My Bob Graham Round Attempt Sept 2006

(new photos added - see below)

If you don't know what the Bob Graham Round is - have a look here first:
http://bobwightman.co.uk/run/bgr_history.php

Taking advantage of the high pressure weather that eventually found it's way through the depressions sweeping the island, Jenny (my girlfriend visiting from the US) and I made haste for the Lake District, in the north of England on Thursday 7th September in the evening.

After the 5 hour drive south from Inverschnecky, I showed Jenny what Threlkeld, the first road crossing would look like at 2am and how to find Dunmail Raise (stop 2) in the dark too. We spent Friday 8th visiting the other stopping points, getting Jenny used to driving on the left hand side with a manual gearstick in her left hand on the tiny little roads that criss-cross the Lake District; and purchasing food, resting and eating lots.

After a two hour nap, I set off from Moot Hall (275 feet asl) on a clear, cool, moonlit night in an optimistic mood just before 11pm. My final hope for a pacer had dropped out with a leg injury on the Wednesday, so solo it was going to have to be (I guess most folks can't take leave out with the weekend - or else September is just too late in the season). Although my reccy of Leg1 had been in November last year, I found the going very familiar and was on a windy Skiddaw summit (Peak No.1, 3050 feet) in about 1h20. I found the fence corner and dropped into the valley via a barely visible trod, headed for Hare Crag. To my surprise I ran straight onto the tiny path through the bogs and heather where many previous BGR attempts have floundered. I was running without a headtorch - preferring to use the natural moonlight, which my eyes had become accustomed to fairly quickly once I'd left the artificial lights of Keswick behind. Visibility was superb.

Up Great Calva (Peak No.2, 2264ft) and down through the heather to the River Caldew (1200 ft). I lost a little bit of time here, trying to find a good place to cross through the wetlands around the river - I don't remember there being one, so trudged through the knee deep marsh and the freezing cold river. Climbing Blencathra (Peak No.3, 2848 ft) was the first time I was aware of voices and headtorches flashing about. As I neared the summit someone was standing on the marker with his head torch flashing. Turned out he was a supporter who had been separated from his "contender". I took some strength from the knowledge there were other loons about tonight. I took Halls Fell Ridge (the supporter was off down Doddick Fell - with his walking sticks!!) fairly easy in the dark, reaching Jenny in Threlkeld (470ft) in 33 minutes, about quarter to three In the morning.

It was great to talk to somebody - I suppose I must have been pretty excited. I was not paying any attention to schedules, simply recording the time at each peak by pushing the lap button on my pulse monitor. After a quick strong coffee, 400mg of ibuprofen to try and minimise swelling ankles and a large bowl of weetabix I set off across the A66 for Clough Head, my backpack replenished with fluids and snacks.

I didn't know leg 2 at all, apart from the area immediately around Helvellyn, which I'd run during the Helvellyn Tri last year. The clear conditions prevailed, however, and the ridge path was moonlit up in front of me once up the initial 1900 ft climb to Clough Head (Peak No.4). I found the going easy enough on the ridge and was soon ticking off peaks 5 through 7.

Unfortunately the clear conditions were disappearing as I climbed Raise (Peak No.8) with clouds blowing in from the south west. Coming off White Side (Peak No.9) I had to slow to a walk, just to see where my feet were going and stay on the path. My headtorch was no good - much like full beams on a car, the light just bounced off the mist (cloud). This was no big deal on the climbs, but was costing me time on the descents. I found Lower Man and Helvellyn (Peaks No. 10 and 11, 3117 ft) in the thick mist with several map and compass checks. Nethermost Pike and Dollywaggon (Peaks 12 and 13) were much harder as I had no idea what they looked like and just ran on compass bearings and written descriptions. After a few false summits I eventually found these two and was looking for my cue (some old gatepost) to descend to Grisedale Tarn. I couldn't really see the old foundation of a fence line that is supposed to guide you back down to 1800 feet, but figured the Tarn (lake) was 500meters long - so surely I couldn't miss that. When I popped out of the cloud at about 2000 feet, the tarn was visible to my left. I'd come a little far West, but don't think it made that much difference. The dawn had broken and now out of the cloud, I could enjoy it's light everywhere.

Fairfield (Peak 14, 2864ft) was incredibly steep with lots of loose scree. I think this was probably the first time I felt some fatigue and discomfort. The other contender (wearing Blue Breeks) who's support guy I'd talked to on Blencathra was descending as I was climbing. We stopped to compare start times. Turn's out he'd started about 20 mins before me. I was keeping up anyway - but felt it important to stress (to myself) I wasn't racing anybody. Seat Sandal (Peak 15, 2415ft) was another little steep one - but much grassier. I thought it prudent to make a toilet stop halfway up before I was exposed to all the Saturday fal-de-ree walkers out on the more popular fells along Leg 3. There is nothing quite like squatting in nature to put a smile on your face !! Descending Seat Sandal wasn't the first time I'd turned my right ankle in the previous 8 hours, but it must've gone over pretty far this time as the residual pain was far more acute than usual. I reached for the pocket first aid in my bag and took 800mg ibuprofen and carried on down to Dunmail Raise (765ft) to meet Jenny.


Dunmail Raise in the Dawn

Jenny had been chatting to Blue Breek's wife at stop 2. I could see him part way up the next climb - that didn't matter - I wasn't racing. I changed into shorts, a cooler top and swapped my studded hill shoes for more cushioned trail shoes for the rocky section to come as the sun was starting to burn off the clouds. Jenny changed the fluid bladder and the snacks in my backpack. I crammed a sandwich down me, 400mg more ibuprofen (just in case) and drank a little coffee before setting off towards Steel Fell at about 7:45 am

Towards the top of this climb I realised I'd forgotten to pick up the map and notes for this section, leg 3. This didn't disturb me too much, as I had run this section only 2 weeks previously and was confident I knew it. The clouds were rolling in again as I left Steel Fell (Peak 16, 1814ft) and if I lost too much visibility, without a map I would have no compass bearings to navigate from. A bigger problem was considerable discomfort in my stomach. I had been eating as much as I could manage to try and "get ahead" in the calorie game and with hindsight I think I possibly overdid it. The carbohydrate mix in my water (SIS GO) was not too strong, but I think in conjunction with the solids I was eating had overloaded my stomach with more carbs than it could comfortably deal with in motion. I was surprised to need to make another (serious!) toilet stop, only 45 mins after the first one!!

Trying to ignore my sore stomach I carried on towards Calf Crag (Peak 17) as the clouds closed in. I found the trail to Sergeant Man (Peak 18, 2392ft) easy to follow in the mist as it has lots of landmarks, but the next section is pretty featureless. With no bearing to work off I struck off towards High Raise (Peak 19, 2500ft) in the general direction I thought it was. I found the path ok, but must have strayed off it to the North, as I came across some little tarns I didn't recognise. I turned west, dead reckoning with the compass, and found the summit, probably only losing about 10 minutes in the fog. The path to Harrison Stickle (Peak 21) is much more straight forward and I made the detour to Thuncarr Raise (Peak 20) en route without difficulty. On the descent towards Pike o Stickle (Peak 22, 2326ft) I turned my right ankle again in a little rabbit hole. The pain was not crippling - but I took another 400mg ibuprofen to try and keep it at bay. I love the view from this little Lakeland summit, but there wasn't much to see today in the low cloud. I was happy to descend below the clouds towards Martcrag Moor at about 2000 feet. I was even happier to find the tiny trail across the centre of the Moor that I'd missed on my reccy run. I made good time across the moor, down across the stream at about 1350 feet and up the sloping shelf to Rossett Pike (Peak 23, 2116 ft)

I hadn't been eating any solids, just drinking GO, hoping the bloating would subside. It didn't. Climbing Bowfell (Peak 24, 2960 ft) I got really dizzy and had to sit down for what felt like ages. I forced myself to eat chocolate - assuming I had "the bonk". This seemed really unfair, considering the amount of calories I thought I'd been taking in. I couldn't understand why the elephants on Bowfell didn’t want chocolate either… Hang on ?? Elephants ??!! The sun started to split the low cloud at this point physically and metaphorically illuminating my understanding that I must have been hallucinating. With hindsight my daily total of ibuprofen was now at 2400 mg, which was probably more than my system was comfortable with, particularly for a drug I don't use often at all. The "elephants" were of course large grey rocks. I cursed myself for wasting time, got back on my feet and headed up to summit my 24th peak, now resplendent in sunshine.

The sunshine warmed my attitude, the bloating seemed to be dissipating and I was able to eat again. Esk Pike, Great End, Ill Crag and Broad Crag (Peaks 25 through 28) passed quickly and other than a slight pain in my right Illotibial (IT) band (above knee) I was making good progress, generally running the flats and descents; and fast-walking the climbs. The number of fal-de-rees about was increasing as I approached Scafell Pike (Peak 29) at 3205 feet, the roof of England. It's amazing how many tourists want to race you if you dare to pass them!! My right IT band was aching but nothing too serious.

I obviously had no belay support for Broad Stand (a little bit of rock climbing required) and as Lord's Rake was reputed to have dangerous, easily dislodged rocks on it; I thought it prudent with all the people around to take the safest diversion via Foxes Tarn. I had not reccy'd this - so it was a nasty surprise to see how long this detour was. My right IT band continued to ache. Checking maps now indicates that this route involves losing almost 1000 feet between the last two peaks on leg 3 - twice what one would lose with Broad Stand roped up.

I reached Scafell (peak 30, 3163ft) 53 minutes after Scafell Pike and set off on the long descent towards Wasdale Head (223 feet) to end Leg 3 and meet Jenny again. Leaving the scree section at the top, my left IT band started to copy it's partner. Wasdale claims to be the most beautiful valley in England - it has the highest mountain, the deepest lake, the smallest church but is also home to the biggest liar, so go figure… The scenery was breathtaking. This 3000 foot descent has taken me 25 minutes in training. I wasn't going that fast this time. My right IT band was still aching. My left one was agony. That wasn't fair! It hadn't even hurt until five minutes previously. "Iron" Joss Naylor was from Wasdale. He ran through anything!! On one of the funnest sections of the whole round, I was reduced to a trot.

I contemplated taking more ibuprofen, but decided one English animal safari had been enough. The path turned right off Green How and got steeper. I started walking. I could see a person about half a mile away on the road beside the NT campsite that had to be Jenny. My left leg was seizing up completely. I stopped, stretched it out and tried to run again to no avail. It just got more and more painful. I felt pretty cheated. I stopped and stretched again but couldn’t free the vice like hold this damn muscle had on my leg. I fell over the stile and tried to run down the field to Jenny without success. I glanced at my watch. Over 15 hours of running, 45miles and almost 18,000 feet of ascent/descent and I knew my attempt was in jeopardy. I felt completely exposed to the whole of Wasdale as a failure.

I met Jenny and hobbled back to the car with her. The weather was beautiful. She was changing my fluid, loading snacks and stirring soup. I dug a time schedule out for the first time and had a look. Blue Breeks was making very slow progress up the 1800 foot climb to Yewbarrow (Peak 31) I had been on my feet for 15 Hours and 48 Minutes. The "just making it in 24 hours" schedule would have had me leaving Wasdale (after my feed stop) over half an hour earlier. The last pitiful descent had stolen those 30 minutes. The guy who had been running Leg 3 with Blue Breeks was trying to get me to continue. He couldn't believe it was my first attempt and I had run it all solo. It was Blue Breek's third attempt. I don’t know if he completed or not, but he must have been pretty close to running out of time.

I wanted to continue - I knew almost 2/3rds of it was over and how close Keswick and Moot Hall were but hardly able to walk, never mind run, I was never going to make it in under 24 hours. My predicted pace would put me on the final peaks of leg 5 in the dark again and I didn't really want to be up there, crippled. I laid down and had a go at stretching out my IT bands. The left one was very inflamed near my knee. My right ankle was pretty swollen too! Ice would have been useful - but there is no ice in the middle of nowhere. I got up and tried to jog. I could hardly walk. I suddenly felt very selfish watching Jenny busy around the car. Enough. I had given it a pretty good shot and had got as far as this season's recurring injury was going to let me. I had tested myself and decided I was fit enough - had I been injury free.

There may be another attempt. I would have to be completely injury free for the season beforehand, but if I am and happen to be in England, I'll be back, Bob!

I was trying to raise £2000 for the Lothian and Borders group of Lupus UK, an organisation supporting patients with Lupus, an immune system disease that my sister suffers from. If you have already sponsored me, thank-you so much. If you haven't I'd be grateful if you could visit
http://www.justgiving.com/swaz
..and give generously. Thanks !