My day 2 of the Bob Graham round started with a 1.5h run along the road from Little Town nr Keswick to the Latrigg carpark at the bottom of Skiddaw. I started really early this morning so as to try and miss the increasing winds (gusting 60mph this afternoon). The road run was blustery and rainy, which didn't bode well for the hills to come.
The summit ridge of Skiddaw was dangerously windy really and I had to crawl into a shelter near the trig point! It felt more than 60mph up there. On the summit ridge there was little visibility, the hail was painful and the wind bitter. I only just managed to stay on my feet before dropping off the ridge towards Great Calva!
Great Calva passed easily but the river in the valley was swollen with all the recent rain and uncrossable at the usual site. After finding a better spot to wade across, I started up the huge flank of Blencathra (Saddleback). It was less windy on this summit and the cloud level was high enough to finally get a view (one of the first in the challenge so far!!!).
The scramble down the ridge immediately north of the summit cairn is exposed and so it felt pretty exciting in the gusty wind. A fantatsic looking narrow ridge dropping straight down to Threlkeld.
Feet hurting but otherwise, my body is towing the line ;0)
The hill-part of today's leg took 5h 18mins and now i'm recovering in a coffee shop!!!
The whole day was 15 miles in total.
Tomorrow's forecast is 70-80mph winds, gusting 100mph. Judging by today, this would be pretty much impossible, so here's hoping it's wrong!!!
Photos to follow at some point.
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