Fell Race - Patterdale (Beetham Cottage)

Members: Jim and Sandy Gregson, Sue Harkness, Margaret and Frank Williams, Midge and John Castick, Joe Flynn, Mark Ashley, Ding Koy, Pete Leeson, Craig Marsden, Colin Maddison, Al Metelko, Bob Kelly, Scott Sadler, Michelle Harvie, Mark Garrod.

Guests; Laura Collier, Mark Anderson, Fay Castick.

 

The weather wasn’t really encouraging people to turn up at Beetham Cottage early on Sunday; steady rain and low-ish cloud. However, that didn’t deter the KMC – 13 hardy souls set off to brave the elements, and enjoyed a yomp around the Eastern Fells, taking in Bedafell Knott, Rest Dodd, and the upper reaches of Hayeswaterdale. Even more brave, and praiseworthy, were Margaret, Frank, Sue and John, who selflessly volunteered to man checkpoints 1 and 3 – thanks very much to you four. Checkpoint 2 was unmanned, and required memorisation of two digits off a sign to prove it had been visited; in true KMC style I got 2 numbers, and 3, and 4, and even photographs to prove it.

Scott romped to a comfortable victory, despite competing in the Ravenstones fell race the day before. However, he did have very close company from Michelle and Pete (first meet for 10 years) to checkpoint 1, even though they nattered all the way up the first steep climb; I reckon Scott put his foot down after that checkpoint just to get away from the noise! Pete and Michelle were joint second, Michelle winning the Ladies trophy, and they were just ahead of Craig, who in turn beat Colin. Colin did however finish the course 12 seconds off the estimated “handicap” time I allocated him, and as a result won the Handicap Trophy, as no-one else beat their “best estimated handicap time”. Mark Ashley won the Concordia trophy, courtesy of manning checkpoints 3 times since becoming a member, but never competing until this year. Ding and Laura got plenty of navigation training, and amazingly no-one got even mislaid this year. Route choices to the first 2 checkpoints were the main challenge this year, with the walkers generally taking the more obvious, and longer, paths and ridges, and the runners taking the closest to a straight line they could find.

Congratulations to Bob, who completed his Wainwrights on Saturday with the ascent of Catstye Cam, after legging it up Birks while Laura, Ding, Michelle and Mark shopped in Glenridding. We all then met up on Birkhouse Moor, and negotiated Striding and Swirral edges, bracing ourselves against the wind, and overtaking numerous slow parties.

Thanks again to all who supported the event, including Sandy and Jim who completed a FRCC maintenance day on Saturday, then helped out on soup-making and cleaning jobs on Sunday.

Mark Garrod