Photo Shoot with Berghaus on Helvellyn

Five go Mad on a Mountain (and a Dog)

Photo Shoot with Berghaus 

On Sunday I was asked to go along as the safety person to accompany the Berghaus photo shoot on Helvellyn. 

We met in a very wet and windy Glenridding with the Athletes and local photographer Stuart Holmes from Keswick. 

While we drank tea, ate cake and waited for the strong winds and rain to disappear we managed to catch up with Steve Birkinshaw, Charlie Sharpe, Jo Zakrzewski all world class elite athletes and looking to take part in the Dragons Back Race in 2015. 

Stuart got into the swing of things early on as we left the village making the guys warm up by running up and down the road. 

After this we set off to the hills now covered with a new layer of snow still with strong winds but easing later in the day. 

Only two days before I had been up Helvellyn as part of the safety checks for the Lakes Mountain 42  organised by NAV4 Adventure  in +19C in shorts and T Shirt with Keela my dog. 

24 Hours later the weather had changed abit and was now -2C and 35mph winds.

Our day was forecast for continuing strong winds rain and snow clearing in the afternoon. Charlie is know for wearing shorts and managed to stay like this all day. 

Jo sadly had to leave early her excuse was that Poldark was on at 9 and she need ed time to get ready for all the smouldering from the TV.

We carried on with Stuart and Angela, from Berghaus, directing the runners all over dressing them like a doting mother and looking after Keela

 

We were fortunate with the weather later in the day. 

Notice the wind on Ullswater making a very un-natural looking break point near Outward Bound.

Our day topped safely out on the summit for the obligatory summit selfies and 

We then continued Northwards along the ridge  avoiding the cornice and the areas of small avalanches. capturing the fantastic light at the end of the day

A great day with a safe circuit of one of the iconic fells in the Lake District with a great group of talented world class athletes getting ready to take on further challenges. 

I am able to help out with safety cover for any of your events worldwide do contact me.

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.

  

Nearly the OMM time again

This is the Bridge on the way to Blacksail YHA on the 2008 OMM

Not long now till the @theomm in howling howgills. remember 08 in borrowdale but with wind.  Then you have the Howgills. Big round hills steep climbs and tough decents. The Rab MM was there in 2009 and it doesnt get easier. 

Have a look on the OMM website for more details I think this is my 18th event and hoping to do 21??

This is last years video from Scotland I had a technical problem. answers on a postcard please
Watch out for updates from Adventure In Mind

Ancient Cumbrian and Viking Byways

On a wet day after sitting plotting and scheming with  Joe Faulkner from Nav4 we decided that our eyes were getting square and Keela dog needed a walk. I brought Joe a Tyvek jacket to try out. They look a bit funky and its not writeable what Lindsey said he looked like in it... I was running in one in a cloudy wet windy night and it worked well.
There are many uses for Tyvek try it out on You Tube or Wikipedia

Watch this space on further tests and uses.

So we set off on a new route for me and went by some ancient byways to stretch our legs. We set off towards Ullswater and ended up at Dacre Church  As early as AD 731, the Venerable Bede, in his Ecclesiastical History, speaks of a monastery at Dacre, written as 'Dacore'. There is no later reference to the monastery, and it is assumed to have been destroyed by the Vikings. A church, however, has been present on the site for over a millennium. Archaeological excavations support the view that the church may be built on the site of the former monastery.

The present church is a Norman design. Several notable archaeological remains are at the site. These include various stone bears - the celebrated 'Dacre Bears', and inside the church two fragments of Viking crosses. Above the tower doorway, there is a plaque stating that the church was partly rebuilt by William Pollock. The south door has a large lock dated 1671 inscribed 'AP', referring to the Countess of Pembroke, Lady Anne Clifford The resting place of Viscount Whitelaw, the former Home Secretary, is in the church grounds.

Joe and Keela looking at the quadrangular walls 

 Dacre Castle was a quadrangular building with four turrets, a pele tower design, and built around the time of Henry VII. The castle was restored as a private dwelling in 1688. By 1816 it was being used as a farmhouse. The castle is presently in an excellent state of restoration. It featured in 2007 in Robbie Coltrane's ITV series, "Incredible Britain", where he travelled from Glasgow to London in a classic 1958 Jaguar XK 150 using only minor roads.

A classic gate post in the grounds of Dalemain House This is the site of the start of the now classic Lakes 50 and half way around the 100 mile route. Come have a look at some history if you are around recceing the course or just in the area.