Borrowdale Fell Race

SATURDAY 4 AUGUST 2007
A measly three Westies were all that ventured south for this classic Lakes fell race. 17 miles and around 6000 feet of ascent over paths, burns, bog, rocks, quarries and the odd bit of nice runnable grass. Taking up Andy’s kind offer of accommodation at his parents’ house near Keswick meant Steffen and I did not have a wet and windy camp the night before. The horrible weather fortunately relented for the race start at 11am in Rosthwaite, and it was mild and damp with low cloud. Up top though we were informed that the Mountain Rescue had advised of really bad conditions on Scafell Pike, and Scoffer announced to us immediately before the start that the race would be shortened by heading straight to Styhead Tarn from Esk Hause. I certainly wasn’t disappointed to be missing out the worst part of the route, the slippy rocks on the way to Scafell Pike, the scree off the top and the tricky Corridor Route. As for my wee race, I had my usual plodding first hour or so, trying to shake off my usual lethargy, and succeeding when I did a head plant into a bog when my foot hit one of the many hidden holes in the ground. I tried to stretch the legs a bit on the track down to Styhead from Esk Hause but the track was a wee bit too technical for a woose like me. By the foot of Great Gable I was feeling quite good and reeled in a dozen or so ahead of me, before picking my way down the rocky descent to Windy Gap. Along with another wee group I found a decent route down to Honister Pass, where it felt great to have the awful climb of Dalehead in front with and hour less in the legs than usual, care of the missed Scafell Pike. By now I had well and truly warmed up and fuelled by caffeine-filled gel I power-walked past loads of runners, prompting cat-calls of “heh you in the yellow top, are you on that doping stuff?” as I was obviously mistaken for Michael Rassmussen in his disgraced Tour de France yellow jersey with the big W on the back. After the initial tricky descent off Dalehead I got full steam ahead through the quarry and down the cracking grassy descent to the village. Due to the deluge the night before the infamous ford crossing was replaced by a tamer bridge, and in the last few hundred yards I raised a sprint to catch a few more places before collapsing in the usual heap in 3hrs 26mins, 3 mins behind Steffen and 25 mins behind Andy who had an excellent run in his first Borrowdale race. The weather was quite pleasant now and after a lovely wash in the cold waters of the ford and tea and sarnies, and a beer for me, it was back up north. Another great day out in the Lakes. Thanks to Scoffer and his Borrowdale team of helpers for a cracking race.

1 Ben Bardsley Borrowdale FR 02:18:29
52 Sharon Taylor Bingley 03:03:10

56 Andrew Edwards Westerlands 03:03:49
144 Steffen Gorgas Westerlands 03:22:35
155 John Donnelly Westerlands 03:26:16
(420 starters)

Results

For my “warm-down” on Sunday I joined Alan Anderson for a wet, but not miserable, 83 mile cycle from Erskine – Gourock – ferry to Dunoon – up to Strachur for tea and soup -and back again in a charity ride organised by Johnstone Wheelers. Quiet roads and lovely scenery hidden behind the clouds over the water, but busy dual carriageways and grotty Greenock and Port Glasgow to negotiate at the start and finish. Rounded off by a barbeque in the rain – just your average Sunday in the West of Scotland.