St Bega's Recce - second try

something not quite right on Dent

After a wrong turn last week, Jonathan and I decided we needed to revisit the last part of the SBU35 course this weekend.  We set up a linear run again, leaving Jonathan's car at St Bees then I drove us both to Bowness Knott in Ennerdale where we set off.  The weather was rainy, wet and rainy.  We set off in full waterproofs.

important junction

After a short section alongside the lake, we got onto the road and headed into Ennerdale Bridge.  We went up the hill and turned left at the point that we carried on the last time.  After a bit and the first of many, "I don't remember this bit" statements from Jonathan, we saw the hill that goes up to the cattle grid.  We laughed at how this hill didn't seem so bad on the last recce (because we didn't come this way).  Further along the road is the track that drops down onto the trail around Flat Fell.  This is now familiar ground and we made good progress, although it was very wet and muddy and Jonathan hurt his ankle here.  I helped by taking pictures of his 'pain' face.

pain face

Up the now famous Bummers track, over Dent and down to Cleator, we ran past the last checkpoint and then got onto the various bits of track that lead to the cycle path.  I would say that the section from Cleator is the easiest part to get lost on of the whole route.  There was another, "I don't remember this bit" from Jonathan but I did remember Wainwright's Passage and was confident we were going the right way.

The course shares paths with Wainwright's Coast to Coast Route and in a few places, it was the heavily burdened walkers which helped to confirm we were on the right track.  After three bridges on the cycle track we turned off to the right then back under the bridge and across the fields, under the railway track, one last "I don't remember this bit" and onto the final grassy/muddy track.  We both agreed that this was an energy sapping part of the course, perhaps because you know there are only a few miles left.

Eventually we got to the school and took some pictures to mark our arrival.  It was a good run out on a very wet day and we now have the added confidence of knowing the route.

brilliant little kids play area along the cycle path

arriving at St Bees School

finally stopped raining

excellent man-leg