Keswick to Barrow 2015

My tenth and final result:

That's my second fastest time, so I'm really pleased with that.

Err..., yes.

After almost a complete year without any posts, I'm back with a begging note.  On the 9th of May I'm doing the Keswick to Barrow for the 10th and (probably) final time so if you feel like sponsoring me, for the benefit of St. Giles Hospice, that would be nice. 

Keswick to Barrow 2014

12 hours, 54 minutes, 38 seconds

An earlier start this year as we had to bring our team together from two different locations and try and make the 5:30 am start.  In the end we reached the start point almost on time, but had to wait to get out of the car due to everyone else trying to do the same.

We had woken at 0400 and noted that the forecast heavy rain had already started and it stayed with us till 9.

By Thirlmere

Shortly after that photo above the road was totally flooded to a depth of at least 4cm.  While some clambered on the dry stone wall or climbed up onto the grassy slope on the right, we hardy souls plodded on through the water.  I did start to wonder if two spare pairs of socks would be enough.

Four of us had started: myself, Bill, Carl and Andy.  I was the only one to have done the K2B before.  Bill had done support last year so had some idea of what to expect.  Andy was going to run it (hence the 0530 start).  Matt and Mike both wanted to do it, but Mike was ill and Matt had stepped in to do support duties.  Also on support was Andy's wife Emily with their two kids in tow.  Emily was mainly support for Andy, with Matt handling the rest of us. 

At the start Andy set off running.  I followed at a brisk pace with Bill and Carl not far behind.  It was very wet, with lots of run off from the hills:

On Dunmail Raise the rain got the better of me and I stopped on the verge to put on my over trousers and pack my electronics (including camera) into waterproof bags.  Apparently as I was doing the one-legged dance, Carl and Bill walked right past me without noticing as I caught up with them on the descent to Grasmere.  On the side roads we caught a glimpse of the sun, but had to negotiate another flooded road.  My socks were already wet so...

After Grasmere and checkpoint 1 the rain eased off, settling into occasional showers and brief glimpses of the sun.  Much better than the forecasts had threatened.

By checkpoint 3 and the second encounter with Matt I had settled into my pace - a little faster than Bill and Carl but close enough that they would catch up with me at each brief stop.

It was clear that I wasn't going to be setting any personal bests, but I would be content with less than 13 hours.  Bill was suffering from blisters early on and Carl had knee trouble but they soldiered on.

At the halfway halt I had sandwiches and changed socks.  No rain, unlike last year so the new pair went on dry.

At Lowick Bridge we heard from Matt that Andy had finished (still don't know his time!) and Em was taking him back to their camp site.  Since we walkers were bunched together, Matt was able to handle the support by himself.  However Bill was contemplating dropping out at Lowick due to his painful blisters.  I set off by myself, wanting to avoid standing still for too long.

Heading up to Rake Cross I could feel a blister forming on my right sole, so after checking in at check point 6 (30.5 miles) I visited the first aid point where they applied a nice large bandage.  I set of again and met Bill and Carl tending to their own feet. Bill was feeling he'd had enough - his feet were a mess.  I plodded on, anticipating my first sight of Barrow (an odd state of mind...).

In Marton Matt confirmed that Bill had dropped out, and was awaiting transport to the check point so that Matt could pick him up.  Carl was still going.

Once you reach Dalton you know that only something drastic can stop you.  I pushed on and turning onto Abbey Road I set my iPod to Abbey Road.  And just like last year, as Here Comes the Sun started the rain made one last appearance.  I didn't care.  I crossed the line, about 5 minutes under the 13 hours, with Matt taking my picture.  After collecting the medal and the time card I went straight into the First Aid area to get the feet checked.  This time there was a blister on my left sole.

I exited the tent and went looking for Matt, just in time to see Carl finishing - I couldn't get my camera out quick enough.  In the days leading up to the walk he'd been convinced he wouldn't get further than the 26 mile mark but in the end he finished in just over 13 hours, faster than I managed on my first outing.

So with two exhausted walkers (and poor Bill waiting in the car) we decided to forgo the free pie and the free beer(!), and left Barrow for the hotel.

That was my ninth K2B.  I'm not doing more than ten, but as 2016 is the 50th walk I might skip next year.

You'd think I'd have learnt after the first 8 times

I'm doing the Keswick to Barrow again this year, and once again it's for the St. Giles Hospice.  This year the organizers are insisting on on-line sponsorship, so if you feel like sponsoring me, go here.

Longest walk so far this year has been 14 miles, along the old Stafford-Shrewsbury line.  Next weekend the target is 20 miles, using the Trent & Mersey Canal towpath.

2013 by month

As last year this is as recorded by my GPS (upgraded in February to the nicer 3500 model).

What happened in July? A case of a bout of the lurgi (I even missed a beer festival) and user error operating the GPS...

September 2013

Early September I had a short holiday in the Lake District, stopping at Keswick.  Three days walking, rain on two of them.

First up, Friar's Crag and Castlerigg:

Next Buttermere and Hay Stacks:

Final day: around Grange Fell:

K2B Photos

It's a little late to try and write up this year's K2B so I'll just post some of my photos

Between the start and Thirlmere, showing the start of the rain.  Note that in early May there is still snow on the hill sides.

 

Grasmere.  Both the 10 mile mark and the warning about Red Bank.

Looking down on Elterwater

K2B 2013 (summary)

12 hours 18 minutes, about 8 hours thoroughly wet.

Pictures here.  The lack of pictures between 13 miles and 35 miles is due to me trying to keep the camera dry.

This year to date

So far it has been Cannock Chase, The Wrekin, the canals between Rugeley and Stafford and one trip out to the Roaches when it looked like Spring was on it's way (ha).  I should be doing longer distances by now (20 miles scheduled for next weekend), but the weather isn't helping.

New toy

I got a new GPS unit.  Bigger screen (for my failing eyes) and the full 1:50,000 OS map for Great Britain (my precious).

Gluttons for Punishment

Yes we're back in the K2B again this year.  By the looks of it we may already be down to just 3 walkers as some people come back to their senses

2012

Yes I've been a little lax in updating.  The graph above is the distance registered by my GPS in each month for each walk I had it with me (usually an hour or more).  You'll notice the build up to the K2B in early May, then a decline.  I don't know what happened in August, unless it was work taking out some of my weekends.

The weather might also have had something to do with it:

That was from early June in the Malverns.  Probably.  With that visibility it could have been anywhere!  Twice on that walk my GPS showed we'd managed to turn 180 degrees and were going back where we'd came.

Keswick To Barrow 2012

Distance: 40 miles (allegedly)
Time: 13 hours, 15
Average Speed: 4.86 km/h (3.02 mph)

We set off from our B&B in Windermere at a little after 5am: myself, Mike Roberts and Steve Eyles, with Chris Bradshaw as our support.  Mike and I are old hands, but it was Steve's and Chris' first K2B.

It was about 35-40 minutes to reach the top of Thirlmere and then another 15 minutes to reach the dropping off point.  You can't expect to get 2400 or so people to the start line without some waiting involved and the K2B committee have made it as smooth as possible.  Chris took a quick team photo and then the three of us queued for the start.  We went through at 0607, with about 1870 people having gone through ahead of us.  This included three young women and a black labrador all dressed as bees.

The skies were clear, so it was a cold start.  There was evidence of previous rain but there wasn't to be a single drop that day, possibly a first for my attempts.  We were wearing the waterproofs anyway, just for the warmth.  A brisk walk to Thirlmere soon warmed us up.  As usual it was flat calm at that time of the morning and Helvelyn was reflected beautifully in the water.

Mike had been off work ill for much of the training period and although recovered wasn't quite fighting fit so he fell behind.  Steve and I hit much the same pace so we kept together.

After Thirlmere we hit Dunmail Raise and the sun finally found its way over the hill tops, raising the temperature.  I found myself having to take of the waterproof and shove it into the backpack, out came the hat at the same time.  I was now wearing just a t-shirt on top, not cold at all.  Steve had got ahead of me while I adjusted my kit, but I caught up with him as we reached the edge of Grasmere.  I phoned Chris at the 1 mile to the checkpoint sign to let him know we were coming.

We picked up supplies from Chris and he asked about Mike.  Steve said he was ahead of us, I said behind.  After grabbing a drink I lost sight of Steve, so unwilling to stay to long I set off again.  Steve caught up with me at the top of Red Back, which we had warning him about.  He said he was glad it was over, I said that we still had to get down the other side.  Descending punishes the parts of your feet that had been given a rest on the ascent, you also face the choice of a slow controlled descent or a mad dash.

The checkpoint at Elterwater marks the one-third stage.  I grabbed two drinks at this checkpoint, and eavesdropped on somebody having a good strop at a hapless official.  I couldn't work out what the actual complaint was, and I'm pretty sure the official was none the wiser.  Steve had already set off, so I followed him.  Other than a few glimpses over the next half-hour that was the last I saw of him until the end!  He'd obviously trained well.

I plodded on.  In a lay-by on the main road down to Coniston there was an ice cream van.  I resisted the temptation for an actual ice cream but got a cold drink from his freezer.  Not long after it was the stony track up the hill and another steep descent down to Monk Coniston.  There I met up with Chris who said he hadn't seen Steve.  Mike had been only ten minutes behind us at Grasmere, he'd started out of breath but had recovered and got his pace back.

I started the walk along the east side of Coniston and began the mental arithmetic to estimate my finish time.  I was thrown when I reached the 20 mile mark and spotted the lunch break stop without seeing the 1 mile to checkpoint warning.  Slightly clarified by the official who was having to explain to everyone that CP4 wasn't there this year, but was later on.  I was able to guess I wasn't going to beat my personal best time.  I had a quick sandwich, checked my feet, changed my socks and converted my trousers to shorts.  Then I set off before my muscles became convinced it was over.

Shortly afterwards I was passed by the bee girls and their bee dog.  They'd already passed me once or twice, but they always seemed to stop a long time at each checkpoint.  One of them remarked that I must be looking forward to a beer at the end.  Two, I said.  The first wasn't going to touch the sides.

The new home for CP4 was at Water Park at the bottom end of Coniston.  Somebody at the drinks point there had thought ahead as the was a water bowl for the dogs.  Apart from the bee dog, there must have been at least 5 other dogs including a husky.

I met Chris again at the Red Lion in Lowick, further back from the road than the usual meet up.  He'd missed Steve again, but as we were talking (and I was dumping my used socks and trouser leg ends), Mike came up.  I set off again, passing the bee girls, swiped at CP5 which had also moved this year (the community centre, not the church) and headed off for the long, slow slog up to Kirkby Moor.  Mike soon caught up, but said he'd got the the church only to be told he'd missed the checkpoint and had elected not to go back.  He was soon outpacing me.

I re-did my mental arithmetic.  With two thirds done I could just make 12 and a half hours if I picked up the pace.  But now, I could feel the blisters on my feet.  I tried to ignore them, but I knew they were going to get worse.

At the 30 mile sign I stopped to take a picture.  The bee girls were resting there and offered to take it for me while I posed by the sign.

I was through CP6 when Mike came up behind me.  He'd stopped for some crisps and I'd just gone straight through oblivious.  Soon he was outpacing me again.  Not long after my feet were in agony.  I made it to Marton and the next checkpoint.  I swiped, knocked back some water then headed straight for the First Aid point with Chris in tow.  I got tangled up trying to take the backpack of and had to sort that out before the nice St. Johns Ambulance lady could look at my feet.  A huge blister on each heel, each requiring two of the large white plasters.  After this patching up I set off as soon as I could, wanting to finish as quickly as I could.  I put on the IPod and went for a Rush live album.

The next few miles were just trudging along, trying to build up a pace and ignoring what was happening below the ankles.  You get a lot of encouragement from Marton, going through Dalton and into Barrow.  You need it.  At about 38.5 miles I passed a father and daughter struggling on.  The daughter was crying, but keeping going.

Coming up to the last mile I changed album.  Just like last year I put on Abbey Road as I was walking along Abbey Road.  Last year I started with Here Comes the Sun and had to skip a couple of tracks to finish on The End.  I didn't skip any this year, and I didn't finish on The End.  I didn't even finish on Her Majesty.  It had looped around to Something.

Chris, Mike and Steve had gone inside because they were Southern and through it was cold, so no photograph of me finishing.  There was a surprise however.  For completing seven walks you get:

For the past 48 hours I've been seeking a grant from the Ministry of Silly Walks, but I should have raised a bit over £300.

Ready to go

Less than 36 hours to go now. All packed bar the toothbrush. I'll be trying to tweet my progress via @smwkerofin as last year, but I don't expect much of a signal.

Nearly 30 miles

Saturday 28th April
Distance: 45.45 km (28.24 mi)
Time: 10 hours 12
Average speed: 4.46 km/h (2.77 mph)

This was the last scheduled training walk before the Keswick to Barrow on the 12th of May, reusing last year's 30 mile route.  I was out the house early and heading up the old railway line to Beaconside and Beacon Hill.  It was cold, but dry.  As it turned out, it was the driest it had been for weeks in terms of rainfall, but the ground was still muddy.  I wore my new lighter waterproof jacket not for its protection from water, but from the wind.

At Beacon Hill I got a good view of the County Showground and all the traffic tailing back in both directions.  Not a day to use that route out of Stafford.  I continued on to Hopton Pools then on to the road.  I was planning to use the footpath past the Battle monument so I checked my GPS to confirm where it was and found it was still showing me back home, with an hourglass running.  A bit of cursing and exiting/restart later and it was working, although it had lost the track up to that point.  Thus the time information above is a guess, taken from last year's effort over the same route.

I'd found the footpath on the other side of the road before fixing the GPS  and continued past the monument for the Battle of Hopton Heath.  Not a big monument, but then I don't think it was a particularly big battle.

The path led through a large field with long, wet grass resulting in damp feet and damp trouser legs.  It was one of those fields where the stile I was aiming for wasn't visible from the start and not being well travelled there was no trail to follow.  So I just used the now-behaving GPS to keep me near the line until I could spot the yellow dots of the footpath sign on the far fence.  That stile looked pretty dilapidated, which would explain the bits of new aluminium gate nearby.  The next fence already had its gate installed. 

I descended the hill down to Salt and the Trent Valley, aiming for the Trent and Mersey canal.  The next bit was a steady and flat stroll along the often muddy tow path, heading for Haywood Junction.  When Weston came into view I could see the traffic backed up to the A51, obviously from the County Showground.

Past Haywood Junction I left the canal at Shugborough and headed for Cannock Chase along the Staffordshire Way. I went past the stepping stones along Sherbrook Valley  and at the little bridge where the Staffordshire Way leaves the valley I stopped for lunch.  I nearly had to share my rolls with a couple of large and friendly but hungry dogs.

I only stopped for ten minutes but as usual it was enough to trigger complaints from my legs and feet when I set of again.  It was a well travelled path I followed from there, picking up the Heart of England Way to the Visitor Centre and Marquis's Drive.  All along there I was checking the GPS, estimating how much distance I'd done that the GPS had missed and doing the mental arithmetic to work out what the total distance would be if I turned back at X, Y or Z.  In the end I decided to copy last year and at the top of Kitbag Hill I turned North to start looping back.

I went down to the other stepping stones, or in this case stepping slabs, and back via Fairoak Lodge and the Tackeroo caravan site.  Last year I'd exhausted my water and had to resupply here, but being much cooler I still had some.

At rifle range corner there was a party of 12 tired teenagers, boys and girls, with heavy packs and looking at a map.  They asked directions to Beaudesert and I waved in the general direction of the way I'd come.  Then they asked where they were and I consulted their map.  It was a laminated extract of the OS map for Cannock Chase with a thick red line marking what I guessed was their route.  I then had to point to the very edge of their map to where they were, nowhere near the thick red line.  "We're about half way" said one lad and I left before the recriminations over navigation began.

Passing my outward route I went up Brocton Field and Coppice Hill where I transferred my backup water into the camel pack thingy.  Heading downwards I began to suspect my footware.  It seemed I was feeling every stone in the path, walking on the softer verges rather than the stony track.  Things came to a head as I reached Milford Common.  Although I'd suspected that blisters had already formed, all of a sudden there was a pain in my left sole that slowed me right down.  I grabbed a soft drink from the fish and chip place at the common, then sat outside and eased my shoe and sock off my left foot.  There was a large blister on my heel which I could live with and another right on the sole that was causing the trouble.  I slapped a Compeed on it, hoped for the best and set off again.

It took a few minutes of limping but I was able to get back into my stride, although a little slower.  Facing a choice between the tarmac of the road route back home or the shorter, uneven canal route, I opted for the Staffs & Wocester tow path and a bit of will power to ignore the pain.  As usual I left the canal between Baswich Bridge and Radford Bank, whereupon it started to rain.  It was the heaviest rain all day, not quite enough for me to put up the hood on the waterproof.

Back on the streets it was a trudge back home, taking waits to cross the road as rest stops.

I had been wearing the shoes I planned to use for the actual walk, but now I'm not so sure.  I had thought they were in good condition but the insides have no give anymore.  I don't like the idea of getting a new pair so close to the big day.

The Long Mynd

Saturday 14th April
Distance: 31.8 km (19.76 mi)
Time: 7 hours 52
Average speed: 4.04 km/h (2.51 mph)

This was the second 20 mile training walk (call me a liar for 0.24 of a mile), the one with steep ascents. The first ascent was from Church Stretton (192 m above sea level) via the Cardingmill valley up to the trig point at Pole Bank (515 m by my GPS).

The weather was dry, overcast and cold. The wind encouraged me to keep my jumper on, but there was no need for my waterproof.

From Pole Bank I headed south past the gliding club and stopped at the edge of the forest to have my lunch. There was a sheep in a hollow that stared at me as I ate my two buns and a banana, never moving. I became convinced it had got stuck somehow so I went for a closer look. It moved then but still held its ground, then I saw the tiny head just beside it so I left them alone.

Changing the usual route I headed east and followed a stream to near Churchmoor Hall. I thought it was a path, and so did somebody else by the footprints, but it was just a sheep track and I had to make diversions around hawthorns. Back on the actual path I headed south-west to Plowden, a mere 200m above sea level before climbing back up to the plateau on the Long Mynd at 440m.

Heading back towards the gliding club I again saw Crouching Ewe Hidden Lamb who had left the hollow and were grazing nearby. The final stretch at height was via Cross Dyke before heading down to Little Stretton, a steep descent, and then a nice flat stroll back to the car in Church Stretton.

A good practice walk, not too fast. I had stiff legs and only proto-blisters on the feet. The next big walk is pencilled in on the 28th, a 30 mile.

Macclesfield Forest and Shutlingsloe

Easter Sunday
Distance: 13 km (8.08 mi)
Time: 3 hours 20
Average speed: 3.9 km/h (2.42 mph)

A typical British Easter Day: daffodils, drizzle and the occasional snow drift lying. The narrow track up to Forest Chapel still had deep snow in it, my foot broke the crust on top and my leg went in up to the ankle.

Above Forest Chapel I was in cloud. A brief respite around the reservoir then back into cloud heading for the top of Shutlingsloe. Out of the forest and crossing on the flagstones I was contemplating missing the peak when I saw somebody who made me look almost sane: a hill runner in very short shorts and bright red knees. I was so glad it wasn't me I was on the path heading for the top long before I realize I'd missed the chance to avoid it.

From the top of Shutlingsloe I could see the trig point, the rocks around it, and nothing else. It was quite tricky picking my way down without sliding around and required descending one bit on my bum.

Stile Cop and the canals

Friday 30th March
Distance: 31.3 km (19.45 mi)
Time 5 hours 57
Average speed: 5.26 km/h (3.27 mph)

For this one I combined a Friday walk home with the scheduled 20 mile training walk. To make up the required distance I combined my three possible routes from Rugeley to Stafford.

Firstly I headed up Stile Cop. The weather had just turned and the glorious sunshine of the past few days had become a thick cloud covering. Worse, when in the wind it was feeling chilly. I was in a t-shirt and persisted so, it wasn't too bad out of the wind.

At Stile Cop (the only real climb, 146 m worth) I went down the track beside the bike trail then across the main road heading back into the Chase. At the stepping stones I turned right to go past the Forest Centre and follow the Cannock/Rugeley footpath back into Rugeley.

In Rugeley I followed the road to the Moseley where I picked up the canal heading for Stafford. Then it was a simple trudge back to make just shy of the 20 miles. The net result was stiff and sore legs the following day, but no blisters.

Sunday 18th March: Beresford and Wolfscote Dales

Distance: 12.6 km (7.83 mi)
Time: 2 hours 56
Average speed: 4.3 km/h (2.67 mph)

I set off from home in heavy rain, just as the weather forecast had predicted. I was hoping that the forecast would also be right in it stopping by about 9ish, but it didn't look to hopeful. I even passed a car parked by the A515 with sleet on its windscreen. Thankfully the rain had stopped as I pulled into Hartington and I set off in the dry, right about 9am.

This is a fairly gentle route, south from Hartington to meet the Dove in Beresford Dale, and then leave it almost immediately to go partway up Narrowdale Hill. This is one of only two steep bits upwards. The next part is a gentle stroll down into Alstonfield, then east along the road and then a track past the Youth Hostel. In summer this is covered in nettles, not a problem this trip.

Going down Gypsy Bank into Wolfscote Dale was going to be tricky given the damp ground. I'd already tripped twice going over stiles and done the flailing arms think to keep balance. I took care, but still managed to slide once before reaching the Dove at the bottom.

And now the sun came out, most of the time anyway. It's a very pleasant stroll back alongside the Dove and I met a couple of dozen people coming the other way, compared to 3 or 4 on the high road.

Just before meeting the outward route, the route heads up a steep path to a walk in pleasant sunshine along some fields and tracks, then back down into Hartington.

Gnosall and back again

Distance: 26.5 km (16.47 mi)
Time: 4 hours 53
Average speed: 5.43 km/h (3.37 mph)

Not a very interesting walk this one, it followed the old Stafford-Newport Railway line and was thus a) nearly straight and b) virtually level. Unlike last year I went through Gnosall, over the canal and up to the bridge carrying the the A518 before turning around.