After the adventures of the weekend, we took a day to recover properly, and had a very lazy day pottering around at home, sorting a few things out, and generally relaxing. But then we realised we still had nearly a week before we had to go back to work and the forecast for the Lakes looked great. So a staycation was on the cards! We managed to pack a fair bit into our home holiday and living where we do I could well do it all again – given a good forecast…
On Tuesday we headed out on the fells for a run. It took a while before either of us felt actually like running so it was a slow start from Wasdale Head, up to Beck Head hugging the stream on the ascent, then basically following the Wasdale route to Brackenclose, over Great Gable, Styhead, Esk Hause, Scafell Pike, Lingmell nose and down. Not that I need to recce that part of the race route…It was beautiful clear day, warm and only a slight breeze which made a change from recent weather.
Wednesday morning we picked up our road bikes from a friends house in Whitehaven who’d been due to take them to the harbour for the race, and then drove around to Loweswater for a ride down Buttermere, over Honister, down Borrowdale to Keswick where we treated ourselves to a late lunch in the Lakeland Pedlar, then back over Whinlatter Pass to Loweswater. About 2 and a half hours riding, again in lovely conditions.
After a drizzly morning and a bit of retail therapy in Ambleside, we met up with a mate at Langdale Boulders for a solid afternoon bouldering. Didn’t feel much like a climber, but managed all the problems I can normally do and ticked one I’d never done before. Also had some half-hearted attempts at The Pocket and others, but to be honest they are too hard for me!
Friday was another stunning day and we headed to St Bees to do routes. It was beautiful down at Scabby Back, and I think we may have done more sun-bathing and chilling than climbing in the end.
During the week I’d had a text from an old climbing friend from Manchester who was attempting his BG on Saturday, and he’d found out about our adventure in the Menai straights, and therefore wondered if I was around for a bit of support on Saturday. Luckily Leg 4 was where he was lightest in fell support, so I rested up on Saturday morning and headed around to Wasdale at 2pm. It was all go at Brackenclose with the MRT dealing with two incidents needing helicopter assistance, some 3 Peakers around and other BG support as well as the gathering support for Nicky Spinks’s women’s record attempt on the 24 summit record.
Andy and his two supporters, Andy S and Chad, dropped into Wasdale off Scafell 20 minutes up on a 23 hour schedule and after a 20 minute stop we were off up Yewbarrow. Rick and I were in support. Rick had done his BG back in 2009. Andy was going just fine and was in fine fettle on most of the leg, picking up a few minutes on each split until Kirkfell and Great Gable, where he had a bit of a downer but once more chocolate had been fed into him, he was away again, and even ran the last part of the ascent to Green Gable (not far I know but takes some effort after all that has gone before!).
It was an amazing afternoon to be out on the fells, although there was some haze in the distance, the views were stupendous. It struck me as it already has done many times before how lucky I am to live in this area, and have all this on my doorstep!
Nearly 40 minutes up on schedule we dropped into Honsiter Hause and Andy’s girlfriend Claudia was waiting with pepperoni pizza – I think I ate more of it that Andy – sorry!! It went down very well. After some confusion with missing leg 5 supporters (found waiting patiently in the other car park!) Andy set off on Leg 5. I hung around for a while, as there were gathering numbers awaiting Nicky on her record attempt.
But I could only wait so long as I had to get back to Wasdale under my own steam. So I set off up the main track and Moses Trod to Beck Head. The sunset was stupendous as was the evening light on the fells, bathing Gable Crag in a warm orange glow. I dropped down off the peace and serenity of the high fells to the relative noise and hubabub of Wasdale Head in 3 Peak season. I got to the car at 10:20pm, and there were ten’s of minibuses, cars and scores of people milling around.
I heard in the morning Andy held onto that 40 minute buffer and completed in 22:20. Great effort.
Finally on Sunday, our last day of home holidaying, we headed around to Borrowdale to go climbing with friends up to support Andy on his BG. After trying for Shepherds but found no parking, then Quayfoot Buttress but it was busy, we ended up at Bowderstone Buttress, where we did Woden’s Crack, VS, Valhalla, E1, and Heaven's Gate E3. Have to say I struggled on both the last two!
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