This challenge had been planned for Aug/Sept 2020, but lockdown and the need for a short holiday (in Eskdale) in Sept, meant that time was against me if I wanted to do the route in daylight. Life got in the way and before I knew it the clocks had changed and I decided to put the challenge on hold until the Spring 2021.
After a good winter training with several bigger days on the fells I decided that I would commit to a date in May ahead of several BG supports in June & July.
May offered me the opportunity of another go in Aug/Sept if I was unsuccessful….but I was positive that would not be needed!
April 27th, I started to message people about supporting on the 15th May – support was not an issue. So the date was set!
I did a couple of harder runs in the next few days and started to taper after supporting Sabrina on Leg 5 of her Wainwrights attempt.
Two weeks is a long time when you don’t run….
Keeping an eye on the weather, it initially looked ok, but in the preceding few days MWIS forecast rain/hail and low cloud, I was determined not to let that spoil anything and mentally prepared for a wet, clagged in run.
On the day however MWIS was wrong and I was provided with a sunny day, great views and a cooling breeze on the tops, only one 20min rain/hail shower as we started up Haycock, but at that point I hardly noticed.
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| Pooley Bridge with Adam |
Leg 1;
Jenny and I woke early and headed to meet Adam (a late substitute for Jacob who had been taken ill after his victory in The Lap the Saturday before).
Adam was at the bridge as planned and we introduced ourselves.
Pleasantries over, we waited for 0600 start time…and then we were off.
Steady pace through the campsite and onto the fells, it was good to be moving and I felt strong. I knew the pace would need to be maintained. Adam and I chatted as we went.
The summits came and went quickly on schedule, great views a plenty..…I realised the pace was unrelenting.
In what seemed no time I was heading down to Kirkstone and could see Jenny and the leg 2 guys with Rainer.
A quick hello to Rainer, a drink and a rice pudding, thanks to Adam and bum bag swapped over and off.
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| High Street |
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| From Kidsty Pike |
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| Thornthwaite |
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| Towards Stony Cove |
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| Kirkstone Pass |
Leg 2;
The quick pace continued up leg 2 with Michael (my son) and Matt…..Daz was to join us and had already set off up Red Screes to meet us at the top.
Also a little way up was Sabrina, still recovering from her Wainwrights, but it was good to see her for the 5-10mins she joined us.
On the steeper rocky sections I started to cramp in my calves, not something that I have suffered with. Matt pulled out a salt tablet it must have helped as the twinges started to recede.
Daz was near the top, a quick hello and we all set off on the descent to Scandale and the climb towards Fairfield. Michael forcing me to eat and drink to keep the cramps away, Matt and Daz out front
Good time made on this leg over to Seat Sandal but I started to get stomach issues. A quick call of nature stop and then back to the descent to Dunmail.
Good to see my grandkids at Dunmail along with Leon and Debbie – Jenny her usual organised self, marshalling the changeover.
I was not in too good a place and didn’t say much at this point, a quick drink, calf stretch and a nod to Leon, let’s go…..
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| Red Screes |
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| Fairfield |
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| Seat Sandal |
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| Road Support - Essential Kit |
Leg 3;
The drag up Steel Fell doesn’t get any easier no matter how many times you do it, but it was over and we made time on a group of BGer’s passing them before they forked off towards Calf Crag.
Bottles were filled at Birks Gill and we made slow progress to High Raise.
I know leg 3 was tough from the schedule, even on my reccies with relatively fresh legs the time were tight, so I full accepted that I would lose time on this section. What I hadn’t accounted for was how tired I would actually feel….the relentless pace was telling!
Leon kept me hydrated and I forced wine gums and a Mars bar down…it was a struggle.
High Raise done, the long descent and then climb to Rosset Pike was quite, I needed to regain my focus and concentrate…too easy to feel tired and low contemplate stopping – I pushed those thoughts away.
A few more minutes lost to Bowfell despite it being my 2nd fastest ascent…just shows the BG pace (for most people) is more generous….however a few sharp words from Leon got my head back in the right place and we set off to Esk Pike on a mission to recover some time, which we did, only to lose it again on Great End and the rocky descent to Styhead.
The photo of me at Styhead says it all, I was empty at this point, but thoughts of giving up had not resurfaced.
I had it in my head 1400hr latest at Styhead, you can do 4hrs to the finish…it was 1359 …..a drink, another bite of a Mars bar, thanks to Leon and over to Gary and Alfie.
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| Towards Steel Fell |
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| Arriving at Sty Head |
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| Leg 3 was Tough! |
Leg 4;
No sooner than we set off I needed to stop Gary ‘what’s up’ Me ‘stones in my shoes, need to get them out’ so like a pampered child, Gary helped me remove my shoes and rid them of the miniscule stones that had accumulated in them on the route so far.
That done it was a slow march up the side of Gable.
Gary and Alfie, constantly handing me water, cramp hadn’t returned but didn’t feel too far away.
Encouraged by Gary that we were on/ahead of the scheduled split lifted me…I also knew Gary knew good lines off Gable having done several supports in recent years.
A good line of Gable and we headed to Kirk fell…more stones in the shoes. Gary ‘can it wait until after Red Gully as you are likely to pick up more’ Me ‘ok’ and on we continued.
My mood and the pace gradually picked up, I asked Gary to go ahead about 10ft so I didn’t need to think about where to go, Alfie behind handing me water every few minutes.
Good time was made (including another stop to remove stones from my shoes) to Pillar and beyond. As we started up Haycock, a rain/hail shower necessitated a quick stop to get our jackets on, a few minutes lost but not a disaster.
Across to Seatallen, bottles refilled and we reached the summit with 1hr to go…..Middle Fell still seemed a long way off, but it was at this point I felt barring complete breakdown I would finish within the 12hr limit.
Photo on the top of Middle Fell and then a painful descent to be met by Jenny at Greendale Bridge……made it 11hr 39min (11 min up on schedule).
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| Towards Red Gully with Alfie |
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| Coming Off Kirk Fell |
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| Middle Fell - last summit of the day |
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| Almost There! |
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| Finished! |
Photos and thanks to Gary and Alfie.
I decided to sit in the river to rest my calves which were twitching like a bag of squirrels!
A quick change and a brew with Jenny and then we headed home.
An adventure made possible with the great support I had, can't thank them enough……will they all come back when I do the v55?
