lake district

Pickle Me Up

Published on July 13, 2025 by runwithdaiLeave a comment

Another week, another race. I almost didn’t sign up to the inaugural Tea & Trails ultra as I thought the cost of an entry was far too steep (I think it was about £150 for a 50km!!). However, after Jon got a discounted entry for a friend, I decided it was more reasonable and jumped on board, ready to explore a little more of the Lake District.

We travelled up on Friday morning along with Ilona and Phil and would meet Shirin and a few others in the lakes. As part of the event there was camping and various talks and stuff happening over the weekend. Thankfully though Jon isn’t fond of camping and neither am I (when running anyway!) so we dropped the others off in the field in the rain and made our way to the hotel to check in.

The next morning we arrived bright and early to register and spent a short while chatting with the others before deciding to just start. Yep, just start we did – the organisers had a rolling start for an hour before the mass start. We’d planned to join the mass start at 8:30 but thought there was no point hanging around for another 45 minutes when we could just get going. Besides, Jon had a plan to deviate from the course and ‘tag’ a few more Wrainwrights, so the extra time would be put to good use.

After a quick kit check and receiving our trackers, we spent a few mins explaining to the tracking/safety team our plan to go off route. It was better to let them know in advance rather than panic if they saw our trackers go ‘off route’. Then we casually walked over the start line and out of the field…

It started with a bit more faffing as I forgot to start my watch and didn’t have my heart rate strap on (great fun trying to get on without taking my jacket off in the rain) which I did as we slowly jogged along the country lane upon leaving the field. It was already wet and miserable as we slowly walked the long road and made our way up to the car park at the bottom of Skiddaw. Despite this, it was way too hot so I peeled my jacket off half way up. From the car park we had a nice gentle single track descent and, momentarily, the clag lifted and we could see a glimpse of a view back down through the valley.

We passed some Marshall’s before continuing down on a slippery and wet section before seeing some of Jon’s friends who were volunteering out on the course. Next up came a wide and gentle climb as we made our way along the other side of the valley and towards Blencathra. By now we’d passed a few others from the rolling start and could see the masses from the main start making their way along the other side of the valley we’d just traversed. The front runner already had a significant lead and we suspected he’d be passing us very quickly.

We had a short descent into another car park before heading onto some single track to begin the first of two big climbs on the route. It was straight up to Blencathra from here. We were on the gravel switch back climb when the first runner did indeed come speeding passed us, running the steep climb effortlessly. It is always so impressive to see lead runners running, not something I get to experience in a mass start!

As we reached the top the summit was completely covered in clag and visibility was just a few metres. It was windy, but a decent temperature and not cold at all. After a quick summit photo we made our way across Blencathra (I was trying, unsuccessfully, to see were Halls Fell ridge was, which we descended down on the Lakes In A Day last year) as we passed.

It wasn’t long before we were descending again with initially nice wide trails and a little bit of off-track running. It was enjoyable and the further down we went, the better the visibility became. Off in the distance we could see other runners and where the route would take us. It was probably about 45 mins since the lead runner went passed and now more and more runners were following in his footsteps.

We continued to descent in a lovely single track that very quickly became a stream. The relentless rain for a few days (whilst the rest of the UK was experiencing a heatwave, It had been pouring down in the Lake District!) meant there was a lot of water running off the mountains and temporary streams were forming as the water followed the shape of the footpath. We embraced it and the descent was still enjoyable even with cold and wet feet.

As we continued, so did the build up of water. There were puddles galore and some were quite deep. Despite mocking my choice of footwear (they were far from aggressive on the grip front) it was Jon who slipped and fell (not once, but twice) and had a small mud bath. I almost joined him when I stopped to take a photo and almost slipped whilst standing still!

We made it to the first aid station after about 20km and were glad for a quick fuel stop. The aid station was quiet but exceptionally prepared inside the Mungrisdale village hall. The lovely volunteers pandered to my constant requests for sandwiches (first jam and then cheese and pickle) and afterwards stocked me up with wonderful cakes (the salted caramel brownie was delicious) before we left. As we walked on, I tried to eat all the food I was carrying, but had to stash a bit of brownie in my soft cup which I was just to stuffed to finish. I forgot about it later and found it all mushed up in my cup after the race!

We started seeing more and more people now and Jon became more and more recognised too. Besides being recognised from his (brilliant!) adventure on the Northern Traverse (organised by the same race director), Jon is a bit of a Tea & Trails super fan and featured as a guest on one of the episodes. A handful of people recognised him along the day! Much to my amusement as I mocked him each time (think “oooh podcast friends” and “I’m kind of a big deal”).

In the midday rain we continued along the undulating road section to Mosedale (this was pretty dull and a little tiring with the small inclines and descents) before re-joining the trail that leads to Skiddaw House (the next aid station). From here I knew the next few kms as we’d run the same trail years back (with Jon!) on the Grand Tour of Skiddaw race. As we reminisced about previous races the Tea & Trail hosts popped up on course, much to Jon’s delight and my amusement. I said Jon was like Troy McClure from The Simpsons – “hi, I’m Jon Zincke, you might remember me from such adventures as the Northern Traverse and the Tea & Trails Podcast”). After a quick chat we carried on.

It wasn’t long before we reached Skiddaw House (the highest hostel in the UK) and stopped to refuel (or chat Northern Traverse with fellow runners/volunteers in Jon’s case!). As I mocked him a little more, I stuffed my face with more cheese and pickle sandwiches (Pickle me up!) in the rain. It was good proper soggy weather now!

From here we’d have our first course deviation to ‘bag a Wrainwright’. After a few kms of lovely runnable trails we left the trail and headed straight uphill on a vague track. It was steep and slippery and slow going. We added a few hundred extra meters of elevation here to see a pile of rocks before turning round and heading by back down to re-join the route. This was the biggest deviation we’d do and I was quite glad when it was over!

This could have been taken anywhere along the route!

The trails took us along a gentle track back down through the valley and we joined a road we once again recognised from the Grand Tour (it was a different experience that day which was very hot and sweaty!). The next few kms took us through several fields and trails as we made our way to the bottom of Skiddaw. Here there was the final checkpoint (no more sandwiches as it was just a water stop) before we would start the biggest climb of the course.

And climb we did. We’d be climbing Skiddaw the way we descended on the Grand Tour up (along Ullock Pike I think). I thought I remembered it well, but clearly I didn’t. The initial part had a few longer and steeper climbs than I remembered. Nothing too bad but a few slightly technical sections and it was slow going on tired legs. Before we reached the steep ‘scree’ part of the climb we took another diversion. A very short one as we extended a corner to a tighter angle to bag another Wrainwright. Passing the pile of rocks (so memorable I can’t even recall its name) we re-joined the course and began the toughest part of the course.

Here you climb steeply along the side of the mountain with small loose rocks underfoot. By now the wind and rain was pummelling us. It was very much a case of head down, keep breathing and keep slowly moving forward. It was far longer than I remembered and the legs were screaming out for it to be over! We kept going and made it to the top where the wind really kicked in. Strong winds were blowing runners around and making it difficult to traverse the short out and back to the actual summit point where we’d turn around. We thanked the volunteers who were braving the elements for us and headed back. The mission now was to get down as quickly as possible to get out of the wind. We were cold and wet as we tried to run whilst holding our hoods and hats on our head and hold our race numbers to our shorts. I was leaning back into the wind as it pushed against me, pushing me upright and vertical. The whiplash of my hood flapping violently against my ear was annoying and I was so glad when we’d descended enough to get out of the wind and clag.

We made a decision to skip our planned, short detour to Skiddaw Little Man as we really just couldn’t be bothered now (it’s an easy one for Jon to access and tick off this Wrainwright another time) and kept with the momentum of running down the descent off Skiddaw. The descent was tiring. A quad buster for sure. I’d only ever ascended on this route before and once again had forgotten how long it was. Running down hill was quickly exhausting. The legs had had enough now!

Eventually we made it back to the car park (the one we’d passed first thing in the morning) and confused some spectators as we detoured again and left the route. We were off for the short detour to Lattrig. We took a slightly different path than we’d initially planned and it turned out to be much nicer (longer but less steep!). We had a brief chat with some hikers at the view point (not knowing that we hadn’t actually made it to the summit point!) and then turned around, ready for the last few kms to the finish line.

Glad to be finished and ready to have a shower

The descent was nice and gentle as we ran single tracks before joining some flatter fields that headed back to the country road we started on. It was a short few hundred meters back into the campsite and over the finish line, through the human tunnel the volunteers created as they cheered us in. We were given our finisher’s mugs and we played around as we had our photo taken. We then met up with the others and also cheered in Shirin who finished just behind us. After the finish we had a quick dry off and change in the car park before driving back to the hotel for a lovely warm shower and fish and chips. We later headed back down to the campsite to watch a live recording of the podcast.

It was a brilliant weekend and adventure with a great organisation of the first Tea & Trails ultra. It might have been typical to get blown about and soaked through in the Lake District. Certainly true that races in the Lake District always have the best aid stations and food!

One-eyed Willie, B&Q man and the Bum-bag boy

Published on October 27, 2024 by runwithdai1 Comment

This year, I took on the challenge of the Lakes in a Day ultra marathon – 50 miles of rugged terrain, iconic peaks, and unpredictable weather, tracking from Caldbeck in the North of the Lake district to Cartmel in the South. The Lake District threw everything it had at us, and yet, the rewards were, unsurprisingly immeasurable…

I ran the race with Paul, Darryl, Matt, and Matt Buck. Paul and Darryl have both run the race in previous years and were the instigators for this adventure. They took great pleasure in the weeks leading up to the event to scare us with stories of the weather conditions we could expect and recalling their previous experiences.

We travelled up to the Lake District on the Friday, collecting Matt from Manchester airport on the way and stayed over in a converted, large (stately?) home in Grange-Over-Sands just outside of Cartmel. We had some questionable moments in the accommodation that seemed almost supernatural. I had great fun gamifying this and turning random lights on and off to play tricks on the others. I was easily entertained.

The night before the race, we had a pub meal near by and then headed to Cartmel to register at the local school, where the race would finish the following day. The registration area was buzzing with energy as runners queued in the cold outside, eager to register for the adventure ahead. We went through registration and kit checks, ensuring we had all the mandatory gear (although the checks seemed to be on random participants not everyone), and collected our trackers. The excitement was palpable, though there was also a tinge of nervousness in the air as we left.

On race morning, we were awake way before dawn to drive back to Cartmel to get the bus to the start. The bus ride to Caldbeck was filled with chatter and laughter as runners were squeezed into a coach that could sit 5 people per row (a new one on me). There was a very amusing and memorable moment when one runner, sitting at the back with Paul, joked about some runner he had seen carrying a “bum bag,” poking fun at the size of the pack he was carrying his mandatory kit in. We burst into hysterics as he didn’t know that the ‘bum bagger’ happened to be Paul (and we love making fun of his bum bag!). The humour lightened the mood, even though it was cold and dark in the early hours. It also meant Darryl avoided much of the stick for his highly fluorescent orange attire that made him look like he worked in B&Q!

After getting off the bus, as we waited in the rain for the race to start, I bumped into Andrew, an old colleague I hadn’t seen in years. It was a surreal moment of briefly reconnecting, though I never saw him again during the race. He had a fantastic race, finishing hours ahead of me with a very impressive time. Back at the start line, with minutes to spare, the race director briefed us on the course, safety and expectations of runners. Then, without notice, he started counting down from 3 and started the race.

The first major climb up to High Pike was long, wet, and shrouded in mist. We started on a few kilometers of road as we weaved through Caldbeck and then joined the trails. A huge snake of runners lining up on the trail. Here the visibility was low, and the trail was slick. The wet ground and steep climb was an indication of the journey ahead. Slowly we climbed higher and higher in single file as morning fought its way through the darkness. The rain eased but the wind kicked in the higher we climbed. In the mist the trig point of High Pike slowly came into view. Up top the wind battered us and we set off to conquer the undulating fells ahead. After a while we were ready to descend. Thankfully on this side of the fells we had a little shelter from the wind. The rain coats remained on though, keeping us warm and protected. The descent on single-track paths was a welcome relief. They were very runnable and for the most part on clearly defined paths at a steady gradient. The path led us down to the river crossing, which, to my surprise, was lower than in previous years – making for a smoother crossing. Paul and Darryl began to tell us how bad it was previously. The rest of us continued to make fun and count how many times they mentioned it! As we crossed over, volunteers were standing in the river to help guide runners across safely.

Next came the long ascent to Blencathra. It was bigger than the previous climb and was slow going – our legs already heavy from the initial climbs and soggy ground. We weaved our way up muddy gullies which made getting a grip and pushing off difficult, even with big lugged fell shoes on. The higher we climbed the more the fells dried out but the more the wind started to pick up and batter us again. Up top more trig stones came into view as we pushed on, head down fighting against the head on winds. Volunteers cheered us to the summit and wished us well for the descent down Halls Fell into Trekhold. Here runners who didn’t feel confident on the ridge could divert down to Trekhold via the less technical Blease Fell.

The ridge line descent of Halls Fell into Threkhold was exhilarating. It lived up to the hype from Paul and Darryl’s’ stories. The clouds had cleared and the views were breath-taking, but the terrain was challenging. It is a ridgeline stretching for a few hundred metres as you descent on sharp and slippery rocks. Volunteers were placed at a few points to ensure participant safety and a photographer perched on more stable ground slightly below. We traversed the ridge and the rocky descent down into Trekhold and the first of three aid stations.

The aid stations on the course are quite something. You hear about them from other runners (Did I mention Paul and Darryl had done the race before?) and you get an itinerary of the available foods at each station in the pre-event emails. This one was great. Full of fresh sandwiches of multiple varieties, an endless amount of cakes (including good ol’ swiss rolls) and pastries and more sweets and chocolates than I could name. We took some time to fill our bellies, knowing that it would be a long time until we ate substantially again (the next section is almost 30km long, mostly on top of the fells). We laughed as Matt (Buck) traversed the food tables filling up an A4 size ziplock bag with food like he was intending on never returning into society again. We then left pretty abruptly as we started to get cold, even inside the aid station.

We ran a few fairly flat kilometers as we left Trekhold. First on roads leaving the village, then footpaths crossing the main road and back out towards the trails. After which the tarmac gave way to wet boggy ground again near the quarry. Leaving the aid station it started raining heavily and we were already soaked through before reaching the trails. Starting the climb towards Clough Head I had a few niggles that were concerning me. My left foot was in pain around the metatarsals and I loosened my shoe laces several times to try a release the pressure a bit. But also I’d noticed that I’d begun to loose sight in my right eye. This is an experience I’d faced twice before, once on the Tea Round in the Lake District and the second time in Norway on the Lofoton Ultra Trail 100. On both occasions in similar gloomy weather conditions. At this point there was nothing I could do about it and I knew it would get worse before it got any better.

As we continued towards Clough Head, the trail took a sharp and sudden incline towards the summit. We could see the odd runner with high visibility clothing climbing along the side of the mountain. As we too reached the climb it was apparent just how cold and wet it now was – I had three pairs of gloves on which, together with the weather conditions was making it difficult to eat and drink to maintain fuelling. We climbed in almost silence as the wind also made it hard to talk and hear each other. Increasingly we were spreading out and I couldn’t see Paul or Matt (Buck) anymore ahead of me.

Once on top we covered about 10km of undulating trails, crossing the ‘Dodds’ towards Hellvelyn. The trails led us up and down various climbs, each with different terrain and challenges. The ground was a mixture of wet, muddy bogs, defined paths and more rocky sections. It took a while and I was glad of the company of Darryl and Matt, even though we could still barely hear each other as we tried to talk. Only as we neared Hellvelyn the rain did ease up and the clouds started to clear. We could see Hellvelyn way off in the distance now, but first had the rocky, difficult climb to get there. I feel that the wind picked up even more here and I personally found it hard going to keep walking in a straight-line. I was walking almost diagonally, head down, to keep on track and every time I lifted my poles they would be blown to the side. It was a good, but unwelcomed, core workout!

It was nice to reach Hellvelyn as it was only the second time I’d been there and this time we would descend in a different direction from my previous trip. We now headed off towards Grisdale Tarn and Ambleside. The steep descent to Grisdale Tarn wasn’t an enjoyable relief from climbing. The wide pathed path was wet and slippery and I took to running the steeper trails that ran along side them. This caused my foot and ankle to hurt but felt like a safer way to descend down for me. We crossed over to the other side of the tarn and followed the descent with a steep ascent straight back up towards Fairfield. I don’t think we could have climbed any more slowly. Our legs, which were already aching, were now pelted by a painful hailstorm that stung our bare skin. It didn’t relent the whole time we climbed and our legs were red by the end of it. My eyesight had indeed deteriorated and I made sure Matt and Darryl both knew I had some issues seeing. I estimated that in my right eye I was down to about 10% visibility now. It was all blurry and I could make out shapes close to me, but not distinguish colours or the human form! With both eyes open this affected my overall visibility, so from time to time I’d try and close the right eye. I was reluctant to take any further action though until I reached the next aid station.

Once we’d climbed to Fairfield it was quite rocky in places as we crossed straight over the horseshoe. I really wish I could have stopped and taken pictures as the clouds had once again dispersed and we could see some amazing views. There was no way I was faffing with my gloves and phone in the high winds though.

The next section to Ambleside was a bit of a drag. Matt had vanished from my (admittedly limited) vision and Darryl stuck with me throughout this section to make sure I was ok, helping me navigate the best paths along Fairfield and down into Ambleside. Here it was quite rocky in places and his support made a significant difference calling out objects as I struggled a little with my depth perception. I’m grateful for his presence during those tough moments.

After a few kilometers we did catch back up with the others and for the first time for hours were together again as a group as we continued down and into Ambleside, running through the streets of the town to the next aid station. Like Trekhold before it, we were welcomed by amazing volunteers and huge amounts of food including pizzas, hot soups, pastas and warm drinks. But first though, a change of shoes…

At Ambleside we were allowed a bag with just a pair of trainers and socks for the second ‘half’ of the race. We would now no longer go up high on the fells, so a change into less aggressive trail shoes was most appreciated. My feet were begging for a change and I was relieved to swap my fell shoes for more comfortable trail shoes, which made a noticeable difference for the next section and certainly made my left foot feel better. It was very organised if not a little limiting in the aid station. When you arrive you are shuffled into a dedicated area for changing your shoes. You either have to change your shoes straight away or take little protection covers on your shoes to enter the area with food and seating. I would have liked to have sat with my shoes off for a few minutes whilst I ate.

After a decent stop and plenty of food, we regrouped and left Ambleside together with our head torches out ready for the night to begin. As I promised myself, I ‘did something’ about my eyesight. The only fix I have is to wear a buff diagonally across my head to force the eyelid to stay closed. I’ve found from experience that having the eye closed not only improves my overall sight, but gives the eye a chance to rest and recover. ‘One-eyed Willie’ Darryl called me as we reminisced about the Goonies.

We now had a much more manageable ’14 mile’ section that include some roads and lots of small undulating trails. There were a few noticeable climbs but none of any significance. We ran and walked along the road sections, weaving on and off the paths that ran alongside and connected the trails. We passed a few runners and a few runners passed us too. For now though, as darkness set in, we were very much ‘in our place’ in the mid pack of the field of runners. On the single tracks and forests we mostly ran in two groups. Those in a ‘three’ and two behind. From time to time we’d switch places and conversations. My self and Matt (Buck) chatting away mostly whilst the others continued with the usual word games to distract and fight off the fatigue. As always it was a fun way to bond and keep our spirits high and so nice to be able to talk to each other again with out the wind.

We covered the ‘flatter’ part of this section quite quickly and soon overcame the largest climb of the second half which was mostly on country lanes, a refreshing change! From here we navigated back to the footpaths running along side Lake Windermere. The water was glistening in the moon light. We were quite fortunate as we continued through the night that it was mostly dry apart from a few short showers. The wind had also significantly dropped at the lower altitude so we weren’t too cold (the rain coat and 3 pairs of gloves stayed on throughout though!). At one point, in a long forest section, there was a surprisingly steep forest climb that caught us all out. It was frustratingly tough despite how short it was, we lumbered up the steep steps and climbed and slipped in the wet and muddy earth. We were all relieved to get over that one!

This whole section just dragged on. The darkness made it feel so much longer and tougher than it was and our feet were cold and drenched from wet, boggy paths near the lake. I moaned a lot (as I always do) as each stone, tree branch and rock caused my feet to react in pain. There was definitely some trench foot and blistering going on, but nothing I would do now until we finished. I just had to suck it up and put it to the back of my mind. Throughout this section the buff and eyesight was irritating me and I constantly needed to make adjustments to keep it comfortable.

We came across the final aid station at Finsthwaite around 23:00. The sight of a dry, warm and well lit aid station was so welcomed. By now I was out of water so was ready for some refreshments! I removed my buff as I entered the aid station and was happy to confirm that, with some rest, my eyesight has started to comeback. I could now make out the human form and brighter colours so was confident it would recover completely before the race was over. The volunteers were absolutely top here, the lovely ladies and gents inside entertaining the crowds of runners sitting in the warmth. Endless amounts of warm food was leaving the kitchen directly into the hands of waiting runners. Melted cheese on ham and toast a particular favourite. One lady was calling out variations of soups and warm rice puddings and custards that they could prepare. After a few warm soups I did take a “boring” plain rice pudding which was delightful.

We did sadly have to eventually leave the comforts and complete the remaining 7 miles. The last 7 miles were a little more lumpy as we made our way towards and over Newby Bridge and Speelbank. Unlike the lakeside and forest trails before, we spent more time here on tarmac roads, fields and low hills. We pretty much walked this entire section as a group. Certainly I had no inclination to put any effort into running anymore (not that I had much for the previous 10 miles either!). Throughout, with less tree coverage here, we had great views of the spectacular large and orange moon. Eventually we emerged onto what we were certain was the last road. Albeit we’d be on this stretch of road for a few kilometres. First completing the final climb, then the long straight descent towards Cartmel. Somewhere here the road flattened out and we had 2kms left to run. We ran passed the carpark and ‘racecourse’ where other runners would be camping for the night. We were all so glad that we’d found a parking space in the town near the school and didn’t have to hobble all the way back out here later on.

Onto the last stretch we could see the school lights up ahead. We walked to that finish line ever so casually, most of us with our hands in our pockets (keeping them warm) and barely managing a smile for the photo finish.

The finish line was brilliant. The photographer took loads of photos of us and we were relieved of our trackers and given tokens to get a warm meal. The food van had many variations of chips to satisfy our hunger (I went for the chilli on chips option). Inside we sat and ate, then changed into some warm and drier clothes for the drive home. Back at the haunted house, we showered and very quickly drifted off into a well deserved sleep!

Lakes in a Day 2024 was the furthest I’ve ever run in one go in the Lake District, and certainly the toughest run I’ve ever faced there. But every gruelling climb, every gust of wind, and every drop of rain was worth it. From the challenging weather to the glimpses of views to the camaraderie of fellow runners, this race will forever be etched in my memory. Already, I’m looking forward to planning the next adventure.

On the subject of eyesight, I’m not worried at this stage (and hence the calmness I had during the race – admittedly the first time I experienced it a few years back I was pretty freaked out!). There are many documented events of participants in endurance events experiencing loss of sight and similar symptoms. There are even quite a few publications on the topic of ‘Ultramarathon Associated Visual Impairments’. This article is particularly informative – https://www.irunfar.com/vision-loss-in-ultramarathons-looking-at-the-research and explains known links to Corneal Edemas, which results in painless clouding of vision due to stresses (like altitude, cold, dehydration, debris, wind, etc.). Interestingly, there are known links to refractive surgery which, yep, I had a few years ago! Anyway, it is on the list to discuss for next time I get my eyesight checked out…

Maverick X-Series Lake District

Published on September 19, 2023 by runwithdai2 Comments

It had been a while since I’d toed the line at a Maverick race. Here, on an overcast summers morning I found myself at the Grasmere Showground pinning on a bib for the X-series Lake District…

After the usual detailed race intro from Ben, we set off out of the showground, turned off the main road, through Grasmere village and started making our way towards the first climb of the course up to Easdale Tarn… The road soon became trail and the fresh damp summer smells filled the air. We settled into a rhythm and a stream of runners on both the long and ultra distances. Already with the heat and humidity I was soaked through with sweat as we ambled round countryside tracks and began climbing. The first climb was slow and gradual. Up into the Misty mountains approximately 300 m high. As we approached Easdale Tarn we crossed a small river and had the Tarn to our right. The pool of water blended effortlessly into the misty grey skyline. It looked like an impressive infinity pool where there was no distinction between the water and the sky. Almost Eerie in the spectacular early morning. Jake was on hand to snap our photos as we gawped at the scenery.

Jake capturing the epic views behind us at Easdale Tarn

From here the climb increased as the soft ground gave way to rocky paths and then steeper on slight scrambles over the barren mountain face. We huffed and puffed our way up further into the clouds as we climbed to the equally impressive Stickle Tarn (Overlooking Harrison stickle, which we couldn’t see). Up top we levelled out and began our descent. Now the trail was feint and the blue course marker flags were hidden in the clouds. We followed shadows, glimpse of flags and wet footprints to find our way down. It was a nice gentle descent from the summit that later became steeper with wet rocky steps on a defined path. Tanya captured more pictures on the descent before we came out at the bottom at the trail head and the first aid station

Tanya capturing the rocky descent from Sickle Tarn

Refuelled, we had a fairly flat and slightly undulating section through lanes and alongside stone walls. Epic views of stone quarries and riverside tracks entertained us as we made our way towards Great Langdale and on to the next aid station. Here familiar faces volunteering and supporting us could be found. Fiona marshalled us back along the river, her husband Graham and Leo at the next aid station cheering us in just before Skelwith Bridge where we’d turn and head towards Loughrigg Tarn.

From here we’d run through ancient forests with a short climb and descent before crossing to the other side of Grasmere and Rydal Waters. We’d now began making our way to Rydal Hall. There were plenty of views as we ran alongside the rivers through country parks with loads of walkers now out and enjoying the morning. We crossed the road and joined a trail path (the Coffin Trail) back on the mountain base where the course split from the medium route. Already I’d been passed by speedy front runners on the medium route who now headed back to the start and the finish line. We on the other hand turned the opposite way and continued off to Rydal Hall. It was A shortish section from here and one I was already overly familiar with. I was staying at the Rydal Hall so had walked 3 km along the race route to the start earlier in the day. Now I found myself back on the ‘Coffin Trail’ navigating back to Rydal Hall.

From the Coffin Trail (later in the Evening)

Arriving at the Hall the aid station was a welcomed sight, although one like a scene from a war movie with runners sitting and laying all around it. I joked with Steph who was volunteering what had happened. Everyone was feeling the heat and humidity.

We were approximately halfway through now with a loop up the Fairfield Horseshoe to go. I knew the second half of the course was the tougher part and we had longer between aid stations and bigger climbs to overcome. So I filled and extra bottle of water to help keep hydrated. With potatoes in my hand I set back out and soon found myself walking and talking with Matt who was on his first ultra. We’d end up running the next 20km or so together.

After a little climb and descent (with no views over Ambleside sadly) we then began the climb to Kirkstone Pass. It was gentle and easy going through fields, trail paths and the latter few hundred m on the windy, steep road. As we reached Kirkstone pass the clouds cleared and the sun came out. Stopping at the aid station Leo and Justin were on hand to support us and provide the entertainment and laughs. I took a can of Tenzing and applied some sun cream. Maybe too much as they joked I looked like I was covered in mayonnaise. Once we’d rested a little we set back out and to climb too Red Screes.

The climb was steep and slow going. Me and Matt plodded on gently consistently moving onwards and upwards thanking the marshal as we went. We were passing runners who were struggling in the heat, although thankfully the cloud cover prevented the sun penetrating us and the mountain wind provide a beautiful cooling sensation. Up top we descended. It was long and steep but far nicer than the earlier descent from Stickle Tarn. It wasn’t too long either as we had another little climb followed by some undulating trails and false summits before we reached Fairfield (Turning off just before the summit). Along the way Jake popped up once more, this time at least the clouds started to clear a little.

Her it was all, mostly, downhill. With less than 10k to go I left Matt and powered on. I had plenty of energy and felt strong. I passed more runners moaning about the false summits and the heat. I wished them well and continued. The descent I enjoyed up until we left the mountain and started traversing the side of it near Stone Arthur. Here the trails narrowed and became a little more rocky underfoot. I bounced on and soon found myself cramping badly. It was strange, it came out of nowhere and hit me in both legs simultaneously in the calves and inner quads. I ground to a halt and tried to stretch. There wasn’t much I could do and found the rocky steps of the trail triggered y cramps as I hopped down. I felt well hydrated and thought I’d been taking on enough salts but clearly not. Thankfully I passed some more Marshall’s just before the narrow descent and were informed that there was an extra water station at the bottom. So I welcomed this news.

I arrived at the the extra water stop and found Fiona once more supporting us with water and Tenzing. I took the opportunity to take two cans hoping it would combat the energy drain/cramping. I necked one and put the other in my bag ready to use if needed. From here we had just 4 km to go. To the shock of some runners we had another 200-300 m climb to go up to Alcock Tarn. I’m not sure why this shocked people as the route and profile was well advertised. It was a fairly straightforward climb for me and I eased passed more people in the way to the summit and passed the Tarn. From here we had clear views over Grasmere and a clear sight of the finish line

I trotted on as the downhill took us from the mountain, through the forests and back out at the end of the Coffin Trail. Now it was a short job along the road and back into the Showground. I ran across the finish line with a big smile having enjoyed possibly my favourite Maverick of them all. It was a great course and challenging in the temperature humidity of the late summer.

I grabbed some food (sadly no pizza left but I did have the best white chocolate rocky road) and stuck around to cheer some runners I passed and ran with and I also got to see Matt enter the showground as I was leaving. All was left for me was to once more walk the length of the coffin trail for the third time that day as I made my way back to the Rydal Hall.

This race for me epitomised Maverick race and the inclusivity of their events for all. I shared some 20km with Matt who was doing his first ultra (what a way to start!). Here he was running his first ultra whilst I was running the distance for the 77th time!. Two complete ends of the spectrum. But very littler differentiated us. You wouldn’t know. He led the way and ran and covered the course strongly. He enjoyed the experience in the same way I did. The only difference was my greater experience for noticing when there were gates we could open rather than stiles to climb, which of course I waited until he’d climbed before I went through the gate. Other than that, my legs were probably a bit more accustomed to the fatigue at the end of a race and how I was able to descend quicker than him. Great going on your first ultra Matt!!!

As always the Maverick team were brilliant. I heard so many positives from runners about the routes, the organisation and the brilliantly stocked aid stations. These guys nail it every single time!

Published on September 9, 2021September 10, 2021 by runwithdai1 Comment

As a UK-based runner and self-proclaimed lover of mountains and the outdoors, the Lake District is often described as the place to be. I’d never been. That all changed and finally, after a few failed trips, I made it to the Lake District for the first time. Of course there was a race involved – what better way to spend a weekend and to see as much as possible than with a race. Enter the Grand Tour of Skiddaw.

It was August 2021 and I was a little blue. The cause is known to me. A combination of the elation of achieving and finishing the Val D’Aran by UTMB was always going to result in a downer as I awaited the next adventure, that coupled with an ongoing niggle to my Achilles which has left me running just once a week (yeah I know, that should probably be zero not once…) and then the cancellation of the next big adventure – the Stranda Fjord – after being unable to travel to Norway. So when I found out a few mates were heading up to the Lakes for a race on bank holiday weekend, I quickly signed up for the adventure too.

The Grand Tour of Skiddaw (GTSs) is a 45 mile loop taking in two of the Wainwright’s – High Pike and Skiddaw. The course profile looked mild on paper with a circa 2,000m of elevation over the 45 miles. It also looked fairly down hill and runnable from the final climb to Skiddaw around half way.

Unfortunately, Jules had to pull out of the race a few weeks before, but kindly drove us up and dropped Jon, Yvette and I off at Lime House School (and a grand school it was!) where we soon met Al and Livvy (who Jon was coaching for the race) at the start line. It was fairly low key with a little over 100 runners towing the line.

Gaynor, the Race Director from Pure Sport Events, gave us a pre-race briefing, dibbed us all in and shouted “go” through the microphone. The small crowd of runners started trudging off out of the school and on to the wonders of the Lake district.

The first section was relatively flat (by the race profile anyway!) as we meandered through lush green fields of farmland with freshly compressed hay bails, passed by the impressive building of Rose Castle and followed the river towards Caldbeck, where the first (and last) aid station would be.

The terrain was varied as we followed each other in single file along the narrow track paths. Yvette quickly started to disappear in the distance as Jon, Al and I chatted and trotted along. We’d formed a little pack with a group of others who caught us up and were happy not to pass by but to keep the pace we were doing.

Those 7 or so miles to Caldbeck whizzed by quickly as the cool morning started to warm up. The brief stop in Caldbeck saw me stash up with Jaffa cakes and crisps as we prepared for the first climb to High Pike. The climb was fairly forgiving. Wide switch backs breaking up the steepness of the hillside. Jon and I settled into a solid hike and powered up. By now the field of runners was starting to spread out.

Before long we passed the boothy near the summit and grabbed a quick photo at the Trig point. My first ever Wainwright! I won’t be trying to ‘bag’ all 214 of them! We were soon picking up the pace as we began to descend between Drygill Head and Great Lingy Hill. Way off in the distance, we caught a feint glimpse of Yvette with her bright yellow Salomon pack acting like a beacon in the fells.

The descent took us down a few hundred metres alongside a stream. The route, although expertly marked, was tricky to follow as it was lumpy with wild growth and slippery from the wet ground near the stream. It wasn’t the quickest descent and I was glad to see the end of it with my ankles feeling rather tender by the end. I’d gotten a little ahead of Jon by now but carried on running as it felt good, knowing he’d catch me up sooner or later.

The next section wasn’t particularly pleasant despite the incredible views it offered. It was a very gradual incline path that was visible all the way off in the distance as we ran towards Skiddaw House Hostel. It was also a little rocky, so the ankles didn’t quite get the rest they were hoping for. I kept running. Here I caught up with Yvette after a good period of consistent running and then we carried on together passed the Hostel and up to the next aid station at the base of the climb to Skiddaw. As we refuelled, Jon arrived just moments behind us.

A tiring run along the slight rocky incline

The climb to Skiddaw was by far the biggest and steepest of the course. It was without doubt the main point and highlight of the race, pretty obvious seeing as the race is named after the peak! A rocky/gravel track zig zagged up the mountain. It was fairly steep in parts and made for slow and steady going. It was a good workout for the legs that was for sure. The further we climbed though, the more the mist obscured the no doubt fantastic views.

Posing for Jules on the climb to Skiddaw

We passed two guys who were running as one of the ‘pairs’ – a category of two people entered together and would run entirely together through to the finish. One was suffering cramps quite badly. Yvette stopped to help as Jon and I carried on. I thought that might be the end of them!

It wasn’t long before we were reaching the summit. Here we’d have a slight out and back section to the Trig point and an opportunity to ‘ring’ the race bell. We each took our turn ringing the bell before turning around to begin the descent down towards Longside, Ullock Pike and Barkbeth Hill. This descent was fast, steep and slightly daunting. The misty mountain summit made visibility slightly difficult and the loose scree made the descent slippery. A lot of concentration was required with a steep drop off on one side. I sped down and looked back to see Jon and Yvette as small dots on the mountain side.

The descent continued as we rolled up and down past Longside where, just as I reached Ullock Pike, I stopped and laid down to enjoy the view over Keswick and Bassenthwaite Lake just below as I waited for Jon and Yvette to catch up. They stopped for a little bit too and we persuaded a hiker to snap a picture for us before we carried on. As we approached Barkbeth Hill the descent became a little steeper and technical once more. As we eased down, the pair of runners caught us up. A solid recovery from the cramping. As we bottomed out we all ran into the farm together for the next aid station and a welcome break to top up food and liquids.

Enjoying the views (and a waffle) from Ullock Pike

From here we encountered what I thought turned out to be one of the harder sections of the race, mentally at least. It was a 5 mile section along the road from Orthwaite as we made our way back towards Caldbeck. The roads were very straight and undulating and offered no protection from the sun which was now intense in the mid afternoon. It was slow and arduous progress as we ran and walked in equal measures. After what felt like an eternity the road gave way and we climbed the last of the ‘major climbs’ near Fell Side along well maintained hiking paths to re-join the route back where we began the climb to High Pike many hours earlier. From here we knew it was just a km or two back to Caldbeck and the final aid station. We trudged on and had the aid station to ourselves.

Here we had plenty of attention from the volunteers and enjoyed a few good chats and plenty of laughter. We stayed a while and begrudgingly decided we’d better leave and begin the final 12km back to the school. Leaving the aid station we passed Gillian and Jules who’d come outside their accommodation of the Oddfellow arms to cheer us all on. This was the only time I was glad I wasn’t staying with everyone else here (I was closer to the finish, staying near Rose Castle). Running 12km away from the accommodation was not something I would have enjoyed!

Before long we were back on the trails and winding along the river and fields once more. Jon and I had left Yvette slightly behind us in Caldbeck and gone on ahead of her. I felt bad. We kept going though. Mostly alone just the two of us other than one runner who caught us up and passed us. Running along side the river we felt we’d gone wrong. We had. We’d missed a turn into the final field somehow (there was a sign pointing back against us, we’d assumed it was from earlier in the day). We back tracked, adjusted the sign, and were on course again, not far to go, just to small climb out of the field and into the school grounds remained. Back to where it all began.

We rounded the school grounds down to the field the the rapturous applause and cheers from the volunteers. Jon and I ambled over the line and celebrated with a hi five as the volunteers took our trackers and gave us our medals. For a moment they also thought we were the first ‘pair’ as we’d run together. If we’d entered as a pair we would indeed have won that category! Shortly after us the pair did finish which was the two guys (Mike and Andy) who we’d shared much of the section after the Skiddaw descent together. We cheered them in and bought them a beer to celebrate. There goes probably my only chance to claim a podium spot! Behind them, Yvette followed in and together we all celebrated with pizza and beer as we waited and cheered in Al and the Livvy too.

The finish line vibes were excellent as the volunteers all cheered and celebrated with the runners. They fed us incredible home made sweet potato and coconut soup (made by Gaynor!) and had set up their own pub – The Stagger Inn – at the finish line for runners to enjoy. I loved the friendliness of the event and all the staff and the organisation was top notch. The route was expertly marked and as far as I could tell everything ran smoothly. The finishers medal was also great with a high quality medal made from local slate. Another first for me.

What a great way to end a fabulous adventure and running with friends in a new place. An incredible first experience of the Lake district. It certainly helped lift me a little out of the blues.