19


2 a.m. and a beautiful start on Pooley Bridge. A mild night and, despite the lack of sleep that evening courtesy of some over-enthusiastic camping neighbours at Park Foot, we were ready to go. John Bamford & Nick Coombes (both M60) were supported in their attempts by Nikki Carr and Steve Baldwin, all members of Scarborough Athletic Club. Nerves jangled at the off and it was good to get going.
The steady pull up to Arthur’s Pike saw us arrive not just on time, but a minute to the good. Excellent! Then off we trotted confidently, in the darkness, on a path too far to the right. A few minutes later we realised the mistake as it fell away off the hill and already a twinge of panic kicked in. We plodded left up the hill and across tussocky awkward slopes to find the correct trail, but time had already slipped. Loadpot - 8 minutes adrift. The pairings gradually split up – by prior agreement we’d said each to their own pace – and Nick and Steve pulled ahead of John & Nikki. An unexpected headwind made us work a bit harder but as the sun came up it eventually eased.
Gradually the deficit was eroded, by a couple of minutes each leg, and by Stony Cove Pike Nick and Steve were back on track, with John & Nikki moving well but still a little down. The hurried scoot down from Stony Cove via Pike Howe saw us arrive at Kirkstone with a few minutes in the bank – a really good feeling.
Our plan had been to follow the 18hr schedule from the website, but only take 10 minutes at each checkpoint, to give us a little leeway. As leg 2 unfolded it was pleasing to see the gain increase bit by bit. The weather was more than kind: sunny with cloud to keep it that little bit cooler, winds dropped to a gentle breeze, perfect visibility and dry underfoot. We arrived at Dunmail 17 minutes up and feeling hopeful. Steve passed the pack onto Danny Walls for legs 3 & 4. By this point John and Nikki were still going well but a bit behind schedule overall. Nikki handed over the support role to Ricky Parrish, a last-minute stand-in following illness on the Scarborough team. He’d just been doing a support leg on the BG!
Dumail Raise - Nick in yellow

Nick never saw Steel Fell – he stared at his toes the whole way up, Danny calling the shots on pace. Amazingly, and with constant feeding and encouragement from Danny, the hills kept getting climbed and we continued to gain on the clock. Styhead – 37 minutes up! Danny felt confident; Nick still wasn’t sure. Not a single chicken was counted. 3 more SAC team members joined us for Leg 4 – Jane Hamp, Julie Clayton (freshly arrived from Cyprus!) and Alan Whelan. John made the decision to call it a day on arrival at Styhead, and he and Ricky headed off with the rest of the support crew (Chris Wood & Dave Eatherington) down to Wasdale for a well-deserved rest and a pint or two.
Great Gable, Kirk Fell & Pillar came and went and the clock showed a 47 minute lead on the schedule. Finally it was time to start believing! Seatallan provided a sting in the tail but time was securely on our side. Getting to the top of Middle Fell at 18.35 was such a brilliant feeling of relief! We enjoyed the luxury of a walk down off the fell. Looking for figures on the bridge we could see no-one, and I prepared for arriving without the thrill of meeting Joss. Down through the ferns we ran in the last few hundred metres, and as we rounded the cottages to reach Greendale Bridge an unmistakable figure stood before us. Joss was there after all – we just hadn’t been able to see him. What a treat; what a brilliant end to a magnificent day. 17 hours and 12 minutes. Sore feet and battered legs – who cared. Great friends and memories to treasure, and some funds raised for Mountain Rescue. A grand day – aye – as someone might say.



Greendale Bridge

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