20 miles and 2900ft ascent from Ingleton, via Whernside and Gragareth, organised by Morecambe Bay and Bowland LDWA Group
Morecambe Bay & Bowland Group is Derek Esmond’s new hang-out. His events are always well-received and get frequent mention in the pages of Strider. Personally, I always find them rather difficult (though enjoyable) events – on many occasions have I waded through bogs, wandered the moor in circles and, down at ground-level, fought my way through brambles or blundered into someone’s back garden in search of the footpath. The Twin Peaks Trail was billed as "about" 25 miles, so we expected it to be nearer 30 but we entered it anyway. Marking the route on the map, it seemed to be mostly straight-forward – quite unlike most of Derek’s events!
Derek was sat, as usual, at his little trestle table in the car park to check us in and, with an "Is it ten o’clock?. Then would you please go now", off we went. This was another event with a civilised start-time for runners. We’re really only "joggers" so we were very soon at the back. Then, briefly, we were at the front again, as a crocodile of 15 runners appeared behind us, having run the wrong way through the caravan park. The route wandered though a few fields by the A65 before the serious business of climbing began. After briefly joining Fell Lane (the track to Ingleborough) we dropped down to the checkpoint at Skirwith. Over the stepping stones and up the steep climb at Twistleton Scar brought us on to the Whernside ridge from where it was a (mostly) gentle gradient for several miles to the trig. point. Then down to the road and a checkpoint.
Derek doesnt believe in over-burdening the entrants (nor himself) with rules, kit-checks and checkpoints. He provides the minimum support you need to have a good day out. So no tally cards to clip, no Raynet support, no results sheets and prizes. Just the helpful provision of some road-side drinks now and then, to save you from having to carry it all yourself. There are usually one or two nice surprises though, like the excellent rhubarb crumble on some previous events. This time it was a bag of enormous jam doughnuts – real ones with plenty of jam inside and no grease on the outside. There were little blobs of jam along the road for fifty yards after the checkpoint.
The next section of the route, up to Green Hill, was along the old coal road – a deeply rutted track. It was here that we started to overtake groups of walkers who had set out a hour and a half before us. I was amused that, whereas the runners (in their minimal footwear) were quite happy to run through the pools of water and mud, the walkers (in their big waterproof boots and gaiters) seemed to go to great lengths to skirt around the wet or muddy bits.
Once on Green Hill the route was almost level along the ridge to the trig point on Gragareth. We dropped down past Marble Steps Pot where, as a caver, I have been on several occasions. The steep bits over, it was just a gentle jog through the fields back to Ingleton where the route finished inside a pub (The Craven Heifer), with the pub staff providing a light meal for the 110 (or so) entrants.
Something told me that I hadnt quite gone 25 miles. Measuring the route later showed that it was, in fact, slightly under 20 miles. Nevertheless, an enjoyable day out. Thanks Derek!