Moot Hall at midnight
Wow! What a day – brilliant!About 9 years after hearing of the Bob Graham (thanks Ray), here I am on the steps of Moot Hall 10 minutes before midnight on Friday 20th. July. Training done, route recce’d, team sorted, doubts gone, nerves forgotten; it was now down to me.
Here's my Leg cards/Schedules/times
No excuses. Let’s go.
Keswick to Threlkeld
Midnight – left Keswick with Dicka, Jonathan and John to the cheers of about 30 friends and locals in the market square.We climbed comfortably up past Latrigg, it was good not to be carrying a bag this time, and into the mist just below 600 meters. It was now cool, wet and windy with very low visibility. I was warned not to burn my pacers out, but John unfortunately soon fell behind (with most of my food!).
We came off the path a few times up to and leaving Skiddaw which lost us a few minutes. Bob was waiting patiently for us at the summit with our drinks in foul weather.
We located the path, down to, but then lost it again over Hare Crag in zero visibility and bashed about in deep bracken for 10 minutes but still going in the right direction, by Great Calva we were only 4 minutes down despite the worsening weather.
We took the direct route to Mungrisdale and Blencathra but left Dicka messing about in the Caldew (with the rest of my food!) Good crack with Jonathan saw us to the top of Blencathra quite easily but 9 minutes down.
We had agreed I would probably make some time up by myself down the next bit, so I took a spare torch and made off down a greasy Halls Fell Ridge, which was scary, even for me, in the pitch-black clag. I lost another 3 minutes to arrive at Threlkeld at 3.56am.
Threlkeld to Dunmail
After a change of shoes and socks, a cup of tea and a sandwich, I headed for Clough Head with Rachel, Paul and a very quiet Welsh Tony.
We took the direct route up which was surprisingly dry underfoot and then very steep but it brings you out almost at the summit, I felt quite good and again felt for the others who were carrying my gear. We were in the clag again at about 600 metres and it accompanied us for most of the Helvellyn ridge but Rachel’s navigation was spot on and with Paul & Tony force feeding me, we were soon ticking off the Dodds, Raise, Whiteside, Lower Man, Helvellyn (where Bob appeared again with more water!)
The fastest paths were located over Nethermost and Dollywaggon Pikes and we more or less stuck to schedule to Grisedale Tarn where we met Jill and Ali with a welcome cup of tea. The girls took the bags and we made 4 minutes from Fairfield to Seat Sandal. A very fast run off Seat Sandal on another perfect line saw us knock another 9 minutes off putting me 6 minutes ahead at Dunmail Raise.
Dunmail to Wasdale
Another slick shoe change and stripping of all my wet gear as I was being spoon fed porridge, peaches and a cup of tea saved me a few more minutes, then I was off on leg 3 with Dale to catch Jonathan who had set off a few moments earlier.Steel Fell was reached at 8.31am (11 minutes up) and now it was Dale’s turn to show his navigation skills and knowledge of this, the longest leg. Again the crack was great with two lads I had only just met a couple of months earlier, Dale while recce-ing this leg and Jonathan at Moot Hall 10 minutes before helping on his successful round. Sergeant Man came and High Raise went very easily and I think Dale was surprised when I asked which hill we were at.
Heading to Thunacar Knott and then the Langdales provided good fun with the three of us choosing slightly different trods at our own pace, this continued across a soggy Martcrag Moor and we were 22 minutes up at Rossett Pike. I was quite tired on the steep pull up Bowfell and this brought us back into the mist that stayed with us more or less till Wasdale. Dale again knew the good lines over Esk Pike, Great End, and Ill and Broad Crag, while Jonathan stayed on the main path logging our times, he certainly let us know when we dropped a full minute on Broad Crag!
I was now 23 minutes up but becoming more tired, Scafell Pike was as busy as usual, then the climb up Lords Rake and West Wall seemed to take ages but we stuck to schedule. A fast descent down into Wasdale gained another 9 minutes but I was in a bit of pain now and not feeling too good. More food, drink, a couple of painkillers for my back and a wonderful leg massage from Jon K saw me shuffle away for my hardest part of the round.
Wasdale to Honister
Mal and Noel slowly led me up Yewbarrow, I was feeling a bit rough and light headed, this was now mind over body but I still had to stop and rest every few minutes or so, I told myself I wasn’t going through all this again and that “pain is only temporary” so onwards and upwards we went to eventually meet Rachel and Paul at the summit.
I was amazed to hear I had only lost one minute on the climb and, more importantly, I was starting to feel better. Hopefully my bad patch was over.
It was, and we soon got moving, and I was enjoying it again, we were up 42 minutes up at Steeple in the mist (apologies to Grace who got there about the same time and hung around for more than an hour), Mal was on familiar ground now and with Rachel confidently confirming all ok, we traversed below Black Crag and made good time to and down from Pillar.
It was good to meet Andy who joined us at Beck Head for the rest of the round, I must have been a little confused although feeling strong and leading the group when Rachel shouted “You not going up the gully?” pointing to the left. I moved across to the left, it was only halfway up the gully I realised we were only at Kirkfell not Gable!!
We were still well up on schedule and the big climbs of Kirkfell and Great gable were dispatched easily. Jill met us on Gable and I had my first real rest and a cup of tea while we all regrouped. I hardly even noticed Green Gable then there was a bit of conflict as to the actual summits of Brandreth and Grey Knotts so I was sent to all of them to the amusement of the team but we still gained more time.
I had decided to have a quick run through at Honister as I was going well and feeling good. This fast drop down to Honister with the sound of Jonathans pipes echoing round the hills was one of the major highlights of the Round.
Honister to Keswick
Dale, John, Dicka and Tony joined me on this last section along with Andy, Malcolm and Noel who had decided to continue from the last section.
We got to the top of Dalehead in the scheduled 31 minutes and I was so pleased that it was the last of the big climbs. We gained another 5 minutes to Hindscarth and then surprisingly another 2 up to Robinson as I was tiring again, a young sheep also joined in and kept us amused as it ran round and amongst us for about a mile. (Welsh Tony is going back on a date next week).
The pull up on to this last hill was harder than I expected but I found my good trod down past the crags off Robinson then we all had fun on the final scree run down to the reservoir and the fast last off road section to Low Snab where Karen was again reliably waiting with a change of shoes, a table full of drinks and snacks for all.
I snatched a hug and a few potatoes and we off for the final few miles along the road, Jill and Ali had now joined the growing crowd but I was suffering a bit and had to walk all of the slight rises, and a few of the flat bits, I was running on empty now and was pleased I had a good team around me for support.After crossing the bridge at Portinscale I knew it was almost done and the pace built up again (slightly), and increased again as we reached the streets of Keswick, Ray returned a favour by holding up the traffic at the roundabout and then I made the final sprint up the main street to the cheers of the loads of friends and helpers who had gathered there to see me slap the doors of the Moot Hall at 8.36pm.
The Bob Graham Round in 20 hours 36 minutes, but more importantly, a brilliant long day in the hills with a great bunch of people.
To Karen, Joy, Ray, Jon and all the others at the roadside who spent their weekend, setting up, waiting around, seeing me for a few hectic minutes, then moving on to the next location in cold wet weather often at silly times through the night…HUGE, Huge, huge thanks.
To Karen…for everything, but mainly your support in everything I do…Thank you XXX
The team at Dunmail Raise.
The Team
Leg 1. Dicka, Jonathan & John Leg 2. Rachel, Paul & Welsh Tony Leg 3. Dale & Jonathan Leg 4. Mal, Noel, Rachel & Paul, (Andy & Jill) Leg 5. Andy, John, Dicka, Tony, Dale, Noel, Malcolm, (Ali & Jill) Roadside. Karen, Joy, Ray, Jon, Jill Fellside. Bob, Jill, Ali, Grace, Denise Ken Maynard, Sunderland Stroller & Durham Fell Runner 27/07/07
The team at Honister.
Job done.
Run back home