Adventure Racing - Splash & Dash

Last Sunday I took part in an adventure race in the Lake District run by West Lancashire Scouts. Its run a relay race for younger members with each team supplying a pair to compete in each stage and then pass the baton on to the next pair until the final stage which is a group fell run. There are however a limited number of places available for pair to enter and complete the entire race. I did this a few years ago with Martin Freeman and we did fairly well, only thwarted by a chain malfunction on the bike stage. We decided to give it another go this year and added Stuart Spencer to our ranks to make a trio.


We headed up on Saturday during the heatwave with our support driver Mark Fonze Gilham and got in a few hours cragging at Trowbarrow on the way (Assagai HVS 5a, Sluice HVS 5a & Coral Sea VS 4c) before picking up a curry from Windermere and heading to the briefing.

Myself sea kayaking on Windermere.

The next morning we were the last to set off in the starting placings. The first event was a orienteering course around great tower campsite, followed by a run down to a staging area on the southern banks of Windermere. we did the course fairly quickly and managed to tick all the controls. Next up was the canadian canoeing, up the eastern shores of the lake.

Martin dibbing as we left the Bike section start.

Once we reached the end canoeing section we jumped out of our boats and into sea kayaks, paddling another course which led us to the western shores of the lake. This was the start of the mountain biking course which took us through Grizedale forest, over the top of Lake Coniston ending up at Tilberthwaite. 

Finishing the bike section at Tilberthwaite.

Here we had to complete a mental challenge, which as definitely our week point. From here started the final leg, which was in atrocious weather a run from Tilberthwaite up and over the fells and down in Coniston. We came 2nd in the rankings, and only by a matter of minutes which over a 6 hours race we thought was pretty good. Had it of not been for our downfalling on the mental challenge I think we would of won.

Struggling with anagrams.

It was an excellent day and a big thanks to all those that organised it, I'm sure we'll be back next year.

Lockwood's Chimney - 'An Adventure'

Last weekend I was away with university climbing club (LUMC) in Snowdonia. Unfortunately as the week progressed the forecast progressively got worse and worse. The MWIS one issued on the Friday afternoon as we left bounced about triple digit wind speed figures and phrases like 'mobility will be all but impossible on all levels'. Not to mention significant levels of precipitation.

Usually its quite easy to find something to do in poor weather in wales, there's lots of ridges, easy climbs and scrambling. With the forecast most of my usual choices seemed a bit ambitious though so I did some thinking and remember being told about Lockwood's Chimney, a so called adventure route on Clogwyn y Bustach, just below Pen y Pas. I think 'adventure route' is a good phrase as to call this a 'climb' would be an injustice - whether this would be to the route itself or to all other climbs I'll let you decide once you've done it!

Naomi entering the chimney, below the chockstone crux.

To approach the route you park at the farm on the NE edge of Llyn Gwynant and walk down through the campsite crossing the river, and heading north along the river bank until you eventually wind your way up through some lightely forested boulder fields to the base of the crag. Its about 1.5km and takes 20-30 minutes. The start of the route is located to the right of 'the marble arch' a large natural arch of rock that has formed and provides some shelter in wet weather.

We climbed a long first pitch, combining the two written in the guidebook into one. This involves a steep wet crack first followed by another steep wall. This was pretty dire in the wet as a waterfall was running down it, and right down my sleaves pooling at my elbows! You can avoid this a scrambling line up some ledges to the left. After this the real meat of the route begins with the chimney itself. It think its best to do this in two pitches, the first going into the chimney and passing the chockstone which is the crux. Some websites and guides moot that this is about 4a - have no idea really, all I know is that it was very wet and polished and my boots didn't seem to find many edges to stand on so I resorted to back-knee chimeny'ing maneuver to get over it (one of the leaders in the latter parties fell on this and took a slide back down to the bottom of the chimney!). From here you move deeper into the mountain on a horizontal section, barely wide enough for you to turn around in, before climbing the easier ground at the back on the cave which leads you abruptly back to the outside world near the top of the crag. There is another scrambling pitch above this which leads to the top of the crag but we chose to make use of the in-situ tat and make the wonderful 50m free-hanging abseil back to the marble arch, just to add to the adventure. I was climbing with Naomi and Jade and they were both excellent seconds.

Myself squirming deeper into the chimney.

In true university mountaineering club style, only two of the six parties that attempted the route got to the top, with people having issues abseiling, getting ropes stuck, having to have lines dropped to them etc. I think I've grown to accept this now though, and quite enjoy the shut-eye I catch while lay on the back seats on minibuses waiting for them. Several asked how hard I thought the route was as it was only Diff; I never really thought it was hard as such, just a struggle, a horrible moist struggle. But it was awesome, and it was an adventure, top choice for a really bad day in Wales.

Photos copyright of Jade Jauquet.

Tarleton Skiing

I arrived home on the train on Friday (17th) evening just as it was beginning to snow in Preston. Between then, and when I woke up on Saturday morning it didn't really stop, with places getting 6-12inchs.

Skinning on Hesketh Lane.

After getting in late (2am) from the Ormskirk Network Christmas Meal in Southport I decided that considering the conditions it would be foolish to pass up the chance for a quick ski-tour round Tarleton. I managed to ski down Sutton Lane, through Mark's Square - much to the amazement of those that were still in the Lilford. Then all the way up Hesketh Lane to the High School where I skied down to the canal before heading back up to the main road, down Kearsley Avenue and home. Never thought I'd get to do that in Tarleton!

Saturday, Jacob, Andy and myself took the car out to the moss for some more fun with both the skis and sledge. I found skiing the powder on the verges of the road to actually be really good fun - although perhaps a little more akin to waterskiing than actual skiing!



Later that night we took this to another level though when Martin, Bob and Tom joined us complete with Landrover so we could really get some speed up on the Moss. We all found it quite exciting skiing and sledging behind the landrover at speed with somebody hanging out the back with a lantern illuminating where you were going. Anyhow, lets hope this snow sicks around. I'm hoping going to try and get to the Lakes tomarrow for some climbing, so if I do I'll report conditions when I get back.