Fellsman reccy.... and more fricking snow!

The Fellsman is a 61 mile ultra distance race/trek over a large swathe of the southern half of the Yorkshire Dales. The route crosses getting on for a dozen peaks and high ridge lines, with a fair bit of the route being over trackless moors and fellside. The event is open to runners and walkers, although I'd guess that 75% or more of the field choose to run it, and this year's event starts at 9 am on 27th April, with me likely to be finishing sometime after midnight on the morning of 28th (touch wood). 

Today me and a hardy team of arctic explorers (Hes and Haz of course, together with Martyn, Helen, Emma and Carol) set out into a white out wilderness aiming to traverse a 15 mile stretch of the route, running across the Fleetmoss and Middle Tongue ridgeline above Langstrothdale,  then dropping down to Cray before climbing Buckden Pike and eventually meandering our way to Kettlewell via Top Mere.

We found it really hard to run a lot of the time, 5 hours to cover 15 miles isn't quick, but the snow was full on and deep making the ground really hard going (it would have been hard going even without the snow!) and just to add to the fun, for virtually the whole way, we were leaning into a strong wind blasting in from the east.

Just brilliant of course, as were the chips and eggs and steaming cups of tea at the Cottage Tearooms in Kettlewell and the pint of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin in the Bluebell Inn after.

Our "path"

The team making headway into the blizzard

Hester snow drift jumping

I'm not sure what Hes was doing here - looking for a contact lens may be?

The team minus Carol at the top of Buckden Pike

A ladder stile over a dry stone wall and a shed load of snow

Follow the wall and you can't go wrong 

Harry the polar pooch

Harry all snug and warm in the Bluebell Inn, Kettlewell