Sowing the seeds

In 1995 I first heard of the Bob Graham Round and the challenge of it was intriguing. Knowing little about it I set off one day with Roger (a friend from Portsmouth) and Mick (one of his friends from Cambridge) but both passionate about the Lakes. We were laden with huge rucksacks, sandwiches, cameras and bags of enthusiasm. We got halfway round, anticlockwise, hours behind schedule and as the sun set I bailed out into Langdale and the comfort of the pub before collecting my more determined friends at Dunmail Raise the next morning.

At the time I was living on the edge of the Lakes near Carnforth and I had ample access to the fells. However my lifestyle with a young family, a house and garden needing attention and a busy job meant that in practice I did not spend much time taking advantage of my location. Occasionally I would bomb up and down Helvellyn after work (in order to be home for tea) but it was not part of my regular routine.



In 1998 I moved to the Isle of Wight and in (I think it was) 1999 Roger and I had another 'bash' at the BGR. Roger had done loads of reccying and had put depots of food and drink at various strategic points around the route. We made some attempt to lighten the loads of our rucksacks and we knew about the schedule which had to be kept to. We were still very naive as we assessed our chances on the train journey up to Penrith and then the bus to Keswick but it was a great adventure - perhaps in many ways akin to the old pioneers of lake district rounds. I honestly can't remember if we really thought we were going to manage the round or not. Memory tells me that it was a sort of recce where we might just end up going all the way.



We had a night in a bed and breakfast in Keswick and then prepared ourselves the following day for the six oclock ish evening departure. We left our kit in the B and B as we had paid for that night too and we set off clockwise this time in beautiful evening sunshine. I was quite fit as I had been training for a road marathon and Roger was more fell hardened but slower than me at the time. It took precisely Skiddaw, Great Calva and Mungrisdale Common to expose our weaknesses and we arrived at the top of Blencathra barely on schedule and already feeling the strain. Roger was struggling to keep up and I already had massive blisters on both heels. I arrived at the top of Hall's Fell Ridge and looked down with a state of rising panic. At the time I was near phobic about heights and nothing had prepared me for the sudden exposure and steepness of the descent. I got down there as quickly as I could partly because it was getting dark, partly to get off that scary bit and partly because I wanted to do the first section at least in the time allowed. I just made it in the time and Roger was a few minutes later. I was keen to get going as soon as possible to make up time but Roger wanted to have a few minutes to change socks, eat and generally collect himself.



When we did get going it was a clear starlit night and I started to jog up Clough Head to make up a bit of time. Roger was very reluctant to go that fast and in the end we agreed that we would just go at a steady pace and enjoy ourselves.


From that moment on it was a very pleasant moonlit walk and we gently made our way over Helvellyn and to the end of section two. By now I think we were about two hours behind schedule and the sun was well up on what promised to be a beautiful day. As we came down to Dunmail Raise my mind turned to the breakfast which we had paid for at our accommodation and I suggested to Roger that hitching back might see us arrive back in time for the feast. The temptation was too much for him too and we got a lift back from two prospective BGR's who were getting ready for their own recce that day. Oh and that breakfast? - it tasted great.




It had been a great adventure and we had both learned a lot. Neither of us had given up hope of doing the BGR but we both knew that we would have to do things differently.





After that we both had goes (with Mick one year) at the Lakeland 3000 peaks round. This was an organised event with feeding stations on the way so we didnt have to carry so much stuff. We started and finished at Keswick and went up Skiddaw, Scafells and Helvellyn. It was about 40 miles, but with much less climbing as well, it turned it into a very pleasant day out. The first year we did it we finished with plenty of time to spare but the second year Roger tweaked his knee halfway round and decided to walk out via Langdale. I felt it would be safer if he had some one with him so I walked out too. I had already done the round and the descent into Langdale was a very pleasant one so I didn't mind missing out on finishing for a second time. Mick carried on determinedly and finished in fine style.



I remember on the bus back to Keswick with Roger talking about the BGR and him saying that I would never manage to do it (an omen perhaps?). I dont know if he remembers but we had a £1 sportsman's bet that I would not manage it before I turned 50.
I am still hoping to collect and plan to use that memory to help with motivation.