GL3D May 2014

GL3D 

This is an event that has taken on a classic status and the format gives the mountain lover a chance to get to grips with the Lakes over a stunning three days of movement through some powerful terrain. 

Here is a history of the event. Click Here from Joe Faulkner of NAV4 Adventure

Charlie Sproson from Mountain Run has planned the courses

It has a new format this year with 4 classes going on at the same time. E, A, B and C. 

Last year there was a Long and Short course and I came 5th overall and 2nd solo male in the short course. 

Pictures from the 2103 event can be found Click Here

There is also a short video that gives a great feel for the atmosphere of the event from 2013

http://youtu.be/7iHmR7PMG5k

As I had to work on the Monday I offered to work as part of the safety team for two days this year. I think its sometimes easier running! There is a lot to get on with in the background and Shane has a great team of people to help the swan move on the water. 

This year had a mass start from Pooley Bridge starting on the Ullswater Steamer taking the runners to Howtown for the real start to all the courses. This took them over the High Street range down to Kentmere Valley for the first camp. Then day 2 saw the runners going through to Grasmere over a few hills and valleys. 

Pictures from this year can be found Here

I saw a great number of folk that I have seen at various events over the years and tried to get a warts and all style of pictures of the two days I was involved with this great event. Well done to all who took part both the runners and the tireless marshal team that make the event a Great Lakeland 3 Days.

  

More Mile Cheviot 2 Fell Shoes

I have been trying out a pair of More Mile Cheviot 2 Fell Shoes recently. I bought them as an alternative to the usual Norman Walsh Fell Shoes I have worn for years. Being a Bolton lad I used to pop into see Norman and have a chat with him about the fell scene sometimes I would buy a pair of shoes as well. I have been spoilt coming from Bolton home of a few famous shoe brands and runners including Walsh, Reebok, Brasher who worked with Reebok; Martin Jones, Paul Dugdale Horwich RMI, Mike Freary Bolton UH, Ron Hill produced the Rivington Pike shoe named after the oldest fell race in the calender.

So these came as an alternative to a trusted brand to try out now in the Northern Lakes where I now live and work as a full time outdoor instructor and with Nav4 helping to organise and with training courses for Mountain Marathons, Hill and Adventure racingThis is the mark two version and comes in several eye catching colour designs. The lacing is a standard eyelet lacing system that has been tried and tested and cant really be faulted. It secures the foot well and can be adapted along its length to fit differing foot widths. 

The sole unit is deep lugged and is useful on the northern fells where the ground is not so rocky. These would be ideal for Howgills, Southern Uplands, Cross Country, Orienteering type areas of event. I found them very slippy on wet rock, but most sole units and compounds are. They cleaned reasonably well enhancing the grip over this sort of terrain. 

The midsole offers good cushioning but not to much for contouring, more testing is needed here to give a better picture for myself. 

The toe box is good for me in that its open and rounded and has plenty of space with a toe protector over the mesh upper. This drains very well going through boggy ground. 

The insole stays in place even when wet very handy and gives a confident feel to the shoe. 

   

 In this picture on the left you can see the tongue rolling that occurs to frequently, this could easily be rectified with a simple loop to centralise the tongue. Another thing that I found on buying my original pair was that they are lasted very small. I normally take a 41(7) but on trying them on I had to return them and get an 8. I am not sure if half sizes are available? The 8 means that the shoe rolls a little and is slighty floppy across the toe cut area on me.


During this day out I saw another bloke running up in the same pair as I was coming down the hill with my dog back toward Mungrisedale. I never got a chance to ask what he thought of them.

 In summary this is a good shoe that with a little more time from me on the fells may be more of a grower on me. I will get out more and evaluate further. The price is right  

Scafell Trail Race at Keswick Mountain Festival

High Terrain Events  put on a tough hard route from Keswick to the roof of England Scafell Pike. 

This was part of the Keswick Mountain Festival and at the end of very busy week of events. 

I was marshaling at Styhead Pass with Joe Faulkner from NAV4 on the summit of Scafell Pike, I think Joe managed to have a clear summit for part of the day. I was in the cloud all day thankfully not windy. This meant an early start at 05.30 for us to briefed drink tea and be in place ready for the runners to come through. 

                                                                                                                                                                First Runners Donald and Daisy at my Checkpoint were chased very closely by the winner Ricky Lightfoot a  local lad from Cumbria.

The conditions at the checkpoint did not change until all the runners were heading back off the mountain onto the trails to finish back in Keswick

Fist lady was Victoria Mousley, an old friend re-aquainted from many years ago. Its a strange world we live in.

Off they went into the mists this was a good test of folks navigation and mountain running and some fast trail running back to Keswick.

Joe and I met up at Styhead as we swept the mountain to make sure all the runners were safe and off the mountain. 

 There are also some pictures on my Facebook Page 

For a full selection of pictures I managed to take CLICK HERE.

Nav4 TDH Dec 22 2012

This year is the 3rd year of the annual event of the Tour De Helvellyn. Organised by Joe and I from the NAV4 with a lot of help from the whole team. Its traditionally run on the shortest weekend of the year, this year was very close to Xmas and we wondered if people would get a pass out to do it. Its fast becoming a classic in the calender as the weather in the past years has been a massive factor in the days events. This year proved no exception being forecast as "serious winds and rain" the south of England was battered by storms.

 Its  not a standard fell run or trail race drawing on traditions from the LDWA and Orinteering . You have to have some navigation experience you also need some cunning as to plan your start time between 07.00-09.00. NB daylight is at premium and therefore you need to suit your speed to the day. Patterdale Checkpoint (10 Mile) opens at 09.30. I was tasked to kit check again this year and folk were very patient as we try to be fair but keep a level of integrity to the rules. Last year I cheekily asked one person "what was on his butty's" as I would see them at Chk 3 and could help lighten the pack. This year people were volunteering to show me their buttys and survival bags etc. I didnt get to eat any though as it was very wet at the bridge.

Thanks to the people who gave me a hug shook my hand or said thanks its very appreciated especially after 3.5 hrs  in those conditions.

 Some pics from the route. Rachael after trying to sabotage the event. Achille Ratti lads

Bradden still smiling famous for it now. Well done Kim Collinson for going very quick but well done all for pushing him around.

 Trail Running Magazine editor Claire Maxted nicked my brew in an Eden Runners mug at the finish.


A great picture of two of the original Dragons Back finishers from 1992. Martin Stone and Helene Whittaker won it and Joe himself did himself proud this year again.

 More pics can be found here on my Picasa page if you click on this pic. on the right

See you in 2013 at another event?