Old County Tops 2012

This year had the largest turnout of entrants on the OCT to date and the queue for registration and kit check meant that the start was postponed for 10 minutes, however, we still had time to say hello to a few familiar faces including NLN's other half and Albert Sunter making up a strong men's veteran team.  Both of us feeling happy and confident we set off keeping a good pace until the gradual climb up Tongue Gill to Grisedale Tarn where I started to feel very fatigued.  I initially put it down to the strong cold head wind but the grinding climb up Dollywagon told me I hadn't recovered from the cold virus that has plagued me for the last fortnight.  TYC was still bounding along, which gave me the incentive to push harder.

The cloud base was a good hundred metres below the summits of the Helvellyn range so no views to be had for all our effort.  The Top of Helvellyn even had a light covering of snow!  So it was about turn to drop off Helvellyn to the second checkpoint, food and drink at the Wythburn car park. The slippery conditions and TYC's enthusiasm led him to slip and slide and tumble a few times on the descent without injury I might add - how come I always end up battered and bruised when I fall?  We had made up 45 minutes on our last outing, which meant we had to make up another 45 minutes to beat the cut-off at Angle Tarn.

The wet bogging slog up Wythburn confirmed my worst fear that my weakness was likely to cause us to miss the cut-off time.  I was knocking back gels and Jelly Babies like there was no tomorrow but to no avail.  Green up Edge to the Tarn in 40 minutes was asking a lot but off we went choosing a lower route than our recce run.  Halfway down the side of High Raise there was a howl and a few choice expletives from just behind me.  TYC's left foot had slipped back in to a pot and had badly strained his achilles tendon.  2 other runners came to assist but none of us has a bandage to strap his ankle.  We sent the other two guys on to report to the Marshals at Angle Tarn that we were retiring and returning back via Stake pass.  So our attempt at the OCT had failed.

We made the descent in the presence of 2 other retirees where one partner was trying to do this event with an existing knee injury!  Our progress back was slow and painful for TYC until a couple of very talkative girls who had retired at Angle Tarn caught us up.  The conversation was in true UTUP tradition with plenty of badinage keeping us laughing back to the finish.  One of the girls I knew by sight from Orienteering events is in fact a BGer and had offered to support TYC in his ambition to do the BG, which was very generous.

Despite the fatigue on my behalf and TYC's ankle injury we both had a good day.  There is always next year!

Lessons learned: Don't do long events without being 100% fit and healthy, on rough terrain choose where you are going to put your feet and at least one of the team take a basic first aid kit.

KLM