In the sequel to "Man Down", a second disaster has befallen the team, with exceptional ice climber dbs aka Dave Selman having to make the difficult but again sensible decision to step back from the plate. Given recent weather conditions, his expertise will be missed.
"Hi team,
I've been having a think about things and I've decided to back out of the BG for this year.
A combination of a lack of training (through injury and illness) and a lack of remaining time to sufficiently recce the course mean that there's very little chance I'll be sufficiently prepared by June to take on the BG. Sorry to bail on you all...
With all of that said, if you've no objection, I'm still keen to come on some of the training weekends we planned (though perhaps not all of them) and if you'd like, to pace you on some of the legs when you have a crack at the route.
dbs"
This leaves just three men standing:
Nick Williams
Veteran of the 2005 Cho Oyu expedition and numerous forays into the Alps, the Highlands and the spanish bar behind Tottenham Court Road tube. My favourite moment - Hearing that Nick had thrown one of his work shoes in the Thames after a particulary big night. It was a Tuesday. The man is a legend. He had the remarkable fortune of meeting me at Lovells and in no way returns from every adventure worse off than everyone else.
Caspar Kennerdale
With a name that is half Jedi, half disney, Caspar provides the experience in the outfit. Anyone who can complete the Marathon Des Sables deserves a lot of respect and more than earns a Jedi label. However, this was the same man who once sparked a climbing foray at 4am when, with his hand out of the window he declared that the weather had turned for the better, that the rain had ceased and that we should kit up and head out. Somehow he had failed to notice the overhanging second floor... Works for Centaur, something to do with computers (eyes start to glaze) but it requires a pin stripe and seems to fund a lot of climbing kit.
Me
The only famous person I have been likened to is one of high wit and intelligence and blessed with an innate natural athleticism: Rodney Trotter. I'm English, like the rest of the team, which equates to an alarming tendency to naivity and hopefulness. Hell, you have to be to follow in the footsteps of Bob.
23 January 2007
15 January 2007
BG Recce No. 3
Jan 13/14 - There has been a continuing trend to the training for this BG attempt - worsening weather. Yet again Mother Nature saw fit to demonstrate her powers, prompting the mountain weather forecast to utter the unforgettable words, "mobility may be impossible in places."
Undettered, having been mentally prepared for shocking weather in any event, Nick, Casper and I holed up on Friday night in our usual stop-off at Burton services and on Saturday morning drove to Wasdale Head.
Light rain laced the route straight up the side of Yewbarrow from the car park and we made good time to the top. Sadly we forgot to bring the BG directions but this only means that next time we'll be quicker (bear right at the foot of the screes). It certainly explains why I suspected that the BG route didn't actually go down Stirrup Crags (bear left halfway along the ridge to cut down and round the cliffs), but for a day out they proved an entertaining descent in what had now become a steady downpour, and spiced up our morning.
The summit of Red Pike was gained shortly thereafter in quickening winds and by an unconventional route (again giving cause for celebration that next time out will be significantly quicker). From thereon the going got tough. The winds quickened further, peppered with violent gusts, and the clouds descended.
We found the summit wall of Scoat fell remarkably easily but opted not to venture out onto the summit of Steeple as balance of any kind was an issue. Casper and I, lacking the ballast of Williams, were in particular need of steadying one another and loving the fact that we had yet to reach "windy gap".
By the summit of Pillar, mobility really was almost impossible and the light was starting to go. All three of us had been knocked clean off our feet on at least one occasion and an accident would have meant an exceptionally miserable bivvy for the remainder. As darkness fell we bailed down into Ennerdale and some hours later set up camp just shy of the Black Sail YHA.
Sunday brought fairer weather, higher cloud and the knowledge that Casper's tent had not been blown away in the night. He had secretly been listening to Five Live though. Jealously at this concealment momentarily threatened moral until it was confirmed that the writer's fantasy football team had done rather well.
The BG trail was rejoined at the saddle between Pillar and Kirk Fell and the team were greeted with a fantastic view back along the route to Stirrup Crags and Yewbarrow. Mentally noting to keep right on the initial, rocky ascent of Kirk Fell, and then to follow the fence posts, the summit reintroduced us to the howling winds as well as a sprinkling of snow.
Heading right of the next tarn saw us make good time to the saddle before Great Gable. Casper, faced with the seven hour drive home, made the sensible decision to head down early while Nick and I braved the winds once more to go up and over Great Gable.
Another weekend of horrific weather had been survived without mishap but the team are still without a completed stage under their belts. Fairer weather should rectify the situation but whether all 5 stages can be stitched into one remains to be seen.
Bring. It. On.
Undettered, having been mentally prepared for shocking weather in any event, Nick, Casper and I holed up on Friday night in our usual stop-off at Burton services and on Saturday morning drove to Wasdale Head.
Light rain laced the route straight up the side of Yewbarrow from the car park and we made good time to the top. Sadly we forgot to bring the BG directions but this only means that next time we'll be quicker (bear right at the foot of the screes). It certainly explains why I suspected that the BG route didn't actually go down Stirrup Crags (bear left halfway along the ridge to cut down and round the cliffs), but for a day out they proved an entertaining descent in what had now become a steady downpour, and spiced up our morning.
The summit of Red Pike was gained shortly thereafter in quickening winds and by an unconventional route (again giving cause for celebration that next time out will be significantly quicker). From thereon the going got tough. The winds quickened further, peppered with violent gusts, and the clouds descended.
We found the summit wall of Scoat fell remarkably easily but opted not to venture out onto the summit of Steeple as balance of any kind was an issue. Casper and I, lacking the ballast of Williams, were in particular need of steadying one another and loving the fact that we had yet to reach "windy gap".
By the summit of Pillar, mobility really was almost impossible and the light was starting to go. All three of us had been knocked clean off our feet on at least one occasion and an accident would have meant an exceptionally miserable bivvy for the remainder. As darkness fell we bailed down into Ennerdale and some hours later set up camp just shy of the Black Sail YHA.
Sunday brought fairer weather, higher cloud and the knowledge that Casper's tent had not been blown away in the night. He had secretly been listening to Five Live though. Jealously at this concealment momentarily threatened moral until it was confirmed that the writer's fantasy football team had done rather well.
The BG trail was rejoined at the saddle between Pillar and Kirk Fell and the team were greeted with a fantastic view back along the route to Stirrup Crags and Yewbarrow. Mentally noting to keep right on the initial, rocky ascent of Kirk Fell, and then to follow the fence posts, the summit reintroduced us to the howling winds as well as a sprinkling of snow.
Heading right of the next tarn saw us make good time to the saddle before Great Gable. Casper, faced with the seven hour drive home, made the sensible decision to head down early while Nick and I braved the winds once more to go up and over Great Gable.
Another weekend of horrific weather had been survived without mishap but the team are still without a completed stage under their belts. Fairer weather should rectify the situation but whether all 5 stages can be stitched into one remains to be seen.
Bring. It. On.
10 January 2007
Man down - Dark day
And then there were 4:
"Actually boys and girls I've got some bad news.
My knee just hasn't settled down at all. I went out again last night as a final moment of truth and it lasted 2 miles before it got too painful. It's fine to walk on but no matter how much I rest it, stretch and take tablets it won't go away. It's back to the doctor, physio and whatever it takes to get it sorted out.
Therefore, I am pulling out of everything I have planned for this year. The pressure on me to train through the injury has been driving me mad and sure enough, as soon as I'd decided to stop everything I felt better about it. It will fix, there will be other years.
This includes everything, including the London marathon, BG, TdMB, Peaks, Lakes, everything. I'm sticking to the bike and swimming until I'm 100%. At least until I know what this is. At the moment, every day without training is a weight on my mind and it's affecting my mental health!
Even if it fixes in a month, I'll not be fit enough for this year's attempt.
Sorry."
Ian has had to withdraw which is a crying shame but a sensible decision on his part.
Wishing him a speedy recovery, ready for next year's antics... probably a second attempt.
"Actually boys and girls I've got some bad news.
My knee just hasn't settled down at all. I went out again last night as a final moment of truth and it lasted 2 miles before it got too painful. It's fine to walk on but no matter how much I rest it, stretch and take tablets it won't go away. It's back to the doctor, physio and whatever it takes to get it sorted out.
Therefore, I am pulling out of everything I have planned for this year. The pressure on me to train through the injury has been driving me mad and sure enough, as soon as I'd decided to stop everything I felt better about it. It will fix, there will be other years.
This includes everything, including the London marathon, BG, TdMB, Peaks, Lakes, everything. I'm sticking to the bike and swimming until I'm 100%. At least until I know what this is. At the moment, every day without training is a weight on my mind and it's affecting my mental health!
Even if it fixes in a month, I'll not be fit enough for this year's attempt.
Sorry."
Ian has had to withdraw which is a crying shame but a sensible decision on his part.
Wishing him a speedy recovery, ready for next year's antics... probably a second attempt.
03 January 2007
Winter Break
Christmas is always a difficult time of year for the professional athlete. Temptation is a terrible thing and greed is a bastard. I am pleased to report that none of our team succumbed to the perils of profligate behaviour though. Booze may have been in abundance (photo 1 - left) but its effects were well harnessed (photo 2 - below).In fact, despite the odd, momentary, week-long lapse, the team maintained their training. Steve Redgrave famously used to train on Christmas Day to get one up on his opponents. Fool! What did he know! Deciding this was frankly excessive, we ate copious amounts of turkey and drank champagne.
Cometh the New Year, cometh the man. I bet Steve has never swum in the 2 foot deep waters of the Welsh wonderlands, ventured up and out into the driving hail on the Welsh hills like Williams for run after run, braced 80mph gusts on the Lakeland fells for "feet time"like Ian or battled the gales in Fort William to reach the Co-Op for more mince pies, like Caspar. In Caspar's defence the weather north of the border was so bad that the Scot's cancelled Hogmonay in Edinburgh. By his own admission though, that may have simply been because they were tight.Steve, however, may now be enjoying his retirement on the marginally more appetising Norwegian ice with Selman. Sensible chap.
Bob would have been proud.
Two New Years resolutions:
1. more sleep.
2. more action.
18 December 2006
BG Recce No. 2
Dec 16/17 - BG Recce No. 2 saw the number of original participants whittled down to two, Nick and Andy the only ones game for a pre-Christmas jaunt.
Joined by the intrepid Oli Hayes we enjoyed a 7pm getaway from Stockwell and a pleasant night of banter on the M6 to Burton. The end of leg 3 was our route of choice and the day began in earnest with a long climb up into the snows on Bowfell from our parking spot by Old Dungeon Ghyll.
We were treated to a winter wonderland with waist-deep snow in places making the going picturesque but ponderous. Oli's choice of footwear was glaringly inappropriate, but he managed to withhold any expletives until I plunged headfirst down a small drop and used my jaw as an unlikely, and unfortunately inept, braking device.
Most merit in familiarising ourselves with the BG route was removed by the remarkable conditions, but they were too wonderful to refrain from indulging in, so we pushed on round over Esk Pike, Great End, Ill Crag, Broad Crag and Scafell Pike until Oli's feet started to pay the price of wearing trainers.
The "Corridor Route" down from Scafell Pike to the saddle between Great End and Great Gable provided a glorious route of descent and the push back round from there to the car proved long enough to tire the legs and ready the soul for that finest of endings, a pint of Old Peculiar.
With Oli's parents holidaying in Kirby Lonsdale, a Saturday night curry, Match of the Day and a cheeky Sunday amble round to Ruskin's View proved a more civilised way to complete the weekend.
Happy Christmas.
Joined by the intrepid Oli Hayes we enjoyed a 7pm getaway from Stockwell and a pleasant night of banter on the M6 to Burton. The end of leg 3 was our route of choice and the day began in earnest with a long climb up into the snows on Bowfell from our parking spot by Old Dungeon Ghyll.
We were treated to a winter wonderland with waist-deep snow in places making the going picturesque but ponderous. Oli's choice of footwear was glaringly inappropriate, but he managed to withhold any expletives until I plunged headfirst down a small drop and used my jaw as an unlikely, and unfortunately inept, braking device.
Most merit in familiarising ourselves with the BG route was removed by the remarkable conditions, but they were too wonderful to refrain from indulging in, so we pushed on round over Esk Pike, Great End, Ill Crag, Broad Crag and Scafell Pike until Oli's feet started to pay the price of wearing trainers.
The "Corridor Route" down from Scafell Pike to the saddle between Great End and Great Gable provided a glorious route of descent and the push back round from there to the car proved long enough to tire the legs and ready the soul for that finest of endings, a pint of Old Peculiar.
With Oli's parents holidaying in Kirby Lonsdale, a Saturday night curry, Match of the Day and a cheeky Sunday amble round to Ruskin's View proved a more civilised way to complete the weekend.
Happy Christmas.
14 December 2006
BG Recce No. 1.5
Nov 25/26 - Unable to make Recce No.1 due to the memorial service of my cousin, Maxine, Nick kindly volunteered to accompany me on an additional foray north despite his battering the weekend previously. In his words: "[the weather] couldn't get any worse, so why the hell not." Oh how wrong he was.
Reminded that life is too short, we decided to throw caution to the wind, ignore the severe weather warnings and camp. A shocker of a delay on the forever chocker M6 saw us park up at Threlkeld at 2am on the Friday night and pitch tent an hour later up the trail towards Great Calva.
Rising at 9am to a sensational and surprisingly clear view of the Lakes from our perch on the flank of Blencathra we headed north up between Skiddaw and Blencathra to join the BG trail on the west side of Great Calva.
Were it not for an unfortunate slip on the river crossing between Great Calva and Blencathra, after finding our way cross country down the eastern side of the former, Nick's boots would have remained dry as the weather continued to hold.
Having found a good line up the back of Blencathra, we discovered why the summits were cloud free. The wind was really quite remarkable. Mental notes were made to cut across below the scree to the summit in future (shorter + less wind) but the views were too good not to take the slightly longer route and follow the path up the crest and traverse the ridge to the summit.
Given the 23 hour BG time schedule allocates 30 minutes for the descent of Hall's fell from the summit of Blencathra, we reckon this section may require some practice. Full-on scrambling, akin to Crib Goch in places, significantly slowed pace and neither of us were happy with the thought of such an undertaking at night and possibly in wet conditions.
Also in need of re-reccying is the slog from the foot of Blencathra across the valley and up Clough Head. We took a route through the golf course which worked marvellously until a thick band of trees and then a high wall highlighted the error of our route choice and helped incur significant delay.
From the top of Clough Head though the Helvellyn range can be rapidly rattled off, subject to howling winds, horizontal hail and sub-zero temperatures. Struggling to stand, we called it a day at 5pm having knocked off Great Dodd, Watson Dodd and Stybarrow Dodd. Unfortunately, however, flat land either side of Stick Pass is not at a premium.
Soaked through and suffering from the cold we had no option but to pitch the tent quickly and warm up. Fortunately my sleeping mat has a certain amount of grip, enough anyway to combat the angle of our perch. Nick, however, spent the night in the bottom corner of the tent. He loved it I assure you.
With the dawn we donned our wet gear and warmed down by climbing up to regain the ridge line and traipse over Raise and Whiteside. From this final peak we descended to the valley, hitched back to Threlkeld and journeyed home to the overtures of Man Utd v Chelsea. Maxine would have been proud.
Reminded that life is too short, we decided to throw caution to the wind, ignore the severe weather warnings and camp. A shocker of a delay on the forever chocker M6 saw us park up at Threlkeld at 2am on the Friday night and pitch tent an hour later up the trail towards Great Calva.
Rising at 9am to a sensational and surprisingly clear view of the Lakes from our perch on the flank of Blencathra we headed north up between Skiddaw and Blencathra to join the BG trail on the west side of Great Calva.
Were it not for an unfortunate slip on the river crossing between Great Calva and Blencathra, after finding our way cross country down the eastern side of the former, Nick's boots would have remained dry as the weather continued to hold.
Having found a good line up the back of Blencathra, we discovered why the summits were cloud free. The wind was really quite remarkable. Mental notes were made to cut across below the scree to the summit in future (shorter + less wind) but the views were too good not to take the slightly longer route and follow the path up the crest and traverse the ridge to the summit.
Given the 23 hour BG time schedule allocates 30 minutes for the descent of Hall's fell from the summit of Blencathra, we reckon this section may require some practice. Full-on scrambling, akin to Crib Goch in places, significantly slowed pace and neither of us were happy with the thought of such an undertaking at night and possibly in wet conditions.
Also in need of re-reccying is the slog from the foot of Blencathra across the valley and up Clough Head. We took a route through the golf course which worked marvellously until a thick band of trees and then a high wall highlighted the error of our route choice and helped incur significant delay.
From the top of Clough Head though the Helvellyn range can be rapidly rattled off, subject to howling winds, horizontal hail and sub-zero temperatures. Struggling to stand, we called it a day at 5pm having knocked off Great Dodd, Watson Dodd and Stybarrow Dodd. Unfortunately, however, flat land either side of Stick Pass is not at a premium.
Soaked through and suffering from the cold we had no option but to pitch the tent quickly and warm up. Fortunately my sleeping mat has a certain amount of grip, enough anyway to combat the angle of our perch. Nick, however, spent the night in the bottom corner of the tent. He loved it I assure you.
With the dawn we donned our wet gear and warmed down by climbing up to regain the ridge line and traipse over Raise and Whiteside. From this final peak we descended to the valley, hitched back to Threlkeld and journeyed home to the overtures of Man Utd v Chelsea. Maxine would have been proud.
27 November 2006
BG Recce No. 1
After a protracted week of tortuous organisation via an extraordinary amount of emails of various importance and irrelevance, four of the original five explorers met at a London pub. A while later, they were seen departing for a traditional Travelodge in the foothills of the Cumbrian Himalayas. With not even a titter from the reception desk, the four manly men retired to their room and made the youngest sleep on the floor, presumably because his youthful frame could take it.A pleasant morning more suited to early autumn than late November accompanied the intrepid explorers to Threkeld at the end of leg 1. Here they abandoned the car and took a lengthy detour to join the actual route at the base of Skiddaw. It was now that the weather remembered that it was in fact, November and as if to make up for the earlier, unseasonable warmness proceeded to throw hail, wind and snow at the group. Dressed only in leggings, Dave's nervy tale of frost nip on his nether parts betrayed an otherwise unmentioned worry. With the unfortunate fate of having one's reproductive heritage cryogenically preserved hanging over the heads of our explorers, the decision was taken to retreat. A knee injury to Ian cemented the decision and the actions were justified repeatedly in the pub as both sensible and correct.
On Sunday, after a night spent in a Chinese 'curry' house and exploring the Kendal Film Festival, Nick and Casper left the still injured Ian and the now injured Dave to watch tales of daring and frankly dangerous climbing exploits on the big screen. Dropped off somewhere on the road near Dunmail Raise they climbed Helvellyn before knocking off the rest of leg 2, up Fairfield and down to the Travellers Rest for a well deserved dinner. Ian and Dave joined them for a thoroughly undeserved but richly enjoyed dinner.
The weekend was more of a success to team building than the route finding but lessons have been learned and at least some of the route has been scouted out. We have also each added a single sock to our Christmas lists.
Ian.
14 November 2006
Broad Stand - Bit of a step
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Broad Stand - the short cut between Scafell Pike and Scafell that is encountered after approximately 15 hours of running (if on schedule).It is only about a 3 metre rock step but a slip will drop you some 20m or more. Guys, I recommend we find some very, very nice person happy to sit and tend to a rope. If you would like to be that hero/heroinne, then please add a comment to this post.
This picture was lifted from the Wasdale Mountain Rescue website (Click HERE to visit).
If you would like to make a donation to the Wasdale Rescue Team or learn more about them, please click HERE.
13 November 2006
Helpers - Leg Five - Honister Pass to Keswick
If you can help us through what will, without doubt, be the slowest and most painful section (for us) of this beast then please leave a comment here.
Helpers - Leg Four - Wasdale to Honister Pass
Please leave a comment here if you can help on this penultimate leg over the Gables.
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