This year is the 58th running of the Event and my fourth time in taking part. My first two attempts were not great and are best forgotten but last year was much better – I ran strong, navigated well and was well positioned; so I hoped for good things again this year.
E-mail updates and weather forecasts suggested that it was going to be a tough day; parking plans had already been altered due to water-logged fields and, on the day, the bad weather course was to be used.
Arriving early meant I had time to chat to other Helm runners, some running the Classic course as I was and some the Medium course (very wise !). Sadly no opportunity to buy coffee or breakfast and made worse by one of the organisers walking past me with a plate of bacon sandwiches…probably all for him !
My start time was 09:15, and the start line was just up the track from the event centre at Mungrisdale village hall. I know the area reasonably well and knew that there would be a lot of heather, bog and river crossings ahead. A few seconds after the start you collect your map and it is only at that point that you find out where you are going. The map is pre-marked but it is up to you how you get from one control to the next; the bad weather course meant that control 5 was not to be visited.
Although it was wet and windy the cloud base was high and visibility good; the first control was close to the summit of Bannerdale Crags and the route was obvious, along the river then up the ridge. The next control was low down on Blease Fell and the route seemed obvious to head towards Foule Crag, contour to Blease Fell and then drop steeply to the control; again this all went to plan.
Control 3 was just west of Sale How and the obvious route was to drop to the track and head towards Skiddaw House; from them follow the path to Sale How and drop slightly to the control. Some people took a lower line and followed the Beck but I think the path option was easier going. A tough descent through deep heather led me back to the track, control 4 was a long way away. In hindsight retracing the path from Sale How to Skiddaw House and then following the track would have been much quicker – the heather was really hard going.
I took the main BG trod up Great Calva but bared off left before the summit. Over towards Knott then Great Sale Fell before a steep decent to control 4 in a sheepfold close to Dale Beck. Another steep climb out of this beck took me close to the hut on Great Lingy Fell and then down to the river Caldew. This was in spate and I had little choice but to cross. I watched others and felt anxious – I need to be heavier and taller ! I teamed up with some other members as I feared being washed away – I survived but unfortunately my map, map case and compass did not ….. gutted !
This also meant I was now running blind; fortunately visibility was still good and I followed, roughly, other competitors. Heading up to control 6 at Bowscale Tarn I passed Garry, who was suffering with cramp, and then Jon Broxap. From the tarn the last steep climb over the east ridge of Bowscale Fell then allowed me to look down on control 7 and an easy decent led me there. The end was in sight and a fast run down the valley, not forgetting to collect control 8 on the way, led to the finish. I was out for 4hrs 52mins and finished 27th. Not my best performance, a tough but rewarding day out. Good to catch up with other Helm runners whilst having food back in the hall. Lindsay had a scare when she was washed away crossing the Caldew, she was shaken-up and cold but seemed to be recovering well. Russ had an impressive run, finishing 7th in the medium course.
Time to head home, conditions on the M6 over Shap were wild, I need a hot shower and coffee.
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