The Lake District Mountain Trial was first run in 1952 on a fixed course from the Old Dungeon Ghyll in Langdale but in 1956 a new organising committee took over and the event became a point to point race in which competitors were given grid references for the next checkpoint as they progressed round the course. Actually the first orienteering race in the UK 10 years before O as we know it came over from Sweden!
ViewRanger trace of the route – massive deviation from straight-line route on 1-2
Next leg to a sheepfold half way down Helvellyn on the Thirlmere side, 5km as-the-crow-flies but 10km along the ridge (down to Grisedale Tarn and up Dollywaggon etc.). A few people went direct but it looked steep, boulder-strewn and with a 2000ft descent – followed by re-ascent via Striding Edge >: I knew I’d be faster along the ridge and it took just over 90 mins to get to the control, approaching from the col between Lower Man and Whiteside.
Spikes in order: St Sunday Crag, Helvellyn, Raise (bad route choice!), last big climb back over Stybarrow Dodd, Brown Hills (minor spur to cross before dropping into Glencoynedale) then final climb to Control 5
The next leg along the NW of Greenside was lovely and an area I’d never been to before. Great running, nice and bouncy, control in a ghyll, got there 4hrs into the race and contoured across an expanse of tussock before picking up a path route to No 5 flanking around the head of Glencoyndale, again somewhere I’d never been. I was running in dob spikes and must have caught on a rock as I fell flat on the scree to the side of the path, winded myself and gashed my right hand. I lay whimpering for a minute or so then got up and walked on, later getting back into a cautious jog. At least the control was quite easy as I was well and truly knackered now!
Dave was a creditable 3rd in M50 on the 18-mile Classic race, here he is finishing & enjoying his free post-race meal from Podium Catering.
And my wounds…
The battle scars of all the good times … with apologies to Soft Cell!
Results and RouteGadget available at: http://www.ldmta.org.uk/news.html
