I had a pretty good run at the Hobble last year, got in well under 6 hours. I was anticipating trying to beat that this year if conditions allowed.
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| I didn't take any pictures, so here's the Pike from the week before |
They didn't, obviously.
With 2 days to go the weather forecast was for heavy snow and ice. Travelling to the event at all looked dubious even for those of us who live nearby.
All week Gary the RO was emailing out changes to plans, but the overarching message was "the race will go ahead no matter what". We decided to see what things looked like saturday morning, since it's only a short journey and the start time had been amended to 11am.
Saturday morning the temperature had risen a lot, most of the snow had cleared from my street, and I'm not overly fazed by driving in snow anyway. We packed up and got over to Haworth fairly easily. There were a couple of places on the Keighley road where there was only a vehicle width through the drifts but the surface was OK. Getting into the village carpark was a bit more interesting but with a bit of slewing we managed to park somewhere I was confident of getting back out of.
I'd forgotten my phone, which was annoying. We got over to registration which was rammed and chaotic and fried my brain. While I was registering Michael W, who I ran most of the Lady Anne Way with last year popped up to say 'hi'. I was delighted to see him but disappointingly didn't get chance to find him later. Got registered, got outside and walked up to the start, still faffing a little with kit.
Looking around the start line a proportion - maybe a quarter, and including us - were carrying 10l or more of kit. As usual I was carrying the same stuff as I'd carry if I were out training alone in those conditions, but that's a discussion for another day.
A short race brief and we got underway. We set off somewhere near the back as the crowd jostled up the cobbles. I was comfortably warm but the day was warming up rapidly. Claire set a fairly brisk pace up towards Bronte Falls and I battled my way through the crowds to keep up with her. By the time we were well onto the track it was getting slippy and I was getting boiling. We stopped to put on microspikes and I shoved my warm layer in my bag.
Once the snow started to get thicker we discovered how the day was going to go. Narrow channels had been trodden through the snow and (unless we lolloped madly through the deep stuff off path) we were stuck in them as if we were on rails. Heading up to Bronte Falls there was a group of guys in front of me who were chatting away. Each time the path widened they (understandably, sort of) spread out to run as a group and talk to each other. Which made it impossible to pass. Since they were mid conversation I'd have had to bellow to make myself heard and while I'm perfectly capable of being rude to people when necessary I just couldn't be arsed. I eventually managed to squeeze past and then paced steadily in front of them until Claire was able to get past too.
We pushed the pace a bit more on the climb up to Top Withens. Michael was just ahead of us, I think we passed him at the CP. Dibbed and moved on. We picked up a gel wrapper just past the farm, spotted some blood on the snow. Claire pointed out a deep hole to one side of the path and while checking to see if anyone behind needed warning I plunged into the snow on the other side.
Train tracks all the way across the moor. Occasionally we'd see the slabs but since the first starters had been (probably) on virgin snow they'd trod a new path.
Dropping down to Walshaw I went off to the right of the path for a pee and ended up rolling down the embankment. No harm done.
Across the Walshaw Middle dam and then we took off spikes as the road was fairly clear. We'd both warmed up by this point and were making good time. Down onto the road and up to the CP at the Pack Horse.
We put spikes on again before crossing the field towards the Pennine Way, which was probably a good idea. Up the other side to Gorple and we kept them on all the way across Heptonstall moor.
At the stream crossing before the path junction Claire caught her foot and went flying, landing rather tidily on the big square boulders but hurting her hand and foot. Typically she got straight up and kept running...
Up to Edge Lane, and along the road towards Heptonstall. The road was surprisingly busy with traffic considering the weather.
At the next checkpoint I grabbed a jelly baby and on we went, down to the Blue Pig. Spikes on again for this bit, then off again as we climbed out of Hardcastle Crags towards Abel Cross.
The rough gravel track over from Hardcastle Crags to the bottom of Stairs Lane was heavy going. As long as it was fairly clear we were fine, pushing the pace on the ascent and making up time. Then we got past Cowshit Farm and we were plodging through freezing streams. Claire's feet went numb, mine were just unpleasantly cold. Again, we were in snow channels unable to pass or be passed.
No CP at the bottom of Stairs Lane, but a couple of chilly looking marshals at the top where the tarmac ends and the track begins. We dibbed, thanked them, and headed for the top, stopping to put spikes back on.
It was icy on the other side of Stairs Lane (although I've seen it very much worse). We got onto the catchwater path out to Keighley Road, passing Mandy & Phil near the end then clinked up the road to the CP. Claire guzzled down a couple of orange segments, I had a jaffa cake and we left for the final stretch. A cheery greeting with Michael W as we passed going opposite directions.
Claire's feet were causing her a lot of pain. I was fine, my feet had warmed up by the time we reached the reservoir before Penistone hill. We passed a lot of people on the road climb and finished up at the school. The school was, while less rammed than at registration, still awful. We hung around for a cup of tea and to sort ourselves out, I had a quick chat with Tony Wimbush (who'd just completed his 41st Hobble) then we shoved off to get warm and dry in the van.
In the days following facebook was full of posts from people saying what an amazing time they'd had. I think we (or at least I) didn't have such a good day for the pretty much the same reasons that a lot of people did. For many, perhaps most, the alternative would have been to stay at home - I heard a lot of people saying they'd never been out in conditions like that before. If we hadn't gone to the race we'd have spent the day out on the tops enjoying the views and taking our own route. As it was we were channelled into a crowd of other people, unable to run at a comfortable pace or stop to look around.
The Hobble is not really my cup of tea. It's a massive local event with a huge entry list and very very crowded - not just at the venue but for several miles of the course. This was my third time of running it - next year I'll stay out and let someone else have the place I'd have taken.
Kit & Food
- UD Fastpack 20
- Harrier poles
- Bothy bag
- Montane Prism jacket
- Montane Ember mid layer
- Silva ranger compass
- OL21 lamfold
- Columbia lightweight waterproof jacket
- Evadict waterproof trousers
- Raidlight wintertrail top
- Raidlight wintertrail leggings
- Rab powerstretch gloves
- Buffalo mittens
- Buffs
- Montane Coda cap
- Romneys mint cake emergency food
- Silva Trail HR head torch
- Katoola microspikes
A note about kit: I have a general rule of carrying the same kit on a race that I'd carry if training in similar terrain/conditions. That sometimes puts me in the position of carrying a lot more kit than most in the race. Since I'm not going to win that doesn't really matter, and it's a lot safer for me (and less hassle for race officials in the event that something goes awry). I'll post on this topic some other time.
