On the foothills of England’s Everest
Posted by Al on November 14, 2008
Filed Under Bob Graham Round |
In 1931, aged 41, Bob Graham headed up into the fells around his Lakeland home to attempt to bag 41 peaks in 24 hours, one for each year of his age, including nine of the ten highest peaks in England. He did not succeed.
However the next year, aged 42, Bob successfully covered 42 peaks within 24 hours. A legend was born. For this feat was not matched until 1960, by which time it had acquired near-mythical status. The ‘Bob Graham Round‘ became the benchmark for long-distance fell runners to test themselves against. 70 years on, the task is as difficult as ever.
Covering the Bob Graham Round’s 42 Peaks, 66 miles and 27,000 feet of ascent (equivalent almost to the height of Everest) within a 24-hour period is a massive test of endurance. The BGR is so difficult that it has been dubbed ‘England’s Everest’. Few have heard of the challenge; fewer still have accomplished it. Ben, Andy and I decided that it would be a great challenge for Ben and me to work towards as preparation -both physical and mental- for SOUTH. The folklore of the hard and humble men who have accomplished astonishing physical feats on the empty, silent mountains excited us all. It will feel like a real honour to me if we can complete the Round. To succeed we will need to be extremely fit, as well as completely comfortable with navigating round the mountains at night. We will also be massively reliant on our one-man support team (Andy) meeting us at allotted locations around the course with hot food and logistical support.
Last week the three of us loaded up the Land Rover and headed for the hills to begin our training, filming, kit testing and reconnaissance. Despite the 5am alarm call it was a pleasure, as always, to get away from London and into the wild. Piling out of the car into the fresh, quiet Lakeland air I was excited that we were actually beginning to work towards this goal that has enticed me for a couple of years. We stuffed small day packs with Mars bars and Mule bars, sorted out our maps, chucked all our London clothes (and London stresses) into the back of the Landy, and headed for the hills.
We climbed up into the mist and ran for 6 hours. Occasional brief chinks in the clouds teased us with glimpses of the glorious landscape we were in, as well as confirming that we were actually where we thought we were! We made notes of the compass bearings we set, the lie of the land, and the time it took us on each section. When we attempt the BGR for real much of it will be done in the dark, probably in foul weather, so this preparation will pay dividends. There is no time margin available for getting lost.
Our high spirits waned only slightly as we climbed Fairfield in the dark. The scree slope was ridiculously steep and our stomachs were hinting that it was time to stop this nonsense. What must be the highest mouse in England (873m) cheered us up, nibbling on hikers’ crumbs in our torchlight on the summit. We ran back down the mountain to Andy and dinner.
We were back in the hills at dawn the next morning, thighs burning with indignation as we pushed hard back up into the clouds. It was 8am, rush hour for the rest of the world. We were completely alone, seen only by a few disinterested sheep and a herd of deer. I really love the sensation of feeling completely in control on a high peak in bad weather. Understanding the map, well-protected with quality mountain equipment, and fit enough to run on and on. I felt all the petty irritations of London life fade away into a far simpler mindset of just putting one foot in front of the other and eating lots.
Late that afternoon the mist suddenly faded away. We found ourselves beneath a bright blue sky on top of all of England. Below us lay a sea of gleaming cloud. Only the Lakeland peaks we had been bagging were visible above the cloud. It was a scene of incredible beauty and we felt so, so chuffed to be there to experience it… A bellow of “GET A MOVE ON!” broke into our quiet reverie. Andy had climbed Scafell Pike and clearly felt we were dawdling. We ended our 11-hour day scampering down the mountains in the dark once again, tired, hungry but happy, our head torches picking out the best route through the scree and down to Wasdale Head.
Ben and I are now completely hooked on the challenge of the BGR. We feel that, if we navigate like ninjas, can block out sufficient pain, and just keep on moving, then the Round is just about achievable. It seems phenomenally tough, but we think we can do it. We’re looking forward to heading back up there next week for another session. Watch this space.
(You can view some more images here)
Comments
3 Responses to “On the foothills of England’s Everest”
Leave a Reply
Good luck chaps! Those photos are gorgeous, by the way. I’ll be keeping an eye on your project, and wish you all the best!
Keep us updated on you progress. This is on my list of “ridiculous things to do”!
Best of luck (i.e. keep training!)
Niall
Hi chaps
when are you thinking of doing your BGR? keep us upto date with your training and dates of your next trip up here
good luck with it
Deasey