Bob Graham Leg 3 Recce
The dreaded leg 3; the leg that I'd read so much about..."the climbing leg". Well, on Sunday it was my turn to see for myself.
Leg 3 poses some logistical challenges for a recce; namely because the start (Dunmail Raise) and end (Wasdale) are a good hour and thirty minutes away from each other by car. Because of this, I'd arranged with Abigail (the BGR widow) to collect me from Seathwaite in Borrowdale. To that end, I'd run leg 3 and then walk from Wasdale Head via Sty Head to Seathwaite.
After a short and slow walk from Grasmere, I reached the starting point at Dunmail Raise. It was 6.00am and there was a little collective of people parked in the lay-by. I didn't get close enough to say hello, but I have a pretty strong feeling that they were a support crew for a Bob Graham attempt.
I crossed the stile and began the steep climb up to Steel Fell and Dead Pike. The weather was pretty good; no rain and relatively mild. Some patches of blue sky were appearing through the clouds. I was happy to reach the top of Steel Fell after about 16 minutes. The sweat was pouring off me already but I resisted the urge to stop and drink water as I had a long way to go. The route from Steel Fell is undulating but runable. The heavy rain the days before had made the paths boggy and some of the rocks were quite slippery.
After around 2 miles I reached Calf Crag, the second Wainwright of the leg. After Calf Crag there's a long and steady climb onto Sergeant Man. By this point I'd been running for just under an hour and was bang on my 4 mph schedule. A quick out and back to High Raise followed. I took the opportunity to stop for 30 seconds and swig some water and eat a protein bar.
The route then heads south into the Langdale Pikes, the first of which is Harrison Stickle. As I clambered up the rocks to reach the summit I noted how slippery they were.
I'd tacked-on an additional Wainwright; Loft Crag. For some reason I'd missed this a few years ago and so took the opportunity to bag it here. After Loft Crag I was quickly back on course and heading up Pike of Stickle. Pike of Stickle was a tricky climb on slippery rocks and I had to take care coming back down it.
Heading northwest out of the Langdale Pikes, the route descends for a mile or two, offering a little respite. Shortly before Rossett Pike I stopped to fill my water bottles up from a beck. After Rossett Pike the work began as I ascended the steep slope up the side of Bowfell. I realised I was losing quite a bit of time on this section, however I had to keep reminding myself that this is a recce and the point of the recce is to identify these difficulties. After what seemed like an age I topped out on Bowfell. I clambered over the slippery rocks to the summit.
I had some trouble finding the route down off Bowfell towards Esk Pike. I was in the clag at this height and had to meander my way over the rocky ground until I found the path. Passing over Esk Pike I then descended to Esk Hause. I really like Esk Hause; I always think of it as a busy crossroads in the middle of the fells.
Anyway, I continued the steep climb up onto Great End (another new Wainwright for me). I had some trouble finding the true summit and so I ended up going to various high points to make sure I hit it. After Great End, the route heads south along Brown Band towards Ill Crag and then Broad Crag. Again, I was in the clag and so I was a little unsure of the true summit points for these peaks.
Finally, after Broad Crag, there's the thigh-killing climb up onto Scafell Pike. The clag was thick at this point and I only realised I'd reached the summit when I saw an abundance of people milling around. I have to say, despite feeling knackered at this stage, I felt I'd reached Scafell Pike in good time, minus the struggle up to Bowfell.
The soul-destroying section is between Scafell Pike and Sca Fell. I didn't fancy climbing Broad Stand or the West Wall Traverse and so I'd opted to take the Foxes Tarn Gully. To get to the gully you have to lose around 700ft in elevation and then reclaim it all. The Gully itself is easy to find and actually quite fun to climb, however, the loose scree on the climb following the gully is awful and I had to stop every ten steps to take a breather. This was by far the worst section for me.
Familiar story; in the clag I had difficulty locating the Sca Fell summit and danced around looking for something summit-like. The descent to the west is equally unpleasant; lots of loose scree and slippery loose rocks.
Soon however Wast Water appeared in front of me and I felt like I was on the final stretch. I had one final challenge...getting down to Wasdale. To my surprise, the route I'd plotted didn't take me over the grassy slopes, it instead took me over Rakehead Crag. I'd based the route on the Strava heatmap facility and so I knew that people used the route...but how? I edged my way very carefully down the side of the crag. I knew that this was the most dangerous thing I'd encountered on the leg and wondered whether I'd miscalculated my movements. I ended up sitting on my backside and sliding down sections of scree... I'd rather loose the skin on my arse than on my face. After what seemed like hours (it wasn't) I reached a better gradient and was able to cross the grassy slope where I waded across Lingmell Gill.
With some relief, and after 6 hours 24 minutes, I reached the Wasdale car park. I think this leg took longer than it should have, and I definitely lost time picking my way up to Bowfell and struggling up to Sca Fell. None the less, I'm pleased to have recced it and to have done so without too much hassle.
Things to think about:
1. The climb to Steel Fell and Dead Pike isn't as bad as you'd think.
2. Take the climb up to Bowfell slowly rather than try to do it quickly and have to keep stopping.
3. Much of the route after Rossett Pike is rocky, uneven and difficult to run - don't get too frustrated, it's the nature of the route.
4. Try to make a better line between Broad Stand and Foxes Tarn Gully, thus loosing less elevation.
5. The climb from Foxes Tarn to the summit is crap - no two ways about it.
6. Check the descent over Rakehead Crag... was this really the correct line?
Still...I enjoyed a nice pint in the Wasdale Head Inn before the walk back to Seathwaite!
Leg 3 poses some logistical challenges for a recce; namely because the start (Dunmail Raise) and end (Wasdale) are a good hour and thirty minutes away from each other by car. Because of this, I'd arranged with Abigail (the BGR widow) to collect me from Seathwaite in Borrowdale. To that end, I'd run leg 3 and then walk from Wasdale Head via Sty Head to Seathwaite.
After a short and slow walk from Grasmere, I reached the starting point at Dunmail Raise. It was 6.00am and there was a little collective of people parked in the lay-by. I didn't get close enough to say hello, but I have a pretty strong feeling that they were a support crew for a Bob Graham attempt.
I crossed the stile and began the steep climb up to Steel Fell and Dead Pike. The weather was pretty good; no rain and relatively mild. Some patches of blue sky were appearing through the clouds. I was happy to reach the top of Steel Fell after about 16 minutes. The sweat was pouring off me already but I resisted the urge to stop and drink water as I had a long way to go. The route from Steel Fell is undulating but runable. The heavy rain the days before had made the paths boggy and some of the rocks were quite slippery.
After around 2 miles I reached Calf Crag, the second Wainwright of the leg. After Calf Crag there's a long and steady climb onto Sergeant Man. By this point I'd been running for just under an hour and was bang on my 4 mph schedule. A quick out and back to High Raise followed. I took the opportunity to stop for 30 seconds and swig some water and eat a protein bar.
The route then heads south into the Langdale Pikes, the first of which is Harrison Stickle. As I clambered up the rocks to reach the summit I noted how slippery they were.
I'd tacked-on an additional Wainwright; Loft Crag. For some reason I'd missed this a few years ago and so took the opportunity to bag it here. After Loft Crag I was quickly back on course and heading up Pike of Stickle. Pike of Stickle was a tricky climb on slippery rocks and I had to take care coming back down it.
 |
| Towards Langdale |
I had some trouble finding the route down off Bowfell towards Esk Pike. I was in the clag at this height and had to meander my way over the rocky ground until I found the path. Passing over Esk Pike I then descended to Esk Hause. I really like Esk Hause; I always think of it as a busy crossroads in the middle of the fells.
Anyway, I continued the steep climb up onto Great End (another new Wainwright for me). I had some trouble finding the true summit and so I ended up going to various high points to make sure I hit it. After Great End, the route heads south along Brown Band towards Ill Crag and then Broad Crag. Again, I was in the clag and so I was a little unsure of the true summit points for these peaks.
Finally, after Broad Crag, there's the thigh-killing climb up onto Scafell Pike. The clag was thick at this point and I only realised I'd reached the summit when I saw an abundance of people milling around. I have to say, despite feeling knackered at this stage, I felt I'd reached Scafell Pike in good time, minus the struggle up to Bowfell.
The soul-destroying section is between Scafell Pike and Sca Fell. I didn't fancy climbing Broad Stand or the West Wall Traverse and so I'd opted to take the Foxes Tarn Gully. To get to the gully you have to lose around 700ft in elevation and then reclaim it all. The Gully itself is easy to find and actually quite fun to climb, however, the loose scree on the climb following the gully is awful and I had to stop every ten steps to take a breather. This was by far the worst section for me.
Familiar story; in the clag I had difficulty locating the Sca Fell summit and danced around looking for something summit-like. The descent to the west is equally unpleasant; lots of loose scree and slippery loose rocks.
Soon however Wast Water appeared in front of me and I felt like I was on the final stretch. I had one final challenge...getting down to Wasdale. To my surprise, the route I'd plotted didn't take me over the grassy slopes, it instead took me over Rakehead Crag. I'd based the route on the Strava heatmap facility and so I knew that people used the route...but how? I edged my way very carefully down the side of the crag. I knew that this was the most dangerous thing I'd encountered on the leg and wondered whether I'd miscalculated my movements. I ended up sitting on my backside and sliding down sections of scree... I'd rather loose the skin on my arse than on my face. After what seemed like hours (it wasn't) I reached a better gradient and was able to cross the grassy slope where I waded across Lingmell Gill.
 |
| Erm? |
With some relief, and after 6 hours 24 minutes, I reached the Wasdale car park. I think this leg took longer than it should have, and I definitely lost time picking my way up to Bowfell and struggling up to Sca Fell. None the less, I'm pleased to have recced it and to have done so without too much hassle.
 |
| Rakehead Crag...not fun |
Things to think about:
1. The climb to Steel Fell and Dead Pike isn't as bad as you'd think.
2. Take the climb up to Bowfell slowly rather than try to do it quickly and have to keep stopping.
3. Much of the route after Rossett Pike is rocky, uneven and difficult to run - don't get too frustrated, it's the nature of the route.
4. Try to make a better line between Broad Stand and Foxes Tarn Gully, thus loosing less elevation.
5. The climb from Foxes Tarn to the summit is crap - no two ways about it.
6. Check the descent over Rakehead Crag... was this really the correct line?
Still...I enjoyed a nice pint in the Wasdale Head Inn before the walk back to Seathwaite!
