#4peaks raacing plus#

For reasons of safety, we all had to show we were carrying the various essential food, drink and equipment when we checked in at the Moot Hall in the centre of Keswick. We also wore big, heavy boots for the expected tough terrain. Disdaining the wet and cold, the fell runners stripped down to shorts, running shoes and light day sacs while walkers checked that they were carrying the obligatory water, warm clothing and emergency life support aids, which were all loaded into large rucksacks. It was high summer but it was drizzling rain in Keswick when I arrived. It was actually scheduled to start at or 2 am in the early hours of of Saturday morning.

I used to take my dog to walk and run for hours over the fells.Īfter work on the Friday immediately before the fateful weekend, I went home where I had a meal and a rest before setting out at about 10 pm to drive the 50 or so miles to Keswick where the the race was due to start. The area is rich in natural beauty with two fells (mountains) of outstanding scientific interest immediately next to Burton. Burton is now an attractive little village in easy commuting distance to Lancaster University and many members of staff lived and, I’m sure, still live there. It was only partially rejuvenated when Lancaster University was built in the 1960’s. At that stage it was more important than nearby Kendal but the new canal between Lancaster and Kendal built to transport corn and coal bypassed Burton which lost its importance. It was once the most important village in the area and even had a corn exchange. Burton is mentioned in the Doomsday book so it has been around for a long time. I was working in Lancaster University at the time and was living with my wife, two small children and a dog in a small village called Burton-in-Kendal 14 miles north of Lancaster. When I did it, there was a field of perhaps 350 taking part of which probably only thirty or forty were fell runners. In fact, you didn’t have to be a fell runner to take the challenge. These are Skidaw, Scarfell, Scarfell Pike and Helvellyn. The four mountains needing to be navigated in the challenge were the four Lake District peaks that are over 3,000 feet.

#4peaks raacing plus#

I suspect this new challenge is not as tough as the old one when all four peaks had to be climbed in one day and comprised running or walking 60 plus miles and climbing the equivalent of Everest but without the altitude. Instead, there is now something called the Lake District 4 Peaks challenge which is an 18 mile event held over three days. I don’t think it is held any longer because when I tried to look it up on the Internet it was not mentioned.

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