Martin Beale’s record double

Martin Beale has taken another half hour out of the Green Man Challenge record with the aid of another Martin from Team Vasque: Martin Indge.

It was a bit of a cock-up from the Gaveller’s point of view as he had taken up a position away from the bridge to see the challengers off, based on experience of Woodwose XIII’s run. But the two Martin’s snuck past on the path from the Tailor’s Friend (the sliding rock). That meant that those of us who had turned out to see them off were left looking silly and did not feel confident enough to see them in either. More fool us!

The new record is 7 hours 19 minutes and 52 seconds.

Martin wrote:

We did nearly the same splits as last year to Hambrook and then took 10 minutes per leg off the record pace for the last three legs. Conditions were pretty much perfect – cool and that drizzle just kept us at the right temperature.

Martin [Indge] was well impressed with the route – as was I. There were a couple of excellent fields where we were running through the wildflowers – very nice.

Another version of the Somerset 3 Peaks

Here’s a proposed route for the alternative Three Peaks of Somerset by Tim Down:

 Porlock-Stoke Pero-Dunkery-Brockwell-Wootton Courtenay-Timberscombe-Slowley Farm-Druids Combe Farm-Roadwater-Nettlecombe-Monksilver-Stogumber-Rowcombe Farm-Crowcombe-MacMillan Way West-Wills Neck-Bishpool Farm-Great Holwell-Smocombe Farm-Goathurst-Chantry Cottage-Bridgwater (exit via A372)-Bower Farm-Summerway Cottage-Chedzoy-Stawell-Edington-Catcott Burtle-Westhay-Westhay Moor-Mudgley-Latcham-Rodney Stoke-West Mendip Way-Beacon Batch.

 

There is the beguiling prospect of continuing the route to Dundry and beyond to the Green Man.

 

Have taken an alternative route across the levels – am open to any suggestions but this way takes in a couple of the most remote parts of the levels, it avoids the complexities of the coastal route and also avoids the noisy intrusion of the M5.

 

What in Old English would someone be named who undertakes such a journey

Three Peaks of Somerset

On Sunday, 15th February, a group of us are having a go at the Three Peaks Route that starts in Chew Magna. I made the mistake of calling it the Three Peaks of Somerset to differentiate it form other Three Peaks challenges involving Ben Nevis etc. It was promptly pointed out that the Three Peaks of Somerset ought to be Dunkery Beacon on Exmoor, Wills Neck in the Quantocks and Beacon Batch on the Mendips.

Various point of view have been bandied about as to the best way of accomplishing such a challenge.

Originally, I though that it would be best to start at Porlock to attack Dunkery Beacon, but on reflection, it would be easier to start at Exford, in the heart of Exmoor, which has a car park, a hostel and two pubs.

From Exford, you could follow the Samaritans Way Southwest up onto Exford Common and then switch onto the Macmillan Way West to Dunkery Beacon and on to Dunster – why reinvent the wheeel? The Macmillan Way from here to Wills Neck looks very complicated, so I think it would be easier to cut down through Marsh Street to the coast and follow the coast path to Watchet. Then you could follow the road through Doniford and on up to Beacon Hill and Wills Neck.

From Wills Neck, the Samaritan’s Way provides the quickest route through Goathurst and Bridgwater to Chedzoy and the brisge over the King’s Sedgemoor Drain at Parchey

The next obstacles are the Huntspill River and the River Brue. There is rather a lot of tarmac on the next stretch, but I thik the best route goes through Stawell and Chilton Polden then across Chilton Moor to River House Farm, where there is a crossing over the Brue. Then there are roads and paths to take you through Westham and Blackford onto a bridle path that goes round West Stoughton to Ashton, Chapel Allerton and Stone Allerton, where there is a path down to Weare.

From here, the easiest option is the more easterly of the pairs of bridges over the Axe and the Cheddar Yeo. and then Stubbington Drove and Middle Moor will take you into the outsj=kirts of Cheddar. There is then a route through Barrows that leads to the bridle path round Batts Combe Quarry that leads to Warrens Hill Road and Tynings Farm – well known to all who have done the Mendip Muddle.

From Tynings Farm, there is an obvious route to Beacon Batch, from which there are several routes Down to Blagdon.

It’s about 60 miles if anybody’s interested!

Thirteen

Boxing Day, 2008 brought us our thirteenth Woodwose when Tim Down of Bad Tri and TRA completed the Green Man Challenge in 11 hours.

He was seen off by the Gaveller in Clifton beside the Suspension Bridge and was met in Dundry by Pete deBoer, who kept him company until he reached Pensford, when family commitments took him back to Dundry.

At 12-10 he texted in from Shortwood Hill, with 22.9 miles and 5hr 10mins on his Garmin. He reported: “Still some energy tho a little stiff!”

At 13-54 he reported: “Hambrook 29.5m, 6h 54m. In urgent need of zimmer frame.

At 15 04: Patchway C[ommunity] C[ollege] 8h 04mn 34.5m Think I might do it!

16: 51 He reported “Leaving Blaise now.”

The Gaveller met Tim and with Liz who met him at Blaise on Avon way and saw them back to the start .

He looked in good condition after his ordeal.

On New Year’s Eve he emailed:

Managed to pick up a cold somewhere en route but nevertheless I’d like to say how much I have gained from researching and completing the route, in spite of having lived in and around Bristol for most of my life I have learned a great deal about my own environment. I quite fancy giving it another go once the ground is firmer under foot and the days a little longer.

Now we are twelve

Yesterday, 5 new Woodwoses completed the Green Man Challenge in a group effort organised by Town and Country Harriers (TACH).

First in was Ruth Pitchers – the first female Woodwose – in 9 hours 54 mins, looking as fresh as a daisy. She certainly looks capable of knocking at least half an hour off this time, if she feels the need to try it. (She really wanted the route to be 46 miles to match her age!)

Next in was Mike Bastow in just under 10 hours, accompanied by Emma Oughton, who had guided these two in from Patchway Community School (at 32 miles). Mike had been the strong and eager up until Patchway, but Ruth was looking stronger by the time they reached Blaise car park. Emma found herself torn between guiding Ruth, who was unfamiliar with this section and supporting Mike, who was looking wobbly on his long legs “like a young colt.”

The remaining group came in an hour later. These were: George “Woodbine” Gilham, Jim Plunkett Cole (and his dog Alfie) and Rob Hicks – motto “Service before Self” – the winner of the inaugural Hogweeds Muggle – who had stayed back to help John McDonough guide George and Jim (and Alfie) home. This had become necessary when Gaveller – Chris “Travelog” Bloor had dropped out at Patchway – “I’m cold, my legs ache and I’ve done it before!”

9 of us had started in the Dovecote car Park at 7 am.

Woodwose, Mark “Gypsy” Vogan kept us company till Dundry. Sue Baic joined us from Pensford to the Lockkeeper at Keynsham. Tony “Rebore” Bishop’s legs let him down on the way up to Shortwood Hill (21 miles). Antony “Turtle” Clark was still going strong at Hambrook (27 miles), but he thought he had better drop out because he had not done the training and he had only meant to stay with us for a couple of stages (The boys a natural!).

Nobody would have been able to drop out were it not for the motorised support team, who also supplied food and isotonic drinks made to dietician Sue Baic’s recipe. These were Jason Pitchers, Woodwose Peter de Boer and children (Lisa made the flapjacks), Sue Baic, Libby Bloor (and Jana), Ruth McDonough (and Sylvie), Jan Clark (+Susannah and Catriona) and Jo Hicks.

TACH really seem to be getting the hang of organising these long distance events, which is a good thing as there is a growing body of runners (and walkers) who have unfinished business with the Green Man Challenge.

The Dawning of the Lionheart

 

Saturday 1^st of November 2008 is

Green Man Challenge Day.

TACH will meet at Dawn (7 am) near the Blaise Estate Car Park to attempt to complete the 45-mile circuit of the Community Forest Path before Dusk (4-43 pm).

It is our aim to maintain an average pace of 5 miles per hour

and support will be provided on that basis.

If you would like to run with us for the whole or part of the route – register your intention to run by contacting

The Gaveller on www.closertothecountryside.co.uk

where more details will be found.

Or contribute a comment

All quiet on the Green Man front

Everything seems to have gone quiet regarding the Green Man Challenge. It seems that it may turn into a winter phenomenon.

I have just taken part in the Cotswold Way Relay with Town and Country Harriers, which is in many ways a similar event, but this is definitely a midsummer event. It is tied to the Saturday nearest to the longest day, which is essential as the route is 110 miles long, especially if one is doing it as a solo effort. It is also helpful for a ten stage relay. Our team came 7th out of 24 in the Mixed Category, which we were very pleased with.

The Green Man Challenge is less than half as long, which makes it ideal for a winter event. Town and Country Harriers intend to have a group effort at completing the challenge in the autumn. I think that Saturday 1st November would be an ideal date. That is the nearest Saturday to Halloween, which is the modern form of Samhain, the fire festival that marked the transition between Summer and Winter in the ancient Celtic calender.

The idea is that we will invite other running clubs to join us in the event, either as idividuals trying to complete the whole challenge or as relay teams using a Garmin as a baton.

At the Wrington Woodland Run

I took a board covered with information about the Green Man Challenge to the Wrington Woodland Run, one of the Summer pub series put on by TACH. It raised a fair bit of interest. I think there should be at least four more Woodwoses before winter sets in. At least one of them will be the first female Woodwose.

When I was reconnoitring the course up Bull House Lane the night before, it occurred to me that the degree of climb and the conditions underfoot make it are very like a fell run. If I remember correctly, it would be a Medium length grade B fell race if we organised it through the fell runners association.

The Rising Sun

We did a bit of the Green Man Challenge route from the Rising Sun at Pensford last Thursday. I was hoping Turtle would turn up as he got lost on this route last year and I thought he might enjoy it better this time. As it happened, he was on baby-sitting duty so there were just the six of us, half being Woodwoses.

The pub is a bit more down market than the George and Dragon on the other side of the Wells Road; but the parking is infinitely better.

The planned route was a version of “The Caterpillar,” which is described among the free-shorter routes on the Closer to the Countryside website (www.closertothecountryside.co.uk ). I would have included it my first walk book, but there is a section of the original route from the Whitchurch Sports Centre that has been erased by a farmer, which he can get away with due to the negligence of past councils. However, it works really well from Pensford, if you don’t mind a bit of climbing on minor roads.

We started by following the Community Path across the fields to Publow and then took off up the hill towards Charlton Field and then took off across the fields towards Blackrock, which involved a bit of a paddle up a stream. Another hillclimb on the road took us up Hursley Hill to the A37.

From there we went through a series of flat buy wet firlds, past a garden nursery to Whitchurch. We negotiated the Dundry Hill housing estate to get to another sharp climb up East Dundry Lane, which leads to the footpath folowing the contour through the fields to Maes Knoll.

This iron age hill fort offers quite splendid views across Bristol on one side and Chew Valley on the other; but on this night, the ferocious winds cured the inadequately dressed of their ability to appreciate such things and they descended as if they had been blown off the hill. Unfortunately, the two Woodwoses who knew the way were dawdling at the back, so the hasty ones overshot the footpath down and had to climb back up about 90 metres to get back on track.

The cross country route back to the pub through Norton Malreward was negotiated without further incident, but I did notice Woodwose 1 looking askance at the slightly off-right-of-way path we took down to the river! As we arrived back at the pub, my Garmin registered 7 miles exactly, but it would have been slightly less if we hadn’t gone back to look for the hast ones on Maes Knoll.

The Rising Sun was sufficiently cosy and friendly and there was a choice between well kept Bath Ales’ Gem or Thatchers’ Cider. We managed to find a table that would accommodate the six of us and a good time was had by all.

Woodwose 7

I have just received Martin Beale’s report of his record breaking circuit of the Community Forest Path to complete the Green Man Challenge. I have published it in the adjacent pages, so it will always come up near the top.

Hydration is obviously the big problem in an unsupported solo attempt. As Martin noted, the streams on the route can not be regarded as safe. He used the Tesco Express in Bradley Stoke, which is a little way off the route. Woodwose 1 and 2 used the White Horse at Hambrook and the Lockkeeper at Keynsham to top up their reserves. I think there is also an external tap at the White Horse. It might be worthwhile to produce a definitive list of rehydration opportunities.