oops!

Well I have kinda been busy! So much so that I haven't blogged since last year and I missed the blogs 1st brithday! So to fill in, had a great but fairly lazy Christmas. I had planned to get out for some road running over that period, but the roads and paths were just too icy at my Mum and Dad's. I did get out for some leisurely walks and fresh air, but nothing that really got the pulse racing.

Chrimbo Limbo was spent in Derbyshire. We had a wonderful day climbing at Stanage, snow on the ground, clear blue sky, no wind and it felt almost balmy. I had been expecting to have to whimp out due to cold fingers and toes after the first climb, but managed a whole days climbing without so much as a whimper! It was virtually deserted too - just the way we both like it. Although the people who were there all did Christmas Crack, meaning we didn't! Next day we had a nice walk in bitterly cold winds over Lantern Pike and other local hillocks.

Stanage

We then headed back home for New Year. Reports from Scotland all talked about chest deep powder and as neither of us have skis it just didn't entice. New Years Eve we went up Kirkfell via Black Sail and Joss's Gully (very unconsolidated snow! - yuk!), and back down from Beck head. It wasn't the biggest or longest day out, but after a whole year out of big mountaineering boots, my feet had enough just doing that!

New Year's Day we went up from the Green in Wasdale, Lingmell Nose to Lingmell, Scafell Pike, Broad Crag, Ill Crag and down to Esk Hause. Well that was the plan. Descending off from Ill Crag we went for a wee wonder in thickening clag and whiteout conditions. We dropped too far west and into the top of Eskdale. Having worked out we weren't were we wanted to be, a 30 minute trudge in less than 5m visibility on a 340 degree bearing brought us back to the main birdleway towards Sprinkling Tarn. Just goes to show that even when you know exactly where you are and know the hills really well, things still can go wrong if you don't pay attention! We headed down via Sty-head after our walkies.

Raven on Scafell Pike Summit

Jan 2nd we were due to head over to Ambleside to meet up with friends and got up early, packed for a night away and headed off in heavy sleet which turned to snow on the main road and made it horrendously slippy. So we slithered to a stop and headed home, not wanting to commit to the journey round and find we couldn't get back home the next day. With hindsight we probably would have been OK, as it stopped snowing mid-morning. By this point the day seemed to have disappeared so we took advantage of that to get some chores, sorting and DIY out the way!

Jan 3rd we had an amazing day out on the Mosedale Horseshoe. The snow had consolidated well and was pretty icy in places, so we went up Dorehead, Red Pike, Scoat Fell, Steeple, Pillar,  Black Sail and down. I am continually amazed at how much slower I move with mountaineering boots and crampons on compared to fell shoes, and how much of a shock to the system it is to wear heavy boots!

Unfortunately that was the end of the holidays for us, so no running but a fair number of days out walking with big boots. Depsite conditions being very slippy on the roads, I managed two days on the bike to work in the first week back. P and I headed up Whin Rigg one evening as well on a crystal clear night. I also managed a short lunchtime run of 3 miles too, but road and trail conditions were soo icy around us at home, that I just couldn't /wouldn't commit to getting out on the fells.

Jan 9th we got out for another local walk on the fells, heading up Miterdale to Burnmoor Tarn, Ill Gill Head and Whin Rigg. Again a beautiful day and very quiet. The roads were so treacherous and Wasdale virtually undriveable, that people couldn't get out on the hills! Great for us locals!

This week just gone I managed three days consecutively on the bike. The roads were icy in places and so I was still using my ice spike tyres. Invaluable when you hurtle down a hill in the dark with little forward visibility! Thursday we had more fresh snow, which delayed us getting to work, but by mid-morning it had melted off enough to get out safely by vehicle. I needed a rest too! Somehow Friday slipped by without any exercise and so did Saturday! I'm not sure what my plan has been!

Yesterday I gave myself a good talking too, and knew that I just needed to get out for a run, any run, any where. In the end I covered just over 10 miles on local fell and trails. It didn't feel to bad, but I wasn't exactly fast either. More concerning was how ceased up I was afterwards! Sorted that out with a really good session of stretching, flexibility work, core exercises and yoga!

Road in on a normal road bike today with normal tyres and everything! Was a pleasant experience after weeks of ice spikes....