UKC

I got the final instruction email for this race, advising on the use of a helmet!

Can't wait to have a play on this one. Striding Edge and Pinnacle Ridge in amongst some classic mountain paths. Should be a fun one.

Anyone else going?

In reply to Wonrek:

I was expecting this to be the thread complaining about the fixed ropes up Pinnacle Ridge

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

I'm all for the fixed ropes......would quite like a harness and a few nuts too!

In reply to Wonrek:

http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2015/09/01/race-team-urges-walkers-to-hit-...

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

I make 8 "technical"s in the article, though I could have missed some.

In reply to Wonrek:

Out of curiosity will there actually be fixed ropes? I’ve no idea how these sorts of events are run.

In reply to ebdon:
Yes I believe there will for this one, on Pinnacle Ridge. There weren't for the Glencoe.

In reply to ebdon:

Yes, the email confirmed that there will be fixed ropes on the Pinnacle section.

In reply to Wonrek:

Phew! I was thinking the short section on pinnacle ridge would by a bit full on in a competitive event with no rope, I've never done curved ridge in summer so cant comment on that one. How does it work then do you have to pop a harness on at the bottom, or do you haul yourself up the fixed line?
I wish was fit enough for these type of events.

In reply to Wonrek:

what happens if someone wants to ascend the ridge?

In reply to John Kelly:

They ascend the ridge? I can only speak for myself but just because I am in a race I don't feel I have a priority over others out there.

In reply to Wonrek:

I'm quite sure the organisers will have a plan and that non-racers won;t be inconvenienced any more than they would be if they found other scramblers there.

Pinnacle Ridge is a long way into the race, so runners will be very spread out by the time they get there.

In reply to Wonrek:

Good luck for Saturday - will be watching the live tracking. Hope the weather's better than the forecast...

In reply to Wonrek:

All the best for the race, maybe the rock will be cleaner so less slippery if it's all wet.....

In reply to Wonrek:

Good luck!

In reply to Wonrek:

So how did it go? I don't know your real world name so can't tell if you finished!
Looked like a full-on day - just a shame so many of the trackers misbehaved, so those of us sat at home couldn't tell who was winning!

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Full on conditions........ that would be an understatement!

No, I pulled out at Patterdale having aborted the route at Birkhouse Moor, cold wet through and still shaking after the very close call on Swirral Edge.

The weather was beyond foul and I think there was sleet at one point. The RD decided not to abort the the bad weather route despite the weather being 'Bad' there are varying opinions of this decision. But Pinnacle Ridge was taken out of the course while Striding and Swirral remained in.

In reply to Wonrek:

From the comfort of my armchair I was pleased to see the decision not to use the bad weather course. I think the decision about such things should be left up to the competitor - one of the things that puts me off doing more fell races is the increasing tendency to go for bad weather options at the slightest hint of poor weather. If I enter a classic race then I want to do the classic route (or try to and give in)!

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

It strange that it was such a weak field for the lakes. Busy time of year but I thought we'd see more cross over from fell running. Glencoe was similar.

In reply to Wonrek:

Weak? They went off like flipping whippets in the most horrendous conditions!

I'd consider myself to have been weak at this event. Definitley didn't play to my strengths which is long endurance. Whilst I love climbing and movement on rock I do not want to do it under the pressure of race conditions. Equally I love running the high mountain passes and summits, ridges even but I don't want to be following the most precarious line available.

Horses for courses, I didn't know until I tried and now I shall return to my very long mountian and trail races

In reply to Wonrek:

Dont get me wrong the front end had quality but thin on the ground.

Look at a fell race in the area? I expected more of the classic lakeland fell runners. When I look at who entered there was almost nobody from such clubs as Borrowdale. Cory and Mike R were about the only two I recognised from the lakes.

There has been a subdued uptake of sky running by the fell runners, it generally seems like its the trail runners who have stepped across.

In reply to Roadrunner5:


I don't really understand why. After all, it almost entirely removes the issue of navigation, and a worryingly large number of fell runners tend to struggle with that aspect of races...

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

the £75 entry fee?

In reply to Jim Hamilton:

Maybe

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Maybe the weaker fell runners who might be expected to enter such an event because of the lack of navigation problems didn't feel up to its demands. Possibly it was felt that it was too commercial, too sanitised?

At £75 per entry it is way, way more expensive than most fell races. The most expensive that I know of is the Three Peaks Race at £25, most races are around a fiver.

Just checked on the FRA forums, no mention of it that I can see.

In reply to Bob:

I guess I come at fell racing from a mountain marathon background, and by MM standards (around £50 or £60 per day) the price is less frightening