| Race Journal |
| Andy Innes - Bob Graham Round Report 2013 I was told about the Bob Graham round in conversation by one of my teammates in an adventure racing team back in 2006. At the time it just passed me by and I hardly gave it a thought. As I learnt more about the round over time I was hooked in. A far off challenge that was a big a test as you could get all based in my favorite place - the hills!! A book came onto the scene called “feet in the clouds” which I read numerous times learning more about the challenge and the unsung characters of time gone by who were unrivaled athletes with many records in races that still hold today. So to the challenge - a circular course of 72 miles covering 42 peaks with an accent of 27000ft (2000ft shy of the accent to Everest summit I am told). There are 4 road crossings where road support are able to meet you to provide food and kit as you pass through. Myself – I have been endurance training for around 15 years to compete in adventure races and mountain marathons. A car accident in 2008 put me out of action for a while but luckily I have been training consistently now (thanks Jaki) for a year and back to a good solid level of fitness. The build up training for this challenge started in June for me this year. I had a 2 week holiday booked in Keswick and with the exception of a couple of days I covered the course (which is broken up into 5 legs by the road crossings) two legs one day and one leg the following and so on. The weather was great (most of the time) and I made the most of it. Most weekends after that I would be back in the lakes running the two’s and 1’s or in the peak district covering the High Peak Marathon, Mors and Tors and skyline courses or making up my own long routes or hill reps at Yorkshire bridge heading up to Winn Hill. As the big day got nearer I covered the course over 3 days mountain marathon style carrying my tent sleeping bag food etc for overnight camps in the hills. My plans for the final 4 weeks were knocked out of the water by picking up a cold so a 2 day hike around the route mountain marathon style was cancelled along with a another 2 day session of 30 miles each day was called off due to poor weather forecasted. One week to go and I was back in the peaks doing the hill reps where I had told myself I wasn’t allowed to go home until I had done 10! The little man on my shoulder was arguing the point from the word go but was wasting his time. A steady 18 miles on Sunday saw me finish with the training and it was time to relax into the carb loading stage. My regime for any endurance event is to cut out alcohol for at least a week before the day. For the final 3 days prior to the event I have an extra 3 litres of water per day and a bottle of energy drink as well. Wholemeal pasta meals as well in the evening and I have a pot of chia in the fridge that I have about 8 spoonful’s a day. The day came closer rapidly this final week and partly due to getting kit ready and finalising the logistics, which were considerable. The campsite was set up and a trip was made down into Keswick for cannelloni at one of the nicest Italian restaurants 3hrs before the off. Back at the campsite with a desire to go to sleep after the cannelloni I started to put my kit on and get ready for the rendezvous at Moot Hall in the main street of Keswick town center with my first leg support runners who I have met only recently while supporting other BG contenders. The drive across boded well as what I had planned was starting to take shape. I chose this date in particular as there was to be almost a full moon, which rose around 6pm and was with us for company all night. It was lighting up the hillside brilliantly. I reached Keswick for 930pm and the deadline came slowly from this point. 1000 finally came and I touched the green door of Moot Hall as so many have done before as they set of on my schedule for a 22hr round with the same hope in mind. A steady run across Keswick to the first climb up to Skiddaw saw the start of the attempt. At the top I was 5 minutes up on schedule and I felt it had been a breeze. On to the next peak with energy levels to spare this was looking good so far. The following peak was to be Blencathra and I was going so well I dropped one of the support runners off the back so another dropped off with him for safety. This left two of us to tackle the climb onto Blencathra summit, which was now covered in thick mist. Onto the summit with no problems all of the recceing had come into play really well and I was still under schedule. The drop down into the first road crossing at Threlkeld was a long descent but again covered comfortably in the darkness with no issues. A quick stop to change shoes and to take on board some food and drink (Mexican bean soup and Bovril and milk for me). I set off again at 0145 with Lewis and Simon alongside me along with 2 more support runners on this leg. Simon was champing at the bit and was leading the pack from the off. I had the map so I knew that this would soon change. The climb on to the first summit is an hour long and a long hour it is as the climb is over tough terrain. Clough head finally came into view and this then opens up a nice section for a runner along to Helvellyn. On the way to Helvellyn however the mist was back and set in firmly on the ridge. Headtorches were becoming less effective and a hindrance at times with the glare back in the thick mist. We picked up all of the peaks along to Helvellyn with little problem but at this point it was becoming harder to pick a track from the rocks due to the dense mist. We overshot the next peak and had to backtrack and head on a bearing to find the eastern edge of the ridge to then follow it northerly to find the peak. One of the support group had dropped back and told the next person to carry on and he would catch up. In the thick mist with visibility at 4 metres we couldn’t see his light in any direction. He had found it the same problem and made the decision to drop directly back down to the next road crossing. We decided to carry on after a short time of calling for him with a whistle and hoped he had made a way down. We were three peaks away from the end of this leg so if he wasn’t there at the road crossing we could call in help when we got there. Back to task again and a newfound focus to get to the end of the leg we hit the following peak a mile away went without problem. Down to the tarn and up the steep scree for a mile onto Fairfield again in thick mist. I had spotted a flashing cycle light on the back of Lewis’s rucksack so I had a cunning plan. To place said flashing light on the final cairn up to the summit to then head to the peak and turn around and use it as a beacon to home in on back to the hard to pick out path. It worked perfectly! Back down the Zig Zagging scree with a smile firmly planted on Simon’s face who was loving it saw the leg almost to an end with just one more short steep climb onto seat sandal and then the long steep descent down into Dunmail Raise as the sunrise was starting. There at the stile was our missing man who had done what we hoped and had headed down steadily. I was just outside the scheduled time by 20 minutes at the second pit stop. Another round of Bovril and a big bowl of porridge later with fresh socks on I was heading up the steep climb onto steel fell with 3 more support runners who had arrived here at 0500 to help on the round. Simon and Lewis were heading off to get some sleep ready for leg 5, which was still some way off in the distance. The mist was still locked in firmly so navigation was difficult over the whole of leg three which is intricate and rocky. Unfortunately a couple of errors for the navigator on this leg along with wet slippery rocks saw us lose time on this leg with us coming out of the clouds and down into Wasdale after 8hrs instead of the intended 6. This now put me over time at this point for the 24hr deadline to become a club member. A quick bowl of bananas and custard and customary Bovril I was heading off with 3 different support runners again after a 5 minute stop and with map and compass in hand we all headed up the steep climb of Yewbarrow onto Red Pike. The mist was still holding its ground but there was a determination to keep going planted just as firmly. The peaks came and went without any issues and time was being gained steadily. The long climb onto kirk fell came and went with ease. Unfortunately we were zipping along too quickly for one of the support who said to keep going he had a map and compass and he would make his way back to the next road support station at Honister. Great gable was next on the list and it loomed strong and tall. This was taken I would like to say without any bother coming my way …… But!! Come it did from an unexpected angle. An overhanging rock that I couldn’t see due to my peaked cap was there in the way as I pushed myself up the boulders. Three cuts to my head later saw me climbing up to the summit still with a sense of purpose. 4 more peaks to go before the drop into Honister to meet up with Simon and Lewis again went without issues and gaining time along the way saw me back in the running. As we dropped into Honister to an awaiting crowd that were cheering me in the emotions were kicking in big time as I also knew we were back in the game. Lack of sleep does that to people I told myself! I had made time but didn’t want to take any chances so straight through with Simon and Adnan joining for the final leg support after picking up a coffee to drink on the way up to Dale Head. Lewis was going to meet us the other side of the hills for the final run in on the road section. When I said just a coffee I would have liked to have said coffee and head torch because half way across the hills it was clear we weren’t going to get all the way across and down onto the road before darkness took the place of the hill mist! That’s where Simon came to the rescue once again. Three people – Simon’s headtorch. Adnan wasn’t phased at all as he ran ahead of us off the final peak which is Robinson in pitch darkness without one. We headed down onto the road and along to Newlands to where we would meet the road support to change to road shoes and change kit ect. Or so we thought – the support runner who dropped off leg 4 to make a steady descent down to Honister had not turned up. The support crew had now turned to rescuers and were liaising with the authorities to locate him. He was quickly found to be safe and sound at the Inn in Wasdale. So onwards we went with just 5 miles to go all on the road and an hour and a half to cover the distance. Simon was leading the charge once more and in what seemed like a flash we were 4 miles up the road and crossing the suspension bridge from Porthinscale, which brought the lights of Keswick into view. There did seem to be a couple of extra ones tonight as we crossed the fields towards town and they were coming towards us. Lewis and Mark had run out to meet us as they had missed getting across to Newlands earlier. The final minutes were terrific as I ran into Keswick with great friends alongside and that moon glowing more brightly than the night before. The final charge down the high street of Keswick to cheers from the support group and the crowd to the green door of Moot Hall in 23hrs 13 with smiles on faces and Champagne all round. Thanks guys this is something I won’t forget!! |