Have They Found Everybody? and who is PS?

As we drove up to Seathwaite on Saturday morning in the Z car, it was all eyes to the skies (hopefully TF kept one on the tarmac). After a very wet start in Bolton we saw blue sky at one point, but this had disappeared before we got to the race venue.

The big boys' race set off just 99 runners five minutes late and we wimps were called to the line twenty minutes later with a call for "short runners". I tried to push my driver to the front but the starter soon explained that he was addressing runners for the short race, rather than those of challenged stature.

Before the start we had made contact with a swarthy lady (SL), who later proved to be an intermittent part of our race. 32 other wimps set off with us and in no time we were in low cloud with visibility down to about 20 yards. CP 1 was found without too much trouble and we went through there not too close to the back of the field. By then, I must explain, TF had decided that the conditions were such that I had little chance of getting back to the Newfield Inn before nightfall and had abandoned her own race to shepherd me home.

CP2 was achieved with just a little difficulty and we went through there placed 32 and 33 believing that there was one runner behind us.  We were later to find that he/she had dropped out soon after the start, so we were bringing up the rear at that point.

CP3 was found easily enough and a few minutes later and as we climbed towards Dow we head a plaintive cry from behind along the lines of "Is there anybody there?" This turned out to be from SL who we guided up to our vantage point. She thanked us by clearing off ahead into the cloud. Finding Dow (CP4) SL appeared from our left and joined us once again. She dropped back and we didn't see her again for a while. Dow Crag is the point at which the wimps' race joins the big boys' race route, which it then shares to the finish.

The route from there to the Walna Scar Road crossing was not easy, with the rock strewn route made very greasy by the wet conditions. Shortly before White Pike (CP5) we were passed by four of the big boys and SL. On the descent we were met by one John Brown, a clubmate of TF, out to watch the race.  We chatted for a while and then continued.

Anyone who has done the Duddon will know that the White Pike to Caw route is very messy, even in good visibility, so with only 20 yards or so in view it was not easy, but with TF at the helm we pressed on and eventually made Caw. We were surprised to be told at that point we were in 23/24 position, having gained 10 places since the last count, without having seen any of the other wimps (apart from SL).

A little trouble finding the wall crossing and then back to the field in 3:40.

The results of the long race http://www.duddonvalleyfellrace.org.uk/races/long/2012 give an indication of the impact that the conditions had on times, there had been 99 starters.

The results of the wimps' race tell an all too familiar story http://www.duddonvalleyfellrace.org.uk/races/short/2012 .Not a source of too much satisfaction, but interesting that SL doesn't feature in the finishers' list, as didn't Bowland Wayne, who had disappeared into the clouds early on.

A big thank-you to TF who took me there, took me round and and took me home, and if you ever get a chance to ride on her heated seats, after a long, cold fell race, jump at it.

By the way t'Y, who is PS?