Sunday 6 November 2015 was the fourth Frostbite30 ultra race sponsored by Berghaus. It's held in Nidderdale. Runners met for registration between 07:00 and 08:45 for registration. Ripon Runners had quite a few representatives, including Paul Walker who has completed all the previous races.
Note the waterproofs. This weekend has seen Storm Desmond battering the North of the country and Southern Scotland with heavy rain and gale force winds. Fortunately the River Nidd, although high, had not burst its banks.
I was running with Billy, as always worried about holding him up.
Here is the route, 1 southern loop with a checkpoint at the highest point of the route, Coldstones and running back down to the Scout hut in Pateley Bridge for the first feed station. This section had a 3 hour cut off and was between 11 and 12 miles.
The next section takes in the river bank, up past. Gouthwaite reservoir to Lofthouse following the Nidderdale walking route.
Following the route to Scar House Reservoir and the second feed station, before returning via Middleham and HowStean to Ramsgill. At Gouthwaite the route returned to the Scout Hut via the route that we had run out on.
After the race briefing where we were informed of a further cut off of 4 hours on stage 2 making a cut of total of 7 hours to Scar House Reservoir. We gathered outside for the start, we weren't left hanging around, we were off.
We ran alongside the river Nidd as the rain started, there were a few puddles but it was ok. At Glasshouses we turned right over a bridge and set of on the first ascent. We turned off the lane and into the woods, it was dark wet and muddy making for challenging conditions, the field soon spread out, I struggled, but I had run hard for the riverside section because I knew this would be tough. It felt like forever before we arrived on the top of Guisecliffe in strong winds. We ran along the top towards the Yorke Folly, I tried to get a pic but my camera was playing up, loads of people now started to pass us. We ran down to the road, crossed it and continued to run downwards, me very cautiously. Other braver runners passed in droves, but I was doing better than last year when I took the race on with bad sciatica.
We were barely down before we headed back up farm lanes and squelchy fields. One stone stile was so narrow I got my chunky leg stuck. The wind was still trying to push us back. We soon arrived at the out and back at the first checkpoint. It was a battle against the wind to get up there, as others ran back down.
My constant view of the day, Billy leading the way
This was on the way up to the Coldstones Viewpoint.
Made it, that was a tough 5 1/2 miles
I did want a pic of the view but my camera froze again. Disappointed I turned and ran down. We crossed the Greenhow road and headed downhill on Tarmac with the wind behind, it was a great respite. Down towards an old lead mine and the first stream crossing. It only came halfway up my calves but it was very forceful. That crossed we made our way around to another old lead mine site, down a steep hill. I got to the bottom and cheered to myself because last year I had sipped down this section on my bum. Yey! And promptly turned my ankle. I knew this next section from last year a good tar aced surface through the caravans to the Watermill. Cross the road and through two fields to the Scout hall. I asked Billy the time and was shocked to find out that it had taken two hours thirty five to this point. We grabbed a drink and some jelly bears and headed straight back out. This time we were running along the riverside, the path at first was ok, but soon it was a muddy, slippy, boggy track through waterlogged fields. The further up river we went the wetter it was with sudden deeper areas where without warning you were more than ankle deep and hoping your trainers would stay on as you pulled your feet out.
As we approached Gouthwaite Dam, a roar filled the air.
Had to stop for pics. We then struggled up a slippy hill onto a lane which had mud and puddles so deep we had to wade through, I hoped not to return on this section in the dark as I had last year.
We got to the village of Bouthwaite and were directed through the village and a farm, over a bridge turn right. Which we did, this led to a climb and from there on we were going up or down but nearly always wading through muddy waterlogged paths and fields, it was energy sapping. We entered Lofthouses and headed up the road towards Masham, but soon headed of back to wading through mud and puddles. We turned a corner and were confronted with this.
Two Marshall's and a rope assisting people across a swollen tributary, we had to queue to take turns to wade thigh deep through the fast flowing force of nature. We passed a couple of runners and caught up with more a few hundred meters ahead as we left a farmyard and had to tackle a narrower, deeper swollen stream, there was a rope, but no Marshall's this time as the rope was attached to a post, but people were holding it for each other anyway. We left this crossing to be confronted by a steep grassy bank which was a test for the grippiness of any shoe, it was very steep and long, we passed more runners at the top. Billy was so stone on the hills, I was breathless and had to recover by walking at the top of each. We could see Scar House dam to our left and ahead, but the lanes always seemed to take us away from it. At one point we had to go up a hill which had fast flowing water running down it and a waterfall on the hair pin bend in it. At another point we were wading through calf high streams. Our feet were sodden and it was starting to get breezy again, it was hard to keep warm. It was a great relief to finally cross the dam, I stopped for this pic, we were scarily high up.
We continued across to the feed station, two thirds of the race was done now, but this was where it really started, racing the daylight. We had hot Ribena and set off quickly, not giving our muscles a chance to get cold and stiffen.
23 mile done and another massive climb ahead, dodging 4x4 vehicles testing themselves on the steep rocky track. It was getting cooler and the sun was starting to sink as we reached the top. We set off over the moor and down the rough track into Middlesmoor and a brief water stop where a couple passed us, and some more jelly bears. A nice down hill section now down to How Stean Gorge. We followed the couple and for the next few mile we would pass them and they would pass us, but we would all pass other runners as we ran for home, hoping to make it before dark.
It was still light, but only just as we reached Ramsgill, one last water station and a few more jelly bears, we ran and waded to Bouthwaite and finally headed back on the track we had run up hours ago. Back through the farms ad onto the muddy puddly flooded lane alongside the reservoir. We got our head torches out as we passed and were passed by the couple from earlier. We made a slight mistake in the twilight, only 20 meters or so though, that allowed a lady we had passed earlier to catch up. Back on track, we slip slides our way down to Gouthwaite Dam and now in full darkness tackled the last boggy couple of mikes, the other couple got away from us, I was struggling now and even though I have a good head torch I was not overly confident. The lady who caught up with us stuck with us because we had brighter lights.
At last the car park was on our right across the river and the end literally was in sight.
Tired wet, muddy and bedraggled nearly 8 hours after we had started we had finished. Phew.
Trainers off, go to the loo, then eat some wonderfully warm soup, have some coffee and cake and get changed.
No t shirt though. We had to leave our details on some paper. Hope I get one, I didn't get a finisher momento last year, will be upset not to get one again.
This was a particularly tough race, it was a tough route and the weather had added to the challenge. I enjoyed it mainly but there were a few tough times trying to keep up with Billy who could have gone off at any time, but he stayed with me the whole way. Thank you
The first race was very snowy and icy. The three that I gave done have been wet, boggy underfoot and windy. Maybe it should be renamed the Trenchfoot Ultra.
Would I do it again? Yes
Would I reccomend it? Yes.
Did we have to navigate? No The markers were not massive but they were there. They were difficult to see in the twilight and dark though.
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