News
19th April - I drove over to Wales to meet Phil Hodgson, Clare Kenny, Nick Harris, Oz Kershaw and Ali Chant and do Aberglasyn to Llanberis. This is 21 miles in total with 11,000ft climb. Winds were breezy in the morning but very strong in the afternoon with Snowdon being covered in icy snow. Writeup and pictures
12/13th April - big trip to Scotland ! Ian Charlesworth, John Rowe and myself travelled up on Friday (after being delayed by calving cow), to meet Mark Harvey, Roy Gibson, Ian Winterburn and Rob Woodall up in Fort William. We had a fantastic couple of days. Rather too much snow for detailed reccying but absolutely brilliant ! Write up and pictures
6th April - Ian Charlesworth, Roy Gibson and myself travelled over and met Phil Hodgson and Dave Makin. We reccied Capel to Aberglasyn in much better weather than forecast.It took us 7.45 which we were pleased with to say how much the rocks and snow had slowed us down being slippery. The sheep has all but disappeared on the "Dead Sheep Bog" but the bog is still unforgettable! April 6th.PB Recce pictures
1st April - I had a reasonable run on the Skyline especially as I had done quite a lot of running and farming that week. I was anooyed that I missed a couple of shortcuts but it didn't seem to make much difference to my time on paper. I think I got dehydrated as I was suffering from a lot of cramp and over Kinder had a few dozy moments where I couldn't recollect the course (and no that's not like me). Skyline Results and pictures
Next weekend I'm planning a long weekend in Scotland (11/12/13th April) to get a lot of reccying done. Also email me if interested.
26th March - not managed much running over Easter - a couple or "Prison 12's" and a run over Black Hill Photos - in between cows calving. I am planning to go to Wales on 6th April to recce Capel to Aberglasyn. And also a trip to Scotland on the 11/12/13th April to recce Ramsay!!! Please get in touch if you would like to join us.
22nd March - On Good Friday myself, Ian Charlesworth, Mark Pierce, Mark Harvey, Andy Plummer and Roy Gibson travelled over to Wales for a day's reccying of the PB. We met Iain Ridgeway there and set off from Llanberis with the intention of doing two sections to Capel Curig. The wind wasn't as bad as forecast until the Glyders where it started to hail. Coming down Bristly Ridge was horrid with the wind coming up chucking hail up in our eyes. We decided to miss Tryfan - mainly because we'd get more of the same on the descent. Decending to Glandana made a pleasant change out the wind.
We set off up Pen Yr Olwen and made it round the Carnedds in even more hail and in icy conditions. Lightning and thunder at one point had us scurrying off Carnedd Llewelyn. Just as we got to Pen Llithrig y Wrach the skies cleared and the view back was fantastic. Took us 8.08 hours - not bad in the conditions and a good day out. Photos
15th March - Today I did the Haworth Hobble which is 33 miles 4500" climb - about 2 miles and 400" more than last year as they changed the start/finish venue. I set off feeling ok, had a low in the middle between mile 15 and 20 mainly because the food and drink supplied this year wasn't a patch on last year - no hot dogs!!! Then picked up from then on to finish in 5.33. Last year I did 5.43 so although its hard to tell how much improvement I've made its a definite one!!! Results
7th/8th March - After a week of team members coming down with toothache and then flu and having to find replacements me and John (the remaining originals) arrived at Edale knowing one replacement; Rob Woodall but having never met the other, Neil Shepherd and hoping that he wasn't having second thoughts. He appeared at 10.40pm and we were able to register.
We set off at a comfortable pace and all seemed very similar and it was odd that we were on our own a lot. By Moscar I realised that we were going strongly and I hoped we could get under 11 hours. Over Outer Edge and Bleaklow Neil didn't enjoy the bogs and peat dunes and by the Pennine Way was in need of some "rocket fuel" and pork pie to get him going again. Once they kicked in he was flying and we made good progress over Mill Hill and all the way back to Edale. Photos from Mr Plum
We finished in 10.55 knocking 25 minutes off last years time. Finished 8th overall and 1st Mixed which we are all very pleased about !!! You would think the photo was post race but actually it was pre race - I was just so happy we had a team !!! Results
2nd March - well after deliberating about whether cows were going to calve or not I decided not and went and did New Chew. I did Long Score Orienteering. All I can say is that it was good training! I wasn't confident enough to go far out so thrashed around against the wind in all the tussocks for the last 3 hours hardly picking up any points. Having calculated it tonight I got 200 and Ian Charlesworth who went the best route got 320 (and I might have missed more that he got even). I call that well wooped! So one to learn from and then forget!
23rd February - Wales was good although the weather was hard work with high winds and then rain above 700m. Mark Harvey, Roy Gibson, Mark Pierce, John Rowe and I met at Llanberis and did that section to the base of Tryfan before dropping off for a cup of tea at Idwal Cottage and returning to Llanberis over Devil's Kitchen.
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19th February - I've been back 10 days and in that time I have done Wadsworth Trog which was very hard work and I got cramp probably due to flying etc. Then Winter Monday race which was good. A couple of long runs and the LIMM from the Strines pub last Sunday. This coming weekend on Saturday there is a day trip to the Lakes. At the moment its me, Mark Pierce and Mark Harvey.
29th Jan - I'm off to Moscow with Steve in the Expedition Landrover see www.capetocape.org.uk for lots of information and progress map (glad we don't have those for the rounds !!). I'll be back on the 7th February and have entered Wadsworth Trog on the 9th !
26th Jan - After a very hectic week which culminating in having Look North filming a caesarean on a heifer as well as the expedition I managed to get away for a day to Wales with Ian Charlesworth, Nick Cable, Ian Winterburn and Mark Pierce. We reccied the 2nd leg over Snowdon and then me Ian C and Nick went up onto Elider Fawr and along the PB route to Foel Goch before dropping down to Glen Nevis (where Ian W and Mark were in the pub!). Great to be back on the Welsh Hills. Photos in PB Recce Jan 08
13th Jan I had a trip to the Lakes to recce the 1st and part 2nd section of the Bob Graham with John Rowe, Mark Pierce and Tim Ray. We left a car at the little village above Thirlspot and drove to the track below Skiddaw. The weather in the morning was a very cold strong wind and clag on top. While descending Halls Fell the rain began in earnest and by the time we were at Threkeld we were soaked. We proceeded up Clough Head in every increasing winds however the full force of the winds was not felt until we reached the top of the ridge. There it was so strong that we could not proceed and so we descended to about 500m and contoured round until we found a path down into the valley not far from the car !
6th January - I met Amanda and Nick Cable at Fairholmes car park at 10am and reccyed the Watershed from Derwent Moor to Sheepfold Clough covering 11 miles.