The boys Hit Whinlatter! (Altura Circuit)

It's bound to end in tears! High speeds, smooth tyres, trying to learn to get "air" on the jumps. Sure enough it did and we had the video rolling! Click here to view a film

It's a great circuit though and we will be back again!

Lakes Winter Climbing

The best winter weather in the English Lakes for over a decade and some unused Quark axes meant many visits in search of classic routes. the first few visits encountered powder snow, and unconsolidated conditions, but later visits were rewarded with some great conditions. Here are some highlights.

Central Gully Left Branch Great End - Grade III

Launchy Gill, Thirlmere - Grade III

Dollywagon North - Ramp it Up - Grade II

Dollywagon Gully - Grade III

Black Crag Icefall - Grade IV

Hart Crag Icefall - Grade IV

Two Grooves, Brown Cove - Grade IV

Chock Gully, Falcon Crag - Grade V

Traithlon Training 3

Next another one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks. This time a longer cycle and a shorter, steeper run. The cycle out was 37kms and run 2.6kms each way

Once again snowy conditions made it an interesting day. Very little traffic on dry roads, and water bottle turning to slush with the sub zero temperatures!

Approaching Whernside

Times:
Lancaster Ribblehead area 1:43
Ribblehead area - Whernside 30 mins
Whernside - Ribblehead area 20 mins
Ribblehead area - Lancaster 1:19

slightly less hilly route back and a slight tailwind meant a speady return!

Triathlon Training - 2

A trip to local peaks in Bowland. More of a sprint

18km cycle and 6km run

1) Lancaster to Jubilee Tower - 28.59
2) Jubilee Tower to Grit Fell - 18.33
3) Grit Fell - Clougha Pike - Jubilee Tower - 27.00
4) Jubilee Tower to Lancaster - 20.00

Clougha Pike

Triathlon Training - 1

In an attempt to get fit enough to do an Ironman distance triathlon this summer I though I'd try some varied training runs rather than just pounding around the roads and normal hills. So my idea is to do cycle/run/cycle rides to various hills or peaks within a reasonable distance of Lancaster. The hardest bit of any of these will be setting of, particularly early in the year with dodgy weather and shorter days. Swim sessions in open water will have to wait a long time yet as there is plenty of cold water out there. Todays target was Ingleborough, this is a ride/run I have done before. I vaguely remember running the three peaks and cycling as well in the past. But for now this will be a good start.

Heading up the Lune Valley I wasn't the only person "training" as a steam train came past Wennington, quite a sight! Video clip here


Parking the bike just on the edge of Ingleton I swaped footware and took a jacket just in case as there was plenty of snow coming up. Starting to run after any bike ride is always hard, particularly staright uphill. I fealt very sluggish, but once settled down I got a steady pace going. I was going to keep on running as long as possible, and managed to get to 570 metres (about 12 mins from the top) until I had to walk. At this point the gradient rears up and there are some quite large steps. By this time I was well in teh snowline, and teh snow actually was a perfect rnning surface, dry and frozen but with a bit of give. The summit - which my GPS said was 726 metres - was in cloud and felt quite remote. Getting to this location from home in less than 2 hours felt a good acheivement.

From here it is in theory pretty much all down hill. But your legs feel like they are workign from memory really!

TImes were approx
Lancaster - Ingleton 65 mins (27.5km)
Ingleton - Ingleborough 52 mins (4.6km)
Ingleborough - Ingleton 28 mins
Ingleton - Lancaster 65 mins

profiles for run show the difference here between elevation/distance and elevation/time. AT least I was running an even pace if not a fast one!