Tom Brunt (Dark Peak Fell Runners, V50) – Joss Naylor Lakeland Challenge, September 2, 2023
It was a warm and hazy late summer afternoon on the wonderful limestone hill of Arnside Knott. The Arnside bore had just raced up the estuary flooding the sandbanks and mudflats in a matter of minutes. But my focus was on the skyline of the Lakeland fells - working from right to left I picked out High Street, Stony Cove Pike, Red Screes, Fairfield and Seat Sandal. It is one of my favourite views and today it held a special significance today as just 24 hours earlier I had been running across the rocks, scree and squelching bogs of those peaks in a race against the clock. Stiff and aching legs were a constant reminder of that fact.
24 hours earlier…
I set off from Pooley Bridge at 8:03 (the stray 3 minutes due to some last-minute watch faffing) with Bill Stewart for company. The weather forecast is glorious, perhaps a little too glorious. Even at 8am the sun is strong, and it is clearly going to be a hot day. The first peak, Arthur’s Pike passes without incident and exactly on schedule. The pace feels brisk but manageable as we ascend onto the broad ridge heading south towards High Street. Minor (in some cases very minor) peaks come and go. Below Kidsty Pike early morning mist bubbles up from valleys to the east burning off quickly in the sun. Down into Threshthwaite Mouth and the relief of a walking climb. Up until this point it has been 2 hours of continuous running – the MV50 schedule for the first leg is a stern taskmaster. A good descent into Kirkstone sees us arrive at the carpark to be greeted by Paula (my wife and chief road support) and Rainer Burchett (JNLC reception committee). Apologies to Rainer if we were rather brusque! This was meant to be a two minute stop – in reality it stretched to seven.
Refuelled and doused in water we head off up Red Screes. Bill is on support duties for this next leg too. More food, more drinks and noticeably less chat; instead, we focus on the task at hand. The next climb up to Hart Crag drags – even with the patented Borrowdale Fell Runners Hodgson Relays leg 3 line we only manage to equal the split time. The sun is relentless and any hint of a breeze has disappeared. Up and over Fairfield and then my legs object to the sudden change from steep descending to climbing up Seat Sandal. A twinge of cramp shoots up the inside of my leg – this was not part of the plan. On the summit of Seat Sandal I glance round to check on Bill. A mistake… I catch my foot on a stone and crash unceremoniously to the ground. Every muscle group in my right leg seems to go into some sort of spasm. My left knee is bleeding. I feel nauseous. Gingerly I get back up and walk / jog / trot down to Dunmail not feeling on top form. Time to re-group.
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| Preparing to leave Dunmail Raise (Swatts, Jack and myself) |
Bill’s work is done for the day and his final selfless act is to give me his two ice-cold cans of coke. They are accompanied with fresh peaches (delicious), and I try to eat, drink and get organised for the next leg as efficiently as possible. Minutes disappear at an alarming rate. Support from here to the finish comes from Stephen Watts (aka SWatts of Pennine Fell Runners – himself a successful JNLC V50 man) and my own Dark Peak clubmate Jack Foxall. The youngest member of the team, BilI’s daughter Tilly (13), is joining us for Steel Fell – she sets off ahead and is soon marching up the fellside looking as though she could carry on to Wasdale. Normally I relish steep walking climbs like Steel Fell but instead I feel lethargic– we are not catching Tilly up. Things take a turn for the worse heading to High Raise negotiating the bogs and knolls along the undulating ridge. Jumping over a boggy area my legs cramp up again. I have no idea how to stretch out my inner thigh. I seem to vaguely remember a technique called the “Naylor Shake” for dealing with cramp, but unfortunately none of us have the faintest idea how to administer a “Naylor Shake”. Instead, I opt for lots of liquid and electrolyte. This section is a low point. It feels as though we are moving through treacle, the air is hot, the ground is wet and boggy and I have taken my eye off the ball with the navigation so we end up (needlessly) on Calf Crag. The final drag to High Raise, descent to Stake Pass and the gentle ascent to Rossett Pike are little better. Mercifully clouds fill in and we are granted some respite from the sun – not a moment too soon. The food and drink start to kick in climbing up Bowfell. Leaving the boggy terrain behind and getting onto the rocky peaks which constitute the most dramatic section of the route – Bowfell to Steeple – is also a boost for morale. This is familiar territory, we get the direct descent line off Great End spot on and meet SWatts’ wife Mel at Sty Head with additional supplies. More peaches (tinned this time) really hit the spot. Mel and SWatts have devoted their wedding anniversary to this run – impressive commitment to the cause. Similarly, Jack has rearranged his weekend plans at short notice to support and travelled up from Sheffield this morning. I feel a strong sense of obligation not to let the support crew down.
Leaving Sty Head I am about 30 minutes down on my 11:40 schedule so I need to claw back at least 10 minutes, preferably a bit more to avoid an anxious final descent to Greendale Bridge. The best place to start is the long slog up Great Gable. We gain 3 minutes which is a real morale booster. The sun comes back out but doesn’t have the intensity of earlier in the day; the air feels cooler. The cramps seem to have gone – touch wood the salts and drinks have worked, and although my legs are feeling wooden on the descents I am still climbing strongly. SWatts and Jack are having to work hard to keep up on the climbs – I take this to be another encouraging sign. A few more minutes are gained against the schedule on both Kirk Fell and Pillar. Little by little my confidence is rising. I keep pushing hard on the climbs. Scoat Fell comes and goes, Steeple too – a wonderful spot in the evening sunlight. Grassier terrain leads up to Haycock and then the delightful trod across to Seatallan. The mental arithmetic of times and schedules and splits has been proving difficult, but I arrive at the trig point after exactly 11 hours. Even in its current fuzzy state my brain can work out that leaves me 1 hour (well, 59 minutes) to make it to the finish. For the first time I feel pretty much certain that I’m going to make it. Legs complain down the steep drop off Seatallan, and then just Middle Fell, an understated gem of a hill, is all that remains. I can see two figures on the summit. I know SWatts is one and realise that the other is Paula who has spent the day doing all the unsung road support tasks. It’s great to see her on the final hill. We take a minute to admire the view in stunning evening light and all trot down together.
I reach Greendale Bridge 11 hours and 47 minutes after leaving Pooley Bridge. Hard work; it had been in the balance for much of the way, but that made the eventual success all the sweeter.
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| Seatallan and Haycock from Middle Fell – Jack and I are just about visible… |
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| Jack and I reaching the top of Middle Fell. |
Many thanks to:
Bill Stewart (Borrowdale Fell Runners) – Legs 1 and 2
Stephen Watts (SWatts, Pennine Fell Runners) – Legs 3 and 4
Jack Foxall (Dark Peak Fell Runners) -Legs 3 and 4
Paula Gould (chief road support and Middle Fell)
Mel Watts (additional road support and Sty Head)
Tilly Stewart (Steel Fell)
Louise Stewart (additional road support)
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| The obligatory team photo on Greendale Bridge – Swatts, myself, Jack and Mel |
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