The Fellsman - an alpinist dabbling with ultra running

The start of the Fellsman in Ingleton, Yorkshire Dales

So the Fellsmam - a 61 ish mile run/walk/hobble round the Yorkshire Dales with endless bogs and 3000m of ascent throw in. 

Before I begin to describe my Fellsman story/thoughts I’d just like to say thank you to all the organisers and volunteers who make this such a well run event. It really was so well organised and run, with loads of great food stops, pasta, hot dogs, sausage rolls and bean casserole amongst other things and on top of all the food a smiley face and loads of encouragement from the cheery volunteers at each checkpoint. Thank you.

So why did I enter the Fellsman? At just before 4am last Sunday morning as I hobbled rather than walked (running was distant memory at that point) into Threshfield 18hr 52min after starting and in a fair amount of pain I was certainly asking myself that question! I think I've always had a bit of a hankering to have a go at an ultra marathon and after spending so much time in Chamonix the UTMB in particular so the Fellsman seemed as good a place as any to start. By 4.30am on Sunday all aspirations of the UTMB were definitely gone, for a day or so at least ;-)

Unfortunately the ‘off the couch’ attitude did not pay off, as was to be expected. I’d signed up with all the good intentions of putting a lot of time and training into it and trying to get a good (for me) time – the training never happened... It also wasn't a particularly good idea to run it on a recently sprained ankle, 61 miles over rough moorland and bogs didn't aid the recovery process and in the last ten miles my ankle had definitely had enough and told me so. Excuses over, lessons thoroughly received.

Anyway excuses aside I found it a really good experience, it was something completely new to me that I knew absolutely nothing about it. I had no idea how to train for it, no idea how to approach it on the day, no idea how to pace myself and inevitably set off way too fast and no idea how much to eat – a lot. But what surprised me the most was I had to dig far deeper than I ever thought, mentally, to finish it. I kind of went into it a bit over confident maybe… thinking along the lines of I've had some pretty hard, long both mentally and physically tiring days in the mountains so how hard can 61 miles round the Yorkshire Dales be?

Humble pie eaten with a massive helping of seconds, need I say more…

I think my problem was it would have been so easy to quit - you had to really want it. At any road side check point you could quite easily jump on a mini bus to the finish where as on a big mountain face in the middle of the Himalayas this just isn't really an option, (there also isn't anyone handing you a cup of warm tea and hot dog after every pitch, bit of a shame really I got quite used to that!). At the end of the day I approached it thinking there would have been a lot of similarities to big alpine days, which there are, but they are also two completely different ball games, which now my eyes have been opened is pretty obvious! And I have a new massive respect for ultra runners.

It probably sounds like I didn't actually enjoy the Fellsman which is completely untrue, how can a sunny day in the Yorkshire Dales be unenjoyable? Yes the endless bogs wore me down but the views were just stunning and I got to parts of the Dales I’d never visited before and certainly ticked a lot of the peaks.  It really reminded me what a beautiful part of the world is on my doorstep.  The company was great, I bumped into Ant, Sally and Ant at the start and let them drag me round for the day.   And you got to meet loads like minded folk from all walks of life throughout the day including the rest of our night group Mick, Paul, Nick and Geoff that we joined up with who all helped the night time rush by.  OK the last couple of hours were pretty miserable but there had to be some proper suffer time in there somewhere.  And then of course the achievement of just completing it, and trust me it felt like a big achievement, congratulations to everybody who finished.

Will I be back? maybe... probably!

For anyone interested in the kit I used here's the list with a few notes:

Ultra Guide running shoes 
Winter Warm Tights 
AK Stormy Trail Jacket 
AK Stormy Trail Pants 

Hydrogen Jacket - couldn't decide whether to take a light windproof as well as a waterproof but glad I did, much more comfy to run in all day and kept the initial hail showers out 

GTD Long Sleeve Shirt 
Better Than Naked Short Sleeve Shirt 
Base Layer light long sleeve 
Anamagi Jacket – nearly took a lighter top instead but so glad I took this for the cold night section 
Apex Gloves – only took these initially to cover the waterproof glove rule but was glad of the warmer gloves at night 
Runners Gloves 
Dipsea Cover-It
Beanie

BD Spot Headlamp

I borrowed a OMM pack which was the perfect size, the only problem was I couldn't reach my water bottle without taking the pack off or someone else grabbing it for me, I'd definitely make sure I had a pack which I could reach the side bottle holder on next time.  I had a water bladder too but used the bottle more as it was easier to refill at the checkpoints.  I also took my super light Black Diamond Ultra Distance poles but hardly used them so wouldn't both next time unless there was a lot more ascent.

Food wise I found the feed stations provided enough for me with a constant flow of High 5 energy drink and a few caffeinated gels for an extra boost every now and again - but food is such a personal choice.

Before the start, definitely a smile....

....during (00.30), not quite a smile

and finally after, definitely a smile again
(well for 5 minutes whilst I forgot about the throbbing ankle!)

Spring time in Chamonix

I've just got back from a couple of weeks in Chamonix and the late season skiing has been amazing.  Although I’d wanted to head out and get some climbing in I ended up skiing all the time with the only climbing action been a quick nip up the Swiss Route on Les Courtes on the last day.

So lots of days skiing of the Midi and up at the Grand Montets along with some big days out touring trying to get some miles back in the legs with amongst others a trip up the Aig d’Argentiere which gave a great ski down from the summit on spring snow and a quick sprint up the Col du Tour Noir (although snail pace compared to Killian Jornet and friends who arrived just after me – very inspiring to see how fast those guys move).

Josie and I made use of one of the short weather windows and headed through to Italy to the Gran Paradiso 4060m, the highest peak solely in Italy.  We only had one good weather day so decided to go from the valley to summit in a big day, great effort from Josie considering she’d just spent the last two weeks at sea level in Norway!  We stayed at the Victor Emanuele hut on the way down to ski out via the Tête du Grand Etret the next morning before the weather came in.  As long as you leave relatively early this is a much better option for getting back to the valley rather than skiing straight down to the approach track from the hut in the late season.  Back in Chamonix the next day we woke up to 20cm of fresh snow in town so more powder days – you got to love spring in the Alps.

To round off a great trip Charlie Boscoe (http://chamconditions.blogspot.co.uk) and I nipped up the Swiss route on the North Face of Les Courtes, a classic face in the Chamonix range I’d never got round to climbing.  Although it’s not a very technical route it had a couple of good steeper pitches and was just so fun to be back climbing in the mountains again with amazing weather and some good banter from Charlie.  It was obvious I was going to be really late for a final meal with friends in Chamonix that evening so we skipped the summit and traversed just right and high tailed it back to the valley as quick as Charlie’s little approach skis would allow!  I’d taken my Black Diamond Verdicts up the route which at 102mm under foot aren't exactly a light weight mountaineering ski but made the ski down a lot more enjoyable in the saturated afternoon snow pack and where Charlie had been glad of his short approach skis on his back on the climb up they were giving him a proper run for his money on the decent, I'm sure he was still loving it though?!  Really it is way too hot to be coming off the south sides in the late afternoon at the moment and we had a pretty spooky and slow decent trying to manage it safely in the roasting afternoon sun with wet snow slides everywhere.

It was quite surreal to be fighting my way through the London Underground the next day on the way up to Manchester for the first of the two Ellis Brigham Adventure Talks – definitely know where I feel most at home.  The evenings in Manchester and London went really well with a great atmosphere and big turn out last night in Covent Garden, thanks to Ellis Brigham for putting on the events and to the other inspiring speakers who took part.

Next up is the Fellsman tomorrow – a 62 mile ultra trail round the Yorkshire Dales.  Signing up to this back in December seemed like a really good idea at the time… forward to t-minus 1 day before the event and I've got no idea of why I signed up!  I've managed a fraction of the running I’d hoped for over the last few months and the longest run I've done up to now is a mere 17 miles so my plan of trying to get a reasonable time is definitely out of the window and coupled with a sprained ankle last week whilst running in Chamonix think I’ll just be settling for completing it at a fast walk if atoll.  

IF – and looking at the forecast its a very big if -  the rain holds off it sounds like it should be a fun and social event and will hopefully give me a bit of incentive to have a proper go at a ultra trail one day.  And if/when it does rain its just going to be dam right miserable!

Storm clouds rolling in skiing off the Midi

Heading up to ski the Col du Diable with Ross, Dave and Davide - we bailed due to the temperature, so hot!

Having bailed on the Col du Diable Ross headed off to ski the shoulder of the Aig du Tacul and Davide, Dave and myself went sniffing out powder....

....and found it, eventually

Dave following Davide's big GS turns

Josie heading up from the valley to the Gran Paradiso, 4061m

Josie enjoying the final summit ridge of the Gran Paradiso

well earned turns in good spring snow after a big day from the valley to the Gran Paradiso

Josie heading up to the Tête du Grand Etret before heading back down the valley behind to Pont

Charlie starting up the Swiss Route on the North Face of Les Courtes

Charlie approaching the steeper section on the Swiss route

The upper part of the north face - bailing out right under the summit trying to not be too late for dinner!

the mighty Grandes Jorasses

Mont Blanc sitting above an afternoon cloud inversion

Ellis Brigham Adventure Talks

Next week Ellis Brigham are hosting two evenings of adventure talks in Manchester on the 24th April and London on the 25th April.

There will be four speakers at both venues each chatting about their sports and I'll be chatting about my time on the Slovak Direct on Denali at both.  They should be great evenings with very varied speakers.

More info on the Manchester evening here: http://www.ellis-brigham.com/advice-inspiration/blogs/the-ellis-brigham-adventure-talks-manchester/

and the London evening here: http://www.ellis-brigham.com/advice-inspiration/blogs/the-ellis-brigham-adventure-talks-london/

Nick firing up one of the crux ice pitches on the Slovak Direct

Nearing the top of Denali - happy to see blue skies after spending the last 16 hours trapped in the tent
(photo - Nick Bullock)

The Winter gone and plans for the Summer

Well it's been a long time since I wrote anything on here.  I don't really believe in putting stuff on here just for the sake of it which really is what this probably is but its been a while and lots of exciting plans coming up.

It's been a pretty quiet winter for me on the climbing front, in fact I've done more talking about it than actually doing it, and quite enjoyed it which surprised me - the talking about it that is not the not doing it bit!  Slide shows/lectures/talks what ever you want to call them are something I've always shied away from but the ones I've done this winter I've really enjoyed and hopefully managed to passed on some of the passion I feel for the mountains to others.

Christmas in Chamonix saw me properly rediscovered my love for skiing.  That and discovering that I could be in Chamonix just as quick and for the same cost as driving up to Fort William might be another reason I haven't headed north and done a single Scottish winter route this year (it does seem like my timing might have been out though and it probably wasn't the winter to miss, some amazing stuff been done!).  Well in fact it was simple - I just wanted to ski more than I wanted to climb this winter.  It was skiing that first opened my eyes to the mountains as a young lad and being based back in Yorkshire for the last few years its definitely been missed, even though it was only 6 days in 3 months it felt great to be putting some time in on the skis again.  Its just so much fun!


I lost my camera over Christmas so haven't got any pics form the ski days but heres a few thanks to Ross Hewitt from one of our days out on the NW shoulder of the Aiguille du Tacul.

Max, Tom and myself booting up the final colouir to the shoulder (photo - Ross Hewitt)

Remembering how much fun it is!
(photo - Ross Hewitt)

Max making the most of the amazing snow conditions
(photo - Ross Hewitt)

Anyway, things are a changing and there's a busy summer ahead that hopefully involves a lot of climbing.  My major trip for this year is a big expedition with a good friend Jon Griffith to the Charakusa Valley, Pakistan in mid July.  There is so much to do in this valley it just looks amazing, Chamonix on steroids, so looking forward to this and Jon's even promised me a warm sunny base camp, psyched!  

Our soon to be home for the summer in the Charakusa Valley, Pakistan - K6 massif dominating base camp (photo - Jon Griffith http://www.alpineexposures.com/)

Our main objectives will be K6 West and Link Sar both 7000+m peaks, I'll put more info up nearer the time but for now just a big thank you to both the Nick Estcourt Award and the BMC who are supporting our expedition and helping to make it happen.  For more info on the Charakusa Valley check out Jon's trip report and stunning photography from last year http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions/6796926-charakusa-valley-pakistan

Before that I'm heading back out to Chamonix in a weeks time for a couple of weeks of spring time skiing and climbing with an aim to start getting some big days in the legs and really kick off the training for Pakistan.  Spring time in the Alps is a special time of year, good friends, quiet, good weather, ski in the morning BBQ's in the afternoon, really looking forward to it.

Windy in the Hongu

Chamlang, 7314m - not to be this time

I’m just fresh back from spending five weeks sat below Chamlang in the Hongu valley, Nepal with Nick Bullock. Unfortunately (again) the weather didn't play ball and we never got to have a proper good go at our objective for the expedition - the North Face of Chamlang, last year on Kyashar in the spring it was snow, this year it was the wind. 

We left Kathmandu on the 4th October along with Jack, Rob and Graham and made it to Lukla without incident where we met up with Gary, Tania and our amazing base camp team - Buddi and Santosh before the we all started the 8 day trek into our base camp in the Hongu Valley. The route takes you out of Lukla and up over the Zatrwa La pass before dropping down into the Hinku valley and following this up to Khare and over the Mera La to finally drop down into the Hongu Valley and out base camp. With Peak 41 (Jack and Rob) to one side, Chamlang to the other and Hunku (Garry and Graham) just up the valley it was a pretty perfect location. 

Heading through the beautiful village of Khote in the Hinku Valley

Arriving in Thangnak

Climbers heading up Mera Peak from the Mera La

Dropping down from the Mera La and into the Hongu Valley

Sunrise over base camp below Chamlang

Evening light on Chamlang

We spent the first couple of weeks acclimatizing around the Hongu, exploring the valley – which was stunning and scoping out the North Face and possible routes. After a few days of heading up to around 5700m we were keen to sleep high so headed up with Jack and Rob to the West Col on Baruntse to spend a night at just over 6000m with stunning views across to Makalu.

Gary and Rob scrambling up to 5700m on the ridge opposite the North Face of Chamlang

Gary descending

Spending a night at Baruntse base camp on the way up to the West Col

The South-West Face of Baruntse from its base camp on the way up to the West Col

Sunset on the massive West Face of Makalu from the West Col

With Chamlang at 7314m Nick and I were keen to get a bit more height before having a pop at the face so decided on getting as high as possible on the West Ridge which was also a possibility for our decent route. First climbed by a Japanese team in 1986 it took us a couple of days just to figure out the best way to get onto it, eventually finding a load of abandoned gear and guessing we were on the right track. We set off with 3 nights of food and figured we’d just go as high as possible without tiring ourselves out too much so headed back up the never ending scree slopes below the ridge for a third time. The start to the ridge is pretty horrible, very loose and not the most enjoyable but we slowly made our way up passing more old fixed ropes and even a ladder which we avoided by some easy scrambling a few meters to the side?! 

Trying to find a way through rubble onto the  West Ridge of Chamlang

Some of the old gear we found on the West Ridge - Santosh is now the proud owner of one of the ice axes from the first ascent! (photo - Nick Bullock)

building cairns on the West Ridge and finding more gear

Eventually off the loose rubble and cliffs of the West ridge, Nick heads up onto good snow heading up to the first summit on the ridge, Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse in the distance

On the West ridge of Chamlang, Mera Peak behind

Descending back down from the first summit on the ridge (photo - Nick Bullock)

Second bivi at just over 6000m on the West ridge

Having bivi’d just below the snow line at 5800m the next morning we headed up to the first summit on the ridge at around 6100m from where we’d intended to carry on. To cut a long story short the ridge ahead was a lot more crevassed and corniced than it had looked and would have taken a lot of time and effort to get across the horizontal section to get not that much higher than we were – very doable and an amazing objective but more involved than we wanted for acclimatisation! With that and the fact that the slopes coming down from the summit looked to be dangerously loaded which ruled it out as a decent option we decided to spend the rest of the day where we were hanging out in the afternoon sun, stay there that night and head back to BC the next day. 

Base camp at night

Rest days at base camp

Whilst we’d been up on the ridge everyone else had been trying their routes in their last few days at BC but unfortunately both teams had been shut down due to bad snow conditions so it was with some trepidation and not expecting much that after putting in a gear stash below the face we returned a few days later to have a go at it – and didn't get very far… 

 The face seemed to be in perfect condition – steep neve, one swing axe placements, the weather stable and we were feeling pretty acclimatized. But then we met the wind. Well we didn't so much as meet it as low on the face we were sheltered from it but started getting hammered by the spindrift it was creating and could see massive plumes of snow being blown out just above us where the angle changed and just where we’d be digging in for the night – it didn't exactly look inviting! 

Heading up the snow cone at the base of the North Face of Chamlang (photo - Nick Bullock)

Nick starting up the North face on good steep neve

Nick Heading up the lower section of the face

On the lower section of the North Face of Chamlang (photo - Nick Bullock)

Perfect neve on the North face (photo - Nick Bullock)

Beaten back - heading back after the first attempt

Having bailed from the first attempt we phoned home for a forecast from BC and didn't get the news we’d wanted – extremely cold and gale force winds. And the same again when we optimistically rang every few days for the next couple of weeks, by the time we left they were up over 100 kph blowing straight across the face and had rarely dropped below 70 kph at 6000m. 

Massive snow plumes being blown off Everest and Lhotse in the consistently strong winds

Keeping powered up at base camp

There were a couple of days when there was a lull in the wind and eager to get something done we used one of these to make the possible first ascent of a mountain called Hunku, 6119m, which had been Garry and Grahams objective and what we had originally planned to acclimatize on. It’s not the most attractive peak I’ve ever seen, in fact as you walk up the Hongu Valley under the East face it looks like choss, a mixture of scree and big loose buttresses. But half way along like an oasis in the middle of a desert there is a continuous broad couloir of snow leading straight up to the summit – the line Garry and Graham had tried but been turned round by deep, unconsolidated snow. Fuelled by the hope we’d eventually find the same neve we’d found on Chamlang we left base camp at 5am and after a 2.5 hour approach floundered through the deep unconsolidated snow for another hour to reach the first steepening and thankfully bomber neve. 

Hunku, 6119m - much nice looking mountain when seen from the North, the summit is actually at the far end of the horizontal ridge not the nice pointy bit at the nearest end!

The line we climbed on the East face which takes you straight to the summit - (Bullock/Houseman - 600m, D)

Heading up through very variable snow to the start of the couloir on the East face of Hunku - one minute you were walking on the surface and the next you were up to your chest... (photo - Nick Bullock)

The climbing wasn't atoll technical - just really fun and enjoyable (the way it should be!), a couple of short steeper sections lead to the final fluted section where we belayed one pitch of ice to avoid some bad snow before the final flutings lead straight up to the summit of Hunku. The views from the summit were simply stunning – the whole Khumbu to the West, Everest – Lhotse - Nuptse to the North, Baruntse – Makalu - Hongo Chuli to the East and Chamlang to the South. 

The couloir was around 600m – think a shorter/easier version of the Swiss route on the North Face of Les Courtes. We descended the route on ice threads and rock gear lower down and 16 hours after leaving were back in base camp with big smiles (mine bigger than Nicks as he’d managed to forget which boulder he’d hidden his trainers under, opps!) and sitting down to an evening meal of Momo’s and chips. It really was a great day out. 

One of the short perfect neve runnels through the steepening (photo - Nick Bullock)

Nick exiting the runnel

Nick coming up the upper part of the couloir

Nick coming up the upper part of the couloir

The one little ice pitch we climbed to by-pass some bad snow to the left

Climbing up the final flutings

(photo - Nick Bullock)

On the summit of the previously unclimbed Hunku, 6119m

Phoning home for another forecast we were given the same uninspiring news – extremely cold/gale force winds from the West for at least the next week – we decided to bail early having spent 34 days at base camp. 

 To be honest I felt a bit dejected and disappointed on the way out, thinking of it as another unsuccessful expedition to Nepal but then you have to kick yourself a bit and think – OK we didn't climb Chamlang or push ourselves and suffer as we’d expected but climbing to an untouched summit in the middle of some of the most spectacular scenery in the world – it’s pretty special. 

The final view looking across to Peak 41 from below the North face of Chamlang when we went up to collect our gear before leaving base camp the next day 

Crossing the Mera La and dropping back down into the tropical warmth of the Hinku we met up the the three Japanese climbers who had just made the first ascent of the South Pillar on Kyashar – one of the proudest line in the area and a route I’d been to try twice but bad luck had always intervened and I’d never made it onto the upper pillar. I was really psyched these three very talented but modest guys had bagged the line, it sounded amazing hearing their stories about the week they’d spent on the route (in warm temperatures and no wind… guess we were on the wrong hill!), definitely the ascent of the Autumn so far for me. 

The psyched Japanese team after making the first ascent of the South Pillar of Kyashar - good effort boys!

And finally - how to survive 5 weeks at a base camp....

A big thank you to everyone that made this expedition possible, the generous support and help was very much appreciated:

The Mount Everest Foundation
The BMC
Chris Walker Memorial Trust
The Welsh Sports Association
The Alpine Club Climbing Fund
The North Face, Black Diamond, Scarpa, Tendon Ropes, Adidas Eyewear, Goal Zero and First Ascent

And finally Loben Expeditions for organising another perfectly run trip and providing the two best cooks in Nepal – Buddi and Santosh!