I am not Lazy... blame the exams

No posts lately largely down the pagan practise of studying, or in my case lack of. Watch this space...

Over to Oswaldtwistle

8 mile run from Marl Pitts to Oswaldtwistle today.
1 hour 10 minutes.
Very Wet!

Night Time Jaunt up Pendle Hill

Pendle Hill, famed for the witch trials of 1612, which resulted in the execution of 12 women, is still associated with witchcraft to this day. Folklore aside, running Pendle Hill at night was a challenge and a half, one made greater due to having never even run up Pendle in the daytime. So it was fair to say that we took the 6 mile challenge with a bit of apprehension.

After locating the path to the summit, we slogged onwards for a while on a good path. Funnily enough, a strange mental image developed inside my head that we were following a substantial wall, only it never made an appearance on the ground. So I felt calm and happy :) We were immediately welcomed to the summit plateau by a icy wind, yet it was still a great surprise when the trig point appeared from beneath the thick mist, shrouding the hill making staying on the path tricky to say the least.

Using the 1995 orienteering map, and expecting it to be accurate was the first big mistake but regular cairns were welcomed sights. An excellent outing if you're prepared to ignore the horror stories of people being possessed.

SPOOKY

Liver Hill > Goodshaw

Afternoon run today, to Liver Hill then to Goodshaw on Rossendale Way. Back home on tough constantly undulating lanes above Burnley Road. Distance 7 miles.

Scout Moor 7 miler

A quick 7 miler on Sunday afternoon taking in Top of Leach and Whittle Pike. Weather was clear and warm. Took advantage of the new access tracks through the wind farm. Running was good!!!

Scout Moor Wind Farm:

Liver Hill Fell Race

Light Nights... woo! Great out and back race and it's free entry.

Good mix of fast tracks, runnable descents, open moorland and proper squelchy Pennine bog. Covering 5 miles, the course goes from Marl Pits Sports Complex to the top of Liver Hill and back the same route.

The race has even made an appearance on YouTube! click here

Course Statistics

Distance: 5miles (8km)
Climb: 800ft (244m)
Starters: 159
Position: 22th
Winners Time: 0:34:24
My Time: 0:39:16

Click here to download the Google Earth file for the route.

The Jan Kjellström International Festival of Orienteering 2008

The Jan Kjellström International Festival of Orienteering (also known as the JK) has held a permanent place in my yearly fixture list since 2005. I suspect this will be the case for many years. With over 4500 competitors in 2008, this is Britain’s largest orienteering event. The JK commemorates Jan Kjellström, a Swedish orienteer and pioneer of the sport in the UK who tragically died in a car crash. Held over the Easter weekend, the event location changes every year around Britain, offering competitors diverse and top quality terrain.

The JK2008 is based in Sussex, South of England, with the event centre being based at Crowborough Army Camp.

Saturday’s Event was held at Leith Hill, the area used for the 2005 World Cup Middle Race

This is taken from the organisers notes:

“The NW part of the area will be used by the courses from the Far Start only. The forest is mostly runnable with some small areas of thick vegetation. It is undulating with some contour detail and has high visibility throughout. To succeed here, you will need to combine high speed with accurate compass work, and look up to make sure you use the high visibility to your advantage.”

“The SW part of the area will be used by the courses from the Far and Mid Starts. This was used for World Cup 2005 and is a combination of some gently rolling areas dotted with thickets, and some flatter, but extremely technical areas with many small paths, highly complex contours, and some ground vegetation (knot weed) that can make passage difficult (indicated by vertical green stripes). To succeed here, you will need to use clear attack points and know when to slow down to spike your control.”

M20L Course Stats:

Minimum Length: 9.6km / 6miles

Minimum Climb: 345m / 1130ft

(Straight line distances/heights)

Making this equivalent to at least a BM fell race

Race Day:

Tough race in foul conditions! Snow, hailstone and gales were just part of the monopoly of weathers thrown down upon us making for difficult running. A running time of 89:35 minutes reflects tough navigation and many necessary deviations from the straight line. Most of the running was through rough forest and knee deep mud, paths were an unusual but welcome sight. Navigation was spot on apart from one silly mistake on the penultimate checkpoint, sprinting off down the wrong side of a large spur, only to have run back up it.

Complex Terrain:

Sunday’s Event was held at Ashdown Forest

This is taken from the organisers notes:

“Ashdown Forest comprises a fabulously wide variety of terrain ranging from runnable deciduous woodland through open heath to significant areas of tussock grass.There is extensive bracken which is generally runnable. The area is incised by four major valleys and provides physically challenging courses with few areas of flat land.There is a very extensive track and path network.”

M20L Course Stats:

Minimum Length: 10.3km / 6.4 miles

Minimum Climb: 480m / 1570ft

(Straight line distances/heights)

Making this equivalent to at least an AM fell race.

Race Day:

Ouch! This was a very painful race both mentally and physically, made worse by atrocious snowy weather. After a rapid start, the pace was soon reduced as the effects of yesterday made their presence felt. Having a later start time than the Saturday meant the underfoot conditions were very churned up. Progress was slow. Today was a mixture of complicated forest, open moorland and orange mud!!

Around control 11, three quarters of the way round, I hit the proverbial wall. Feeling very low sugar levels, the hill up to the finish wasn’t a welcoming sight. Total running time of 110:19 minutes.

Difficult Route Choice:

Monday, the Relay at Eridge Old Park

More snow, horrible conditions, paths covered in snow and visibility poor. Not a bad run, team PFO Pacemakers finished 29th on the Men’s Short Class. All ready to come home when a lost teammate on a different PFO team, who’d been out for 3 hours needed finding, resulting in a time consuming search. All safe!

Edinburgh - The City with Fells!

Built on a series of Volcanoes from the Carboniferous period, Edinburgh must be one of the hilliest cities in Britain. The maze which is the old town is interlinked with many secret alleys and seemingly unending stairways, perfect terrain for a street orienteering event!

Then within about 5 minutes from the centre lies Holyrood Park containing Arthur's Seat. In real terms its not exactly massive at 250m, but it's prominence from the surrounding city, and it's steep basalt crags make it the feel almost 'mountainous.'


And upon seeing the picturesque scene of the ruins of St Andrew's Chapel from St Margaret's Loch, It's hard to believe Edinburgh is just round the corner:


As such, Edinburgh I think potential for an enormously successful urban/rural adventure race. It would seem that others were like minded and created the Edinburgh Rat Race, one for the future!!

Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases - Easy Week

I've not been on top form this week with a nasty cold, as such training reduced to 30 minutes in the gym on thursday and an easy 60 minute trail run today. Although, an easy run when on form is not an easy run when ill.

Managing only 4 miles, I've decided severe rest is in order before next weekends JK International Festival of Orienteering in the South East. Sadly, this will mean missing out training on Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat (the home to the World Cross Country Championships, to be held on the 30th March 2008), when in Edinburgh on Tuesday, but performance at the weekend should hopefully make up for it.

Some pictures of the Valley from above the Glen Tunnels today:

Top of Leach, Knowl Hill, Whittle Pike and Cowpe Lowe - 12 miles

This run takes in Rossendale's 4 biggest hills. Here is a brief route description of places in order of passing:

Red Lion Pub in Higher Cloughfold, Waterfoot, Glen Playing Fields, Rooley Moor Road, Top of Leach, Rooley Moor Road, SD 859 179, Higher Naden Reseroir, Lady Lees Woods, Rochdale Way, Knowl Hill, Man Road Ditch, Higher Hill, Whittle Hill, Waughs Well, Rossendale Way, Cowpe Lowe, Whinberry Naze, Red Lion Pub in Higher Cloughfold.

The plan was to become more comfortable on longer runs with multiple climbs and this route didn't disappoint. With steep climbs from Waterfoot to Top of Leach, Higher Naden to Knowl Hill and from Waughs Well Reservoir to Cowpe Lowe Summit. Total climb of 900m or 2950ft completed in 2 hours 18 minutes. Conditions were fantastic apart from the odd brief spell of stinging hail showers, Hence no pictures from Top of Leach

The route up Knowl Hill:


The Sky above Rochdale and Manchester:


Knowl Hill Summit with Ashworth Moor Reservoir Beyond:


The highly opposed Scout Moor Wind Farm:




The Summit of Whittle Pike marks a memorial to Flying Officer Geoffrey Molyneux:




Views from the summit of Cowpe Lowe:


Winter Hill from Cowpe Lowe:


My New Favourite Run!

Course Stats

Length: 12 miles / 19.2km
Climb: 900m / 2950ft
Time: 2 hours 18 minutes

Windy Clowbridge Trail Run - 6 miles

You've gotta be really unlucky to be on a circular run and have the wind in your face the entire way round. Today was not a lucky day with unpleasant gales making running and biking tough going.

And with severe weather warnings for Monday and Tuesday forecasting severe, property damaging gales of up to 80mph, things are going to get worse before they get better.

Cowpe Lowe at Night.... is a very scary place!

A depression over Britain coupled with a high pressure system over Greenland, has brought in bouts of wintry weather dumping lots of snow and ice on the previously well thawed Lakes, leaving them a bit too unpredictable for fell running. So instead of resting in preparation for Thursday and Friday running in Great Langdale, I decided to brave the dark and treat myself to a run up Cowpe Lowe.

As such I learnt a few scary things, and reminded myself of others:

• Hills of a modest 440m can be scary at night when solo.
• Sheep can be scary at night, as their eyes glow luminous green.
• Head torches are not too good in mist, often well adjusted eyes are better.

Also despite the wild puma rumoured to be on the loose, regrettably I didn't come across the cat or any of the rumoured 5inch paw prints in the snow. After being blinded by the light reflecting in the mist, it was of no surprise when I nearly ran into the concrete trig point. Very exhilarating, something to try at least once.

The trig (apologies for the low quality of my phone pics):


NOTE: It's probably a good idea to be uber familiar with the route before attempting it at night.

Bike + Run - Stoodley Pike Monument

Bike to Mankinholes from Rawtenstall on the roads, locked the bike up quick run up to Stoodley Pike Monument (SD 973 242 - 402m). I intended to follow the route of the fell race but after checking, I realised I had followed it in reverse. Then back along the canal through Todmorden and back up the A681 (nasty climb). Too windy on summit for pictures, so I borrowed this one from this great website: http://www.idonohoe.com/home.asp. The weather seeming much less overcast on this picture.

Stoodley Pike Monument from the Mary Townley Loop:


Stats:

26 miles on bike
2.6 miles running

Click here to view the fell race route map.

Lake District 3 Day Winter Special

During 3 days fell running in the Lake District, we were treated to fantastic weather with heavy frost. To ensure underfoot conditions were passable without requiring full winter equipment, our route stayed predominantly below 2000ft. As such, we didn't come across any snow, although many rivers were still deeply frozen and waterfalls were clad with solid ice.

Views of Skiddaw and Blencathra await:


Day 1

Starting in Grasmere, our route took us up onto Helm Crag (405m). After a steep climb we were richly rewarded with great views from the large craggy rocks littering the summit ridge. The Howitzer is the largest of these rocks, named according to it's shapes resemblance to that of the large military gun. The other perhaps less obviously is named the The Old Woman Playing the Organ.

Me on the Old Woman Playing the Organ.


From Helm Crag we ran over the ridge passing Gibson Knott and the Tarn at Brownrigg Moss. From here we followed the very indistinct bridleway up to Greenup Edge. As this last section was in the large shadow High Raise, the ground hadn't seen sunlight since late October of the previous year. As such we came across some fantastic ice features including piprakes:


Piprakes are tiny columns of ice, typically up to 4cm long. As rocks and bare earth loose heat much quicker than the surrounding vegetation covered ground, ice columns form underneath the rocks. As they cannot grow downwards into the solid ground, they lift the rocks out of the ground. Eventually rocks can be unearthed and can even tumble down slopes. This action can lift rocks weighing up to 5kg.

The views from Greenup Edge were extensive, from here we contoured beneath Long Crag and ran over the ridge to Sergeants Crag (571m) and Eagle Crag (520m).

The View from Greenup Edge


After melting ice for dinner on Eagle Crag we descended on the Wainwright path to the confluence of the Langstrath Beck and Greenup Gill, both were largely frozen over. After a short run along the Cumbrian Way, we picked up the key for the Dinah Hoggus Camping Barn in Rosthwaite were we stayed for the night.

The Frozen Greenup Gill


Overnight conditions of -5 degrees meant the camping barn was a little chilly so it was good to get a hot meal in the Riverside Bar in preparation. Incidentally, this is the location of the Borrowdale Fell Race and the winners times were on the wall from the last 30 years.

Day 2

Very chilly start. Out running for 8:00 onto a tough ascent up Tongue Gill. On the ascent we saw the remains of a slate mine, indeed many of the mining tunnels were still accessible. From the top of Tongue Gill we ascended to the large summit cairn of High Spy (653m). From here there were fantastic views over Skiddaw and Blencathra:

Skiddaw:


Blencathra with it's many ridges:



From High Spy, we ran north over Narrow Moor. As we closed in on Catbells (a tourist honeypot), the number of tourist increased dramatically and our seemingly under dressed selves got some pretty weird looks. From this section, the view of Derwent Water was fantastic (Blencathra beyond):


After this ridge traverse we were very warm and jumping off the pier into the partially frozen Derwent Water seemed like a good idea. The jump in was very fun and was a great experience, but even colder than the alpine lakes of Switzerland. We then ran around the Northern shores of Derwent Water to Keswick YHA.

After checking into the Youth Hostel we went to the CAMRAs best pub in the West Lake District, the Dog and Gun Inn. Then later in the evening, to the Irish Pub for the Football.

Day 3

The weather was nothing like the previous 2 sunny days. It was very overcast and much colder. After a bit of urban navigation we found the path up to Walla Crag and Bleaberry Fell.

The colder weather meant less stopping for pictures but we did manage to catch this herd of deer on Armbooth Fell:



After running beneath the crags above Launchy Gill, we located the bridleway and dropped down to Harrop Tarn.

Close to the end at a frozen Harrop Tarn:


Funnily enough, having run around 27 miles at altitudes up to around 2000ft, the worst ice we found was at about 300ft from sea level next to the road. Upon reaching the car park at the Southern end of Thirlmere, I was ready for home but, I've made my mind up that it won't be long before I go running in the Lakes again.

Other Pictures:

Panopticon Halo - Part 2 (at night)

Quick night run to the Halo Sculpture (see earlier posts) and onto Cribden summit, 5.8 miles. Fantastic cloudless skies with a descent amount of moonlight, conditions were perfect. The legs were a bit tired after Sundays race but the effort was well worth view of the stars from the top of Cribden. A top quality training run.

Winter Hill Fell Race - 11miles 2700ft AM

A well timed winter anticyclone meant fantastic cloudless conditions for this years Winter Hill Fell Race. The views from the summit were extensive including much of the Yorkshire Dales and the South Pennines. The entry form was quiet clear, this was going to be a tough race.

As this is a race, I didn't feel it proper to stop and take any photographs so I have sourced some from a website taken on a different day.


© Copyright Liz Dawson


© Copyright Alan Southworth

196 people lined up on the start line which meant we were all a bit boxed in and nobody could really get into the running flow for the first half a mile or so. The sun was low in the sky, as such competitors were blinded on the tracks up to Rivington Pike and I didn't have a clue where I was going until about a mile later when the sun was shielded by the hills. Over the first stile and we were onto proper South Pennine moorland and I got a distinct feeling I was going to enjoy the race.

Just After the Start:



Looking on the course map, you'd be forgiven for assuming that 80% of the course is run without paths. Thankfully, as a bit of pre race Google Earth revealed, this wasn't the case as there were many unmarked paths. Weather conditions were fantastic, but the same couldn't be said for the conditions underfoot. I was considering myself very lucky when a competitor in front of me went up to his mid thigh in a bog, as I was able to avoid the worst of it, if I'd have known the same was about to happen to me, I may have been a bit more conservative. Harsh and unforgiving underfoot conditions are commonplace all year round in the South Pennines, you should expect a mouth full of mud on at least one occasion. No terra firma today!

If you have a glance at the course profile on John Mayalls excellent website (click here), you'll see that the race hosts multiple climbs, 5 in fact. Each seeming progressively harder.

Critics of the race would say that the course goes up and down the same hill far too many times, considering that you pass the summit, or near the summit 3 times, I can understand where they are coming from. However, brilliant conditions led to a thoroughly enjoyable 2 and a bit hours on the fells. Nothing, even the snapping of my rucksack strap could change.

Approaching the Finish Line:



Course Statistics

Distance: 11miles (17.6km)
Climb: 2700ft (822m)
Starters: 196
Position: 67th
Winners Time: 01:31:27
My Time: 02:05:12

Click here for the Winter Hill Fell Race route. This shouldn't be treated as an accurate route, it may be slightly wrong in some places however all the check points are located correctly.

Panopticon Halo - Part 1

Set on the disused landfill spot known as Top o Slate (SD 793 236), the Halo is a large sculpture overlooking Haslingden. Designed by John Kennedy of LandLab, the Halo is the final sculpture of four in the Panopticon Arts and Regeneration Project. The other three sculptures are all located in Lancashire and are The Atom, Colourfields and the Singing Ringing Tree. From the sculpture you can see Ingleborough, a distinctively flat topped limestone mountain 32 miles away in the Yorkshire Dales.



I walked up to the Halo today partly to recce a night run and was amazed by how quickly yesterdays snow had disappeared, just enough in a sheltered spot for a snowball. Weather was dry but with substantial wind chill on exposed spots.

After dark, the 18m diametre steel structure is lit up using blue LEDs powered by a nearby wind turbine. See part 2 for the Halo at night!

Saturday Morning Run - Winter Special - Cowpe and Top of Leach

Ever warming British winters are making snow a bit of a rarity in Lancashire. This morning however, we were shocked to see around 10cm of snow in the valleys and up to 50cm on the hills. The hills were calling, but so was the Lancashire Schools XC at Witton Park. After much deliberation, we eventually decided to try the roads only to reach the car park after the race had started. So we got our snowy hill run in the end...







Taking on some sugar in a ruined quarry building, excellent shelter from the freezing winds:



Running over Cowpe Moss was tough going as underneath the snow and the tussocks were frozen bogs, incredibly energy sapping; not nice at all!

Frozen Waterfalls en route, we were considering starting the Lancashire Ice Climbing Club:






All in all, a very good 7.8 miles (12.55km) which took slightly longer than expected due to repeated immature endeavours mainly involving snow balls and yellow snow. Snow makes children out of us all you know.

The Pennine Bridleway above Cowpe Reservoir:



Ironically, by the amount of car tracks seen today, people with gas guzzling Chelsea tractors seem to enjoy driving on the gravel tracks in the snow, but it's mainly them who are making snowy winters a thing of the past in Britain.