Blogs

It has been a busy few months, concentrating mainly on training for ski racing this winter, by means of fell racing this summer and autumn. I had a good run at Great Whernside, to put me 11th overall in the British Championships this year, in my first season. I was also part of the Dark Peak Vets Relay team this autumn winning both the flagship events in October- the Ian Hodgson Relay and th FRA relays.

In September I went to the Mourne Mountains in Ireland (....got to come back with rock boots- amazing looking granite) to do the Mourne Mountain Marathon with Karen Davison. She is a top fell runner, who used to be in the GB orienteering squad, and was unaccustomed to coming anywhere other than first in the mixed events- no pressure then, as we lay second overnight! Day 2 I took all the weight, and we stepped it up a notch to win by 15 mins- phew; she would have been extra grumpy otherwise..........

Toughest outing of the year though, by far, was the OMM- the Original Mountain Marathon (used to be called KIMM). I have done this many times, but had never previously found anyone willing to do the Elite class with me. But this year Al Powell, who I trained as a guide with, was loooking for a partner as his brother (with who, after many years of trying, he had won it with last year) was taken ill. Pressure was on, as he was defending his title. Rather disappointingly Al decided as I was running well that I should carry the tent and all the food...

Day 1 was going well and we were leading after 5 hours or so, when we came upon the location of checkpoint 11, but it was nowhere to be seen. Al, who is the most experienced in the game, and several of the other top competitors, lost a load of time trying to find it- many, Al included, think it was misplaced. So after a delay of half an hour, we eventually found it, and were lying 9th at the overnight camp.

The weather was shocking in the night- minimal sleep, howling gale, lashing rain. And I was sleeping in a sleeping bag with 100g of down and a 1mm thick sleeping mat- toasty.......not.

Fortunately on day 2 the front had passed and it was clear. We rapidly passed one team and caught up 3 others, 2 of which had top 10 runners in the country, and the other team had won the LAMM Elite a few months previously. We managed to navigate our way ahead of them on a few occasions, but it was cat and mouse all day long, and we all came in within 30 seconds of each other. Jon Aylward (who had won the LAMM) said, as we all sprinted in to the finish together, -"Come on lads- Al should come ahead of us guys, as he has been finding the checkpoints for us all day long". "F*ck him", said his partner Steve Bottomley, who wasn't so gracious, partly as I had beaten him in several fell races recently, and partly because I was going out with his ex-girlfriend....

So 7th overall- we had the second fastest time on day 2. I took 2 steps over the finish line only to realise that my feet were in tatters...massive blisters on both heels, that have only just healed up after emptying Boots supply of Compeed, and wearing slippers all day for 6 weeks.

More enjoyably I had an awesome weekend with Rich Cross a few weeks ago, doing a load of Pembroke classics including  Bloody Sunday, E4 6a in Huntsmans; Heavens Door, amazing E2/3 on Mowing Word; Vladimir goes to Havana E4 6a at Stackpole, and the short but superb Olive Brach E4 6a at Mowing Word again.

And after many years of putting it off, due the prospect of massive whipper, I had a cheeky afternoon down at High Tor, where I took great pleasure in flashing Supersonic, E5 6a with Coops.

Time to exchange fell shoes and rock boots for skis and ice tools now- off  for a fortnights action in Cham and la Grave- conditions sound tasty.............