Dave Kilpatrick's BG

[kilpatrick]

I'll be attempting the Bob Graham Round, hopefully, on the weekend of 30th June-1st July. I don't think this clashes with any mountain marathons or champs races. If it does let me know. I 'll be following the, by now, traditional Macc Harriers schedule - 18.30 start, clockwise, aiming to finish in around 23 hours. All support and advice most welcome. I'm planning to be up in the Lakes between 12th-18th Feb and 7th-15th April, at least. If you fancy a long run let me know.

[david tucker]

See if you can come up with something for a central focal point of the event. The problem now is accommodation is so difficult to get in Keswick so everybody is fragmented. Dark peak hire the Threlkeld camp site and have the pub there as a meeting point. Could somrthing like that be arranged for your round?

[phil cheek]

dave,
Great to see your commitment this early.
Shall I get Chris Cripps booked to lead Wasdale to Honister & Annette to lead Honister to finish?I`ll do the dawn shift into Wasdale if you want.
Don`t forget Annette & I are around the lakes most weekends if you want company/a base.

[Colin Ardron]

Can I just be a Bob Graham groupie? I can take photographs, open gates and drink beer.

[phil cheek]

And Colin get your ass into gear for your Naylor.
I seriously want you, Pete & Mike for company on my over 60`s run this summer....maybe a couple of weeks before dave`s BG so he gets a last long run.At the 60+ speed it`s really only a long day`s walk,with a bit of jogging early on on the flat grassy bits on High Street.It`s a grand route & a great day out.
We`ll need to co-ordinate with other attempts,rumour has it Pete Coppack is having a go at the 55+,& Bob Smith & Andy Addis are going for the 50+(&good luck `cos that is seriously quick!)
Remember,you`re less old than you feel,& stronger than the young`uns

phil

[matt kowalski hicks]

am available that weekend for whatever is needed. I'm also in the lakes most weeks tuesday-thursday based in ambleside so would be up for some long midweek days out before june

[Beneficial Dictator]

I am rather hoping that there may be a few other members who are / should be contemplating having a go at a BGR this year. Digby's run in the Xmas handicap suggests to me he potentially has the ability. Ross Litherland & Catherine Crowther should not let the residual fitness they built up treking last year friter away. John Bunyan, who is currently running well again ,well we have been trying to encourage him for years. Andy Skelhorn if he seriously applied himself is certainly mentally strong enough. Phil Barnes is also mentally well attributed and capable of enduring the necessary pain. Angela Leonard though not often seen out with us ( lives in Havel Grove ) is also capable. There are others but these are just the names that have sprang to my mind at this moment.
Come along chaps / chapesses its the time of year for resolutions etc...

I strongly suspect club friend Stephen Pyke ( SPyke runs for Staffs Moorlands ) may be going for a round sometime in May and given good conditions possibly Sub 20hrs.

For those interested I will try to organise a weekend when contendors could run the whole central fells section ( from Dunmail Raise ) with me ( guess thats the downside ) then stay the night ( as my guests - all you would need is a sheet sleep bag ) at the Fell & Rock Hut at Wasdale ( Dinner & a pint in the pub ) then run back via some of the next section or through to Keswick or Borrowdale to a pre placed car.

[mudskimmer]

At this rate why not consider it as a club fell championship race, nominate a weekend, and have it as 'enter on the day' ......ooops now I'm just being silly !

[david tucker]

Mudskimmer - you've got me in stitches, as well as your own!

I must say, reading Feet in the Clouds this week, it, makes me feel superhuman having got round the thing. Not the type of account to read if you are planning a BG round but interesting afterwards. All you need is the Macc Harriers support then just don't stop running for a day.

[phil cheek]

dave,all Feet in the Clouds does is reinforce what i`ve found over the last couple of years supporting non-Macc attempts.
Most people fail.Some are underprepared & above all most are undersupported.Lead navigators don`t know where their going & won`t take advice from those who do.e.g.an attempt last year when in the dark over the Gable section Chris Cripps was ignored despite getting to 2 or 3 summits before the rest of the attempt,& this was AFTER i`d told them how good he was.Then despite the fact that it was a backwards attempt if i`d led Wasdale -Honister I could have saved 10 minutes or so.According to the contender these guys were "Gods" who knew it all,in reality they were only just adequate & probably not that if conditions had been bad.
So no you`re not superhuman,just proof that if even you can do it can`t be that hard (it does need commitment, weather & the right support)

Phil

[kilpatrick]

Thanks Phil, Idid speak to Chris during Mike's BG last Summer. the weather was perfect, the route plain sailing and perhaps the atmosphere persuaded him to offer to help me this year. I've not reallly spoken to him since so if you coulda sk him to help on my behalf that would great. He may need reminding that I was the scruffy, skinny one. As for the final section the more the merrier, I'll probably need pushing along. Cheers.

[phil cheek]

Dave,
I`ll let Chris know.

Phil

[phil cheek]

dave,
Chris Cripps is sadly NOT available that weekend,he`s doing the Heb Challenge.
Geoff Pet or Pete Coppack are pretty good on that leg but will miss 1 or 2 of Chris`s demon short cuts(10 mins max,more like 5) unless we get you up there to recce them.
Alternative is swop me from Dunmail leg to Wasdale leg.Craig`s pretty good on the Dunmail leg but you do need to make sure he learns bwhere the scree shoot into Wasdale is & doesn`t make you backclimb the vdiff that he took Julian down!(Sorry oh mighty Dic)

Phil

[Digby]

Ben Dic
Thanks for the vote of confidence but 07 may be a bit premature for me after only starting running after Mike's BG last year. I'm on for the weekend that you mention though and any other opportunities that there are to get to know the route and build some stamina and fitness.

Dave - count me in for providing support 30thJune/1st July. I should be able to make some of the dates in April too.

Digby

[philjan]

Dave -

I know you've been considering this for a while - glad you've now set a date. I hope to be available to assist!

If you're looking for an accommodation base, for my round in 2005 I used the THIRLMERE RECREATION HALL which is on the A591 just at the north end of the lake, on the junction of the St Johns in the Vale road. Let me know if you would like contact details.

Phil J.