Bob Graham leg 3

Bright and sparky (yeah right) on Sunday morning I hopped out of bed at 2:50 am, scoffed down a swift breakfast and then whizzed over to the Lake District to support Stuart on his Bob Graham Round attempt. I was navigating the third leg between Dunmail Raise and Wasdale for him along with support from Kev, Ryan and Paul. Sure enough, at about 5:30 am, Stuart trotted down the steep side of Seat Sandel, the last peak of the second leg and perhaps 28 miles and 12,000 ish feet of ascent into his BGR attempt - just 38 miles and 14,000 feet to go then! 10 minutes later we were off up the steep side of Steel Fell and on our way to Wasdale with something like 16 miles and 15 peaks making up the leg.

This was my third Bob Graham navigational support run of the year, having helped Janson in May on leg 4, and Kev in June on leg 2. Both Janson and Kevin had successfully completed their BGR's so it was important to keep "my" run going and get Stuart safely and swiftly (relatively speaking) around leg 3 and in good time to make sure he can do the whole lot within the required 24 hours.

I have to say that the weather was perfect (but there again the weather is always "perfect" in the Lakes) and all in all we had a grand time scooting over Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Sergeant Man, High Raise, Thunacar Knott, Harrison Stickle, Pike O'Stickle, Rossett Pike, Bowfell, Esk Pike, Great End, Ill Crag, Broad Crag, Scafell Pike and Scafell before dropping down to Wasdale. Stuart was looking strong (most of the time) and picked up brilliantly towards the end of the leg. And fantastically went on the complete his round of 42 peaks and circa 66 miles in 23 hours and 27 minutes.  Brilliant stuff Stuart!

Climbing Steel Fell with Dunmail Raise far below

Running at dawn in the Lakes takes some beating

The team on the way towards Sergeant Man

Gorgeous eh?

Stuart having just bagged Sergeant Man

High Raise

Langdale from Harrison Stickle

Langdale from Pike O'Stickle

Deer running across Martcrag Moor

Langdale and the Stickles from the rake under Black Crags

Scafell to the left and Scafell Pike in middle (with Broad Crag and Ill Crag both also in view to the right)

Me on top of Bowfell still looking bright and sparky

Looking towards the main horseshoe ridgeline of leg 4 (Yewbarrow, Red Pike, Steeple,
Pillar, Kirk Fell and Great Gable) viewed from Great End

Stuart rock hopping to Ill Crag

Scafell Pike and Broad Crag from Ill Crag - fricking rocky or what?

Stuart and Kev boulder hopping off of Broad Crag

Paul and Ryan ascending Lord's Rake, the scree chute up Scafell

Two steps forward and three back at times!

Kev and Stuart coming up the same way

The West Wall Traverse - not far from the top of Scafell now

The descent from Scafell to Wasdale - chuffing fantastic!

Ze route

The 3 Peaks........... again

Yesterday me and Harry trotted round the 3 Peaks for the third time this year, with us both having previously been round in "testing" weather with Gav in February and gorgeous weather with Hester in May. Come to think of it we all went over each of the 3 peaks as part of our ten peak Dales Skyline run  in June but, as that wasn't following the official loop, I'm not counting that. 

I usually try and go round at least four times each year so maybe another 3 peaker is due in November too.

Haz on top of the first peak Pen y Ghent, with Whernside (far right) and Ingleborough (far left) in view

Gumby face

A Haz three peakorama

Nice cloud shadows

Whernside ahoy!

Haz cresting Whernside in the mist

Harry chatting to one of the many walkers going up Ingleborough

Whernside (in the clouds) viewed from Ingleborough

Harry skipping along on top of Ingleborough

Leaving Ingleborough and about 5 miles to go

Pen y Ghent looming ominously on our run back to Horton

Me looking a bit scratty come the finish - with Harry standing in the Ribble

Harry still looking gorgeous despite having run 21 miles and climbed 5,000 feet over 3 peaks

The Langdale Horseshoe

A grand romp around the Langdale Horseshoe yesterday (thats the horseshoe of ridges and hills surrounding the top of Great Langdale in the Lake District) with Hester and Hazster. Things started off a bit grim weatherwise but gradually the sun broke through and, by the time we were over Long Top about 2/3rds of the way round, everything turned out truly glorious. For the first time in weeks I was feeling properly 'runny' too and, although I'm probably tempting fate by saying it, it's really starting to feel like my running mojo is coming back!

We followed the route of the Langdale Horseshoe fell race, a fantastically tough (and tricky) fell race which runs each October and yesterday our line around it was pretty damn good I'd say - well other than our taking a slow and rocky path off of Pike o'Blisco that is (which was absolutely Harry's fault as we were following him at the time as he seemed to know what he was doing).

Hester running up Thunacar Knott

Martcrag Moor overlooked by Pike o"stickle

The team heading towards the Bowfell (in the clouds)

Dropping down into Langdale Combe

A friendly sheep ahead, our track going up to the right with Bowfell still hidden in the clouds

Hester with Angle Tarn beyond

Angle Tarn overlooked by Hanging Knotts

Harry overseeing his domain

Hester admiring the clouds at Ore Gap

Note that my running top matches my rock tape and my waterproof and shorts match my running shoes...

Hester clambering up Bowfell

Me posing on the ridgeline off of Bowfell

Hester (and Harry) powering up towards Long Top with Bowfell towering behind

Me slouching on Bad Step

Next stop Pike o'Blisco

Harry using his smelling skills to find the right way

Looking down to Langdale from the top of Pike o'Blisco

Hester dancing on top of Pike o'Blisco (the weirdo!)

The Langdale Horseshoe

Ze route