The memorial to “Fanny Mercer, accidentally killed 1887”

Looking back over Buttermere

Up onto the ridge

Looking back to Buttermere

The summit of Fleetwith Pike

Innominate Tarn in threatening weather

Descending Haystacks to Scarth Gap in a howling gale

Descending Scarth Gap Pass

A Herdwick with a new hairdo

Fleetwith and Haystacks from Peggy’s Bridge

View NW from Peggy’s Bridge: Buttermere, Melbreak, Rannerdale Knotts

The walk following this route (in hindsight… we just set off up the hill!) http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walk-1289-print 

and is on this area of OS mapping: https://www.bing.com/mapspreview?&cp=54.517514~-3.245501&lvl=15&style=s&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

I’ve broken the full route into 13 legs with a pair on each leg.  Stewart Bellamy and I are doing three legs - about half the route overall - the first leg from Herbert’s Quarry to the Black Mountain ridge, the main Brecon Beacons hills from Fan Llia to Allt Llwyd (in the dark!), and the last leg along Offa’s Dyke path to Llanthony Priory.

I’ve not been out to the Western end of the route since we last did the Traverse in 2004, and needed to check my estimated timings for this section, so I took advantage of the fantastic weather this weekend to take the family over there and recce the route.

It’s an amazing drive; not long after turning left in Trecastle views of the Black Mountain ridge start to break the skies over the forestry, then reveal their full striking form when you clear the trees to cross the moorland. I wish I’d stopped to take a photo – maybe next time. Then down the wiggly lanes to Twynllanan, on to the A4069, and climb the hairpins to the quarries. The family dropped me off and headed back to Llandeusant and the car parking area below Llyn y Fan Fach, where much fun can be had in the stream.

I’d had a hard run at the Cwmdu Race the day before, so set off very cautiously from the quarry car park in sunshine and a chilly wind. The first summit of Garreg Lywd was reached in 11 minutes, the second (Foel Fraith) in another 12. I love this area – completely deserted, good underfoot, skylarks larking about, limestone, what more could anyone want…

I then took a rubbish line across to Garreg Las, dropping a bit too far South, but there’s not much choice once on the ridge, and it’s a case of picking a line through the limestone boulders ‘til you reach the prehistoric Carnau’r Garreg Las, seen here behind a very sweaty me…

I forgot to take my split time here, in my excitement at tripping over the endless boulders (and beginning to revise my declared love for this area!). But it’s soon back onto the grass as you swoop North and then ENE to cross the swampy ground before the final climb to Bannau Sir Gaer. Here I am halfway to the sky…

and finally reaching the end of the leg in 1 hour and 08 minutes, bang on my estimate for the leg. Here’s a shot from the changeover point looking East along the main escarpment towards Picws Du and Fan Brycheiniog:

I jogged back down the track by Llyn y Fan Fach to meet the others, who were having fun in the stream as predicted (Robin had found a raft fashioned from twigs and string).

I was carrying our “SPOT” live location tracker, which we will be using during the event to show our location in real time. This does work, but there are some disappointing aspects. For example the position is only recorded every ten minutes (and in practice often not even this often), leading to a massively approximated result (there could be nearly two miles between sample points on downhill sections for a runner). The GPS locations are very inaccurate, often up to 100m off the correct location. The embedding script they supply to allow you to show the location map within your own website uses the old deprecated Google Maps v2 API, and seems to have trouble keeping up-to-date with the readings on the SPOT server. It just feel like it all needs a little work to bring it up to date, but overall it’s worthwhile kit to show supporters and participants where we are on the route at all times.

Trying to get closer with full 720mm zoom in bad light… this photo looks about as genuine as the Essex Lion pictures a few months ago - just wait til the tabloids get hold of this one.

The Mountain Hare is reasonably common in Scotland above 500m elevation, the population thought to be around 350,000 according to the Hare Preservation Trust, but it is under threat from persecution on grouse estates and hunting.

Saunders MM 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Naomi and I entered the Saunders “Kirkfell” class this year; Naomi’s first MM, and my first really long outing since busting the knee. The forecast was terrifying but in fact we started at Wasdale Head in warm sunshine, and the whole weekend could find nothing worse than a bit of cloud and drizzle.

Here are the course descriptions for anyone who fancies tracing the route… this being the information competitors are given at the start of each day.

Day 1

Theoretical straight line distance 23.1 Km

Minimum possible ascent 1395 m

Start 181 104

1. 182 109 Reentrant, Southeastmost
2. 214 110 Gully 675m
3. 216 090 Stream Junction
4. 207 077 Stream Bend, Southeastmost
5. 199 047 Sheepfold
6. 144 033 Gully Bend 225m
7. 119 060 Wall Bend
8. 090 076 Finish Day 1

Day 2

Theoretical straight line distance 19.2 Km

Minimum possible ascent 1025 m

Start 090 076

1. 097 097 Stream Bend
2. 108 096 Stream Junction 12:30
3. 138 065 2m Cairn
4. 159 088 Small Tarn, Southwest End
5. 159 102 Tarn, South Side East End
6. 168 117 Wind Gap Col
7. 186 118 Knoll, North Side
8. 177 105 Sheepfold (boulder)
9. 186 088 Finish

We started up Black Sail Pass after an easy first CP, then ESE to traverse the North side of Great Gable below Windy Gap to checkpoint 2 on the N side of Green Gable.

Over GG and part way down Aaron Slack, cutting across to Styhead.

Down into Lingmell Beck to CP3, then a steep climb back up to the Corridor Route. This and the next checkpoint were almost identical to ones I had visited in the Scafell class in 2011 with Ben Crowther, although we were moving in the opposite direction this year.

Between Lingmell and Scafell Pike into Lingmell Gill, then round the W of Black Crag to traverse the flank of Scafell to a sheepfold checkpoint between Broad Tongue and Quagrigg Moss. West (through the bogs) up the flank of Illgill Head to nip around the upper section of Little Grain Gill, then contouring around the E side of Whin Rigg at about 460m.

Next was a fast and steep NW descent to the well-concealed checkpoint in the gully. Then down to bridleways through farmland, through Woodhow, Scale Bridge, and Gill farms, including a “moment of uncertainty” at a path junction, as the Harveys maps are not great in enclosed fieldscapes (that was my excuse, anyway).

Across the road and up the track to CP7, then awful bog-and-tussock tromping to mid camp at Scalderskew Farm – a uniquely dreadful stretch that had me wanting to ask for my money back. Naomi found the first day pretty tough, but we made a steady pace and there were some interesting navigation problems. The route choice between CP5 and 6 in particular had me scratching my head for the hour leading up to it.

We finished day 1 in 06:47:39, in 30th place out of 102 starting teams. The weather was kind, and we had no rain and very few midges while we brewed up our noodles and chatted with the Chepstow crew.  As in 2011, half our foil containers had ruptured during the run, leaving only two small ones for all the cooking. I might take a proper pot next time as this is a risky strategy for the saving of a few grams. The balloon beds were great as usual, and this time we had balloon pillows too!

Day 2 started up the forestry track to Worm Gill, then ENE then across Cawfell Beck and around the W end of Hause to cross the River Bleng (a lot unfamiliar names). We traversed the SW flanks of Seatallan, then as we approach Greendale Tarn we met Joss Naylor bounding down the misty hill with walking poles and two collies. This section was all a bit of a procession. I’d not experienced this in previous years doing the Scafell class, as that has around only 20-30 teams entered, and I’ve usually been in the chasing start on day 2. We tried to take clever route choices, but there wasn’t much choice to be had really, and were usually others in the same class in sight.

Above Greendale Tarn we descended just NW of Standy Gill to Nether Beck, which was slightly hair-raising on wet ground.

Then we climbed beside Black Beck to CP4, then at last managed to leave the crowds as I took pretty much a straight line routes from there to Scoat Tarn “South Side East End” (other teams went further West to reduce the ascent, but the Harveys map suggested that area was pretty wrinkly so I stuck to the better ground and less distance. To be honest I don’t think it made much difference, as we met a team at Scoat Tarn who we had been with previously.

Then we climbed steeply to the saddle between Red Pike and Little Scoat, then followed the path to Wind Gap in cloud. There was quite a bit of staggering around boulder fields here, and cutting across the South side of Pillar was also hard going. But from there is was fast running down to the final checkpoint on the N side of Looking Stead, with the finish in sight.

We dropped directly down onto the Black Sail pass path, leaving it at Gatherstone Head to go for our final sheepfold. By now Naomi was running more strongly than at any time over the two days, and our last mile and a bit to the finish was pretty good.

It was great to sit in the freezing stream at the finish, before the final endurance test of undercooked bean stew.

We finished day 2 in 04:43:15, 25th on the day and 28th overall. We were 11th mixed pair out of about 30, so all in all pretty good going. For me it was a very different event from being at the sharp end in the Scafell class, but it was great to do it with Naomi and to get round without any navigational howlers.

Will we be there next year…? Watch this space.

The entry list for Kirkfell features 36 mixed teams, one being us of course – stiff competition.  Most appear to be husband and wife pairs – I bet divorce rates shoot up in July.

We’ve done a couple of training sessions together, the first in disgusting weather in the bogs and tussocks around Fen Nedd and Fan Gihirych. That was pretty dispiriting as we got very cold and wet, and had to miss out a couple of our checkpoints to get home when promised.

The second session (last weekend) was much better, with 7 checkpoints negotiated successfully around the eastern end of the Brecon Beacons range; perhaps 10 miles in all, taking about 3 hours, which is what I was expecting. Naomi had run in the winning ladies relay team at Man v Horse the day before!

My knee is holding up so far – a bit achy afterwards, but fine a couple of days later.

We are now starting to sort out kit, food and general logistics, speculating about where the course may take us, and kind of looking forward to it.

I’ve spotted that they have the logo of the Wasdale MRT on the web site, but not the Cockermouth or Keswick teams… could this mean we are sticking to the Wasdale and Eskdale areas?

On the hill, Mackenzie led the way, while Poj guarded the rear. Summit mince pies and tablet went down well. We all got pretty damp, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

The leaders at the summit…

Joined by others… and more rain…

“I’m not as daft as I look you know…”

		A blustery walk up Pen y Fan VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

High winds, high hills, and high dudgeon from Helen.

Amphitheatre effect… on the race route descent we were whispering to each other over distances of about 200m – incredible.

At Cwm Llwch we met an elderly German couple who had come the wrong way down – and were about to try to walk round the hill to Storey Arms (with no map or compass). We gave them a lift as darkness gathered.