Helvellyn and The Dodds Race Route - Saturday 23rd February 2013

Russ, Craig and I head to Threlkeld for a recce / training run on this route. It looks a reasonable day but we know that on the tops it could be very different.

A steep climb on to Clough Head and then to the Dodds. We soon hit frozen ground and icy patches but hold off putting spikes on. We are in and out f the cloud and are moving well. The higher we get the more snow we encounter and just before Helvellyn we all put spikes on. The summit is a grim and dangerous place to be today.

It's good to turn back but it is not downhill all the way, the climbs are tough just as they were in the race last year. Out for just over 4 hours, good to get the distance and climbing in.