Buckden Pike Fell Race Sat 15 June 2013
Separate ladies and mens races were held at 1pm and 2:30pm over the same 6Km course with 486m of climbing. The threatened rain held off, visibility was good, with sun and cloud and quite a strong wind on the hills.
The start is from the small triangular village green, through the car park, round the back of the car park with very restricted width in places to Buckden Beck which has a very slippery limestone bed. Fortunately water levels were low and the crossing jumpable at selected spots. From the beck it is hands and feet scrambling for all but the most elite runners up an extremely steep rutted grassy slope to a gate in the wall. The climbing continues following a wallside up the grassy fellside to pass a Memorial Cross, levels out for a peaty traverse to near the trig point, then a testing descent over rough ground and mine workings to rejoin the up route about half-way down. The next stage, retracing the route to Buckden, separates the cautious descenders (trail runners) from the controlled falling brigade (proper fell runners) It gets steeper as you proceed and on passing through the gate in the wall I could see Buckden Village apparently only a short distance away, but hundreds of feet below. Perhaps I should have packed a parachute, but too late now, here we go! Thighs burning, but still in one piece, I reached the beck, paused to ensure a safe jump, and managed a bit of proper running through the car park to finish in the gala field.Read More »Buckden Pike Fell Race Sat 15 June 2013