Gav's BG

I managed to slot in some short work runs on Thursday and Friday covering 8 miles in total just to keep the legs ticking over, before pacing my mate Gav on Leg 4 of his BG. It was a horrendous forecast for the Saturday afternoon, with Gav due into Wasdale at 2:35pm after a midnight start from Moot Hall. I had a call at 9am to say he was an hour up at Dunmail and still an hour up at High Raise, despite the strong winds. It was a totally different weather pattern to my BG which was exactly a year ago.

I met up with Nick, who was doing road support in Wasdale, and the two other pacers, Scott and Liz. Rich was also going to be with us, but he was coming in with Gav on Leg 3. So we all got there an hour earlier than planned and sure enough an hour ahead of schedule Gav, Jackie, and Rich appeared off Scafell and into Brackenclose. Gav was doing well, and the rain was still holding off. After a 17 minute rest (instead of his allotted 20) off we went.

We kept the pace steady up Yewbarrow knowing we had the hour in hand over the 23 hour schedule. We still managed to make 10 minutes on that climb alone, and another 10 minutes to Red Pike. It was on the descent over to Scoat Fell that the rain finally came in and was with us for the rest of the leg. Combined with the very strong winds it made for a filthy time on the fells. Still with 5 of us trogging along, (3 of us have already done the BG, one was making attempt in two weeks time, plus our contender) there was no need to use a map or a compass. The summits came and went, each split being better than the schedule. The ascent of Gable wasn’t as bad as I was expecting and we found some shelter before the summit to scoff more food before pressing on. The climb up from Wind Gap to Green Gable was the most windy, and I got blown over by a very strong gust! Liz had left us at Beck Head having already paced Gav on Leg 2 through the night, and I left them at Grey Knotts to run back to Wasdale.

It was not the nicest of run backs I’ve done into the teeth of the wind and rain. Visibility was less than 10 metres and there were three worried faces looking at me as I disappeared off Grey Knotts to reach the Moses Trod route. Luckily it’s a route I know well, so no need to navigate as such, just a requirement to pay attention and not wonder, and before long I was at Beck Head and having to fight my way down Gavel Neese to the valley. The wind was funnelling up the pass making it a tough effort to run down! Reached the car at Brackenclose after 5 hours 20 on the hill, ready for some tea and cake!

Gav had worse weather on Leg 5 than we did on Leg 4, but kept going really well to finish in 21:40 – an awesome effort, especially in those conditions! Unfortunately I can't say the same for my camera which bit the dust in all that water, so my photos are stuck on the card until I get a card reader or another camera!