This article was written for Axe Valley Runners' June '98 newsletter.
The inaugural GLTR was a three-day mountain race taking in all four of the Lake District's 3,000' peaks (Helvellyn, Scafell, Scafell Pike and Skiddaw) totalling about 85 miles with 20,000' of ascent (and descent, of course!). Overnight gear was transported between campsites by the organisers so only light day packs were necessary. It was to be three days of truly memorable running.
The first day's route was from Dockray, near Ullswater, to Dunnerdale via Helvellyn. After a typical Perratt start (ie. too fast!) due to a superb, runnable path nearly all the way, I found myself half an hour up on schedule at Helvellyn summit before plunging down an awful steep, rocky path to Wythburn at the foot of Thirlmere. The manic descent gave my quads such a shock that they didn't recover for a week! The next leg was up a lovely valley eventually degenerating into bog and tussocky grass and my only low point of the event, missing my wife and even my regular mountain running partner. (I much prefer to run with someone with whom to share the highs and lows of long-distance mountain running.)
After eventually getting to Ore Gap (between Bowfell and Esk Pike) still ahead of schedule it was now more or less down hill all the way. The run to Cockley Beck wasn't bad but the last bit down Dunnerdale to the finish was something else. It looked a wonderful run down beside the river from the map but it was really uneven in places and I was so tired that I even walked some flat bits. I eventually finished spot on schedule! Then followed an afternoon and evening of carbo-loading (via the well-known technique of 'stuffing your face'!) and chatting ... mainly about fell running!
Day Two dawned bright and sunny. The first leg was a really nice wooded run over to Eskdale followed by the long haul up Scafell. It was pretty much a case of 'head down and get on with it'. I got the clearest views I've ever had from Scafell before experiencing the most exciting bit of the weekend. There are three routes to Scafell Pike from here: Foxes Tarn (the only walkers' route which is a l-o-n-g way down and back up again), Lord's Rake (a narrow, slippery gully) and Broad Stand (a "moderate" grade rock climb). Four of us who had reached Scafell together decided to try the latter. Full-blown climbing routes aren't easy in descent at the best of times but fell shoes and shot quads made it distinctly exciting!
The next leg involved hurtling down the twisty, rocky Corridor Route to Styhead Tarn and up Aaron Slack to Windy Gap (aren't some of those names wonderful?) between Great and Green Gables. Then a nice runnable bit down beside a stream to Black Sail Youth Hostel, walking up to Scarth Pass (runnable except that it was hot and not a competitive race so I wimped!) then ...
... a manic descent down the other side to Buttermere. I think it only took about five minutes but the guy I was with at the time (a real, roughty-toughty Yorkshire fell runner) still got about a minute ahead of me!. He wasn't particularly fast on the flat though, so I soon caught up with him along the edge of Buttermere and we ran in together, attracting some strange looks from passers-by. A very pleasant afternoon of sunbathing, chatting and, of course, serious carbo-loading followed. This campsite even had a shower in which 20p gave enough time to wash both body and kit!
The final day dawned with low cloud but what a day's running it was to be. Over the Coledale fells to Braithwaite, all runnable apart from one steep haul up to a col, flat (really flat!) over the Derwent floodplain to the foot of Skiddaw and then the haul all the way up. On the open fellside it was pretty cold with wind, rain and very low visibility. I was wearing thermal top, windshirt, shorts and fell shoes and got some rather strange looks from walkers in full waterproofs, fleece jackets, walking boots and woolly hats! While I was hurtling down the other side a shrill, surprised Lancashire voice even loudly exclaimed: "He's wearing shorts!"
The descent down to Threlkeld was reasonably runnable but the quads were most definitely pleading to be put out of their misery! Then followed a really nice few miles along the old railway line (and a frustrating few minutes trying to cross the A66 because I missed the turning underneath). The final leg followed the Old Coach Road back to Dockray (including overtaking a bunch of mountain bikers: very satisfying!) and the end of one of the best day's running I have ever had.
It was a superb event and well worth getting stuck in Bank Holiday traffic on the way there. (It took me 6½ hours to drive up but only 5½ back.) I recorded the fastest overall time of 15 hours but no one ran it all and a few people walked most of it. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes long-distance hill running and/or walking.