Training in the Lake District - BG Leg 4 reccie

1st April 2012


9.30 Sunday morning i had arranged to meet with Leon at Castlerigg Farm camp site, so when he arrived at 9 am my partner and i had just crawled out of our sleeping bags. Saturday night on Great Gable had turned into Sunday morning (as it does) and we had arrived back at the camp site at 3 am.

Sca Fell in Cloud

By 10 am we had packed away the camping gear and set off to Honister, the plan was the BGR leg 4 route, out and back. Now i didn't fancy Great Gable again but i had told Leon that we would do the full route.

Wast Water

We climbed out of Honister towards Moses trod on the tourist path, which is much easier than the grass ascent when your legs are still tired from the previous day/night. Already i was beginning to think i should have cried off  and had a days rest. 

Wasdale Head Inn (not my image)

There is a nice easy set of steps down to Black Sail Pass and a grim climb up the pass between Kirk Fell & Looking Stead. Wasdale came into view and we headed straight for the pub. Coffee and cake may not be the traditional fell runners food but it worked well.

Kirk Fell with the summit of Great Gable behind

Yewbarrow is a grim climb but we were soon over and heading towards Red Pike, the sun was shining and plenty of walkers filled the summits (went slowly and got under foot). We chose an almost perfect line across to Steeple and arrived right on the trod. Steele Fell done we set off for pillar, there are a few trods developing around the small summits in between which makes navigation much easier.

Red Pike from Scoat Fell

Leon enjoying the ascent

Pillar has some good memories for me, i was on my Bob Graham Round in 2010 and was suffering a little, my support runners and i managed the ascent ok but i discovered a huge white buffalo on the summit. I was assured that it was an "optical illusion", however it sure looked like a Buffalo to me. Luckily there were no Buffalo's around today and we got on our way towards Kirk Fell. This was easy running and we quickly arrived at the ascent to Kirk Fell.

Steeple

Pillar

A quick consultation with Leon and we agreed that the end of this run could wait for another day, it had been a long weekend, and we were both feeling the pace a little. Coincidently we happened to be back on Black Sail Pass so - took the short cut back down into the valley and up the other side to Honister were my partner waited with more coffee and cake.

Leon on Pillar

We had a good day out with a little sunshine and fantastic views.