We are in an age where limits no longer apply. Runners are going further, faster, for longer, in colder and darker conditions. Races are run over days and weeks, not hours and minutes. Athletes are enduring physical and emotional torment beyond what was ever thought feasible. Steve Birkinshaw is one of those remarkable runners who … Continue reading There is no Map in Hell – Book Review
The snow fell heavily as we journeyed up the M6. Turning into Kendal, it seemed to be settling more and more. We were lucky to reach Ambleside in time before the roads became impassable. We had booked a few days in the Lake District in mid-February, a welcome spring break after the long dark Irish … Continue reading Snowy Spring Trip to the UK’s Lake District
When it comes to mountain races, I’m a terrible one for complaining. Why do they have to mark nearly all the routes? Why, when the routes aren’t mark, do hardly any racers turn up? Why don’t more people run the IMRA navigational series? Why don’t a lot of Irish mountain runners know how to use … Continue reading Teaching Mountain Navigation
Angle Tarn with Hanging Knots to the Right, Lake District. Photo courtesy of Mark, http://picasaweb.google.com/markinbucks Maps don’t always tell you all that’s out there. I was doing the Great Lakeland 3 Day, a three day navigational event covering 100 miles of distance and 30,000 ft in climb in the UK’s Lake District. Not from the … Continue reading Nothing like a bit of Local Mountain Knowledge