A Mad March

Winter is a tough time in the outdoors world. Put simply, people don’t want to head outside. Its cold and wet invariably and as such opportunities to work are few and far between. Previous winters have seen me manage to secure regular work in Nursery Schools, however due to funding cuts those options are no longer available… but that’s a very political post for another time.

So the arrival of March and meteorological spring is a welcome one. March spells the return of Duke of Edinburgh Award season and its when the world starts to emerge from its winter slumber and wants to play outside.

My month started on March 1st getting ready for the Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round Fell Race, I’ve written about that before (here) suffice to say, this year was not weather afflicted and we could run the traditional route – which I publicly committed to changing to avoid difficulties with access on one particular farm. So that’s more work created for me then!



The race went well – 252 runners, a race record turnout with both mens and womens records being smashed by top three finishers in both categories! It really has been a dry winter….

The next day saw me joining a new (to me!) school, St Christophers, to support their DofE award efforts. As the qualified ML, I was supervising and training a Gold group over and around Pendle Hill. What a top bunch of lads they were. I hope to cross their paths again.

Week commencing the 4th took me to Outdoor Elements various primary schools and an Adult Employment Scheme undertaking some confidence building activities. I also worked for Climbing Services (Wall work, A-Level PE) and a rescheduled date at Taywood to zip line with some three and four year olds. The weekend came and I took my son bouldering and on the Sunday more St Christophers DofE, this time a silver practice day. Another great group, well drilled and keen to learn.

The 11th March began with some OE work in a Primary school in Rochdale – team challenges for the second day of two. Into McMillan Nursery in Nelson on Tuesday for the first of two and half days over two weeks – great to be back here after a three year hiatus! Although I have worked with them in in local centres since then, was lovely seeing and catching up with the staff of this great nursery. I was working with the McMillan team when my son was born and as such they remain close to me. We were tree climbing and basing a session around a core book the nursery use – “Shark in the Park” by Nick Sharratt. This happened!


More Climbing Services wall work and WAVE Adventure on Wednesday evening, with the first week of a new ten week block of activities with regular children and parents supported by BBC Children in Need. Thursday involved some site work at Whitehough, building some new facilities for groups this summer. Friday was a day off with Mrs Northcol, before heading to Warrington to spend the night on a trading estate awaiting a 5.30 am departure for London to work for Challenge Expeditions at a posh school in London – more DofE training. Home late Sunday night, back to McMillan Monday morning.

OE on the Tuesday. Wednesday will live long in the memory- the morning at McMillan, the afternoon the last Climbing Services A-Level session, Wednesday evening with WAVE… Thursday Friday off… pheww!

Saturday saw me doing some safety marshaling for Outdoor Angels and T2 Events. Good to see Tasha back in the game. Although out from early and out till late afternoon supporting a sportive it was a fairly quiet day, with one cut finger to mend and one mechanical issue to pick up. Being run from Mill Yard in Staveley allowed me to visit one of my favorite bakeries and breweries 🙂 on the way home

The Last week of the month began working for Outdoor Elements, Firstly on site and then on Tuesday off site climbing with a regular group of children with complex needs. Wednesday was off site again, this time to a Primary School in Manchester who book an archery day for the school. Years one to six all come an have a go and shoot 6 arrows! Thats 960 arrows plus staff and my demonstration arrows and a bit of shooting for fun. I estimate over 1000 arrows were shot that day. It doesn’t half make your hands sore!. Thursday was a drive down south to work the weekend for Sam Sykes Ltd (DofE) at a posh school in Maidenhead, which by happy chance is just up the road from some very good friends, so I arranged to see them Thursday evening and catch up. The weekends training and practice expeditions was brilliant – a really good group, keen and eager to learn and who were all capable. If only it could always be thus!

I got home Sunday evening after an uneventful drive home. Roll on April….

2018 Highlights

One of the advantages of always trying to generate content – for here and social media is I have become fairly snap happy, both with the phone on my camera and the little MUVI camera I take out from time to time (think poor mans GoPRo).

So here it is then, a moments reflection on the previous year and some highlights, for each month in pictures…. (click on them to expand)

January 2018

Taken on the 20th January this was an organised reconnoiter of The Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round. designed to get potential participants familiar with the route. Its a great race and one that novice to intermediate fell runners can get a lot out of and the top end experienced fellrunner can really race in – its “runnable”., unless the weather is atrocious – which it was for 2018. The race is in March – we had to manage the Beast from the East… this recce was in much more benign conditions.

February 2018

Outdoor Elements in the snow.  As a freelancer I work for all different types of organisation.  OE are definite favorites! its a charming site to work at all year round.

March 2018

Whilst Safety Marshaling for Outdoor Angels/High Terrain Events.  Their Buttermere Trail run took place on a stunning day. Luckily I had taken my running stuff up so I could get out for a trot once stood down.

April 2018

This view from the top of Pendle always gives people cause to stop and take it in.  Even the most reluctant of walkers (from the local Activity Centre  – Whitehough) seem to appreciate the views across to North and West Yorkshire as well as Bowland to the North East.

May 2018

EYFS outdoors is very important to me. The opportunities I create, most 3&4 year olds simply do not get these days.  Such as wandering along a river exploring and discovering a whole heap of new experiences. Taken at Outdoor Elements hosting a regular Nursery School of mine.

June 2018

I love this photo.  Proper concentration! A session for families, for WAVE Adventure, supported by BBC Children in Need.  A walk around Rivington in order to learn some basic map skills. here they are orientating the map and matching the paths to their current location.

July 2018

Yorkshire Three Peaks. One of my favorite days out. This day was guiding for another provider. Great group, great weather, beautiful views all day.  This pic, taken at about 7.45am I think really sums it up.

August 2018

Rock Climbing. Another WAVE Adventure/BBC Children in Need session for families.  These three are awaiting an abseil and were posing for the shot admirably…. I however wanted the silhouette rather than their characters. that said, the character of this picture is ace! I was lucky to meet and support some aspiring outdoors professionals running these WAVE sessions.

September 2018

Ghyll Scramble at Barbon Ghyll in the Yorkshire Dales with Sedbergh Preparatory School.  Great kids on their way to a great afternoons adventure.

October 2018

There have been some tough decisions in terms of highlights this year, but this month, October I really could have had five or six and in the end narrowed it down to these two.  Thistle Cave with Sedbergh School (again), I loved this session, one of my favourite for the year and has given me a new direction to pursue in 2019. The Pendle Hill pic taken as part of a personal group run. Every Tuesday throughout the winter I run with my club mates around the Pendle area. This was one of the first of the winter runs where you start in the light and finish in the dark. This one at sunset is probably my favourite picture of the year and has been shared amongst that group extensively!

November 2018

A WAVE Adventure young Mentor doing her thing without assistance getting ready to climb.  Taken at Bolton One, possibly the smallest climbing wall ever, but very group friendly and very accessible.

December 2018

I have wanted to make campfire pizza for ages. Normally one tests the idea, does it a few times to get the session slick and imprinted in ones mind. This one, nah off the cuff and made up as we went along! At Outdoor Elements with a regular school booking (PRU). Wow. Its amazing. The kids (13-15) loved it, we made the dough, sauce and toppings all selected by the group and made 3 pizzas.  A session to be repeated!

What a year its been. Bring on 2019!

Tour of Pendle 2018 (or A Strongly Worded Letter to the Running Gods)

I wasn’t going to write this one.  After all, I’ve described the Tour in all its glory here before.  But this one was different.  I felt ready for this one.  I have had a good period of consistent running – not the distance, but I definitely have the time in my legs ( and on my feet!) and I run very much as a head game – if I feel good I tend to run good. I’d even got a couple of good recce’s in over the previous few weeks to refresh my memory of the route having missed it in 2017 due to a last minute work commitment cropping up.

So I started the race at just after 10.30 am on Saturday 17th November feeling good, strong and light on my feet.  The first few miles bore testament to this, I was where I thought I should be in the field, some familiar faces around me in the pack.  the usual bench marks of performance (“if I run *this*  uphill bit I am running well”) I was trotting over quite smoothly. My breathing was good from the word go – since running with a race vest rather than bum bag I have noticed my breathing has been better, where as I have in the past struggled to get my breathing right early on in a race.  There was some good banter with fellow fell runners and club mates on the way up, including supporting a chap new to the race (and as it turns out fell running! – what a way to start!?). All in all a great way to start one of the toughest races in the calendar.

And that’s how it continued.  I even took a gamble on an experimental line across the moor from CP 1 to CP 2 which paid off – I got ahead of several faces in my immediate pack as I crossed the CP1 hurdle – some came back at me and got back ahead by CP3, some did not.  Result! Even the cut off at CP4 (be through by 12.30, at the bottom of the legendary ‘Geronimo’ descent) I knew I would get through, but to do it by the best part of 25 minutes was very pleasing.  Plenty of chatter to the marshals and some thank you’s as well, in the most stunning of conditions – even the mist lifted to offer a ‘haze’ against clear skies.  It was a cold wind for sure, but  not so strong as to impede progress.

Other things that went well – clothing – 3/4 length running leggings with a long sleeve base layer (no zip) with club vest over the top, race vest (Alpkit – Artlu) over that.  Innov 8 Mudclaws (classics) I had forgotten my cap – which would have helped manage the bright and low sun, but it was no biggy to not have it. Plus the usual FRA race kit.  Nutrition. After porridge for breakfast I had with me two Babybel cheeses, four small lumps of Malt Loaf, three SIS Gels and over three containers – about 950ml of water, 500 of that had SIS Electrolyte tabs in.  Also a small bag with some wine gums and jelly babies in it. The pics I took were on a MUVI camera, best described as poor mans GoPro. Its the ultimate point and shoot as there is no viewfinder on it.

 

The only point I had to dig deep was on the final climb, from CP9 to CP10. up the Big End, from its lowest point on the moor to its highest just before the actual summit. Truth be told – everyone has to dig deep here and its fair to say that I gain  a degree of motivation from schadenfreude.  I focused on a steady step pattern and keeping as light as I can on my feet as I passed a few on the way up.  It seemed to work.  I got to the top able to keep moving, where as some around me were pausing for breath. I even donated my final Babybel to a club mate who was bonking big time.

So why am I tapping this out then?  Well, my finish time was 4.12 on my Garmin (Strava here).  The official results are not out yet, suffice to say I was very pleased with 4 hours 12 minutes.  I wanted sub 4.30 and got it comfortably. I was buzzing!  I would have been happy with a 4.29!  I am on the whole not one to obsess over times, if I ran well; I am generally happy , better than the aim I set myself  –  I am more pleased. Better than the previous time – I am over the moon.  Having said that I never look the previous times up before a race, preferring to run on feel rather than time pressure.  When people ask me what my Tour PB is I always say its about 3.45 I can never remember what it actually is… so 4.12 is quite away short, but that’s okay I was happy with the time and more importantly the way I ran and felt all the way round. SO in getting home to record the result on my log of races (GEEK) I casually check what my PB is… 3.43.  gosh, quite a way short then.  That prompted me to look over previous results:

2011 first Tour – 4.44 (It hurt. Lots.)

2012 PB 3.43  (I learnt a lot that year about fell running!)

2014 3.50

2015 Weather shortened course – 2.45  (doesn’t count)

2016 In the snow – see here – 4.09.

Making 4.12 in 2018 My second worst time running this race!!!  How does that work?? How can I have felt so good, had great conditions and seemingly ran so well to deliver as duff a time as that!  I was slower than the snow year where you couldn’t actually pass anyone or else you were in knee deep snow!

So can someone please contact me with an address for the running gods.  I have a complaint to make.

( That said, see you in 2019, TOP!)

Music

Music is a big part of my world. It has been since about the age of 10 or 11.  I have listened too, appreciated and spent a fortune on music. Recorded on vinyl, cassette and CD, (still cant get into downloading/streaming) I have been to several hundred gigs from rooms at the back of a pub to big stadium and festival shows. I have been a part of musical performances, including choral singing representing England at an international Eisteddfod (we beat the Welsh choir, but came second over all).  Music continues to be something I draw upon regularly from the daily journey to work; where ever that may be, to evenings with friends and family and on the occasional run – when I am not feeling motivated to go out or have only time for a local street run I have been known to run with music on headphones.  For the past few years mountain marathon overnight camps have gone by  quicker with a small MP3 player taken as a luxury item.

I have broad tastes, largely guitar driven on the Heavy Rock (Metal!) side through to Indie guitar styles also. I have enjoyed house music/EDM, old school rap and hip hop and even attended classical performances in my time.

So, in a moment of distraction from a more pressing task, my thoughts wandered on to a tune and I wondered what outdoor themed songs I had in my music collection.  Several hours later I thought… hmm I’d like to share these.  They are all tracks I own, some may not be regulars on my play list, but I have them in one format or another. They are also not  necessarily the artists “best” song – it just has an outdoor theme (some of them very ‘ish!’ on the outdoors theme).  All poached from YouTube – sorry for any ads.

So just for fun then, outdoor themed tunes…

Frank Turner – The Outdoors Type, originally by The Lemonheads, but I don’t have that, where as I do have just about everything Mr Turner has recorded… Not his finest work (check out current album – Be More Kind) but a natty ditty anyway.

New Order – Krafty, Legends.  From ‘Waiting For the Sirens Call’ a more recent release and I think some of their best tunes.  By far the best track on the album, a song extolling the virtues of taking time away  and getting outside to gain perspective.

New Model Army – Summer Moors, In the interests of openness… my favourite band.  I had to get something by them into this list somehow….

 

Biffy Clyro – Mountains, Top notch scotch pop rock. ‘Mon the Biff!

Led Zepplin  – Misty Mountain Hop, Okay other than the title It has very little to do with the outdoors and more to do with copious amounts of drugs.  That was a thing back then… Good title though!

Doves – Winter Hill,  If this blog were about motorways they could tick a box there as well.  Good biking in the video too…

Idlewild – El Capitan,  Criminally underrated band.  Good tunes, great harmonies and some stunning lyrical imagery. What’s not too like?

Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills, But it could have been The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Where Eagles Dare (tenuous!)  For me a band at a defining point in my musical education.  I cant imagine a time where I won’t want to listen to Maiden.  Up the Irons!

 

One Green hill – Oysterband, Where my interest in folk music started to grow. A top tune.  the Lead Singer John Jones is famously a devoted rambler and tours as a solo artist – booking venues on their proximity to hills and moor land as opposed to size and audience potential! search for ‘Boff Whalley and John Jones interview’ on You Tube and he explains the reasoning….

 

So there you go. Anything you like? What do I not have in my overall collection that I should have – from an outdoors perspective?

Please  comment on the social media platforms where this link is posted…..

 

 

 

Coast to Coast with WAVE Adventure

I have been involved with WAVE Adventure for several years now.  The brainchild of Graham Wood, WAVE is set up to get people outdoors doing active things who may otherwise not find their way into the great outdoors.  They use a variety of activities and adventure sports to facilitate this.  After what will be 20 years next year doing this they are a great organisation with many success stories behind them.

My role has been on the climbing & walking side, taking groups of children and adults out and about, usually around the Bolton area, some times further a field and giving those individuals a break from their regular life, the chance to learn a new skill, develop confidence and self belief.  At its most basic level its all about a few hours fun in what otherwise could be a very tough existence.  In short: I love it.

I enjoy it so much that when I got a call from Graham in late Spring asking me what I was doing over the August bank holiday weekend my reply was that I usually work it, or, we are on holiday. As it happens we had just planned our family break, so I said I was pretty much nailed on for working it… The call carried on a bit like this: “why?”  I asked, “can you work for us at WAVE?” ” uh, yeah I guess so – doing what?”  “not sure yet, but probably a journey, may be a coast to coast” “okay, I could do support/logistics and that sort of thing – I’m not a bike leader as such…” “yeah but you can ride though, and we’ll need a support driver, camp setter upper and stuff”.

Being good at ‘stuff’, the decision was made.  “I’m in.”

Over the coming weeks the plan was hatched, developed and finalised. Two of WAVE’s primary groups – the Young Mentors and Peak Connections were to set out on a sponsored Lancashire/Yorkshire Coast to Coast known as “The Way of the Roses“. Essentially Morecombe to Bridlington over the weekend, starting on the Saturday morning and finishing Monday tea time with a chippy tea on the sea front at Bridlington. Following the Sustrans cycle network and the route outlined in the Cicerone Press book “Cycling the Way of the Roses” Two camps along the way which I would be organising with  support from some parent volunteers, grandparents and a young mentor or two. We would also put on a feed station on route each day as well as be the recovery team in the advent of any mechanicals, emergencies or other unexpected occurrences.

Now I love a project and couldn’t wait to get started!

Day One. Morecombe to Appletreewick and Masons Campsite. I was to meet the group in Morecombe on the Saturday morning, but on bike in order to support two of the younger Mentors, one of whom had only just learnt to ride a bike! In order that they could cycle some of the way on each day and be a part of the team supporting as well. Both knew they would be slower than the group so at the planning stage it was decided I could accompany them in order to not slow the group down.  We would get to the Crook O’Lune picnic site where I had pre-parked the van as well as meet Debbie, the second van driver and mother to one of the mentors to then make our way to a feed station near Helwith Bridge in the Yorkshire Dales, just over half way in what would be a 55+mile day through some stunning scenery and some bloomin’ big hills!  What a way to start the weekend, perfect weather, not to hot, dry and some stunning scenery on largely traffic free routes from Morecombe to the picnic site via Lancaster.  I made sure I got there sharp so I didn’t have to rush, which was grand, I could take my time and of course go and pay my respects to Eric.

With the girls on board with Debbie, we set of in convoy with Graeme, another parent supporter in tow, Jackie and Terry, grandparents of another young rider through Bowland and onto the Dales. We wanted to move quickly so took the fast roads rather than using the C2C route on the quieter roads.

I have been a part of many races and events as a marshal, organiser, planner, first aider and general doer or stuff that this is all second nature now – The feed stations were to supplement the  rations the group was taking with them.  We were to provide lunch and afternoon snacks in bite size pieces to keep them going.  Protein and carb heavy with some sweeter bits thrown in.  Pork pies, Babybel cheeses, sausage rolls, sweets, nuts, malt loaf, flapjack (hand made by me a few days previous), chocolate bars etcetera with tea, coffee, cordial and water to boot.

I think we achieved our aim!  The first riders in looked shell shocked and whacked.  Once past the Lune it is essentially up hill all the way. At our station, approx 35 miles in,  the biggest hills are still yet to come!  the reality of what they were undertaking was well and truly rammed home. Now, it wouldn’t be right to type some of the language used, so I will para phrase: “gosh” and “golly” just about summed it up.  Debbie and I were at pains  to remind them that speed is not the issue, its all about keeping moving… one pedal turn, one step pushing the bike at a time… need another jelly baby?

We got to the camp site having driven through Burnsall on the day of the classic fell race – which I have yet to do as I am always working the bank holiday or we are away!  One day… Anyway I digress. Masons is a great campsite. Well organised, great facilities, good location on the River Wharfe in the Dales and one to go back to for sure.  BUT… NOT on a bank holiday weekend.  Chocka would be one adjective. Stuffed another!  The concern was noise from other (quite rightly) bank holidaying and relaxing campers.  Our team were going to be goosed and would need to recover with a good nights sleep.  We lay claim to a space and literally circled the wagons to give as much shelter from noise and playing children as we could and began to set up tents, the camp kitchen etc. The riders arrived about 15 minutes later!!! We sat them down, made brews, listened to the war stories (one crash), fed them cake from the ever illustrious Booths and generally “supported”.  Some of the team were low in spirits. Having never done ANY kind of endurance event or journey before morale was ebbing… one lad had only ridden about 25 miles previous to today, but cake and a brew are truly magical things, along with showers and the promise of a pub meal and may be a beer for those who partook, morale began to claw its way back.

Day two.  Appletreewick to just outside York.  the Lancs/Yorks C2C takes you through the heart of York.  However, it being a bank holiday weekend, accommodation for such big numbers had proved a problem, until that is Nurseries Caravan and Campsite had offered pitches and facilities for free for the team.  Brilliant. (and they were!). The challenge was the site was several miles south west of York and we were not sure what the best way in to the site would be for bikes and some young riders. Fortunately not cycling myself this day we had time to be well in advance after the feed station (location tbc at this point but some where around Boroughbridge) so we could do a recce. We would be setting off some of the young mentors from here (the feed station), so they didn’t have to contend with the last of the Dales hills (notably Greenhow in to Pately Bridge) so we as a support team were confident of being better prepared for them – especially as I was cooking for the team that night! (Well reheating a pasta sauce I had prepared and frozen a few days previous…) Due to the uncertain nature of the last few miles we had agreed a re group point, pick up point and general do not go past *here* until you have spoken to me type plan.  The game was on!

The second day saw us driving much of the route the team would be cycling, which I have to say was STUNNING and very very inspiring.  I see myself doing this route as soon as I can procure a non mountain bike bike! Lovely villages, quiet lanes, hardly any traffic, several cafes, pubs etcetera on route.  It looks like a real gem.  Looking back I kinda wished I had driven more of the actual C2C route, having said that – it will come as a nice surprise when I get round to cycling it.

Replenishing feed station stores (we’d taken a request for jam sandwiches), finding a suitable location for a feed station and trying to suss out the route to the campsite were today’s priorities. Oh and fresh cake.

The feed station was the key thing. the weather forecast was for a wet day. not cold as such, but when you are riding tired and hungry, cold is the next step! so we wanted somewhere low and ideally sheltered. I had a big tarp that Debbie and I knew we could string between the vans if need be and with clever parking we could sit the group down on camp chairs and in the vans under shelter, but that was reliant on space to park of course.  Having seen this forecast a few days ahead I knew this feed station would be critical… Half way on day day two, so effectively half way over all was a make or break point.  Get through there and you would finish, bailing out in rough weather is a thought process I expected some of the team might go through so I played my trump card.  The feed station would feature hot tomato soup as well as the usual (and jam sandwiches!).  Location wise we got it spot on for the team… under the A1.  out of the wind and the rain totally!  For us (the support team) it was horrendous, three hours of god awful noise, splashes and traffic smell. For the cyclists, they were made up! My only regret for the whole weekend was realised here – should have bought more soup.

From here the roads really quietened down and we were able to follow the C2C route that the team took. Again a corker! The Aldwark Toll Bridge will live long in the memory in two vans and one 4×4!    We got to the outskirts of York and the re group point and then began to find away to the campsite. Just as well we did plan this in – it was dual carriage way for much of the way and to make matters worse their were road works. cycling this would have been a night mare.  So employing full navigator mode and consulting various maps we were able to relay a route to the main cycle team which kept them, out of trouble and kept them moving.

Day three.  York to Bridlington. Sore is the word that best summed up the morning of day three. Aches would be another. Resolute would be my third place word. The team were resolute and BUZZING that the end was  in site. The night before had been made special by the Nurseries Caravan and camping site owners popping over to meet us all and offer kind words of support. They were brilliant. They had accommodated us for free in a quiet corner of the site – on a bank holiday weekend. I urge you all to consider staying there if visiting York.  Day three was largely flat, but was the longest day over 62 miles! Again with plans over where to introduce the younger riders to the route, where to support the main group – who were by now very much a ‘peloton’ and getting to the finish we set out having stuck camp with the weather back on our side and a very pleasing feeling in the pit of our stomachs.  We were able to drive most of the route again – up until Bridlington, which again was just seemingly perfect, barely any traffic for many parts of the route and quaint villages, scenic views, farm tracks and old Roman roads.

We set off for Bridlington with ear to ear grins.  Yes they were tired. Yes they were sore in places many of them never knew they had. Yes they were never going to do this @8&% again, but by Jove they were going to finish.  We had set the young riders off well ahead of the main group so the group could chase and catch them and then they all would ride in to Bridlington together.  Unbeknownst to us whilst waiting on the sea front that happened, perfectly naturally with less than 10 miles to go.  Our next view of them was along the sea front in Bridlington….

 

I have to say watching it back I feel such a wave of joy and pride.  these people, the youngest being 11, did something that they couldn’t even have imagined just a few days before. There was no prior experience. Nothing to draw from in order to achieve the goal.  They just did it.  And they did it in style.  This is what charity can do. It can empower. It can inspire. It can allow people to do the unthinkable and allow them to reveal parts of themselves they never knew existed. The memories created those three days will always remain in those cyclists. The determination, the camaraderie, the humour, the pride. The feeling: “I struggled – but I did it”. in short….I CAN.

If that isn’t a lesson worth facilitating and supporting I don’t know what is.

Needless to say I am booked for whatever WAVE do August Bank holiday 2019.

 

++++stop press++++

Several members of the cyclists (Peak Connections) have taken up cycling. WAVE has been able to cobble some bikes together for them and can now be responsible for the addition to the street of more middle aged men (and women) in lycra. One has even been heard to want to enter a Sportive…

Liam, the WAVE young mentor who completed the full Way of the Roses C2C at the age of 15 was recognised by The Bolton Active Sports Awards with nominations for Young Volunteer of the year and Changing Lifestyle Award.  The Peak Connections group for Sports Initiative of the year and WAVE Adventure has been nominated Club of the year.  Peak Connections went on to win Sports and Health Initiative of the year 2018.

Bolton News write up here of the WAVE C2C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Quick Mountain Fix

I am far from original when I post on social media another “todays office” picture.  I am lucky to work in the parts of this country I work in across the north west.  But…. and you saw that coming I am sure, It does tend to be the same parts!  So mid way through the silly season (April to July) I hatched a plan to get some hill time for myself as a solo mission…. between work, holiday, parenting, my wife’s work and life and stuff we narrowed it down to a window over two days in early August.  So that was that then.

My plan was to bag a few Wainwrights in an area of the Lake District I did not really know.  What with the weather we have been enjoying this summer, one could almost say I was getting quite excited! some hill time, a wild camp, more hill time and a pass to enjoy them. Brilliant!

I decided on the Northern Fells, beyond Skiddaw Forest/Blencathra. I had not been up beyond there before and decided that nine of these hills/mountains could be strung together in an approximate 30 km route.  Over two days this would be ideal.  Whats more having finally got my entry in for the ROC Mountain Marathon, I could use this as  training and so treated it as a “fast & light” exercise the aim being to achieve a gentle run, practice some micro nav and do all that carrying a mountain marathon kit list on my back.

The afternoon of August 3rd arrived and once I’d tagged my wife on the parenting front I set off, slightly later than planned up the A65 to avoid any M6 Friday northbound problems.  I found road works instead!  Eventually arriving on the road out of Mosedale where I figured there would be somewhere to park – there was (thank you Google Earth), plenty of spots fortunately.  I set off at 17.00 (I’d hoped for 3.30-4.00 ish) in gentle drizzle, warm, but you could see that the visibility would be limited on the tops.

The first objective was Carrock Fell (663m). I’d planned a fell runners line straight out of the valley, anticipating an element of bushwhacking – it being the height of summer and the ferns at their deepest. what I hadn’t anticipated was the density of the heather, the amount of gorse and the scree banks peppering the sides of the fell.  Although steep, the angle in fell shoes is not intimidating (go Mudclaw 300’s!) but what was tricky was the combination of loose surface, prickly bushes and impenetrable shrubbery!  I’d clocked a path on the map and decided to follow that up, the path ended on the map, usually they carry on in the real world on the ground… this one may as well have met a brick wall! I couldn’t get round the gorse and scree combination, so  I retreated back to the road thinking I would just jog the 2.5km on tarmac to the actual right of way up Carrock Fell, unless I spotted a clearer way through the undergrowth, which I eventually did. Phew.  By now the weather was lifting and I was fortunate to get a shot like this:

Two thirds of the way up Carrock Fell

Carrock Fell has a real charm to it.  With old earthworks and stone formations on top (‘fort’ on the map), it is also right at the edge of the park and offers great views over the less hilly parts of Cumbria to the east.

Pleased to have finally bagged the first hill of the day an embarrassing two hours hours after I set out, I hatched a plan that the next hill  – High Pike (658m)- would likely be the last today, aiming too have topped out on this an hour later or so at 8 pm.  After the top of that hill, I would then find somewhere to pitch up for the night.  That gave me plenty of time to find a good pitch, get water and feed myself in day light. I had a couple of locations in mind looking at the map, but had given myself plenty of time to choose. Site selection really is the difference between a good nights sleep and a poor one when wild camping. By now the visibility had dropped again and the mist was down, making progress slower but to be honest much more fun!  I had to proper navigate!  Great Mountain Marathon practice, using aiming off, hand rails, catching features and timing I got to a misty High Pike at 20.01.  Perfect timing!

Although I enjoyed getting to this one in the conditions, I bet the views on a clear day would be amazing. One to re-visit.

My first choice on the map wild camp spot was just off off the Cumbria Way by a gil which looked like it might offer both fast flowing water and several flatter areas.  Off I set in to the gloom…. it was not long before I noticed this:

look carefully!

 

A building?  I checked the map – yep definitely – a tiny one – marked on the map but not one I had noticed, choosing the breadth of Cumbria Way and a sheepfold and water course or two to navigate by. Well a building may provide shelter from the wind, it was on the track so I knew I was destined to check it out.  As I got closer I saw the door was open and it dawned on me it was one of the Lakes Bothys.  A bothy being a simple shelter designed to offer a roof and walls for the night for free,to whomever needed it.  Some are literally just that, four walls and a roof, others are quite stunning with open fires or stoves, tables and chairs.  Now this was a game changer! Never mind wild camping  when there is a bothy on the menu!

I got closer to…

And a voice loomed out of the dark – “alright mate” Rather making me jump, but in I bowled to say hello to the occupant.  First thing I noticed was he was the dead spitting image of an old mate of mine (Duncan) he even sounded like him weirdly. We got chatting – he didn’t seem like an axe murderer (I couldn’t see an axe) and said he would be grateful for the company as he was on a through hike – self supported – of all the Wainwrights (that’s 214  hills!) as his holiday.  That was my decision made – anyone doing that in one go would be well worth the conversation, so I decided to sack off the tent and go for water to then return and spend the night in the bothy.  And what a top decision that was to be!

Kyle, as it happened lived in a town 20 minutes from me in Burnley and worked in the outdoors.  This meant he must work for Robinwood – yes he replied!  Which meant we would know some of the same people, which of course we did…. small world indeed.  Kyle was a great chap to natter to for the evening and when the time came to close the door and batten down for the night, the bothy decision was looking inspired… until 8 minutes past 2 in the morning when some voices could be heard outside:

” Oh look a bothy”, “yeah, thats Lingy Hut” “shall we look inside?”, “no we better not, in case there is someone in there and we wake them”

Too bloody late for that mate!

A bleary morning followed but the forecast better weather looked like it was on the way for the day.

the view from the window of Lingy Hut

Kyle was up and away early I took a more leisurely pace getting ready. To be fair poor sleep on top of a dodgy dehydrated meal I had ‘tried’ the night before and actually abandoned a few spoons in to it – it tasted and smelled chemically vile – had left me feeling a wee bit fragile….

A big part of the Bothy Code  is to leave the bothy better than you found it. So I made sure I gave the place a good sweep through and took some other peoples sweetie papers with me and by  7.30 am I was off to collect seven more Wainwrights and several connecting hills between them. The weather was drier for sure but the cloud base was low – about 550 to 600m so I was back on nav mode and moving well, fueled by Haribo, Babybel cheese, coffee and a cereal bar or two.

Next on the list was Knott (710m). The biggy of my plan and from here had it been clear I would have been able to see all the target hills for the day.  Never mind!

Tempting as it is to post a number of pictures of summit cairns surrounded by mist I shall resist…   The day passed quickly and I felt as though I was making good steady progress and feeling stronger than I thought I might  having not tackled this number of hills at pace in a while. From Knott, I headed to Great Sc Fell (651m) to Little Sca Fell then on to Brae Fell (586m) which looked lovely in and out of the mist, before climbing back up and over some gils toward Longlands Fell (483m) Lowthwaite Fell, Meal Fell (550m), Great Cock Up (526m) then ascending Burn Tod, over looking Frozen Fell targeting Little Calva and Great Calva (690m) to then descend back to the valley bottom and return to the van.

By Little Calva the weather was lifting and the sun was becoming el scorchio.  The last 90 minutes of my foray were very pretty but tough in the heat.  The whole area is one to visit again…. if only I could guarantee the views!

the top of Great Calva

looking back up to Great Calva following a never ending descent through acres of heather.

a welcome stream to cool tired legs and feet.

I got back tot he van just before 14.00. Perfect really as the van was still there and I had said I would be home around 16.00.

Cant wait for the next trip out – it was great and has reignited my desire to bag the Wainwrights.  118 done, 96 to go….

To contact me to discuss navigation training/coaching for walking or running or indeed any other hill skills you can contact me here.

Race Organising

When I started Fell running, or running off road before that, I had no ambition to race (despite that being the impetus to get me started – I got entered into a race in 2008 – the GRIM).  But as the runs got longer, faster and more challenging and my fitness grew and being a smidge competitive the racing idea really bit.  Now lets be frank – I am a mid to back pack runner.  A top 50% finish for me is a good day and racing typically for me is as much an extension to the ‘adventure’ an off road run offers me – but typically in a different place over unfamiliar ground .

That all said I have grown to really enjoy the buzz and the sense of camaraderie at Fell races.  a Fell race start line is second only to a doctors waiting room for horrific medical stories.  “Hello mate – how are you?”, “oh blimey, you wouldn’t believe the ache I have in my left leg..” OR “well I’ve got this cold and I’ve not run for over two weeks”, “rough mate, I just want to get round and finish today you know..?” and so on.  Make no mistake, the minute “go!” is shouted these people, if you so much as blink, will have left you in their wake for dead.

Its great.

2018 SBPR start line, just before my brief.

One such race that I really enjoyed was the Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round.  A classic race on Pendle Hill, just short of ten miles and about 590m of climb its reputation is that of a very runnable race – the record is an hour and six minutes.  The bulk of the climb is all at the beginning, the rest is level or trending downhill, bar too short sharp climbs near the end. It is a race organised by my running club – Clayton Le Moors Harriers. Check points to run too, no marked course to follow, local knowledge and or navigation skills required.  In Fell runners speak it looks like this: BM, 16.7km/590m ER/LK/NS over 18.

The extra challenge is that it is an early spring race – the first Saturday in March so the weather can play its role too.  I ran it three times in all and continue to enjoy the running the route to this day, which is just as well really!

After the 2015 the Race Organiser (RO) wanted to step down and was keen to off load the race ASAP.  I had long thought that organising races might be a way to make some income – you know £25 race entry for a medal and t-shirt type races. Fell Running is about as far from that as one could imagine, but might be a good place to learn the skills required to operate commercial races.  The SBPR was essentially a fundraiser for the Clayton Junior section (subsidised vests and race entries for the kids etc.) but also made a donation to the local Mountain Rescue Team (Rossendale and Pendle MRT). the conversation ran between various committee members and running training nights, but no one wanted to pick it up.  I wanted to run it, so stayed quiet.. (RO’s cant run in their own races… ish) Then I thought, well perhaps I should be the one to RO, I like the race, I know the hill and the route well, i felt I would be a suitable ‘custodian’ of such a well established race.  Although the SBPR came in to being in 2011 before this it was named the Half Tour Of Pendle and goes back over 40 years.  I tentatively put my hand up….

Eek! what have I done! How hard can it be?  Book the hall, a few entries, get a few marshals, bit of cash handling….  And to be fair that’s what it is.  Its quite busy for a really short space of time and then it goes silent for about 9 months of the year.  I am fortunate to be a part of a big running club. Clayton organise multiple local races and have a huge amount of resource and expertise an such matters and whatever questions I had – they were well answered.  My regular running group pals were all keen to help out and support me in 2016 – my first bout as RO as well as several of the ‘legacy’ marshals who like to help out at that race in a specific location – some of those I have yet to meet! (CP3)

A big part of Fell Runners Association (FRA) races is the Race HQ, frequently rural, a local school or marquee at a summer fete for example, the SBPR runs out of Barley Village Hall where the committee there put on soup and cakes and drinks for the runners post race – always a long queue for Audrey’s soup! A formal expectation is that RO’s liaise with local land owners to get permission for the race to be run.  This is where the fun started… Most of the land owners are very supportive and understand that 200 odd runners are not going to have a long term impact on some of the less well used tracks and trods on the hill and so are happy to give consent, this includes United Utilities – the local water company who have been nothing but supportive as I learn this trade. One individual farmer however has a tricky set up, his sheep lamb in early March and the home fields he uses to keep the ewe’s close are the same fields we want to finish our race in.  The big concern is rainfall – too much and the ground (boggy at the best of times) gets cut up making it difficult to get his quad bikes up the hill to collect any struggling ewe’s and bring them back to the yard.  Now I get that – this land is his income essentially, where as it is my recreation. Of course I will support him in that and do not want to make a tough job harder but I do believe the impact of the runners – on a public right of way anyway – is over stated.  Either way, I have been asked to re route the finish.  Not a major problem and actually the re route has been praised as a better finish by many.

After that first discussion – and refusal I decided in the medium term I wanted to change the route.  That said in 2017 – were were on the usual finish, 2018 changed again!  I am now determined to change the route to avoid his land full stop.   Best get the map out!

So what are the stresses and worries?

Well, entry forms in advance.  It should be an easy matter – I know, I fill them in to, but peoples hand writing is at least as bad as mine!  ( I type and print mine out). Also – email addresses, I ask for an email so I can acknowledge I have received the runners entry  – a simple courtesy to my mind but also to pass information regarding route changes, or even a possible cancellation, if runners don’t supply an email address – it is a pain – potentially for them! I must confess the idea of an online entry system is appealing….

Flagging the amended course in sub zero gale force winds the night before.

The weather.  We had snow in 2016 and 2018. Barley village is in a valley with several steep hill roads around that regularly get cut off in snow.  The weather is the main consideration really, although the concern is less for the runners well being – they will have decent kit (we check) and tend to like the adventure… it is the marshals, who are stood largely still for several hours and have to get in to position and off the hill again.  I marshal myself in both a paid professional basis and as a club volunteer – I know how baltic it can be stood still for a few hours – even on a summers evening! So the initial risk assessment I did, in line with the FRA’s RO guidelines gave consideration to weather impacting on the race.  In short, if we can get to the start line there will be a race – it just may be a shortened one, as this year 2018.

Marshals.  Getting the right people in the right place at the right time. It takes approximately 25 people to steward the race to the standard I want. This is in part due to various Checkpoints (CP’s) requiring a count of the runners – not just heads, but the actual number on their vest so we know not just how many but WHO is on the hill and ultimatley safe back again. Believe me the various sweepers who have supported the race all tell tales of runners “heading off in the wrong direction” or generally looking confused with a map in their hands.  The count is a vital mechanism.  Following a fatality during a race – that could have possibly been prevented -no one new the runner was missing, the start line count has become a part of the fell running tradition.  We know that as so few people grumble about it now! Especially on the longer races or when the weather is poor.

Three orange marshals

For accounts of the tragic side of fell running – it does have its very real risks – do read Steve Chilton’s “its a hill – get over it”  A great book on Fell running, which mentions several Clayton legends and races including the SBPR amongst its place in the wider athletic world.

Future Plans

As a club Clayton are keen to encourage more people in to the sport (fell running) as are the FRA, so with this in mind, as as a tool to help me keep abreast of the race course conditions as much as anything else, in 2017 I offered to host two reconnoiters of the course (recce’s) for people who perhaps had never done the race, but weren’t sure if that distance on the fell was for them. I offered it at a slow pace, (c2.5 hours) with time spent looking at the map to explore route options and also allow people the time to gain some familiarity with the course.  In 2017 over the two dates I had just under 30 people join me from the club and in 2018 over two dates we had 14.  Most of which came and did the actual race – so time well spent!  Next year I am going to run one for the club and one for the wider fell running community – I shall advertise it to local clubs I expect. I do intend to develop a new route also…. before the bracken gets too tall!

Here is a copy of the race report from the 2018 which should be in the Spring 2018 Fellrunner magazine.

 

The 2018 SBPR started as a pleasure to organise.  The land owner conversations were ‘positive’ despite not getting the usual route (please believe me there is a usual route!). Changed course it is then. I prefer that amended route anyway! I know many of you did to.With a changed course, marshals sorted and memories of last year’s balmy conditions… what could possibly go wrong?                                                                                            Enter “the beast from the east” some family commitments, and various other situations requiring attention in the South East in the preceding days and all of a sudden it got quite tense…. The plan was to leave the South 8.00am Friday morning to be in Barley for 17.00 to assess the route/flag the amendment and make any final decisions that evening to get the word out the night before what was happening – by 8.00pm at the latest.  “The best laid plans…” and all that. After an epic journey back north on Friday, caused not by weather, but by road works led to me being over two hours late (thanks Steve B and Mark N for being so flexible!). Several villagers kept me updated on road conditions, so knew as long as we could get to Barley there would be a race of some sort! (Three times round the car park anyone?)

I eventually got my boots on the hill around 19.30.  Goodness it was windy!  But actually aside from the odd drift, the ground conditions were pretty good. The wind was forecast to be dropping, so the “shortened race” option was the obvious one.  Thank you to my wife for getting a “he is on his way” message out on Facebook!  I eventually got to speak to the Marshal team and all of them were very prepared to don their big coats and make the race happen. Phew!

The race delivered some testing conditions which will live long in the memory of the 156 runners who set off.  A strong field with some great route choice saw a tight battle between some Pendle regulars and an Airedale Orienteer– Alasdair McLeod, eventually stealing a march on Holmesy and Clayton local Holdsworth to take top honours.  Thank you to everyone who thanked me on the day and in the days after, but as ever the biggest thanks go to the marshals who we hope to have thawed by March 2nd 2019. 

Colin.

The race nets about £500 for the club and Mountain Rescue.  I do enjoy the process and like very much seeing racing from a different perspective.

It enables me to “put something back in” to a sport I have come to love and feel passionately about.  I fully intend to continue organising the race for the foreseeable future.

For those wondering who Stan Bradshaw was, and why he has a race named after him, you will have to come to Barley Village Hall, on the first Saturday in March with your fell shoes on and read the history of the great man on a display I put up inside the hall to occupy the awaiting runners.

See you on the fell.

 

Open 5 Series – Lake District – Coniston

Another winter, another Open 5 series… Yay! I look forward to these in a big way, once Barley Badgers start night running on Pendle again I know its not long to wait before the Open 5’s kick off.  Previous Open 5 posts and an explanation of the format are here.  This season there are only three events, every other month which I am disappointed about, but with Dark Mountains coming up in January, perhaps that’s no bad thing!

Coniston.  An area I know well having biked, walked, run, camped, climbed and raced around before, bring it on.  Feeling quite fit, with a sound bike under me I was fired up… the only curve ball might be the weather. the forecast for the preceding few days was for heavy snow, with yellow and amber warnings from the midlands up I loaded a van on Friday ready for an epic journey and was prepared to battle up the night before to ensure I could reach the start line….but on the Saturday (day before) the forecast changed and it looked like benign conditions, for the journey and settled snow and ice around Coniston with sunny skies promised too. Perfect conditions for an entertaining race.

With low level patches of snow and ice and definitely snow on the ground the scene was a pretty one.

Start/Transition/Finish area at John Ruskin School, Coniston

Last season I had biked first, then run.  Time to go back to run first then bike.  The theory being no matter how tired I am I can bike faster than I can run and if all else fails I would be able to walk and push the bike. Last seasons experiment hadn’t done anything to convince me biking first was a better bet.

The first job on collecting the map for me is to try and come up with a possible run and bike strategy, its a rough sketch of a plan as the control points values are not given to you until you cross the start line and the clock is ticking. This map revealed a few controls along the lake shore, meaning a good flat run, that appeals to me as it gets me warmed up and the blood pumping rather than straight over the line and uphill – which any where north of the Start line would be, so subject to points values, I would be heading south first.  The bike was more complex with some fast roads in and out of Coniston and a big hill or two in either direction I decided it was an anti or clockwise choice, involving the quarries or not subject to how many points were available.

Ready to go.

I started at 9.21 by my watch, meaning I had to be back for 14.21, I knelt down on some dryish looking tarmac to mark up the map…clock ticking.  My plan was sound for the run, the bike bit was looking like skipping the quarries and heading east first. I would reflect more on that later.  So I tore off at a good pace heading toward Coniston Hall and the water. With three controls bagged in the first 25 minutes I was feeling good and the conditions although intermittently slippy (wearing my usual roclite 280’s) it was definitely runnable.  Sub zero and crisp – a beautiful morning!  I try to bag points against time and scoring something every fifteen minutes is my usual aim, I was well on plan… but maybe I paused and took one too many pictures..?  Still part of doing this is all about appreciating where I am. Well it is for me anyway!

Torver Common Woods

The real uphill began at Little Arrow, a path I know well and my aim was Walna Scar Road to pick up the furthest westerly controls before heading back to Transition, bagging a few more on the way. Its been a while since I last ran in snow and it definitely hit my pace, but by now I was just beaming, I love running being out in conditions like this.

Looking north to the Old Man of Coniston

The Walna Scar Road was a mix of runnable compact snow and icy patches easily avoided. I knew it was time to start heading in once I had bagged 34 on Torver Bridge, but a part of me was thinking its cracking out here, should I just complete the run course and get all the points (250) and give myself only a short bike?  But no, I bailed out of that thought process as there are 350 points available on the bike so I picked up the controls close to the main track on my way back in (32&30). I did take a tumble on the hill into town, some black ice caught me out, but in true fell running style I bounced back up, although as I type this my elbow is still bloody sore!

The furthest west control worth a meagre 10 points…looks pretty though.

At transition I prepared to bike and whilst slurping on some soup and scoffing a scotch egg (the food of champions) I nailed my bike plan down to east first toward Hawkshead and then north toward Skelwith. I knew most of these tracks and roads so figured with an unknown quantity of ice on the roads I would manage that better on familiar territory.  The plan started with control 16, worth a bold 30 points…… which wasn’t where it was marked on the map. I expected the way mark with control on it no more than a couple of hundred metres from the buildings, yet I reached my catching feature (a sharp bend in the track with no control.  I stopped and checked the map again, measuring for accuracy… I knew where I was for sure, but no control.  I noticed a marshal on the course – very rare to see one of those on these events…”so where is it then?” I asked, “a bit further up” was the reply, so I carried on and sure enough another few hundred metres up the track there was a marshal holding control 16 in his hand, “its in the wrong place then eh?” I offered, “yes, we are thinking of moving it” came the reply.  “I would” -beep-“cheers!”. In the seven years I have been doing these events I think is the first time a control has been marked on the map wrong/placed wrong (depending upon how you look at it).  No big issue, It cost me maybe three or four minutes or so maximum.  Onward!

The next few controls were where I expected them to be, so things were going well. Really well to be honest and I started thinking this could be a really good day following on from a great run, a fun bike trip and then a possible good score (350+ ish I reckoned) to boot!  I got to control 11 with my plan being to head up and over to 10 before hitting Hodge Close and then the fast track back to town. I had an hour to play with and felt confident of squeezing it all in time. I then looked at the on the ground conditions – boggy icy hell it looked like, up a steepening hill, a theory supported by the chap coming down, who suggested it was like that all the way up, I would be managing a slow trudge at best, so I decided to drop control 10 (worth 20pts) and pile down to Yewfield and go over Tarn Hows to pick up the main road, control 14&15 and then in to the finish, if I got there sharp I could possibly get the 20 pointer at Hodge Close there and back. Head down and peddle!

Tarn Hows looking lovely. Picture by James Kirby.

It was looking like a good plan right up to to the point I got to the parking place at Tarn Hows.  The road down the hill on the other side was sheet ice and looked and felt treacherous. I stayed on my bike, but images of a fast descent froze in the winter sun and I trickled down the tarmac hill painfully slowly. I got to 14 knowing I was going to have to drop the 20 pointer at Hodge Close, but I had time (about 15 minutes) to get back in the five hours,so I set off at a pace to be proud of 4 hours 45 minutes into the event and was buzzing right up to the puncture!  My first ever competitive puncture!  ARRGGGHH! I reckoned I had just under 2km to go and a control to find. I think I got the hole dodging some kids on the track out for a walk, I am sure I went over a bramble branch and that’s what got me (as I write this I have yet to repair it…). My thought process was this, put a new inner tube in and peddle back, having got really cold (hands especially) and be late in or just run the bike back in, be late – but stay warm.  Well, warm won out so I started trotting… Thank you to all those who inquired if I was okay..”yep, just a puncture” was the often repeated reply, I got 15 (worth 30 points) with three minutes to spare and I eventually crossed the finish line seven minutes over time. Bugger!  The points loss, coupled with the forty points I  Left on the course left me with a disappointing 314 after penalties, well down the field.

Whilst chatting to other competitors (Steve and Andy) it turned out I wasn’t the only one who  had considered having a long run and shorter bike – they had executed that plan and done really well on it scoring 370 each!  Next time I might give that plan some more serious thought, I would say I am a better runner than MTB’er. Having scanned the results there were some big scores which seemed run heavy/bike light. Perhaps I missed a trick there.

Irrespective of a disappointing result  I had a fantastic day, the course planners did a great job offering some testing route choices and well positioned controls.  Roll on Edale in February!

Leave No Trace.

(bit long this one, 15 minute read time – not including clicking the links)

What do those words mean to you?  To me, they were an idea. Something to do with environmental impact/not dropping rubbish, possibly some sort of eco-fascism with a dash of tree hugging….. oh and an American idea.

I’d been broadly aware of the Leave No Trace ethos for some time now. “Take only memories, leave only foot prints” is a phrase most people with a passing curiosity on the outdoors will have come across I am sure – and it makes good sense! One does not have to travel too far from their own front door to see the impact ‘we’ have on the world around us. Sadly that impact is highlighted further once we arrive in a rural or semi rural area, even in a town park I am sure we have all grunted/tutted/sworn at the pile of fast food packaging dropped from a vehicle, 20 metres from a bin, or the cigarette ends that some smokers seem to believe is not rubbish.  Lets not start on dog poo bags just yet, for fear I may not be able to tell you about my LNT experience as I will just be ranting.

A conversation with a fellow freelancer whilst working on a DofE program in the Summer introduced the concept further, along with the knowledge that she and her partner had experience of delivering LNT training, including train the trainer type courses and that they have done this globally.  I parked all that information as being interesting and something to remember. It wasn’t until reading the Professional Mountaineer, (a trade publication)  that it popped back in to my head. Heidi Schwenk (the freelancer I had worked with and Seb Shingler had a feature in there on Leave No Trace and I read it with interest.  There was something about it that captured my curiosity and I could see it dovetailing nicely in to most areas of my work.  On further investigation, a Leave No Trace Trainers course was being run by Heidi and Seb – Lifetrek Adventures and that completing the course could count as CPD for Mountain Training.  Several years ago I decided as and when CPD type ‘things’ came along I would look at them as I need to (and want to!) continue my development  as an outdoors professional as ultimately that will benefit those I am working with and for.  So I signed up.  A little apprehensively, as is was still a cost in the “quiet season” and time away from the family and I was not at all sure what to expect (beyond eco-fascism and/or tree hugging).

I am delighted to report the course was neither.  It has left me inspired and determined to spread the message, although as I write this I am still reflecting on what ‘my’ interpretation of that message is.  I plan on creating and delivering  LNT Awareness workshops next year.

So what is Leave No Trace?

The Leave No Trace Foundation is indeed an American idea, born from a number of educational and Government based agencies/organisations including the National Parks Service and Forest Service who have been developing the concept of minimising your impact in nature since the 1960’s.  The idea that our ‘consumer society’ has a negative impact on the world around us is not new  – in fact the first study which began to quantify the impact of carbon on the environment (‘Global Warming’) was in 1896! (Arrhenius).

The LNT vision is:

To sustain healthy, vibrant natural lands for all people to enjoy, now and into the future. Every person who ventures outside puts Leave No Trace practices into action.

Their mission is a seemingly simple one: To protect the outdoors by teaching  and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly.

What is not to like?!  Something that came across in spades during the weekend was that this is a concept, an ethos, an idea – but one with a high bar and a large number of small steps to take in order to ‘leave no trace’.  If everyone that accessed the countryside did just one thing in striving for leaving no trace – how would that impact on you, each other, your children in future generations?  This is basic stuff, the obvious ones like carry out your litter.  Better still don’t carry potential litter in in the first place!  Be conscious of path erosion – tread lightly and try not to contribute. How could your actions impact upon the enjoyment of others? Mobile on silent for example? or better still turn it off altogether and enjoy that tech free window in your day.  I found some of the ideas involved with LNT  naturally shared space and aims with mindfulness, well being and generally being considerate to those around. Again – what is not to like about an ethos like that?

The team, heading out of Trefriw.

The LNT Center for Outdoor Ethics capture all of this in seven principles:

Plan Ahead and Prepare

  • Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit.
  • Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
  • Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
  • Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
  • Repackage food to minimize waste.
  • Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

 Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

  • Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
  • Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
  • Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
    • In popular areas:
      • Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
      • Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
      • Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
    • In pristine areas:
      • Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
      • Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.

 Dispose of Waste Properly

  • Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.
  • Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
  • Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
  • To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

 Leave What You Find

  • Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
  • Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
  • Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
  • Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

 Minimize Campfire Impacts

  • Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
  • Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
  • Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
  • Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

 Respect Wildlife

  • Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
  • Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
  • Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
  • Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
  • Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

 Be Considerate of Other Visitors

  • Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
  • Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
  • Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
  • Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
  • Let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.

Some of the stunning scenery around Llyn Crafnant

So what did we do?

The two days were based on two low key walks around the Welsh village of Trefriw, in Snowdonia.  The walks themselves were simply vehicles to move us through a landscape in order we might see and realise some of the concepts and ethics being explored. Heidi and Seb used a good mixture of practical instruction, discussion (debate!) and some games/exercises to help each course delegate realise their own LNT ethos and shine light on the many ambiguities of human behavior.  One such game that sticks in the mind was we each had to find a piece of litter and then as a group order the rubbish in length of time it takes for each piece to break down in to non recognisable form/fully degraded. They used some flash cards to take the place of other pieces of litter, we found some wire, a tissue, a plastic bottle (of course), the head of a golf club (aluminium driver), sweet bag, carrier bag, some old wooden fence post. Among the flash cards added were fishing line and a glass bottle.  Where would you start? Which one will break down to nothing first, which one takes longest? Are any of those not litter?  What is litter? These were the basis for much discussion! The fact that struck me most on this was about plastic.  All the plastic that has ever been produced, has still not degraded yet and is out there. It will be for some time to come and yet we still produce more.

Creating the worlds best outdoors toilet, or cat hole so one might poo with a view….

We dug ‘cat holes’, looked at what constitutes man made vs natural, experimented with path erosion, considered impact on other people on the hill, the wildlife around, land management, positive impact, re-wilding, education and a whole heap of ideas aimed at supporting people to both protect the outdoors and help people enjoy it responsibly.

Another exercise gave me a phrase which will live long in my mind as it is a phrase that reflects my approach to working with people in the outdoors, it defines what I enjoy most about being out and about: the gift of discovery.  That moment where you get a jaw dropping view, find a small tarn, perhaps with island and are able to sit a while and enjoy the serenity, the run where you go somewhere you’ve never been before and see no one and nothing but the natural world, the hidden cave at the back of the crag, fresh in my mind from last nights run on Pendle a hill I know so well- a ‘new’ line downhill linking two familiar paths…. ALL these things we discover as we play out.  I ‘discovered’ them and relished that experience, so I keep doing it… looking for more new discoveries and finding them.  Why wouldn’t I, or any of us not want to pass that gift on?  Leave No Trace is all about passing that gift of discovery on to the next person.

My day to day aims are many and varied as I work & play outdoors, with groups of three year old’s to groups or individuals of seventy three years old, but all of those aims can be wrapped up and packaged under a broader heading:

I strive to inspire people to be inspired by and connect with the natural world around them.

So, added to my winter work list  is the following; to devise a Leave No Trace awareness course to promote and deliver next year as well as exploring how  I currently and how I could further incorporate LNT principles in to my work.

tread lightly.

More to follow in 2018…..

 

 

 

 

 

Boulder UK

So I went bouldering again last week.  With Graham from WAVE.  You may recall the last time I went bouldering…. I wrote about it here.

I wont recap the finer points of my thoughts on said pursuit suffice to say my expectations of myself were low.  My expectations of the shiny new centre… were high, not least because the original Boulder UK in Blackburn was often mistaken for the ‘Black Hole of Calcutta‘ not just in decor but complete with over crowded sweaty bodies and woeful toilet facility (yes, singular).

So the newly relocated Boulder UK has been open a few months on the edge of Preston, just off the M65 in fact, making it ludicrously easy to get to for anyone in East Lancs, certainly easier than the Depot and possibly even the other Manchester walls, certainly for me anyway!

view from the car park

In an industrial estate near Bamber Bridge I found the place easily which was handy as I’d forgotten the directions I’d noted down from the website….

First impressions were good – light, bright, airy and open on two sides to provide a good through draft. The registration process was easy and brief, and the staff were friendly.  Although a Thursday afternoon, there were a dozen or so people inside working problems.  However there was ample space for many more to be kept busy.

With Cafe area and toilet facilities (note – plural) it was instantly better than the old Boulder UK!  The question remained however was my bouldering worthy of such a location?

I decided to warm up gradually and I did think I would look at the kids/beginners area, but changed my mind when I realised the number of V0-V1 problems was pretty large – a dozen or more which I ticked off slowly and steadily over the next hour or so. Each problem is colour coded to indicate grade by little plastic dots, up to V8+ also indicating the starting position for each line.  I stepped up on to some V2’s and beasted in poor style my way up these.  Graeme and I resolved to spend more time climbing for ourselves this winter and less for groups! I was beaten off the V3’s I tried (both of them) and carried on for about 1 hour 45 in total, somewhere in the region of 19/20 or so problems and I have to say I was impressed. the routes were different in character and style – even at the same grade, meaning there was plenty to work on. Good music piped through out, good coffee, interesting mix of people and ages.  I am certainly resolved to head back again soon. God knows I need to do the training! There is a formal training area, although I did not visit that, but imagine its full of problem boards, campus cboards and various holds designed to torture  train you in to being a better climber!

a slice of the action.

So this is very much the style of the new Bouldering walls and one that can only add to the growing momentum around climbing as a whole that is building as we head toward the 2020 olympics, where climbing makes its debut….  I look forward to the interest that will bring our sport with eager anticipation.