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.
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