Dodd Woods again

view over Derwent Water from near a place called Long Doors

I'm not usually one to spend money to try to get better, faster etc etc but this heel thing has been really getting me down so I made a purchase today.  Following the advice of a work colleague, veteran of several hundred mile runs, a Bob Graham Round and hoping to get into the UTMB, he should know what he is talking about.  And what he was talking about was buying some Hokas.  So that is what I did.

In an age of minimal footwear, Hokas stand out loud and proud boasting a cushion of 26mm under the forefoot and 32mm under the heel.  This compares with Salomon Speedcross three, a shoe that is liked for the cushioning, at 9mm forefoot and 20mm heel.

The feel is definitely springy.  There seemed to be more bounce back on the harder tracks and roads than on the softer trail.  We had a run around Dodd Wood and they seemed really good.  I did the same two mile descent I did yesterday, this time without stopping and without heel pain.  I had a few other aches and pains, which I put down to being tired from yesterday and getting used to a different running position.  Overall, my experience on one run was good.  My heel is not sore and I'm hoping to get up in the morning without pain.

5 and a bit miles - still more exploring to do here

running up to Long Doors with Bassenthwaite Lake behind

view over Derwent Water and Coledale fells

much better man-leg than me

Dodd and some trails around it

from Dodd summit over towards Derwent Water

I'm too impatient to rest my sore heel for too long.  I planned an easy trail run, around the woods by Dodd.  Soon enough I found myself heading up towards Longside Edge before taking a rather steep path off the side down a gulley.  Nice to get out but I might have an achy foot tomorrow.

OS 1:25 map - click to see larger image for the detail

3d map at 1:50 scale

Most of the running was on forest tracks.  That was the way I had planned it because it was a rotten rainy day and I thought these tracks would allow me to do some hill runs while also providing some shelter.

I got out on the open fells a little bit when I took the track in the picture to the left which leads up to Longside Edge.

I hadn't really planned to go this way but decided to carry on and was all set to run along and drop down by Carlside until I spotted a track going down alongside Sandbeds Gill.  This looked like a very interesting track, dropping off the edge.  At the top is was rough scree but quickly turned into soggy grass shelves which were not too much fun to get down.  Further down it was back to the scree and was a pleasant run down to the fence.  A quick trawl though bracken and I was back on the forest track.

A month or so ago, we did a loop up from Bakestall to the top of Skiddaw and down Longside Edge.  There is a ridge in between these two routes.  From Skiddaw summit it goes down Randell Crag, Buzzard Knott and Great Knott.  There is also a track from Carlside.  I think this picture shows Buzzard Knott and then along to Great Knott on the right.  Some exploring to do there...

heading up to Ullock Pike

the track I took off Longside Edge

yep, it was as steep as it looks - this and the next photo perhaps show the difference between fell and trail running

back on the trail

pretty sure that is Dodd up there between the trees

I was a little low on energy by the time I got to the turn off for Dodd.  It's not far along the track though and I thought it would be worth it for the view alone.

The track climbs initially to a beauty of a viewpoint.  From here it levels off or dips slightly before it turns and winds up towards Dodd summit.

There was a group at the top that I didn't want to get caught up in so I took a few pictures and then retracted my tracks down.

There is a subsidiary viewpoint to the south which has a really clear track to it.  This made me think that there might be an onwards track from it but experience has made me wary of trying to bushwack through pine forests so I headed back on the main path.

I then followed the main path down and around, going downhill for two and a half miles.  It was a steady descent but my heel was hurting.  At the teahouse, I took a wrong turn and followed the track through the Calvert Trust (the one with lots of no-entry signs).  When I got to the clearing where I expected my car to be, I realised my error and headed off along the road.  It was maybe a mile and a half or so back.  Nice to get some distance in I suppose.  There is a track through Mirehouse that I will have to explore another day.

the viewpoint on the way to Dodd summit

fungus among us

Dodd summit with the subsidiary view point below

 

Whiteside, Hopegill Head and Grasmoor down via Red Gill scree

from the start looking up Red Gill on Grasmoor, my planned route of descent

I first had this route penned in for a run but decided I wanted an easy day today and so walked around.  There's a steep climb up Whiteside, a nice ridge route along to Hopegill Head and then a short down and up over Coledale Hause back up to Grasmoor.  From here I picked out Red Gill scree, one of the best scree runs in the lakes.  It just so happened that my car was parked at the bottom of it.

just short of seven miles

route and elevation

walking up the road to Whiteside

the famous Y gulley (Lorton Gulley) on Grasmoor

up the first steep bit of Whiteside and still more climbing

From Whiteside looking over towards Grasmoor.  Dove Crags vertical line up to the summit.  The line on the horizon is pretty much the route I will take all the way around.

further along looking back towards Whiteside.  Melbreak in view across Crummock Water between the slopes of Whiteside and Grasmoor.

looking in the other direction along the ridge with Hopegill Head prominent where I will take a left turn

looking back along the ridge to Whiteside.  The path at the bottom of Gasgale Gill on the left is horrible.

down at Coledale Hause looking over towards Keswick and the other side of the Coledale Valley

Climbing up to the junction point between Grasmoor, Crag Hill/Sail and Wandope, looking back to the path up Sand Hill on the left with shapely outline of Hopegill Head behind.  This is the path I have just descended.

climbing up to Grasmoor, looking down Rannerdale Beck to Rannerdale Knotts at the edge of Crummock Water.

Grasmoor on the right.  Ridge to Whiteless Pike on the left.

on top of Grasmoor looking down to the first layer of Whiteless Pike ridge then behind this High Snockrigg and Robinson looking square and broad mid left.  Fleetwith Pike is in the top middle of the pic, to the right of Robinson looking dark.  To the right, Haystacks is visible with the Scafells above it on the horizon far right.

from the shelter summit.  It was pretty windy up there today.

sun shining on the top looking across Crummock Water to Red Pike, High Pike etc on the left.

I managed to pick out my route of descent.  Red Gill is a big long scree section.  It's deceptive from the bottom; definitely not advisable to ascend but a blast to run down in the right conditions.  The route goes down the scree from right to left.

now looking directly down

looking back up from the bottom.

Sale Fell

dropping down off Sale Fell

I don't see any brambles on this map....

A very easy run tonight after a bit of a layoff with Plantar Fasciitis.  We took an anti clockwise route around Sale Fell and then zig zagged up to the top followed by an easy run down.  We may have gone through a bit of a prickly patch but there is no need for this sort of language.

Fixing on Bleaberry Fell and High Seat

on the way back down looking over Derwent Water

from the tool shed looking up towards Walla Crag

It was very wet this morning.  My first thought on waking was that I couldn't be bothered to go Fixing Fells today but I mustered some energy, got myself ready and headed off to Keswick.  As I set off, I could see that the cloud was going to be low but there would be plenty of breaks, making for some spectacular scenery.

We went from Great Wood, up Cat Gill, onto Bleaberry Fell, across the bog to High Seat and then down to Ashness Bridge via Ashness Fell.  We got a bit wet but not too bad.  All in all, a lovely day out, taking it easy, Fixing Fells.

cloud looking promising as we climb from Cat Gill

many layers of cloud

up to Bleaberry Fell

Christine bags Bleaberry Fell

High Seat

looking through to Ashness Bridge

inscription on the Bob Graham memorial

Bob Graham memorial