it, rather than braking to avoid it. Use your momentum to keep yourself safe. If you feel you’re falling, try not to brace for impact but let yourself roll; most fall injuries result from runners sticking their limbs out in an attempt to stop their fall.
Fell running over Brim Fell (Route 11)
Running poles
On ascent the poles improve your posture and breathing, as well as aiding rhythm and efficiency. This will in turn aid your recovery, meaning you’re better rested to keep a good pace on the steeper sections. In descent, the poles will aid balance and take some stress off the leg muscles and joints – it’s thought you can reduce the impact on your knees by around 30% using poles.
You can practise using poles in descent by planting them together to leap over rocks or obstacles, or by planting singly, well ahead of you, to pivot or brace around a corner. Beware never to use wrist straps without a good fall release system, as in the event of a tumble a radial fracture of the wrist is likely.
Night running
All of the routes in this book can easily be completed within the hours of daylight, but some of the most magical times to run in the mountains are as dawn breaks or the sun sets, and so as well as carrying a head torch for safety, you may actually plan to run all or part of one of these routes in the dark. Be aware that although LED lights are good, they give a 2D effect, so depth perception is reduced. The net effect is that most runners move slower in darkness, so invest in the best light you can afford, and practise night running to improve your speed.
Mountain skills
To be a safe mountain runner you’ll need exactly the same skills set as an autonomous hiker in terms of ability on broken mountain terrain, navigation in poor visibility, selecting the best route for the forecast, and remaining adaptable to your performance and the actual mountain conditions. It’s far outside the scope of this book to cover all these elements, but don’t assume that trail and fell running are simply types of running that happen to be in the mountains. Good mountain skills and judgement are required at all times.
Don’t ever be afraid to adapt your plans. The enjoyment of mountain running doesn’t necessarily come from a particular objective such as a pass or summit, but from the running itself. If you aren’t feeling up to the objective, or the conditions rapidly change, don’t feel pressured to continue; adapt your plans accordingly.
Navigation
This guidebook contains clear maps to help with your route planning, with numbered waypoints corresponding to the route descriptions, but it’s important to carry a full map of the area at all times for extra detail, and to run with just that in your hand or tucked into an easily accessible pocket on the front of your running bag. Relevant sheet maps are listed in the information box at the start of each route, and the ‘Maps‘ section (above) provides details of where the maps can be bought. If you use an altimeter to help navigate, you should recalibrate it frequently (many path junctions, cols and summits have spot heights on the map), as a navigational error could have serious consequences. In the unlikely event that you do get lost, return to the last known point and work out where you went wrong, as once you’re lost, errors tend to compound themselves.
Running guiding and clubs
If you’re unsure of your navigation or mountain running skills, consider being led by a qualified mountain professional, who can teach you mountain running techniques and skills, runners’ navigation skills, and give you tips on how to select a runner’s line on a mountain. In the Lake District, contact Icicle (www.icicle-mountaineering.ltd.uk/trailrunning.html) for guided trail and fell running coaching. Another alternative is to gain experience running with others in a club, such as Ambleside AC (www.amblesideac.org.uk), with whom you can enjoy group training runs on weekday evenings or at the weekends. For more information see Appendix A.
Using this guide
The routes in this guidebook have been selected to offer a wide variety of running styles, in different regions of the Lake District. For simplicity the national park has been split into four areas, which roughly correspond to the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps; south-east, south-west, north-west and north-east.
At the start of each route description is an information box giving the key facts about the route, including the start and end point, distance covered, ascent and descent involved, level of difficulty, the length of time it’s likely to take, highest altitude reached, details of relevant maps, and transport info. Most of these routes can be run throughout the year, but you must always be aware of conditions such as deep snow, ice, heavy rain and storms, which might make the route impracticable. In the winter months, it’s not uncommon to see as many skiers as runners in the fells, so route choice must be flexible to allow for the conditions. Some of the open fell running lines, are the preference and interpretation of the author, and your line selection may well vary depending on the conditions.
Distance
In trail and fell running, the total distance is not always the best measure of a route – although it’s provided in this book as a means of helping you gauge your performance, or to select a suitable run. Distances are given in metric, to fit with maps and electronic devices from GPS units to watches, as well as in imperial. In fact the distance is less important to a mountain runner than the altitude gain or technical grade of the route.
Ascent/descent
The cumulative total ascent and descent is provided for each route. On several routes an opt-out point to truncate a route is mentioned, so you can elect whether to continue or descend. All altitudes are quoted in metres in order to tally with maps and altimeters.
Grades of route
Also included is the grading of the run, which has been categorised into the following levels, so that you may easily select a route grade that suits your aspirations for the day. The types of route have been further broken down into three types of running, so you can select a suitable run for the day.
Trail running
These runs follow paths that are marked on OS maps, and often include sections of long-distance trails such as the Coast to Coast walk and the Cumbria Way. These trails vary from single-track, where runners have to run in single file, to wider trails or bridleways where you can run alongside each other. On the trails, there is often a good level of signage, so navigation is rarely an issue. The trails help link together the villages and valleys, and were often historic trade and defence routes.
Fell running
This style of running originated in the Lake District mountains and fells. It is where you often avoid trails and paths to take more direct lines across country, to speed your progress. Fell running requires a good ability on broken mountain terrain, as well as the ability to choose a safe and fast line to ascend or descend a mountain. Due to the lack of time spent on paths, a good level of mountain awareness and solid navigation is required.
Skyrunning
These styles of trail are generally located on higher, steeper terrain, where there are few if any signposts, and the ground underfoot is rougher. You will encounter more exposure and drop-offs, where a greater level of mountain skills and good footwork are essential. Often you will reach a mountain summit on this type of route, and some easy scrambling may be required. Some previous experience of scrambling is essential before considering any of these routes.
Fell running over Swinescar Pike, with the Langdale Pikes behind
| Level | Trail running | Fell running | Skyrunning |