Bowland Top 6 at last

 I have had my eye on the route for some time. After plenty of snow I was hoping in January that the bogs would be frozen and the snow crust would be great running. They had been great on the 1st and 4th for two other runs up there. Not on 9th Jan 2021, how wrong can you be. I arranged a lift to Jubilee Tower and within minutes knew that it was not going to be easy. There was plenty of snow but it was deep and not frozen. I plodded on trying to make the most of it. 

At least the weather wasn't bad (yet). Before I reached Grit Fell I had been passed by a skier and he was making much better progress. My feet were already soaked along with most of my lower legs.  Onwards and upwards, don't be a wimp. Before Wards Stone I had met three skiers and all were doing OK. My progress was slower than I would have liked but not dreadful and I was still warm enough. From Wards Stone onwards the snow became a real chore. For much I was in deep drifts that hid deep icy pools. At some points I was in thigh deep and even waist deep drifts. I was getting slower and colder. By now it was the zero vis of low cloud. I was stumbling around like a drunk as the ground suddenly rushed up to meet me or dropped away unexpectedly. The wind got up with yet more blown snow. Falling so much meant my gloves were soaked and I was shivering and wearing all my layers. Then I started to feel sea sick. I almost made it to Wolf Crag but knew it was getting unsafe for me to continue, plus it wasn't much fun. I decided I should bail and headed down to Marshaw and the valley floor. By the time I met the tarmac conditions were so different and I felt almost daft for having bottled out. After a fair bit of road running I was warm again and included a short loop of Grizedale Head and Nicky Nook. I phoned to rearrange my lift and to stay warm kept jogging towards Garstang until Bob and the van arrived to rescue me. A 35km training run and some SMJ. No harm done, just a bit of disappointment.

Fast forward to May and I spotted another window of opportunity. Doing The Accumulator in January had left me injured with no running for weeks but I was now on the mend. The dry weather had ended but I hoped the tops would not be a total bog fest yet. It was not ideal with the forecast mentioning rain later in the day but I reckoned I had time to squeeze it in given that I should be able to do 40km in under five and a half hours. 

Again I got Bob to drop me at Jubilee Tower early on. Within minutes I had wet feet but hey this is Bowland so what did I expect.  I made good time up the fence line despite this and really it was just standing water not bog. Once on Grit Fell the swooping path down past the Christmas Tree was fun and I was soon on Wards Stone.

 By now I was warm enough to shed my cag and race on to Ward Stone east.  It got a little more boggy on the path to Wolf Crag but the sun came out and the views were wonderful. Looking right I could see Totridge in the far distance, it looked a long way and big. 

For now though my mind was focused on White Hill. If there is a good way to this trig I have never found it. I did have a trod up the fence line but as I turned to move to wards the siting tower and trig it disappeared. 

Descending was a bit better with a larger path by the fence line dropping me to the old fell road only a short was from the footpath that would take me to Whitendale. Once at the farm I made a silly error and took the road option- albeit running on the verge. The path on the other side of the river would have been nicer and had less climb. Oh well, an excuse to do it all again some time. I was now meeting my first people of the day and made good time to the edge of Dunsop Bridge. I wasn't really racing so had taken time to admire the views, take some photos and even stop and eat. The fields across the the Trough road were full of lambs and the road full of cyclists. 

Once I reached Harden I was alone again. Totridge summit came quicker than I had hoped and I paid my respects to Bill Smith as usual. Only one more top to go now and it started well along the wall. It was ankle deep in places but just standing water. Then things got much worse. The bogs and cloughs of peat made it very slow going. 

A fence was being replaced and machinery had made the line even worse than usual. At one point I got stuck and almost lost a shoe. More time lost. As always it ended and I was very pleased to reach the top of Saddle Fell, drop a little and pick up the good path all the way to the cairns just east of Fairsnape. No more nasty fence line.  I sploshed my may across to Paddy's Pole and the final trig point. The black clouds were building up and I hoped I could make it down to Fell Foot before the rain. Nope- it started so I stopped to bury my phone and dig out my cag. I had phoned for a lift and hoped it would also be there before the rain got too heavy. 

I skipped Parlick in my rush to beat the rain and arrived at Fell Foot gate with my watch showing 39.5km, 1079m of climb and 5hrs 27 moving or 5hrs 45 total. Not the fastest but a great little day out.

First race since Covid lockdowns- The Spire Ultra

 

After missing out on the Pendle Way in a Day through injury this was my first opportunity to pin a number on and to race. Thanks to Jamie McKilvenny and Jamie Glazebrook for their determination in making these two races happen. We had been away most of the week but after two days of slow runs in the Dales I was careful and restrained on Friday and just went for a walk despite the lovely weather on the edge of Derbyshire. The forecast for Saturday was poor and did not change, what a shame. It was raining when I woke at 6am and did not stop all day although I have to admit it was not ‘heavy’ as they had predicted.

                              Our fabulous sponsors- plus banners at the farm for tent meals and Romneys

Luckily we had put up the Runfurther flags and banners the evening before so all I had to do on Saturday was wander up the lane to the car park field, hand over mint cake and prizes to Jamie and collect my race number from Clare. I then retreated to the van for over an hour. We were set off in waves of 8 to be Covid safe. It meant I didn’t see everybody but I did start with Sarah C and Charles C.  At this stage I had no idea whether my groin would allow me to run this race and knew that with about 18 miles being the most I had run since late January it would not be easy. Worried that I might be forced to walk and get chilly I set off in tights and full waterproofs. I timed my arrival up at the start perfectly... just in time to see wave 4 go and a couple of minutes to chat with friends.  I had some doubts about my ability to remember the way even though I had done this race 2 years ago. Recently I have started to rely on OS maps with the route downloaded on my phone but today fearful of the wet I had buried it deep in my sack thinking I would only get it out in an emergency. As a consequence I was pulled along as I tried to catch people from the earlier waves and then keep up with some for a short time in the faster waves behind.  There were a few bits I did remember but I would have sworn never to have ever seen other sections!  For me it was a new start venue as being in Tier 3 prevented me going last October for the rescheduled 2020 race.  Once off and running the rain really didn’t seem so bad and with the first landmark being Belland (Bellend?) Road I was already smiling. All was going well and I even recognised the woods and bits near Holymoorside and the Chatsworth Rd.  

                                                   I had no memory at all of this bridge!

I made it through Commonside and into the woods beyond. Then I lost the faster male runners from waves behind me. I stopped to get food and also for a wee. Just as I was debating if my memory was correct about an unmarked turning to reach the A61 crossing some more runners arrived. Sarah and Charles were in the group but first to arrive was Christine and I quickly hooked in with her and Frank. Mostly I remembered this section but it was good to have Frank and his GPS making sure and also almost non-stop chat with Chris. I do most of my running solo and was amazed how fast the miles flew by as we were chatting.  I felt she was setting the pace (apparently she thought I was) so we cracked on. So far I had only had a twix, a MF jelly and some MF in my drink. At the pub at Hundall a nice marshall opened a packet of crisps for me and I managed not to choke as I ate and ran.

Why do I look like I am battling the weather while Chris looks so nonchalant?

We made a tiny nav error in New Whittington but it only cost us a couple of hundred metres. Near Longcourse Farm I told tales of eating strawberries and melon on the hot day two years ago and also realised I knew the way for the next few miles to Heath and beyond. I had spotted Sarah and Charles not far behind at this point and was keen to push on. Chris and I pulled ahead of Frank and all was well until the 5 Pits Trail. Famous last words of “it’s easy this bit”. As we sped down hill chatting I suddenly felt it wasn’t right. We trudged back uphill and sure enough there was Charles waving and putting us on the correct route. By North Wingfield we were off and alone again. Once again on a downhill we flew along chatting and missed a small turn off the main track. Chris said she sort of knew this bit and I stopped concentrating. She did know it- well enough to get us back on route and we only added about a mile. We popped out new the new houses and retail-park just behind Charles and Sarah. Bugger, now we would have to run hard all over again. Some earlier sections had been ankle deep in water or on very slippery mud but the next woods were a delight and full of blue bells. I could remember this section and gradually pulled ahead knowing that once we were on Bole Hill we were almost home. It looked likely that Chris and I would both beat my old record and perhaps Sarah too. In the last woods I could smell home and as always this gave me just the boost I needed to plod on with renewed effort.  I did pull away from Chris but knew that she had started in the wave behind me and so had at least a 2 minute advantage. As we left the last lane I turned to check she was still on route and raced in the last 800m or so. I arrived at the finish soggy from rain and sweat. There had been no opportunity to remove waterproof over trousers or the extra base layer I was wearing.

                                              Leading women all fuelled by Mountain Fuel!

Chris arrived less than two minutes later and so was the female winner- delighted with her trophy and Icebug shoe voucher (thanks to our sponsors at Beta). It was only then talking to Jamie that I realised I actually knew Chris from fell races about 15-20 years ago- more as a name than somebody I ran with as I was never that fast.  Sarah arrived shortly afterwards and we managed a group photo before deciding we needed to shed wet clothes and get warm again.

3 Record breakers- 2nd,1st and 3rd

 The route needs a few more markers in places for those of us who are not local and have a poor memory. I have suggested an option to donate medal ( I have plenty of medals) preference to fund more signs instead. The route is lovely and very varied with a much more rural feel than say Round Rotherham.

Not that we actually saw the crooked Spire in the rain

 It was a great day out and so wonderful to pin on a number again, see friends, actually race and to make sure Runfurther keeps going. Thanks to the RO, team of marshalls and those who kept me company on the run. Bob drove home, although by the time we got to Glossop we were starving and so stopped for Fish and Chips which disappeared very very fast... another good reason to like ultra running.