Bleasdale Circle fell race – 21 February

Knowing I would be marshalling I scheduled to get a real pig of a  head-cold from Pauline a couple of days beforehand so that I wouldn’t feel bad about not running. I may have overdone this though as the “not running” could extend into early next week. Oh well…..

Got a few photos though.

Entry Form

Martin

Fair Snape Fell

Parlick Fell

Towards Fell Foot

 

Rob Hope – leading them home from the off

There were some other runners too – race photos here

Towards the first climb

Last but not least, the following day would be Yiannis’s birthday – another “Big Birthday” and so in true Bowland Fell Runners’ style we helped him celebrate with an extravagant cake.

Happy Birthday Yannis!

Anglezark Amble – 14 February

After virtually no running all winter I was afflicted by the type of madness that seems to affect only fell runners. I hoped I might manage a good 12 miles, I hoped I might reach the gate at 12.5 miles where I tore a calf muscle once but by the Strawberry Duck I was slowing, a little. About halfway Cadshaw Valley it was all over and the long, painful struggle to Darwen Tower, Slipper Lowe, Great Hill and Rivington started. I finished, about all in, but I finished. On Sunday morning my knee is fine, no aches and no other after-effects so I am delighted. I did think about going out for a short, slow “leg stretch” until I tried to walk down stairs. Ah well, plenty of time for that later.

 

“After The Amble” – Mike, Albert and Michele

Great to catch up with so many people – Albert, Michele, Tony, Mike, Hopey, Andy, Josie (get that schedule sorted!), Wendy, Yiannis, Jenny and all the rest.

Winter Hill – 07 February

13 Miles to Winter Hill and back from home for the first time since early September last year. The knee problems I have been bothered by over the last year or so seem to be getting sorted out. Doing almost no running probably helped too which means that I won’t really know how good my knee actually is until I am back doing this sort of distance regularly. I didn’t help it much last weekend, walking in the snow, when I put my foot in a hole and hyper-extended my knee. I am back running with a strap but aim to manage 6 consecutive days this week.

The weather wasn’t wonderful so I took my phone rather than a camera, only to find some blue sky and the clouds drifting away from the mast. Ah well, another time.

 

 

 

 

The flat light and lack of definition in the sky appeared to lend itself to “split toning” and I am quite pleased with the results and with the run. This was the 50th time I have run from home to Winter Hill and back which is pleasing anniversary in the circumstances.

Place Fell & Kidsty Pike – 31 January

These may seem like an unlikely pairing and indeed they weren’t what we planned when we set off from Beetham Cottage but the the strong, bitterly cold wind on the summit of Place Fell changed our plans. Without particular summits in mind we headed back to Boredale Hause and decided to keep the wind behind us. Heading south we watched the sunlight play on the Helvellyn ridge and we watched the wind create huge clouds of spindrift.

Passing Angle Tarn and on to the foot of The Knott and then Kidsty Pike seemed an attractive destination, not realising just how cold crossing Rampsgill Head (twice) would be. The already strong wind had been strengthening all day and it was now whipping up the fallen snow, scouring Rampsgill Head and creating spindrift up to 3 metres high. We turned at Kidsty Pike, back over Rampsgill Head and down to Hartsop. A very fine winter day on the fells.

Looking West towards the Helvellyn ridge

 

 

Looking South towards Kirkstone Pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kidsty Pike and some spindrift

 

 

Mardale from Kidsty Pike

 

High Street

Rampsgill Head looking west to Morecambe Bay

Troutbeck – 24 January

A day out with Keith, the first for a while. Up over the ice from  Kirkstone Pass to St Raven’s Edge which we may or may not have visited previously before going on to Wansfell (Baystones) which we have visited previously but have no record of the visit. Down through Troutbeck to The Tongue which we have visited before but only twice. From here the plan had been to go up to Thornthwaite Mouth but there was so much snow and, probably, ice that we would have been descending after dark. Instead we dropped off the west side of The Tongue to a wonderful old bridge over Trout Beck before climbing back to St Raven’s Edge via Hard Crag to reach Kirkstone Pass not long before dark.

 

Kirkstone Pass

South towards WIndermere

 

North towards Brothers Water

 

Kirkstone Pass

 

Red Screes

Red Screes and looking north

 

Keith and Pauline

South from St Raven’s Edge

 

Red Screes

 

 

Looking North from St Raven’s Edge

From Wansfell

Troutbeck

 

Keith on The Tongue

 

 

Bridge over Trout Beck

Winter Hill – 17 January

Snowy morning with a couple of thunder storms bringing more snow and hail – usually the top of a hill is a poor choice during a thunder storm but, as Tom pointed out, there are plenty of taller objects atop Winter Hill.

My knee is improving although my fitness is going the other way! Need to get back to running on hills – it would be good to run on hill and not just down but I have a bit of work to do before that happens. Thoroughly enjoyed this morning (hailstones in the excepted) – thanks Tom.

 

 

These trees at the quarries are my favourites and I think they are at the best at this time of year

Looking south east over Blackburn Road

At least we had a choice about being out