The weather looked cloudy and wet on Saturday morning at Grange in Borrowdale..... I was assigned the first point to make sure the teams set off up the footpath and not the road- so it was straight on with the waterproofs. The first team arrived on time, then the third team - where was team 2? They turned up 20 minutes later - not a good start. Two teams were intent on walking up the road sorry you have to use the path. In all eleven teams started.
Then it was back to base to arrange my kit. Soon we left to get up Honister Pass after a detour to Seathwaite to drop off my car .The 6th Fulwood Minibus first gear works very well. Tommy’s van was in the Car Park so there was time for a quick brew and a guided tour, before setting off at 11:30. George and I took the footpath which took an hour to get up to Brandreth, after only a bit of "off roading" we were at the summit, but which one was it? In the end we decided and found a pitch within the 100 Metres of the top needed (only just!) And sat in the tent to wait.
The first few teams arrived right on time, walking through the mist, then a huge gap of 2 hours out of radio contact with Honister pass where the sweep teams, and the remaining competitors were. (Thank goodness for the rugby) the mist came down and it got cooler and wetter. Suddenly we could hear teams in the background and within 10 minutes the rest of the teams were with us. Just at that time it started to rain hard so we both dived in the tent and watched the others get wet ha ha ha …
We were now part of the sweep team, so it was down with the tent and try and catch the others up. Whist they were going up Green Gable we were still coming down Brandreth, and were able to see the carnage of teams everywhere with the sweepers behind trying to find them! We were able to direct the sweepers to the right places using radios. On the top of Green Gable the sweepers thought we had lost a team - team seven where are you? (My Ventures - oh no!!) At least we had contact with the next base (no 5) for the fist time that day. After 10 minutes, we had a plan. George and I stopped on the top of Aaron Slack for the others to go to the bottom and count numbers. Then magically all the teams turned up. So down we went to Styhead to worship at Phils new tent.
After a slog up to Sprinkling Tarn it was tea-time, and a watch on teams putting up tents. We still had a bit of night navigation to do before we could camp. Angle Tarn was the destination, at one point the path divided, George started walking uphill , the rest of us kept to the lower path, and made it safely to Angle Tarn within an hour. (The right hand path would have taken us to Esk Hause and Eskdale - not a good idea)
The tent was pitched right next to a wall on a slope and by 9:30 we were ready for a good night sleep
After a night of sliding down the slope, we woke up at about 7:00. The first team arrived at 7:15, 10 minutes late, and said they had no problems but it was a bit misty. By 8:15 and in the middle of breakfast, the next base reported in - they had not seen the first team, but it was a bit misty.... We looked out of the tent for the first time that day and saw whiteness - only 5m visibility!!!
The next 3 teams arrived at least 40 minutes late after an interesting time navigating in the mist. Still no team 1..... We sat round waiting for the remaining teams who came and went. By 9:15 we had only lost team 1. At 9:30 the radio packed in. .Silence. We sat round and waited for the safety team to arrive. At 11:00 they arrived after a cold wait on Esk Hause. Team 1 were seen going down Eskdale (I wonder if a compass might have helped?)..We took the tent down in a hurry and set off for the next base, we were supposed to be sweeping but were 2 hours behind the last team…
By now the mist cleared and we were able to follow the good path all the way. Then at 11:30 just in the middle of issuing instructions to the other bases, the Safety team’s radio packed in. Joe could only use 2 words at a time and just managed to tell the bases to close, and sweep after the only 2 teams left competing. We could see the sweep team on the horizon, but could not call anyone. We had no option but to speed up to try to catch each base before it closed.
After some skilful navigation cutting off 1 km and lots of ascent to base 8, we saw 12 people ahead walking off the plateau in the distance. After a quick bog trot, and descent down an ace rock step path (honest) we caught up with them. All that was left was a run down Langstrath- the pub at Stonethwaite was calling. A quick pint was enjoyed in the pub, then a minibus turned up. I got a lift back to my car, and drove back to Stonethwaite to pick up the stragglers. We were back at base by 3:00, to await the 2 remaining teams. After a pie from Checkpoint Tommy, the results came through.
Thanks to the organisers, and all Checkpoint Personnel, the Safety team Carl and Joe for following everyone round, and the competitors. There were nine teams at midcamp and considering the weather everyone who got there did very well. If only every team had got up in time for their start on Sunday morning, we would have had at least four more teams finish.
Congratulations to the winners 6th Fulwood.
Peter Fricker (Checkpoint 4 and 6)
This year (2000) the event is this weekend(8-9 April), will get some thoughts next week
