Grizedale Trail 26 recce

down on the shore of Windermere before climbing back up

The Forecast today was abysmal.  Definitely didn't look like a day for the fells so I invited my mate Dean to do a recce of half of the Grizedale Trail 26 race.  I reccied it a few years ago and injured my knee doing it which meant that I never made the actual event.  Today's run was just a run around somewhere I knew would offer a bit of shelter.  I'm not planning on entering the event, which is in February, well at least I wasn't planning on it...

It started to snow as we went through Keswick and roads were quite icy, we saw two span out cars on the way through.  We got to Grizedale safe and well, parked up and then headed off up the initial rocky and wet path.  We were doing the second loop today on the east of the forest which would be started at about 10 miles in.

It looks like the course has changed since two years ago and I set off on the old course, only to work out after about 500m the change.  We carried on and looped around to join back up with the route where the track dropped steeply and rockily to the road.  We ran down the road, which was icy with the fresh snowfall on top, went around Esthwaite Water, through Near Sawrey and then over past the tarns and down the steep slippery path to Belle Grange on the bank of Windermere.  We ran south along the bank before climbing up again after about a mile and a half and heading back via Far Sawrey before climbing up again through the forest back to the start.  15 miles in all and a decent pace.  Quite tempted by the event now.

Esthwaite Water through the trees

bit of snow Claife Heights area

at Moss Eccles Tarn, bit misty today