Saturday's CD

After debating a trip to the Lakes on the principal of a 30@30 (after seeing it on gofar) for most of last year and failing to do so, I thought I'd do something for 31. I considered taking the 30@30 and adding Clough Head to make it 31 but didn't plan far enough ahead so I thought a good way to celebrate would be by doing a CD as it's local and I could get people involved who have supported, encouraged and spurred me on since my chance meeting with EtU and TF on the mast road back in October 2011.

My birthday is the 6th so a quick post on here and a group email from EtU later, the plan began to form of extending the UTUP on the 5th into a CD.

The weather was great on the day, the forecast looked like we might be surrounded by fog but we missed it and I can't recall anything closing in too much other than the stretch from Counting Hill to Winter Hill Trig.

Setting off from Upper Barn just after 8am, Tim Roe (do we have a monicker for him?) and I went off for the first few peaks, EtU heading to Two Lads and YJ setting off for Great Hill with the plan being to meet us later on. Despite my woeful nav and route choosing abilities and Tim not knowing the route we soon covered Noon Hill, the Pike and Two Lads, Tim discovering along the way where the overlap with the Winter Hill race was, so a handy bit of recce for as I've not done the race yet but intend to correct that this year. We caught up with EtU between Two Lads and Smithill's res, then carried on for Whimberry Hill and Egg Hillock and caught a view of an inversion before linking back up at Counting Hill and heading on to the Trig and dropping to Horden Stoops.

Tim was heading back at Horden this and so handed over to TLoB (nice to meet you) while NLN and JtE set off for Great Hill and FSS headed off in the so we could join up later at white Coppice. Old Adam was soon done while TLoB recounted a story I'd hadn't heard before to do with foaming and soon we met up EtU on Stipplers as he'd carried on into the Northern section. After actually finding the small cairn we carried on for Great Hill and met up with NLN and JtE before heading over to Round Loaf, I decided on the direct route in honour of IK as he wasn't out on the day and we've headed that way before. It's an enjoyable route in the summer months when it warmer and drier as it's like running on a mattress, easy to spring along. January however, proved quite different. TLoB arrived just after having gone back down the path on Great Hill first and in retrospect, his may well have been the wiser route!

Back in to the bog we trotted and carried on for White Coppice where I was handed over to FSS for Healy Nab and the the final run in. I must admit I was a little more tired than I'd have liked to have been at this point and struggled with maintaining pace and it was enough to be annoyed with myself for not being a better runner, though that just means I need to train more, surely? One great thing I did learn was a new (if counter-intuitive) route off Healy Nab that shall be put to good use on future runs.

All told, I got back to Upper Barn 4 hours 22 mins after I'd started and it was a great day out. Thanks again to everyone who came out at such short notice to be involved and for keeping me company on the way round. Also thanks to those who took pictures to catalogue the events of the day and an extra thanks for EtU for picking up an idea of mine and giving it that extra bit of organisation and getting people involved. Now, these Bob Graham plans.....