Dalehead

4.6 miles/ 2300ft. Sunday 19th September

Rosthwaite Show not only has sheepdogs rounding up ducks, it also has a quick blast up and down Dalehead. I thought it might be an interesting recce for exploring better lines for the end of Borrowdale.

Maybe 70 or so runners turned out in the cold and rain.

You hammer off along that track where Borrowdale finishes, but inside of wading the river you continue to a slippery stone arched footbridge, and then follow white flags for a while.

You grunt your way up past the mining slate heaps, thrash across some boggy ground, and then burn it up by the stone staircase, before a run/stagger to the summit in a fierce crosswind.

The descent is exactly per Borrowdale, except I experimented with diving down the steep wet grass into the gully to avoid the skittery slate. Then the wonderful runnable grass with much fresher legs than usual. A guy on my shoulder snuck a better line and crept in front, but blundered by following the Borrowdale finish, instead of the conspicuous line of white flags. I waited until

he was sufficiently committed on the wrong route before yelling him back in.

I nice abrupt finish into the show field and very low-key prize giving by a horsebox in the rain. I couldn't see the results properly because Miles (the guy who owns the Borrowdale Hotel) wouldn't get out the way.

1, 2 & 3: Jim Davies, Gavin Bland and Jonathan Bland (in approximately that order)

10th Chris Upson (55:03)

Posted by Chris Upson on Mon 20 Sep 2004 | comments are closed

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