Once again our plans to ride in the Duddon were thwarted and one of our mates was delayed at work and so it meant we set out later than planned from Eskdale. It was a glorious evening, with only thin high wisps of cloud and warm sunshine. No need to lots of layers in the camelback. We did a new combination of routes by heading up Irton Fell, down through the forest of Miterdale, up that valley and over White Moss past the stone circles, and the great descent into Boot, and back along the valley bridleway. Only downside to the ride were the midges - lots of them! Somehow we didn't seem to be moving fast enough except on the downhills to escape the little buggers!
Ride completed and was followed by a swift pint in the local. Spot on!
11 miles, 2400' ascent
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
infrequent blogging!
The last couple of weekends I have at the last minute stepped in to support BG attempts. The weekend of the 5th I was asked on the thursday evening to do Leg 2, starting at 4am from Thelkeld. For some reason this sounded like a fine idea! So I said yes, and then realised That I had to leave home at about 2:15am to get round to Thelkeld! Nevermind. I then realised that the forecast had changed and that what I thought would be a pleasant night had turned into forecasts of snow up high!
So the alarm woke me up at 1:50 am and I was out the door for 2:15 and on my way to Thelkeld. There was light in the sky to the east as it was already approaching dawn, and it was slightly strange to realise that most of the traffic on the road were people heading home from a Friday nights partying, not heading out as I was! As I approached Keswick, the sky has started to look ominously darker in the east, and as I parked up in Thelkeld the rain arrived.
The BG contender Nick arrived 2 minutes up on schedule and after 5 minutes rest we headed out towards Clough Head. I was relieved that by this time we did not need torches. The rain got heavier as we gained height, and soon lost the two teams in front of us in the cloud. As we reached the summit of Clough Head the rain turned to sleet then snow as forecasted with a stiff easterly wind. We were doing fine schedule wise and trogged on through to the Dodds.
But the weather was against us and the snow started falling much more heavily and it became almost a whiteout with gale force easterlies battering our left sides. By the time we were approaching Stybarrow Dodd, the conditions were making it hard even to follow the footprints in front and Nick had slowed considerably. I'm not sure I'd have been mentally prepared to endure essentially winter conditions in June!
So as we approached Sticks Pass, Nick decided that enough was enough. We all live locally and the hills would be here another more summer-like day! So we bailed off down to Stannah to await pick up by Nick's wife. I can't really reccommend 3 wet and cold adults sheltering in a telephone box for over an hour as a great way to spend a saturday morning but the craic was good - we were down and safe!
This effort took a reasonable amount out of me as it took me a long time to warm up coupled with the very early start and loss of sleep. I managed to drive home safely, and spent the rest of the day pottering at home doing odd jobs. Sunday I had to fight off major lethargy to get out for a run but only managed a very slow 3.5 miles. My legs felt dead! But a good nights sleep on the Sunday got me back on track!
I rode to work and back on Monday and then made the best (?!) of a trip to Surrey for a training course to get 3 runs in of 6.5 miles (1700'), 9.5 miles (1700') and 3.5 miles (1100') on the roads and tracks around where I was based. I also ploughed up and down the hotel pool for a while managing a 600m swim.
The phone rang again on the Thursday asking if I would provide navigation support for leg 4 on a BG for a friend of a friend. I got home at 10:30pm on Friday night and Ryan wanted me at Wasdale for 8:30am! So I got up fairly early and found enough dry and sweet(ish) smelling running kit to use! I met up with the other support guy at the NT car park amoung what seemed like thousands of 3 peakers, and sat down to wait. Ryan arrived ahead of schedule and we were off soon after 10am up Yewbarrow.
I set off at a bit too fast a pace, but Ryan kept it up, until we realised that the pace was too good, and slowed up to avoid over cooking it. We still reached Yewbarrow summit 9 minutes up and set off in thick mist towards Red Pike.
I was nervous before hand as although I know this leg well, I have never done it when it really counts i.e. supported someone on it and felt under some pressure to get it right. To be honest I needn't have worried as I got all the summits spot on and picked the best lines pretty much all the time. I did play it safe a couple of times opting for easy to navigate lines as opposed the really good lines which could go wrong in bad weather. After the intial climb up Yewbarrow we didn't have any rain, but the mist was as thick as I have ever known it to be with visibility down to 5 meters in someplaces.
The run took us from Red Pike, to Steeple, Pillar, Kirkfell (via Joss's Gully), Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts before dropping down to the top of Honister Pass. We didn't see a thing until we dropped off the summit of Pillar and the bottom of Mosedale popped out the cloud for a few glorious seconds!! I'm not sure if Ryan felt the uplift in spirits but it had an impact on me, even though I knew exactly where we were it always has a good effect suddenly seeing the surroundings!
As we approached Beckhead, we passed Ian Charters on his 55@55 attempt being support by a couple of mates. He looked to be going well at that point! Ryan was really doing well here, he was eating and drinking plenty and was strong up hills still, but was starting to suffer from painful shins which were slowing him down on the descents, but we were keeping to schedule . As we dropped off Green Gable we popped out of the cloud for the last time and had a lovely sunny run along the more grassy paths to Brandreth and Grey Knotts and a good descent to Honister, where the Leg 5 supporters were waiting and took Ryan on to finish in 22:33!!
I had originally planned to run back to the car at Wasdale, but had been offered a lift, which I decided to take given how tired I had felt that morning when I got up. With hindsight I should've run back but nevermind!! It was a good day out on the hill and gave me a lot of confidence on that leg that I know it as well I thought!!
Sunday, P and I walked up to the Samson Stones in Upper Eskdale to go bouldering. We both felt tired but it was a lovely dry day and so took advantage of the breeze and sunshine to boulder up there. It's about an hours walk in and in such lovely settings! I managed finally to do a proper V3!! and then found out another problem I did which our guide says is V1 is a V3 too!! Bonus!
Yesterday I rode to work and back in more sunshine. Tonight then plan is for a mountain bike ride in the Duddon. I'm watching the weather closely as it'd be nice if it didn't rain!!
So the alarm woke me up at 1:50 am and I was out the door for 2:15 and on my way to Thelkeld. There was light in the sky to the east as it was already approaching dawn, and it was slightly strange to realise that most of the traffic on the road were people heading home from a Friday nights partying, not heading out as I was! As I approached Keswick, the sky has started to look ominously darker in the east, and as I parked up in Thelkeld the rain arrived.
The BG contender Nick arrived 2 minutes up on schedule and after 5 minutes rest we headed out towards Clough Head. I was relieved that by this time we did not need torches. The rain got heavier as we gained height, and soon lost the two teams in front of us in the cloud. As we reached the summit of Clough Head the rain turned to sleet then snow as forecasted with a stiff easterly wind. We were doing fine schedule wise and trogged on through to the Dodds.
But the weather was against us and the snow started falling much more heavily and it became almost a whiteout with gale force easterlies battering our left sides. By the time we were approaching Stybarrow Dodd, the conditions were making it hard even to follow the footprints in front and Nick had slowed considerably. I'm not sure I'd have been mentally prepared to endure essentially winter conditions in June!
So as we approached Sticks Pass, Nick decided that enough was enough. We all live locally and the hills would be here another more summer-like day! So we bailed off down to Stannah to await pick up by Nick's wife. I can't really reccommend 3 wet and cold adults sheltering in a telephone box for over an hour as a great way to spend a saturday morning but the craic was good - we were down and safe!
This effort took a reasonable amount out of me as it took me a long time to warm up coupled with the very early start and loss of sleep. I managed to drive home safely, and spent the rest of the day pottering at home doing odd jobs. Sunday I had to fight off major lethargy to get out for a run but only managed a very slow 3.5 miles. My legs felt dead! But a good nights sleep on the Sunday got me back on track!
I rode to work and back on Monday and then made the best (?!) of a trip to Surrey for a training course to get 3 runs in of 6.5 miles (1700'), 9.5 miles (1700') and 3.5 miles (1100') on the roads and tracks around where I was based. I also ploughed up and down the hotel pool for a while managing a 600m swim.
The phone rang again on the Thursday asking if I would provide navigation support for leg 4 on a BG for a friend of a friend. I got home at 10:30pm on Friday night and Ryan wanted me at Wasdale for 8:30am! So I got up fairly early and found enough dry and sweet(ish) smelling running kit to use! I met up with the other support guy at the NT car park amoung what seemed like thousands of 3 peakers, and sat down to wait. Ryan arrived ahead of schedule and we were off soon after 10am up Yewbarrow.
I set off at a bit too fast a pace, but Ryan kept it up, until we realised that the pace was too good, and slowed up to avoid over cooking it. We still reached Yewbarrow summit 9 minutes up and set off in thick mist towards Red Pike.
I was nervous before hand as although I know this leg well, I have never done it when it really counts i.e. supported someone on it and felt under some pressure to get it right. To be honest I needn't have worried as I got all the summits spot on and picked the best lines pretty much all the time. I did play it safe a couple of times opting for easy to navigate lines as opposed the really good lines which could go wrong in bad weather. After the intial climb up Yewbarrow we didn't have any rain, but the mist was as thick as I have ever known it to be with visibility down to 5 meters in someplaces.
The run took us from Red Pike, to Steeple, Pillar, Kirkfell (via Joss's Gully), Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts before dropping down to the top of Honister Pass. We didn't see a thing until we dropped off the summit of Pillar and the bottom of Mosedale popped out the cloud for a few glorious seconds!! I'm not sure if Ryan felt the uplift in spirits but it had an impact on me, even though I knew exactly where we were it always has a good effect suddenly seeing the surroundings!
As we approached Beckhead, we passed Ian Charters on his 55@55 attempt being support by a couple of mates. He looked to be going well at that point! Ryan was really doing well here, he was eating and drinking plenty and was strong up hills still, but was starting to suffer from painful shins which were slowing him down on the descents, but we were keeping to schedule . As we dropped off Green Gable we popped out of the cloud for the last time and had a lovely sunny run along the more grassy paths to Brandreth and Grey Knotts and a good descent to Honister, where the Leg 5 supporters were waiting and took Ryan on to finish in 22:33!!
I had originally planned to run back to the car at Wasdale, but had been offered a lift, which I decided to take given how tired I had felt that morning when I got up. With hindsight I should've run back but nevermind!! It was a good day out on the hill and gave me a lot of confidence on that leg that I know it as well I thought!!
Sunday, P and I walked up to the Samson Stones in Upper Eskdale to go bouldering. We both felt tired but it was a lovely dry day and so took advantage of the breeze and sunshine to boulder up there. It's about an hours walk in and in such lovely settings! I managed finally to do a proper V3!! and then found out another problem I did which our guide says is V1 is a V3 too!! Bonus!
Yesterday I rode to work and back in more sunshine. Tonight then plan is for a mountain bike ride in the Duddon. I'm watching the weather closely as it'd be nice if it didn't rain!!
Thursday, 4 June 2009
absent without leave...
Well what an absence! Not all because of good things unfortunately, but I feel like I’m back on track now. I just lost the plot a bit, well a lot to be honest due to work stress and stopped running totally for about two weeks. I did keep riding but just couldn’t face running. Strange what stress can do.
This blog was supposed to be a record of what I’ve getting up to, so temptation is to at least place a brief log of the last few weeks, which I will do at the bottom of the post. Its also occurred to me that now the evenings are light I’m much less inclined to turn the computer on to blog away so I reckon the posts will be fewer and further between over the coming summer months – presuming we have a summer this year!
As for the last few days, things have been good! Back on track as I said! I decided at the last minute to race at Duddon, and bury a few demons from last years race when I got too hot and flagged. Those demons are well and truly buried too! I knocked 43 minutes off last years time and was just piped for 1st place as my calf muscles, which had been threatening to cramp since Wyrnose, decided they’d had enough crossing the stream at the finish. I just couldn’t sprint for the finish, which is what was needed to try and stay ahead of Karen. Hey ho… I’ll know better next time.
Spent Sunday out on the fells on a family walk with P and his parents. The weather was still fabulous and it felt refreshing to walk over ground and take in the views, instead of concentrating in the next rock or hole!
Monday, I rode to work and back despite having tired legs, it was just so nice I couldn’t face going in the car.
Tuesday, I popped out at lunchtime for a 3 miler along the coast in the heat. There was a feint sea breeze which did help but I had to have a cold shower after in order to cool down! In the evening P and I headed down to St Bees and met up with some mates there for an evening’s bouldering and BBQ. I managed to finally do two problems that I’ve been trying for a while - and just typically of St Bees, they felt easy when you do do them!! P flashed Yellow Desert Scream (V8/9) too so had a great big grin on his face for the rest of the evening!
Yesterday P took the day off for a day’s bouldering at Gillercombe, so I had to ride in, and I decided to take my running kit with me, for a run after work. I rode from work up to Brackenclose car park, swapping cycling kit for running kit, and ran up to Mickledore and onto the Pike. I stopped to have a look at Broad Stand, to see if I could see the bolts that have supposedly been placed on the line. Can’t believe that someone could do this! Anyway as I suspected I couldn’t see much from the bottom and I don’t like soloing BS, so headed onto the Pike summit and then picked up the Wasdale race descent line to Lingmell Nose and down to Brackenclose. Back into cycling kit and rode home. Only slight schoolgirl error was the complete lack of water or water bottle!! Was a little dehydrated by the time I got home!!
Total Bike:32 miles
Total Run: 5.2 miles
As for the last few weeks……here goes…..
Wednesday 29 April - Shortened Commute Ride: 13.60m
Thursday 30 April
Friday 1 May - Commute Ride: 23m, 3000’
Saturday 2 May - Mtb Innerleithen: Red Route: 11.81m, 1968.6’
Sunday 3 May - Mtb Glentress: Black Route & 1st & last half red route: 24.97m, 6860’
Monday 4 May - Mtb Newcastleton: Blue route & red route: 14.03m, 4440’
Tuesday 5 May
Wednesday 6 May
Thursday 7 May - Commute Ride: 23m, 3000’
Friday 8 May - Commute Ride: 23m, 3000’
Saturday 9 May – Climbing @ Great Ormes: Parisellas cave
Sunday 10 May - Fell Run: 14.29m, 5659.73’
Nantgwynant, Watkin path, Snowdon summit, Miners track, Pen-y-pass, PYG track, Snowden summit, Nantgwynant
Monday 11 May
Tuesday 12 May – Climbing: St Bees routing
Wednesday 13 May - Fell Run: 5.03m
Wasdale Head to Styhead Pass and return
Thursday 14 May – Mtb Miterdale, Burnmoor Tarn, Boot: 11.53m
Friday 15 May
Saturday 16 May
Sunday 17 May
Monday 18 May - Commute Ride: 23m, 3000’
Tuesday 19 May - Commute Ride: 23m, 3000’
Fell Run: 5.61m
Muncaster Fell trig & return
Wednesday 20 May – Climbing @ Hare Crag & Fisherground
Thursday 21 May – Mtb Whinlatter N & S loop: 10.74m
Friday 22 May - Fell Run valley boot & return: 6.93m, 1470’
Saturday 23 May - Fell Run valley boot & return: 6.93m, 1470’
Sunday 24 May – Climbing @ Esk Buttress
Monday 25 May - Fell Run: 22.3m, 9250’
Walnar Scar, Dow Crag, Old Man of Coniston, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Wrynose, Crinkle Crags, Bowfell, Esk Pike, Great End, Ill Crag, Broad Crag, Scafell Pike, Foxes Gully, Scafell, Burnmoor Tarn, White Moss, Home
Tuesday 26 May
Wednesday 27 May - Fell Run: 3.25m, 1285’
Irton fell and return
Thursday 28 May - Shortened Commute Ride: 13.60m
Monday, 27 April 2009
Icing on the cake?
I've been busy this last couple of weekends getting more miles on the clock, and also getting out climbing as a distraction from the BG obsession!
Wednesday 15th April - commute ride
Friday 17th April - commute ride
Saturday 18th April - a beautiful day's climbing at Wallowbarrow in the Duddon. Nice and friendly cragging in warm april sunshine.
Sunday 19th April - P dropped me off on the west side of Keswick, for a leg 1 recce, again in lovely warm sunshine. I ran through Keswick past Moothall, and out up round Latrigg, up Jenkin Hill, to the summit of Skiddaw, dropped off the side to the river and up Great Calva. Hear I wanted to try another line but it all went horribly wrong and I ended up in deep deep harsh heather (with shorts on)! Its a while since I've had scratched legs like that - many of the scratches bled which was a lovely sight! So not that way then... Up Mungrisdale common to Blencathra summit and the crowds. Dropped off Halls Fell to Threlkeld, passing lots of walkers sweating their way up. At Threlkeld I then climbed back around the flanks of Blencathra to Mungrisdale and along the road to the Carrock Fell Boulders where P was climbing.
20.61 miles, 7900'
It felt easy, even in the warm sunshine.
Monday 20th April - Bouldering at the fisherground. I've now officially become nesh as I'm worried about damaging myself!!
Tuesday 21st April - back up the Keswick for a mountain bike ride from Keswick to Threlkeld, up past Blencathra centre towards Skiddaw house and then back down to Latrigg, and Keswick down that awesome descent! A short, quick blast in unexpected clear skies after a morning of rain.
10.6 miles, 1440'
Wednesday 22nd April - back up to Keswick again again!! Not doing my carbon footprint any good, to meet up with a mate to have a look at the Great Calva - Blencathra line again!! Ran up from the Blencathra centre to the river Caldew, up Blencathra over Mungrisdale Common to the the summit and down Halls Fell - all strangely quiet after the weekend!
8.3 miles, 2800'
Thursday 23rd April - Commute ride
Friday 24th April - the weekend in the Duddon valley. Walked up to the bouldering areas near Seathwaite Tarn, never been there before - some cracking problems, and I like the grading as I managed a F6a+ with only a couple of goes. Its rough rock!!
Saturday 25th April - got out early to go climbing as the forecast had rain coming in. Managed three routes at Pen in the Wallowbarrow area before the rain arrived and arrive it did - a deluge in a thunderstorm!! We got soaked running from the crag to the Newfield, and dried out with a cup of tea in the pub. It cleared off in the afternoon so P headed out bouldering with some mates who'd got rained off Dow. I put my feet up and had more tea and gossip!!
Sunday 26th April - headed off to run the Duddon fell race route, plus a bit before and after. I did this race last year, not being fit enough, and suffering massively in the heat. What would I make of it today? Well I trotted around, not dawdling but not pushing it and was 20 minutes faster than the race last year!! Was very pleased with that and its given me a big boost. I'm wandering what time I'd manage if I actually raced it?!
18.95 miles, 7800'
I've had today as a rest day as I've been feeling a bit tired and not really with it at work. Not on at the moment considering the stuff I've got on. Although I did walk to work along the seafront which is 4 miles return - probably far more than the average daily exercise that people do! scary!!
Less than three weeks now.....
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Buckets of Sunshine!!
The sun just kept on shining this weekend, what a great Easter! Soaked up a large amount of sunshine on Sunday with a local walk up Illgill Head & Whin Rigg, and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening working the the garden.
Total Mileage: 10.25 , Total Ascent: 2400'
Monday - headed out with the fell shoes again from Wasdale Head, to Styhead, Great Gable, Green Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts down to Honister, up Dale Head, and then reversed to Windy Gap, down Arran Slacks to Styhead, and then Wasdale.
It seemed pretty quiet on the fells, although busy in the valleys. A beautiful sunny day again although there was a cool wind. Managed to stay in shorts and t-shirt only, but passed many walkers in woolly hats and fleeces.
Total Mileage: 13.81, Total Ascent: 6900'
Feeling a lot stronger of late, all these big days are making a difference, so its time to put the training into action and finalise the support team asap!
Saturday, 11 April 2009
A big day out!
Hit the fells big time yesterday with a big day out on parts of Leg 3 and 4. Started at Brackenclose at Wasdale Head, then Styhead Pass, Esk Hause and along to the top of Rossett Gill to pick up Leg 3 at the base of Bowfell, the the leg route to Mickeldore, down to Foxes Gully, up Scafell, dropped down to the car, restocked the water and calories, and headed off up Yewbarrow, Red Pike, Steeple, Pillar, Kirkfell, and Great Gable, then dropped down to Styhead again and the car. 8 and a half hours. 26 miles, and a lot of ascent.
Weather was fairly benign, with the cloud sitting at about 600m, a breeze and light rain and drizzle on and off most of the day. It obviously could've been much better conditions but after some of the battles I've had recently it felt pleasant, and it was warmer too on top!!
Feeling more positive now, as I've been over 6 hours and seen how I cope with slowing down, also my knee started feeling painful on the descent off Scafell, but I kept going and it didn't get any worse or seem to stop me moving. It just became a 'pain' to deal with. I took some Ibuprofen last night and this morning and its coped with a decent day bouldering at St Bees in the sunshine today! Beautiful down by the sea, and despite having an all over body tiredness, I climbed well - apparently its the Font Jedi force I have now!! Decided that the Anniversary Waltz was a no go today after yesterday but it looks like they had great conditions for it!
Thursday, 9 April 2009
BIG catch up!
La Marie Rose - Font 6a
phew its been a while and also a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Not sure how you do big catch-ups on blogs but here goes.
Saturday 20th - Monday 22nd March
P and I went up to Scotland for a friends wedding at Invergarry. We drove up Friday night to the Rucksack Club hut near Ballachulish and on Saturday drove up to Creag Meagaidh intending to do a fast and light trip around the horseshoe from Carn Laith to Puist Coire Adair. The forecast was not too bad and it was supposed to stay dry. We set off up Carn Laith into wind and clag, not knowing what snow and ice conditions would be like, but as we started along the ridge towards the plateau it started raining and getting more blustery. Visibility was very low and when we climbed up out of the bealach to Sron Coire a' Chriochairean we met a wall if neve, which was too much for fell shoes!! We would have been able to ascend the cut steps in it but if we found further neve of the same type later we would have had trouble with no points or axes, and no hope of finding these cut steps again in the clag, so we reversed the route back down to the van.
Total Mileage: 8m, Total Ascent: 3260'
We had a great night in Invergarry at Jen and Matt's wedding ceidlh, and it was slow going in the morning. After the happy couple left for their honeymoon - (Northern Scotland and Norway for the Northern Lights!), we gave into the inevitable that a day on the hills in heavy rain and gales was not what a hangover needed and went to the Ice Factor in Kinlochleven for some climbing on plastic.
On Monday, we trusted the forecast and headed south of Rannoch Moor to the Cobbler, in the hope that it would be drier and calmer there than north of the moor. Well it was - just. A big boot ascent of the two monroes, Beinn Narnain & Beinne Ime, near the Cobbler in heavy snow and sleet showers! On the first summit a howling gale hit us and I had to crawl across the ground at one point! I'm not sure that it was a good idea to run back to the van from the summit of Beinne Ime in big boots!
Tuesday - commute ride
Wednesday - indoor session at the local wall
Thursday 26th March
I took the day off to head out on Leg 2. I was a bit miffed as I'd originally wanted to take Wednesday off for this but couldn't because of meetings (which where cancelled last minute!) and wednesday was a much better day. Thursday was wet to start and wet pretty much through out the day, falling a snow and sleet most of the time up high, but the main issue was the wind. Gale force westerlies. I set off from Threkeld with the aim of recceing to Seat Sandal and then returning along the tops via a straighter route.
I got the line slightly wrong up onto Clough Head by drifting rightwards so corrected on the old track to the stile over the intake fence - all in a heavy snow shower, and a real side wind! I then realised that this was going to be a really tough day, unless the wind let up! I was under schedule time to the summit despite the route errors and was looking forward to the running along the Dodds to Hellvelyn, however that was not to be, it turned into a battle as shower after shower came in, on hefty winds which meant I struggled to run even downhill at times, and always at an angle!! While the doubts nagged in my mind over how far I should go before turning back I kept ticking off the summits, Great Dodd, Watson Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd and on up to Raise summit.
Here finally I seemed to start escaping the showers, and although the wind was still really strong, at least the cloud had cleared and I could see the summit of Hellvelyn with its large rotten cornices on it. The first people I saw where on the flanks of Low Man. I then enjoyed the run over the summit of Hellvelyn, Nethermost Pike and Dollywaggon Pike. All my times where around about schedule and given what I was battling against I wasn't too disheartened!!
I decided to carry on until my three hours was up, which got me half way up the ascent of Fairfield, so as things had brightened considerably, I ploughed on to the summit and then reversed that and up onto Seat Sandal. Decision time!! What to do?!? Well the showers where closing in again and the wind had been swirling all around the ridges, meaning I'd never know whether I'd get a head or a tail wind, so I bailed.... slightly!
I dropped down off Seat Sandal to Dunmail Raise, and jogged back to Thelkeld in the valley via the footpaths. I still got battered by hail on several occasions and made it back to the car in 6 hours, feeling pretty whacked!!
Total Mileage: 24.45 Total Ascent: 6500'
Friday 27th March - Sunday 5th April - FONTAINBLEAU!!
I had plenty of time to recover from this latest effort as on Friday P and I drove to Hull and caught the overnight ferry to Zeebrugge and headed down to Fontainbleau forest for a wee bit of bouldering. I was soooo excited about the trip as we hadn't been there for three years and I find the forest beautiful and magical, but also really nervous as I've been doing a lot less climbing in the last few months and knew my strength had gone!! I needn't have worried, we had wonderful weather, good conditions and I climbed the best I ever have there!!
I think the difference this time was that it was just P and I, we weren't on our way anywhere else or on the way back from anywhere - it was all about the bouldering! And I also gave myself a wee talking too about my fear of highball problems, top outs etc. I set my self a target on the second day - to do La Maire Rose as Bas Cuvier - the first 6a in the forest (done in 1946!).
Sunday we walked from the gite in La Vaudoue to Roche Potala and Rocher J.A. Martin to walk off the car and ferry journeys and ease ourselves into the climbing. It was a cloudy day, but cool and dry. Didn't do anything of note but got in the swing. Went for a 5 mile run in the forest afterwards to loosen the legs.
Monday we went to Bas Cuvier in sunny skies, although there'd been a frost over night. It was after a wee play on La Marie Rose that I decided to go for it properly, but the problem gets the sun all day and it got warmer and sweatier and I kept coming off the slopers near the top, again and again dropping onto the crash pad. Eventually I had to admit defeat as it was too sweaty and my skin was starting to suffer. We had a great time wandering round ticking off other problems and P ticked off a couple of 6c+/7a's too so he was chuffed. Repeated the 5 miler in the forest after climbing.
Tuesday was Cul de Chien day, and it started a warm up of half the yellow circuit at Diplodocus before heading to the sea of sand, with P sending the Toit de la Cul de Chien third go - 10 years after first trying it!! It was a hot day in the sun although a cool breeze was blowing. I was really happy that I was finding problems of the blue and red circuits within my ability for the first time, although as with all problems at Font, even 'easy' ones can be impossible!! I spent a fair bit of time on a steep blue which got only 4b but took ages to me to work out!! Was too tired and stiff to contemplate a run in the evening.
Wednesday - a rest day... well sort of! We had the road bikes with us and went out for a leisurely 35 miles with a long french lunch in the middle, made slightly harder by a fierce headwind on the return leg to the gite!! Sun all day and no clouds!!
Thursday I woke up nervous, P had encouraged me to go back to Bas Cuvier to try La Marie Rose again, in the morning before the heat got going. We headed there and after two attempts, I managed to latch the top sloper and hop over the top. Felt sooo fantastic to finally do a 6a and a famous one at that! I felt pretty drained after that effort mentally, more than physically, so the rest of the day which was spent at Apremont was fairly gentle for me, although I had a play on Science Friction too. I didn't do it, but that was more out of lack of time spent - I'm fairly sure I could've done it with a bit more time. P sent La Lune among others so was happy!!
Friday was a humid and cloudy day, and we had a bit of end of trip blues, but still had a great day at Roche aux Sabots, where I made an effort to tick many of the blue circuit. Saturday was a return trip on the ferry, and the drive home.
Sunday 4th April
We arrived back mid afternoon to blue skies and warm air, so quickly unpacked the car, and headed out on road bikes for a short spin to relieve the lethargy. Just a 1:15 hours on the local lanes, in shorts!! Ah... spring!
Monday - commute ride
Tuesday 7th April
Rode to work and back and while at work organised a mountain bike ride in the evening in the Duddon. One of our night rides from the winter, and it was a lovely evening to be out - made even better by sheepdog pups at High Wallowbarrow farm, friendly porkers down the road and a right good pint or two in the Newfield afterwards!!
Work Ride: 23 m
Mtb: 9.7 m, 2300'
Wednesday 8th April
A short trail run late in the evening to loosen the legs - 4.3 miles. Used two of the shallow climbs as hill reps repeating twice. Flushed a barn owl out of the hedge at one point, wonderfully white against the yellow and green of the gorse.
Phew... well it was a big update. Apart from the stats that I've not downloaded yet, that's what I've been up to recently!! It has been up and down, as I'm full of doubts about my fitness for a BG attempt, which is getting close now... but I know I have to give it a go!! Maybe I'll have more of an idea after tomorrow.....
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