Still considered one the of best - this year the very senic 38 odd miles of the Old County Tops race in the lake district saw 3 Glosopdale pairs running.
Hope you don't mind John but I've copied your report of the race below
"It was with great anxiety I accepted Bill’s invitation to team up for this years OCT event. It’s one of those events I always dismissed in the past as so far beyond my range I wouldn’t consider entering, but part of the persuasion was that Bill wouldn’t have asked if he knew I would fail.
We had a dodgy start to the weekend when the M60 was closed at J22 and we had to detour off round Oldham, Then when we got to the Langdale campsite at about 9pm we learned it was FULL and had to belt back to Chapel Stile for a pitch in the failing light. This turned out OK except after we’d retired for the night we heard a gruff diesel engine roll up and voices murmured as some blokes pitched next door to us. We joked this would be the time Andrew A. might be arriving – but we still couldn’t believe it when at first light on Saturday the man himself emerged only to be greeted by our three ugly faces chortling in his.
The race – John H, Phil S, Bill and I all started at the back just hanging on, Andrew and John D went mid pack from the gun. We settled down after the first climb up and over to Grasmere and were going fine though slowly all the way up to Dollywagon Pike where I remembered what a big b^&&*r it is. Still we were tracking 2 or 3 other teams when we turned at Helvellyn and passed several as we descended Whelpside – Bill’s description of the food and tea at Wythburn was spurring me on down here. A far too quick stoke-up, tightening of the loin cloths and we pressed on up the slog to Greenup Edge where we were a bit surprised to catch Phil and John. John was struggling with low energy for unknown reasons but he picked up when he saw we’d caught him. Round High Raise and on a direct Bill bearing we all ran to Stake Pass but after that J & P disappeared. I was really chuffed we made it to the Angle Tarn 30 minutes inside the cutoff time, but now came Scafell Pike.
The climb was not that tough though, I think we were into our stride, eating and drinking regularly and with Bill taking all the worry out of navigating I was OK although probably didn’t look or sound it. The biggest shock awaited us at the col before the final climb up Scafell Pike; there were queues of walkers going up and down as though a fleet of coaches had just been emptied onto that one mountain!. The clag was hanging about the tops and fine drizzle was blowing in the wind as we kept dodging treacherous rocks and people trying to avoid each other. Then as soon as we launched off down Little Narrowcove it was only 6 OCT runners again, wondering if we’d hallucinated the whole scene.
Bill led us down the twisting scree descent and we pulled a long lead over the others – but towards the bottom my left knee began to twinge. We were able to trot along Mosedale OK and with great relief reached Cockley Beck well within the cutoff time, though we were beginning to lose time against t’others as I got slower.
More tea, butties and cake and a couple of knee support bandages later we set off up Grey Friars – what a struggle that was, I could not believe how far it seemed to be as every crag or rise seemed to get us no closer to the top. Bill seemed fine and was strolling on and giving plenty of encouragement as I snailed up the whole of the world. Anyway, we made it and then the trundle out to the Old Man of Coniston was slow but steady. By the time we returned for the descent to Wrynose my accursed knee was so rubbish, I could only limp downhill at about 2mph instead of the fantastic rush it could have been on strong legs. So, we mostly walked all the way back to the finish which annoyed the hell out of me because two teams passed us round Blea Tarn but finish we did, which was my first aim. It took us just over 11 hours. I had completed my first Old County Tops, not let my partner down too much and now have a tee shirt to wear with great pride to races, dinner parties and weddings.
John S"
Anybody got any photos nad results?
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