Mountain Trial

Sunday 09/09/07

Lake District Mountain Trial - 20 miles ??? / 9260ft
7th place - 4hrs 46mins 06secs

I hadn't fully digested Schoffer's appreciation of the LDMT in the latest Fellrunner.
As it happens I followed his advice to a T.
Set off like a nutter up the first hill to promptly get nearly cragfast and watch all those I had overtaken cutting off beneath me straight onto the checkpoint. Arse.
Then started pulling through and think I chose a decent line around the S of Red Screes to CP2. Bit miffed to have Brendan Bolland pass me here, though he did come 2nd, so it shows I chose a decent line. CP2 is where the lucky break came.
I saw Steve Birkenshaw just as I was arriving and decided, rather cheekily, to follow him. He chose a deft line which took us up Calf Cove onto the Farifield ridge. We ran together to Seat Sandal to arrive at CP3 with Jim Davies and John Hunt. Choosing to follow John from here I took a line down the tongue off Dollywaggon which proved to be a good one as Jim arrived at CP4 at the same time (though he was moving a bit quicker). A bit of a blunder left me too high in crags trying to find CP6, but in the end I think I got off lightly on the nav front, unlike Schoff and Paul !!!
Jo looked very worried at the start but finished smiling and full of talk of optimum route choice from here to there, so I think she enjoyed it. KIMM next for us my dear!
Overall Results, splits and prize list