Fetch Fell Runners

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rf_fozzy Jan 2020 11:45am, 29 Jan 2020 9,482 posts	0 rf_fozzy High Cup Nick is a good race. Apart from the scramble up the nick itself, it's mostly v runnable (if a bit boggy at the bottom of the valley!) and there's no egregious climbing or descending - when fit, my kind of race! It's always v popular, but I suspect even more so because it's in the 50@50 race series this year - Tigger Tor was sold out v early and (I think) possibly had a record no of finishers? And at least they seem to have sorted the parking out for High Cup Nick this year - that was interesting when I did it - fortunately I have a small car and could squeeze into a space!
Northern Exile Jan 2020 12:06pm, 29 Jan 2020 5,867 posts	0 Northern Exile Flanker - I saw a message regarding the HPM only yesterday, apparently the message is "don't pay race entry yet" which sort of suggests that it's by no means definite that the race will take place. I think it will be a massive shame if the HPM has seen its day, it's one of those races that are sort of integral to fell running and offer a unique and very quirky challenge. Looking back, I will confess that it's one of the few races that have filled me with trepidation and I can remember exactly where I was in 2016 when SimonF called me to say that the race that year had been cancelled due to the snow, it was a massive relief - but of course that meant we had to do it the following year!! We had some amazing days out on the route though and our team put in some real work making sure we could navigate the tough bits over the watershed .... Bobs and I travelled down to the northern limit of the route on a number of occasions just to recce the line from Bleaklow Stones to Wainstones, it was all dead reckoning and compass bearing and on the day we nailed it. In fact, I can remember SimonF noting that we appeared to have picked up some tailgaters, so we must have looked like we had a clue. I did recce the alternate route to Swain's Head last year with some mates and I would have thought it missed most of the delicate ecological areas, apparently not though.
flanker Jan 2020 12:12pm, 29 Jan 2020 18,921 posts	0 flanker Yep, it'll be a real shame if it's no more. I've looked at it for years and but never got around to doing it, partly because it never figured in my old clubs' thinking. Now I have the club, but possibly not the race ...
Northern Exile Jan 2020 12:24pm, 29 Jan 2020 5,868 posts	0 Northern Exile Actually getting an entry in the blinking race was difficult enough!
Derby.Tup Jan 2020 12:28pm, 29 Jan 2020 37,714 posts	0 Derby.Tup HPM - ‘it's one of those races that are sort of integral to fell running and offer a unique and very quirky challenge’ is a brilliant summary. I’ve never done it but would love to. It’s right up there with the Fellsman and original Tanky’s Trog for me
flyingfinn Jan 2020 1:28pm, 29 Jan 2020 1,414 posts	0 flyingfinn NE with reference to the Cautley Beast I'm assuming she means something like the route from C to E in the attached link of the Howgills Fell Race route? Which I can confirm is a beast (and several other things!) of a climb back out from the sheepfold. helmhill.co.uk
flyingfinn Jan 2020 1:35pm, 29 Jan 2020 1,415 posts	0 flyingfinn On the HPM website there are a series of maps that show the NT's policy with regard to land use for organised events highpeakmarathon.org.uk . It would seem that the HPM organisers face an all most impossible task to find a route that satisfies the NT whilst providing something that does justice to the original basis for the race
flyingfinn Jan 2020 1:36pm, 29 Jan 2020 1,416 posts	0 flyingfinn Sorry that link doesn't quite work. You need to go to first post on the Latest News page.
Northern Exile Jan 2020 2:44pm, 29 Jan 2020 5,869 posts	0 Northern Exile Thanks for the link to the Howgills race FF, must admit I've never looked at that route before. I will ask her, that climb up to Great Dummacks is quite significant so it could be the one! I was on that little top on Saturday as it happens, it's not much of a cairn , but that's assuming it is the summit cairn you go to, the map appears to show something a little bit further SE than I would have thought.
flanker Jan 2020 2:48pm, 29 Jan 2020 18,924 posts	0 flanker They're going to struggle to come up with a meaningful route given no-go areas and the NT constraints, esp. Avoid going off public RoW Avoid paths showing signs of impact (is that a footprint or heavy erosion?)