Mellbreak Pictorial

A great walk up and over Mellbreak from January 2010:

looking over Buttermere towards Fleetwith Pike - a misty, moody day

at the edge of Buttermere.  There are many great walks on the fells

around this lake but today we're heading in the other direction.

up here.  First view of Mellbreak

at the start of Sour Milk Gill.  So called because the raging waters look

like frothy sour milk.  A great climb straight up here (although apparently

somebody died doing this).  Not going up here today though.

looking over Crummock Water towards Grassmoor and Whiteless Pike

at the bottom of Scale Force

starting to climb now

one of the peaks (Mellbreak has two)

see!

heading down there now.  Steep descent.  That's Loweswater in

the distance.

looking back up the steep way down (huh?) I know what I mean.

Oscar.

Plenty of damage from the November floods.  These three lakes (Buttermere,

Crummock Water and Loweswater) are all part of the river system

that led to the devastating floods in Cumbria in November 2009. 

that water is so clear, it's a bit cold for a swim though

although it's lovely once you get in

more flood damage on the path back to Buttermere

When I got home I consulted my Wainwright books.  The ever grumpy Wainwright strongly advises against the route I took saying that all the best views are behind you.  I'm glad I never saw this before I went because it really was a great walk.

Helvellyn Triathlon 2010

Inspiring, known as one of the toughest triathlons in the UK, this was an event I really wanted to go and watch this year.  Perfect weather (for spectating) meant that I was able to drag my family along.

The Swim:
One mile in the beautiful Ullswater:

Ullswater is the second largest lake in the Lake District at about 9 miles long and 3/4 of a mile wide.  It is about 200ft deep at the deepest point.  More Ullswater info here.

We arrived just after the swim had started and were able to watch the rest of the swim and the transition to the bike section.

one swimmer started late

More Swim photos.


Transition 1:
The transition area was set up next to the lake, there was about 100 metres to run to your bike.  This is the first triathlon that I have watched and I was surprised to see how much gear people had.  It was also interesting to see the different approaches people had, from the ultra quick strip off the wetsuit, throw your helmet on and go to the, more relaxed, strip off, dry with a towel, check hair, have a snack etc.

transition

heading out

Truly inspiring to see the speed and athleticism of some of the competitors but also inspiring to see some pretty ordinary looking people doing the race.

The Bike:
38 miles isn't that long of a bike ride eh?  Hmm, check out the course. Click on the elevation box when you do.  The route takes in the Kirkstone Pass, including the famous 'struggle' out of Ambleside which includes sections of 20% plus climbs.

coming in from the bike course

More Bike photos.

The Run:
A quick 9 miles up and down Helvellyn.  Yep, this place.  The fastest runners were doing the run in less than an hour and a half.  Amazing.

More Run photos.

Well, work commitments meant that we couldn't stay around for the finish.  So that's the last of the photos.  Some more links below:

TriTalk Discussion:

Video:

Results:

Tough Decision

I have decided to withdraw from the Loch Ness Marathon.  It has been a really tough decision but I am sure it is the right one.  I'm pretty sure what I have done - I ran 24 miles on my birthday.  This was a significant increase, not having run more than 12 for a long time before that.  As a result I have struggled to run more than 8 miles since.  I'm currently experiencing some IT Band issues and working through those.

I have now entered the 10k to run along side my wife (although I might speed off on the day), but my plan is to take it really easy with my runs for now and ease back.  Perhaps I'll finally learn to swim properly or try some of those super hilly lakeland passes on my bike.  I also need to do some more hiking, something I have not done at all since my dog emigrated (it's a long story).

I listened to Brandon Wood's Podcast yesterday where he talked about his Ironman Louisville experience.  I've followed Brandon from the beginning and have benefited greatly from his experiences.  His podcasts have kept me entertained on countless drives, runs and rides and it was from listening to his latest podcast that I decided the best thing was to, as he says, "call it".  What I especially liked was his attitude of, "ok, what's next" and I plan to take the same approach.

I would really like to improve my speed running and will be looking at some training to bring down my 5k and 10k times (once I have rested and recuperated from my current injury).

So it has been a tough decision but I am happy and relieved to have made it.  I was starting to stress about not being ready for the marathon and that isn't right for something that is a hobby and supposed to be fun.  I think I handle pressure particularly well but one of the most effective ways of doing that is to not unnecessarily  put pressure on yourself.

Snowy Walla Crag

Everybody goes up Walla Crag.  It's an easy family walk, ideal for a spare afternoon.  I must have done this walk 20 times but this was the first time in these conditions - Snow, clear skies, warm day, perfect!

This is from December 2009

here is the route I took, parked at the NT Great Wood car park

Cat Bells and Maiden Moor over Derwent Water

from the initial climb

"my brakes don't work - watch out!"

The Newlands Horseshoe - another great walk

very busy on top of Walla Crag

Bassenthwaite Lake in the distance

Blencathra - another great walk

Skiddaw, yes, another great walk

Back in Great Wood, I'll have to check this out for some

run routes at some point

Pillar

This walk is from December 2009.  It was a cold and frosty day.  The ground was frozen and crispy which made for great walking on the grassy parts but it was a bit hairy on the rocky descent.

I had elected to tackle Pillar from Bowness Knott in Ennerdale.  The road down from the north can also be a bit hairy in icy conditions but today it wasn't too bad.

The Bowness Knott car park is a good starting point for the Ennerdale Fells or for a gentler walk around the shore of Ennerdale Water.

This was a walk with my dog, Oscar.  He emigrated to Australia a bit after this.  It's a long story but he's currently enjoying a less active retirement with the in-laws.

"Ok, let's get going"

looking back towards Ennerdale, Angle Crag on the left.

starting to climb now

still climbing - met no other soul yet

I think he's just realised that this is another walk that will

bring out his vertigo

still climbing.  Walking on frosty grass, one of the

best things in life (that are free)

that's where we are heading - pretty cold up here, I had

a balaclava and a wooly hat on at this stage

one last look back towards Ennerdale

over Wind Gap and then the final climb to the top before the real fun starts

on top of the world.  It's rare to get to the top of a fell

without seeing another person.  Bloody cold up here!

that there is Pillar Rock.  It's pretty famous.  You can't really get up it without climbing gear but you need to go around it on the way down.  Conditions were really icy and I took some risks that I probably shouldn't have done.  I also had to drag a dog with vertigo along with me which didn't make the journey any easier.  If it's not icy, and your dog is ok with heights, this is a really fun route up or down Pillar.  The lack of photos is a reflection of the difficulties that I had but we both got down in one piece.  Some further links to Pillar and Pillar Rock below:

Striding Edge

Outdoors Magic

don't EVER take me there again!

have to try this one day (without Oscar)

starting to run out of light but nearly back to Bowness Knott now

I reckon he's had a good day - what do you think?

route map, check out that descent!