Winter sunset over Fort William after a big day on the Ben
I started this blog on the 21st December 2009 to share my adventures as a mountain instructor and expedition guide. Nearly 600 posts later and with almost 100,000 views I've managed to upload 1GB worth of photos and writing which has taken me up to my Blogspot limit. So it's now time for a new blog.....
The Lakeland 100 is a classic 104 mile circuit of the Lake District with a 40 hour time limit now in its fifth year. Last year I failed to finish due to a foot injury but the extra mileage and ascent covered during the Tour du Mont Blanc a couple of weeks ago should stand me in good stead. The event starts from Coniston at 5.30 on Friday and heads off towards the Duddon Valley. This year you can follow competitors live at Sport Ident. All being well I'll have completed the route by 9:30 Sunday morning...
20 years ago I walked the Tour du Mont Blanc with CCOPS, my college
outdoor pursuits society. It was a great trip but an 80 litre rucksack
full of camping kit and 4 season boots meant it was a hard challenge
spread over 11 days. A quick alpine break has allowed us to trot around the
classic 110 mile circuit in under 7 days with a tiny pack and fell
shoes.We mixed and matched a few short days with a couple of monsters and took all the high level options we could. Lots more photos on my Flickr page.
Very little snow left on the high passes
Stunning scenery above Contamine
Great views of Mont Blanc on day 3
Mont Blanc from above Courmayer
The climb out on Courmayer
Approaching the Refuge Elena for the world's best chocolate chaud!
Climbing towards the final col
A friendly Ibex
The Aiguillle du Midi from Chamonix at journeys end
Today I was out with my camera on the Scottish hills supporting runners in the Arrochar Alps fell race, a British Championship counter for 2012. Drizzle and low cloud didn't slow the leaders down on this long and demanding course which summits four Munros from a start at sea level. Borrowdale's Ben Bardsley finished first breaking Billy Bland's record in the process. Full results are here and there's plenty more photos on my Flickr page.
Long lines of runners tackle the first of four big climbs
The Cool Shorts in action during the Terrex Swift Adventure Race
I've spent the last few weeks running around dressed in blue testing The North Face 'Better Than Naked' trail running kit and overall I have to say they've done a great job with some fairly simple bits of clothing. All the products are incredibly light and quick drying as suggested by the unusual name. In fact the only real issue I have is with the colour scheme. In a quick straw poll I didn't find any runners who would be comfortable
wearing the complete ensemble or even the shorts and t-shirt. It's maybe a British quirk but the general consensus would seem to be that being colour coordinated is not a good look. They are also available as a black short and green
t-shirt which I feel most UK runners would be far more comfortable wearing.
The Cool Short Sleeved Shirt is the lightest running top I currently own and has been getting plenty of use during the recent brief hot spell. There are no pockets or gimmicks but it's a great cut with plenty of ventilation (almost 50% mesh). Although predominantly blue it has a large white panel on the back. This has already started to look discoloured from my rucksack and a couple of spins on the road bike. Another contrasting panel of blue would seem a far more sensible option on a trail running t-shirt. the rest of the design has been well thought out with flatlock seams, minimal stitching on the shoulders, a low friction lining on the stitching around the back of the neck and a reflective logo front and rear.
The Cool Shorts are pretty long but with with a high side cut giving great flexibility. They feature a couple of mesh pouches and a rear zipped pocket. I usually wear compression shorts under running shorts which can cause problems with the internal brief but no issues here. They also feature a wide waistband which is very comfortable even under a rucksack waist strap. I've given these a real hammer including the 48 hour Terrex Swift (which involved canoeing, mountain biking, caving & fell running) and they still look as good as new. For such a lightweight fabric they are proving surprisingly durable. I was a wee bit worried that the rear zipped pocket would cause a problem under my rucksack but I've never even noticed it. It's not big enough for a smart phone but would easily take your keys and a gel. I did find I had to add a toggle to the draw string as they kept coming undone and I would have liked some more reflective detail for safety but overall the best pair of shorts I've used for a whole variety of activities
Finally the Cool Jacket is another great lightweight bit of kit. A simple no frills windproof jacket with plenty of ventilation which lines up with the mesh on the t-shirt. Personally I think it has a great cut and looks pretty good due to a slim fit with plenty of stretch fabric under and down the arms. It's not as warm as a full windproof but on those days when it's just a wee bit too chilly in a t-shirt then it's a great option to throw on. An elastic hem and a snug well fitting neck help keep out the drafts from your torso but the full length zip and sleeves that can be easily pulled up mean you shouldn't overheat when you've warmed up. The jacket will stuff into the chest pocket which also has a small internal hole for your earphones. This is possibly a more specialised piece of clothing than the t-shirt and shorts which would appeal more to the dedicated runner who trains regularly. With anything other than a perfect forecast I'd want something that offers a bit more protection with me on the hill but for local trails and roads it works perfectly. Plenty of reflective logos and trim should make you visible.
Overall a great set of clothes for the trail - simple and lightweight.
After a full weeks work on Skye including a couple of Cuillin Ridge traverses I made the long drive down to Yorkshire for the Adidas Terrex Swift, a 48 hour adventure race. A three hour bivi in the field at the start probably wasn't the best preparation but at 9am our team of four were off trotting around the town of Kirkby Lonsdale. The large crowds were surprised to see us having all come out for a town Jubilee photo!
12km later and after a quick wade through the river Team Custard arrived at our canoes for a paddle down the River Lune, through Lancaster and out to the coast. A few swimmers floated past but we made it without incident picking up a few places on the 3 portages. With only one portage trolley our improvised double decker worked incredibly well.
A very successful double decker portage
Portage time during the canoe stage
Exiting the water and on to the mountain bikes we suffered four mechanicals in the first four miles but got back into our stride and were soon at Gisburn. Some good route choices enabled us to miss out most of the technical mountain biking while picking up all the checkpoints just before it got dark. The final bike section to Malham dragged as the weather dramatically changed for the worse and we made the sensible choice to drop one checkpoint during the night navigation stage, the wet limestone seriously slowing our progress.
We'd opted not to stick a tent in our transition bag, a serious miscalculation and with the rain hammering down and in desperate need of sleep we took the sneaky option and hunkered down for a couple of hours in the transition barn. Away at 6am into a cold, grey and very wet morning the long grind up out of the valley on mountain bikes was probably the toughest part of the race for us although Carrie had got her second wind and was flying. A couple of hours later conditions were improving and we enjoyed the intimidating abseil over Kilnsey Main Overhang. Back on to the bikes for a long stint broken by a tactical stop in the pub for jacket potato and chilli. There were very few teams around us now and we decided to miss the two most northern checkpoints giving us a good run through Swaledale and onto Hawes for the final transition. A sterling effort from Kieran on the bike nav kept us straight especially during one bad patch where I dropped off while spinning up a hill.
As the final team into Hawes we opted for a quick hours kip as the site was dismantled around us. Heading away in to the twilight the initial climb exposed us to a brutally cold north easterly which had us donning all our layers. There were plenty of torches to be seen on Yorkshires three peaks but we made a good tactical decision and headed straight for the caving. A through trip in Calf Holes was more than we'd anticipated and we had a great time abseiling into the active streamway, a couple of wriggles and an exposed rift to finish. The first time I've gone into a cave in the dark and come out in daylight. Away down the valley we headed straight for the finish in Settle. Sleep deprivation was now kicking in and the prize for best hallucinations went to Andy who was mocked by clowns faces in the dry stone walls! I opted for a quick pitstop and on rejoining the group found them all fast asleep in the sun sprawled across the footpath. Our pace slowed over the final few miles due to chafe-age but we were in good spirits as we trotted up to the line in just over 47 1/2 hours.
We'd jokingly suggested a top 10 placing would be our target and in the final results we'd achieved that from the 26 teams that had started. My efforts in last years Terrex C2C were our teams only experience of adventure racing and it was a steep learning curve but an absolutely great event. Huge thanks to Kieran, Andy & Carrie, to the Open Adventure crew and awesome job to planner Dave Johnson.
A few hours kip and Team Custard were ready to go again!
Today I've been out on a photo shoot for an article I'm writing for Trail Running magazine. Clare, Ben and I took a trot over Walla Crag and back through the woods pursued by photographer Stuart Holmes. Lots of short sharp sprints for the camera and looks like we got some great images. Heading home a chance encounter with friends resulted in me signing up for the Latrigg Fell race, a short up and down blast from Fitz Park in Keswick. Having been focusing on endurance for events later in the year I was very please to get round in 25:22 and 34th place.
I've just taken delivery of my first box of goodies from The North Face. Over the next few months I've been given the opportunity to put some of their current and future technical clothing through its paces and write some independent reviews as part of their ongoing development program. I'm afraid it's all already in the washing machine after todays mud and rain but initial impressions are very good. The next few months are looking busy; working on the Cuillin Ridge, Terrex Swift Adventure Race, mountain work in the Lake District, The Celtman Tri, climbing in the Alps, Lakeland 100 and an expedition to Greenland! A perfect testing program!
Plenty of racing to be had this summer. I'm limiting myself to three events as I'm guessing I'm going to be needing some recovery time after these...
First we've got the Adidas Terrex Swift is at the beginning of June. 48 hours of non stop fell running, mountain biking and canoeing plus some ropework challenges. Carrie, Kieran, Andy and myself are racing as Team Custard with 'beanie' support from Custard Climbing Creations.
At the end of June I'm taking part in the inaugural Celtman, the Scottish version of the iconic Norseman. Based in Torridon this Ironman distance triathlon starts with a 3.8km swim in Loch Shieldaig, 200km on the road bike on some great Scottish roads and a marathon to finish taking in the two Munros on Beinn Eighe.
My final big race is the Montane Lakeland 100 at the end of July, a 100 mile trail race which passes through pretty much every corner of the Lake District A foot injury curtailed my attempt last year but the training's going well so fingers crossed.
It was a stunning cold but clear day for the Coledale Horseshoe, a British & English Championship counter for 2012. There were a number of snow showers as the runners set off up Grisedale Pike and some very chilly looking runners came past me on the scramble up Eel Crag. I was out taking photos on the second half of the course from Eel Crag, over Sail & Barrow and the final run into Coledale. Plenty more images on my Flickr page. In the event the good running conditions meant that both the mens and womens records were broken. Full results are on the FRA website (mens & women race).
A couple of Ambleside fell runners reach the Eel Crag plateau
After a 9 day stint on the hill to finish my Scottish winter season the legs were a wee bit tied so I was just out supporting at the first race of this years English Fell Racing Championships - Lads Leap. A fast muddy course with a fence to jump after the final descent made a very photogenic race. Lots more pictures on my Flickr page.
Eden Valleys Kim Collison on his way to 14th
Opting for the safer but slower stile option
Should have gone for the safer but slower stile option!
The stunning weather continued back in the Lakes where I spent the day with Trail Runner magazine and photographer Stuart Holmes on Latrigg getting some shots for forthcoming issues. Not my normal Monday but a very interesting day (and good interval training with plenty of short sprints for the camera!)
Epicentre's Steve Ashworth has also made good use of this weekends weather with a quick winter Bob Graham Round.
Trail Runners's Claire Maxted and I enjoying perfect running conditions
A great wee event organised by Joe Faulkner of Nav4 and now in it's second year, this 38 mile trail race with 2000m of ascent was the perfect preparation for a busy Christmas. Yet again the weather was ideal with plenty of challenging conditions underfoot but dry and cold with a fresh wind. Inov-8's Kim Collison had a storming run winning in an amazing time of 6:05. For the rest of us it was a great day out in the snow with the final runners coming in a just over 12 hours. The route starts in Askham before climbing over the moor to Howtown and onwards to Patterdale via Boredale Hause. The run then circumnavigates Helvellyn via Sticks Pass, Swirls, Dunmail Raise and Grisedale before retracing your steps to Askham. 95 runners enjoyed the experience and I bimbled round in 9:43 despite one rather large route choice error. (I took the description of a trail run rather literally from Patterdale ignoring the obvious large road which led to the next checkpoint!)
Tomorrow (16th December) Radio 4 focus their attentions on the Bob Graham Round. Italian composer Maurizio Malagnini has written a piece of music inspired by the Round which will be accompanied by thoughts and memories of those who have completed it. The program's broadcasting at 11am.
The freezing level was well above the summits last night and we awoke to a major thaw. With no realistic options for ski touring or winter climbing the best idea was a wee fell run followed by coffee and Christmas shopping! We headed up onto the Grisedale Pike - Eel Crag - Barrow horseshoe to stretch our legs. There were some deep drifts of wet snow in the lee of the ridge but everything else had defrosted. Looking across to the west face of Raise there was very little snow cover where we had skied yesterday although the Raise web cam shows plenty of snow drifted in by the lift.
The fifth race in the Lakeland Classics trophy is the Three Shires Fell race. Opting not to race I headed out into the persistent rain in support mode. Despite a large number of photographers none of the runners opted to ford the waist deep river just after the start so I headed up on to Lingmoor to get some photos.
