Man Down 3 - Almost biblical timing

Nick Williams is the latest to fall by the BG wayside having knacked his knee in a football match. Initial fears that he had incurred long term damage have thankfully been confined to the scrapheap following an appointment with a consultant, but the "pop" that Nick heard in his knee will keep him out of action for approximately two months.

It is a harsh blow coming just a week before his marathon attempt and after a strong showing under glorious skies in the Lakes over Easter when he dragged Andy round legs 3, 4 and 5. It also leaves just two BG contenders, Andy and Caspar, hoping to share a pint of something old and peculiar in Keswick come June 16th.

Thoughts and wishes are with Nick to get back on it as soon as he can.

Easter - A new beginning - BG Recce No. 4

Until now the brutal fact was that we had not managed to complete a single leg of the Bob Graham Round in one go. Heavy snow, hurricane-force winds and Premiership football fixtures had all conspired to ensure that our reccying attempts were either cut short or diverted.

So it was with much glee that Sloan and Williams veritably cavorted around legs 3, 4 and 5 of the route over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend under stunning clear blue skies.

Kipping in Derby on the Thursday night and rising leisurely on the friday, we parked up on Dunmail Raise and set off at 2pm, aiming to camp on Esk Hause. Steel Fell, Calf Crag, Sergeant Man and High Raise passed quickly despite our big packs and Thunacar Knott slipped under our shoes without us even realising it. More attention will be paid to the map in future but it is always a delight when you get to Harrison Stickle thinking it is the "knott" and realise you are one peak ahead of where you thought you were.

Pike O'Stickle, Rossett Pike and Bowfell followed but on the slopes of the latter a clanger emerged. We had forgotten our matches. For Nick, who had been a bit under the weather, this was somewhat of a psychological blow. His stack of carefully packed lemsips would have to remain carefully packed.

Lacking the means to make fire (or a handy camera crew to collect wood and flint for us) we pressed on over Esk Pike in the vague hope of finding others camping high. Low and behold, as we descended the other side, a red tent was clearly visible high on Great End, temporary home to our subsequent saviour, Kevin, a stray Australian with a ready supply of much needed matches. To the most sensational sunset I have seen in the Lakes we swapped war stories and cooked up before freezing our nuts off in sub-zero night-time temperatures.

I recall a friend lamenting to me about the time he tried to bivvy on top of Scafell in a one season sleeping bag in late Autumn. I can confirm that in Spring, on Great End, the result will be the same, not least when ice is reported as having formed on the cars down in Ambleside at somewhat lower altitudes.

Day two was simply spectacular. Ill Crag, Broad Crag and Scafell Pike passed before I had properly woken up, drifting along as I was in the dreamy morning sunshine. The myths and legends of Broad Stand were blown away after a nervous lead by Williams which prompted me to take a slightly different route up the back of the second step rather than leaning out over the drop. Having conquered it once I would have no qualms in future, but attempting it with some 12 hours of running already in my legs would be a different prospect and I can see why a rope is recommended.

The descent from the top of Scafell is nothing but brutal on the knees. Descending 900m in a short space of time is never going to be conducive to good humour, not least when it is immediately followed by 700m of ascent straight up the side of Yewbarrow.

Once the summit of Yewbarrow is gained however, a treat awaits. The traverse around the the horseshoe ridge comprised of Red Pike, Steeple, Pillar, Kirk Fell and Great Gable, in good weather, is tantamount to running with the gods. The views are sensational and the going fair and fast, bar the supposed "last big climb of the round" up Great Gable.

The descent over Green Gable, Brandreth and Grey Knotts to our camping spot on Honsiter Pass, just below the YHA was comparatively gentle and green and just enough to thoroughly finish off my legs for the day.

Day three was the wind down. The long haul up Dale Head, although not steep, brings into question labelling Great Gable as the last big climb of the round, but it is soon past and, in the knowledge that the round is nearly at an end Hindsgarth and Robinson are joyously ticked off, not least as we were still enjoying fine weather whilst the route behind us (Pillar and the Gables) had been consumed by dark clouds. The descent from Robinson along the ridge and into the green valley leading to Keswick was wondrous. Wondrous, I suspect, because we had only been on the go for a couple of hours. Come the BG attempt itself it will have been 22 or so hours, and the wonder, I'm sure, will be somewhat diminished until Keswick itself is reached.