Week 12 - Back on track

On Monday I finally completed my first Winter Hill - Belmont - Blue Lagoon - Winter Hill circuit (from home) since the heavy
snows had made the north slope of Winter Hill near enough impossible to make headway on. Even so. the final bit of the mast road still had about two foot of snow so it was easier to leave it and use the fell.
Wednesday saw me head over to Hollingworth Lake for 14 miles of Winter Wandering with the East Lancashire LDWA group. There was still quite a bit of snow as can be seen here.


The walk included a little bit of God's own county in which I had the pleasure of spending a few moments.


More photos and report at on the East Lancashire LDWA site

I knew I had to get a bit more mileage in before the Northern Cross Country Championships on Saturday so just did a couple of reps up to the Jolly Crofters and back on Friday. I'd measured the route beforehand to be exactly (well near enough) one mile each way and about 350ft of climb for ascent.
Hopefully that had not left me too tired for the Championships at Witton Park in Blackburn. The course designers had been very kind to me, ensuring that every lap had not one, but two good climbs of about 150ft and just for good measure the two "long" laps had an additional climb of over 100ft. My estimate is that the 11.5k had about 1500ft of ascent in it - good enough for a B Medium fell race! I started steady then managed to move through and generally held my place to finish strongly, only six minutes slower than the previous year's championship race. As the winner was 5 minutes slower, this was equivalent to about a 5 minute gain for me, especially when compared against last year's results for those around me.

The week totalled 37 miles and 6000ft which puts me on course to exceed the target as long as I have a reasonable final week of January, especially as this week as started with a 12 mile recce of the Pennine Bridleway leg for next Sunday and 6 miles road/track session tonight.

Week 11 - The Snow Goes On .. then finally starts to thaw

First run of the week was on Tuesday and do I could get the height gain I decided to have a go at my Belmont Loop. Burnt Edge was very challenging but at least a few more had trampled through the snow. The mast road was the better option rather than off road and even that was no longer used by vehicles from half way up. A bitter easterly wind had arrived which made it very cold on the top. down the ramp heading for the Wrights Arms, I had realised that an ascent of the north slope would be out of the question so turned right when the Bolton-Belmont Road was reached and returned via Scout Road. Very challenging but at least I'd got my 11 miles but with less climb - 1300ft.
Next attempt was Thursday. Again same outward route. The wind of Tuesday had gone but the visibility was poor. I'm used to having to avoid being run over by cyclists on Winter Hill (shame that they cant read the no cycling signs) but this time I'd stopped on Burnt Edge in an attempt to take some piccies, turned round and there was a skier hurtling down at me.
When I say attempted, for some reason my phone camera was in video mode - a bit difficult to tell in such an envronment. anyway i've edited what was filmed into something which will give you an idea over a few seconds:


Reached the mast, down to Belmont and up the Rivington Road before tuning onto the fell to climb back up to Winter Hill masts (the outward run on the Belmont Winter Hill Race route for those who know). About half way up, realised that it was no fun trying to clamber through the two foot deep snow - it really slows you down - and thought what if I fell and broke my leg - what's he chance of getting medical help quickly in such a desolate expanse. So decided to turn back down at return using the route I'd descended on (checkpoint 2 to 3 on the Full Winter Hill Race route). Just before I got back to the road, flying down the hillside comes my GP with his two dogs on a quick lunchbreak run! Well, I think he still holds the club marathon record so he's not a bad runner! Nice to have company back into Belmont, thanks Ian. Eventually home in well over three hours but at least I got an extra couple of miles and an extra 500ft of climb.
Friday - thaw at last.
Saturday - over to Blackpool for the Mid Lancs Cross Country. The thaw had meant it was now a muddy course with negligible climb.
Sunday had originally been planned to be the two Crosses Circuit which would have given me 25 miles, but the decision was made on Tuesday night to postpone until March on the grounds of Safety.
So, instead, a walk with Julie and the dog around Rivington before lunch in the Barn, and then walked back home via Georges Lane - still very icy in parts - to finish the week on 37 miles and 4100ft of ascent, near enough on target.

Week 10 - the weekend

Friday comprised of a couple local walks more for the distance, than height gain, followed by a short run on Saturday.
Sunday was to be the big one as far as mileage but was in doubt until the last minute. On Saturday afternoon it looked like I would give it a miss, getting to Tottington for 8.30 (and home later in the afternoon looked a challenge, never mind the walk. By the evening the forecast was showing +1 for 6am the following morning so decided it was on. At 8.30 I joined eight other intrepid walkers who were marshals or organisers for the Two Crosses Circuit, scheduled for the following Sunday.
The full walk is 25 miles, but because of the weather conditions, the decision was made to do the shorter variant of 18 miles. Apart from a bit of blizzard conditions at Affetside where the wind was picking up the snow, the first three hours went okay. Where the two routes diverge at about 7 miles, a discussion was made that we would have to impose a cut-off time to prevent anyone attempting the 25 miles who would be incapable of completing before dark. A nice lunchstop at Entwhistle Reservoir then on towards Bull Hill. This is where it got interesting. White Moss was fun, if enjoy your legs being two foot into the snow. The going was very tough, so a good speed was far from possible. Around Bull Hill and onto a very exposed Peel Tower before heading back to Tottington. The excursion had taken 7 hours with nobody causing the pace to drop - where it was possible the pace was brisk. It would normally (even at this time of year) take 5 hours.
A very exhilarating but demanding day, adding some 18 miles and 1700ft of ascent to give a week's total of 36 miles (exactly on target) and 3600ft of ascent (slightly below target but I'm on target for the month).

Here are some photos thanks to East Lancs LDWA.

Week 10 - A very snowy week

Rested on Monday after a decent run on Sunday then on Tuesday when had a foot of snowfall which didn't exactly make you want to get out. Wednesday morning and clear skies so I thought I do my Belmont route again. The first mile was much quicker as the new snow had made it much easier to run than the slippery ice that had formed by Sunday. Good grip for the studs. Went off up past Montcliffe Quarries GR SD660120 and onto the footpath where the going got a bit tougher as no-one had been there since the main snowfall and it was about 18 inches deep but still okay. On to the junction near Burnt Edge and the fun had begun. Drifting had cause 3 foot hurdles to be run through but still not bad as the weather was bright. Onto the path which is parallel-ish to the mast road, virgin snow, greyed over and driving sleet into your face so that visibility was rapidly reducing - a good job I'd run the route so many times before. Made it to the mast road : a snowplough had just gone down, so it was a good surface with just enough snow for grip. Onto the mast road with a few walkers going past. At the end I could see that nobody had been on the track to the Wrights Arms (San Marco?) so decided it would be wise to turn round once I'd looked at my watch to see I was 20 minutes slower than Sunday despite being 2 minutes quicker on the first mile. I suspect the climb up from Blue Lagoon would be very slow. So a nice quick blast back down the mast road along George's Lane and towards Austin's Farm where I decided I would get a bit extra in by doing some reps up the fields.
Below are a few shots from Tuesday morning 6 hours before the snow stopped coming down.