Following a very encouraging
MWIS forecast for the weekend Rosie and I drove to the Lakes to take advantage of the incredible weather last Saturday. I don't think i've ever experienced such a still, dry and clear day in the lakes in January.
The intention had been to run Leg 2 of the BG, but wanting to spend some time with Rosie and Riley (and having left my pre packed running bag full of food and kit in Newcastle!) I decided to walk up to Grisedale Tarn with Rosie and the Riley from Dunmail. The views were INCREDIBLE with a fresh dumping of snow from 500m upwards which Riley thoroughly enjoyed playing in.
The views from around Grisedale Tarn were stunning and the hills were busy with walkers fully equiped with axes and crampons. At the path junction above the tarn Rosie walked back down to the car and I popped for a swift run up Fairfield
(a tough 18min climb running through a mix of well trod and 1ft deep drifts of snow) then down and up Seat Sandal
(12mins - a fast but tentative downhill on the sections of well compacted snow, but attacking the climb well) before a recce of the route down to Dunmail
(21mins - fast and long open strides through the virgin snow, avoiding the boulder fields as I dropped to picking up the correct trod down the WNW shoulder back the car.) Rosie just beat me back to the car. It had been a worthwhile run to get the descent into Dunmail nailed but without doubt the panoramic views of the BG routh over the Dodds to Helvellyn, across Dunmail, over Raise, the Langdale Pikes and a distant Bow Fell made it for me.
It also made me reflect that the definition of a winter BG, one attempted during the period starting on 1 December and finishing on 1 March, by no means defines the increase in the challenge that one would face. Typically a winter BG demands significantly more respect that a summer BG: the combined effects of more adverse weather, wet/snowy/icy terrain and significantly reduced daylight hours only add to the challenge. Despite the need to be good friends with the dark, I would have taken this weekends weather hands down compared to the weather we had on our attempt on the 15th July last year..!
The intention had been to run Leg 2 of the BG, but wanting to spend some time with Rosie and Riley (and having left my pre packed running bag full of food and kit in Newcastle!) I decided to walk up to Grisedale Tarn with Rosie and the Riley from Dunmail. The views were INCREDIBLE with a fresh dumping of snow from 500m upwards which Riley thoroughly enjoyed playing in.
It also made me reflect that the definition of a winter BG, one attempted during the period starting on 1 December and finishing on 1 March, by no means defines the increase in the challenge that one would face. Typically a winter BG demands significantly more respect that a summer BG: the combined effects of more adverse weather, wet/snowy/icy terrain and significantly reduced daylight hours only add to the challenge. Despite the need to be good friends with the dark, I would have taken this weekends weather hands down compared to the weather we had on our attempt on the 15th July last year..!
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