From Ben Sheppard…
Paul Carman, Charles Wain and Ben Sheppard headed for the baking heat of Langdale to test themselves against the merciless cruelty of the Great Lakes fell race. Category AL, it is listed as 21 km (13 miles) and 2,130m (7,000ft). For those who don’t get their navigation quite right, or who against their better judgment follow the wrong people the wrong way, it can be longer and involve more climb, as Paul can attest.
Having been on the race calendar for fifteen years, it was said that this year’s would be its last running. So, gathered together in the yard of Stool End Farm, a hundred or so willing victims took in the short race briefing and joined with the race organiser in thanking the owner of the farm, Jean, her late husband recently departed. They had generously allowed the race to take place from their farm since 2010 and never asked a penny in return. Jean was visibly moved by the appreciation shown on behalf of the fell running community.
After a sharp ascent of The Band to Bowfell, we were treated to a high-level summit-hopping circuit of Upper Eskdale, including Scafell Pike and Scafell via Foxes Tarn (thankfully Broad Stand is not an option). Then to Slight Side, where two third of the Ilkley Harriers made a mess of the navigation, one finding himself down-climbing crags and another following a non-local a mile off the bottom of the race map. Meanwhile Charles nailed the right line and got on with the slog across the trackless reaches south of Great Moss to Blisco. The final descent from Blisco is the kind of steep that has people bum-sliding past you as you systematically punish your quads trying to stay upright.
The race was won by Finlay Wild of Lochaber AC in a new (and presumably lasting) course record time of 2:29, some 15 minutes ahead of the previous record holder, Ambleside AC’s Tom Simpson (who may have been saving a little for the English champs race the following day where he finished 14th), the trio of Ilkley Harriers grateful to be done with it only a couple of hours later.