60 runners turned out for this years Cockfield Chase, in what might be a fell running first, the female runners outnumbered the male by 31:29, the majority were enjoying their first fell race. Huge congratulations to all who ran, it was a wonderful evening and great to see you all out enjoying The Fell.
Sam Rhodes-Dawber finished first, completing the race lap in 13:40, he was 9 seconds ahead of Matt Walker (Both DFR).
Meghan McCarthy (DFR) finished in a time of 17:58, taking the ladies race by 15 seconds from Joanne Raine
Profits from the race will be donated to Cockfield Primary School defibrillator fundraising campaign and any other local charities suggested by entrants – please let me know your ideas.
2nd January 2022 84km, 2300m ascent 15 hours 42 minutes
The Hewitts round was first run in 2006 by Stu Ferguson and Steve Lumb. It covers around 80km and 2300m of ascent over every mountain in County Durham over 2000 feet with 30m prominence. Will Horsely completed the route in summer 2011, Tony Wimbush did the route with Simon Richardson and there have been two further attempts which have both bailed at Cow Green. The ground is incredibly rough, around 80% pathless and crosses significant sections of peat bog. In August 2021, Paul Hodgson suggested an attempt at a winter round as a celebration of my upcoming 40th birthday. I started to look at sections of the route from early September, keeping an eye on how wet the bogs were getting and trying to predict what the ground conditions would be like by mid-Winter.
By mid-November I was fairly certain the route would ‘go’ in Winter and had looked at all the sections on various training runs. The longest of these was 55km around the Stanhope 10 trigs, which while not covering any of the same ground, is partly over very similar terrain. It’s worth mentioning at this point that this sort of long run is not what I do, I did the Bob Graham Round 9 years ago and at that point retired from ultra-running , it being something I wasn’t good at or particularly enjoyed. I don’t think I have run over 50km since my BG, so being fit for 80+km in 4 months wasn’t in anyway a foregone conclusion.
Given the uncertainties over my ability to complete the route and with the risk of going for an unplanned swim in a bog I decided to do the round supported, both at road crossings and on the fell. This gave the added bonus of it being a slightly more sociable way to celebrate my 40th birthday. In the weeks preceding the attempt I was feeling confident and discussed that I would go solo if Covid rules or other issues prevented support from coming out. This would turn out to be a significant over-estimate of my abilities.
Being part of Durham Fell Runners, support fell into place easily. Everyone I spoke to was very positive about the attempt and everyone I asked, offered to help if they could. I decided to start at 4am, in the hope that I would be finished by around 4pm as it was getting dark, a very approximate 12 hour schedule was drawn up – another over-estimate of my abilities!
Paul Hodgson met me at 0345 in St John’s Chapel, it felt good to be meeting at a silly time in the morning to be going on an adventure with friends. We started at the war memorial, and as Will had done 10 years previously, paused for a few seconds to reflect on the real, rather than self-imposed, desperate struggles that the names we were reading must have gone through. We set off at 4am, keeping the pace very steady, walking all the up-hill sections. It was very difficult to follow the vague grassy trods around Black Hill, and we lost a few minutes here relocating ourselves and decided on a slightly rougher line following the fence North to the 607 trig point rather than the 570m contour path which gets to the first summit via slightly easier ground. Middlehope Moor (named Burtree Fell on Stu and Will’s account) was reached in around 1hr 10. The next section to the road crossing at Killhope Cross via Killhope law has a bit of everything, deep peat groughs, thick heather and tussocks the only thing it is lacking is any trods. Another minor navigational glitch left us a couple of hundred metres further West than my planned route, meeting the fence line which took us to Killhope Cross, 16km, in around 3 hours. The only victim of the first leg was my water bottle, which was lost when Paul fell in a bog early on, leaving us only 500ml of water between us for the first two legs.
Paul was also designated support for L2 (this was his idea after all). At least we weren’t going to get lost on L2, as it mostly follows a fence line for 15km and it was going to get light soon. Hewitt 3 is Deadstones which was reached around 45 minutes after the road crossing. Hewitt 4 on the round is generally regarded as Burnhope Seat, however, the Database of British and Irish Hills records Burnhope Seat as being in Cumbria. There is a very fine trig point in County Durham which I visited and is a few hundred metres from the summit, but I was on the Durham Hewitts Round and I didn’t fancy a detour for a Cumbrian one, so I didn’t visit the top of Burnhope Seat. Stu visited the trig and the true summit, Steve just the trig and Will doesn’t remember which top he visited so I think it’s within the spirit of the round to take your pick.
Sunrise on L2
After Burnhope Seat the fence was followed to Great Stony Hill, the sun had risen, weather was calm and all was going well. We left the fence to cross the bog to Three Pikes, then made the quick direct descent to the lay-by at Hill Top where Will Horsley was waiting on road support duties with James Osborn and Dan Hoyle ready to take over on L3. Total time for L1 and L2 was 5h 30 min.
L3 starts with some fiddly farmland nav, which James got spot on, then past the fascinating ruined church on Harwood beck, and the rough climb/contour to Viewing Hill. The OS map seems to call this area Herdship Fell, naming the small prominence at 639m Viewing Hill, however the Database of British and Irish Hills calls the main summit at 649m Viewing Hill, and that is the one we visited before the easy run off to join the path to Cow Green, and onwards along the Pennine Way. We discussed where to cross Maize Beck. The logical point below the line of boundary stones at 791 262 is ‘balls deep’ at the best of times and there had been some heavy rain. We didn’t fancy getting wet and cold or getting swept along the river so we opted for a detour to cross at 774 267 which added around 4.5km to the route. As we made our way back along the beck it was clear we could have crossed safely a few hundred metres above 791 262, but a prudent judgement call should never be regretted in the mountains. My legs were feeling tired and tight at this point, I was struggling to get going but was still managing sub 7min km’s on the good running along the Pennine Way.
The section from the Pennine Way to Bink Moss is through Warcop firing range, which is only open for public access on some days. Check MoD website for details of public access days.
Climb of Viewing Hill with some spectators
I was slow ascending Mickle Fell, the 250m climb taking 40 minutes, which included a stop to put waterproof trousers on as the rain got really heavy, showers were forecast but this was proper rain and it stayed with us for most of the rest of the round. Mickle Fell is the high point of the round, we reached the top at 1310, around 9h10 after my start. The run along the Mickle Fell top is my favourite section of the whole route. It feels so remote, the views to all sides are vast and there is generally a stonking tail wind. This time though, it was also sheeting down with rain, so we plodded along and made the best of it.
Good running along Mickle Fell
The good running soon runs out, followed by a descent to Arngill Head, which is some of the worst terrain on the route. Some newly constructed rope dams across the peat gruffs provide some verifiably safe terrain, apart from that, it’s a huge bog-fest, followed by deep heather to the top of Bink Moss which we reached 10.5 hours in. Good running along wooden boardwalks off Bink Moss took us down to the nice tracks to Holwick which were crossed by two or three ‘run, jump, and hope for the best’ stream crossings which were all now significantly more fierce than I imagined they would be. Through Holwick over the bridge and into Newbiggin for the end of L3, 11h 40 minutes in.
‘enjoying’ the refuelling stop at Newbiggin.
L4 support Adam Bridges shuttled James and Dan back to their cars while I had a full outfit change and some food in the van. I set off refuelled along the road towards Watson’s Bridge as it was getting dark with Martyn Farnsworth and Fran Blackett – my wife. I was feeling good at this point, moving well again and enjoying myself. Adam soon caught up as we followed the track to the ruined Flushiemere House, finding time for a game of quoits – utilising a large box of industrial staples, which Adam was victorious in. It was now fully dark, and my pace slowed, the 200m climb took around 30 minutes. The wind was strong and the rain heavy, as we battled to the top of James’s Hill (Westernhope Moor) after 13h15. This is the last major climb, however the head wind along the next section was atrocious, every step was a struggle. I was still moving, but very slowly by now only managing 12-15minute km’s. Fran took charge of the navigation on this section, and also of feeding me. Which isn’t a duty I would normally expect her to undertake but I was in full ‘head down and get it done’ mode and wasn’t much interested in eating. She did both roles expertly and we didn’t put a foot wrong for the whole leg.
Game of quoits at Flushimere House
Chapelfell Top is a hill which is very special to me and Fran, having both organised fell races up there for the last few years. Reaching the top 14h50 after leaving St John’s Chapel as the last top on this huge challenge was a moment I won’t forget. At race pace, the descent is around 15 minutes, today we took 52 minutes. I did run at times, but it was more of a walk for the most part. We were out of the wind and slowly warming up at this point, and there didn’t seem to be much of a rush. A very minor navigational disagreement as the three men without a map were convinced it was this way and Fran calmly corrected us to reach the wall corner in the other direction. Down the stone track, over the road and back to the war memorial which I had last seen 84km ago, 15 hours 42 minutes 2 seconds previously.
Chapelfell Top “can we go home now”.
People have asked me if I will go back to do a summer round of the Hewitts, I’m not going to say never – it’s a great route and one which I hope others will explore and challenge themselves on but I certainly have no plans. I found my limits on this run, and that’s a big part of why I did it. To go back and find the same limits again doesn’t hold much appeal.
I do hope that others follow in my footsteps and attempt this route in Winter. It’s remote, high, serious terrain which is rarely visited – everything a mountain challenge should be. I only saw 2 others on the route over the course of all my reccies and my round. The ground conditions mean a Winter round is always going to present a significantly different challenge to a summer one and I like that aspect of it.
A minor point on style. Unlike previous attempts I chose to run this route supported, I don’t think the bogs are sufficiently dangerous to make an unsupported winter round out of the question for someone with the right experience. I chose to not use GPS for navigation on the round. I also chose not to use poles. I came into this sport through fell racing in FRA events, GPS and poles are not permitted in fell races. Perhaps it’s because I’m a traditionalist. Perhaps it’s because I enjoy a set of rules. For reasons I can’t fully explain I chose to apply the no GPS, no poles ethic to this challenge. Others are free to take the challenge in whatever style they see fit.
Each year a fell running club volunteers to host the British Fell Relays. This is an event where clubs from across the country have the opportunity to come together and run as a team to test themselves against each other. Teams have 6 members running 4 legs; 2 individual and 2 paired, with one of the paired legs being a test of navigation (the others are always very well flagged).
The relays are always a great day out with the big clubs putting out their best runners to compete for the win. This year Helm Hill hosted in the Howgills, just south of Tebay. Carnethy (next year’s hosts) took the win for the men and the hosts took the ladies’ title. This year DFR put out two teams; a men’s team who finished 66th overall and a mixed team (3 ladies, 3 men) who finished 13th of 30 in their category.
Mixed Team Report
Members: Meghan McCarthy, Fran Blackett, Denise Tunstall, Steve Lumb, Martyn Farnsworth, Andrew Stimpson
Leg 1 – Meghan McCarthy
Leg 1 was an opportunity to go up what my sister and I used to call ‘the sucker-boot sheep hill’ when we were small because we didn’t understand how the sheep could stay stuck to the side of something that steep! The climb was calf-busting and the descent complete guesswork in terms of ankle-breaking stones lurking under the slippery grass.
Leg 2 – Fran Blackett and Denise Tunstall
10km 700m ascent
This was the navigation leg. As we arrived in the event field the clag was definitely down over the tops of the fells which got the nerves going – this could be tricky. However, as we waited in the holding pen for Meghan to speed down the hill and into the changeover area the cloud began to lift. In the end, the cloud stayed high enough and the navigation was pretty straightforward. With such large numbers of people there was a trail of people the whole way round. However, we were careful not to fall into the trap of just following the person in front (they don’t always know where they are going!) and kept our eye on the map and our thinking heads on. As Andy was also on the same leg for the men’s team it was pleasing to compare our routes afterwards and see that our route was 400m shorter with 80m less climbing (I take any small win I can get in our household!). The ground was rough, tussocky and boggy with a few steep ascents and descents which tested the legs. As we ran into the finishing area we had expected leg 3 to have left already in a mass start (organisers took a last minute decision delay this) so it was a very last minute sprint when we saw Steve and Martyn waiting to be tagged!
Leg 3 – Martyn Farnsworth and Steve Lumb
10km, 930m ascent
Leg 3 was good fun but brutal. Anyone who knows the Tebay fell race knows the climbs. Basically this was a condensed version with all the climbs and descents and none of the flat bits!
Leg 4 – Andrew Stimpson
Andrew brought the mixed team home on the final leg of the day with a good run round the short but steep route.
Men’s team report
Leg 1 – Rory Woods
Rory had a strong start, in 2nd place for a short while! Positioning himself well for the first climb to avoid any traffic. In 50th place after the first climb and holding his position well on the descent to finish 51st and hand over to James and Andy for Leg 2.
Leg 2 – Andy Blackett and James Osborn
There had been a certain amount of pre-race negotiation between Andy and James. It was decided that if James had 2 beers on Friday evening and Andy had 3 we would be fairly evenly paced. However, Andy cheated and only had 1 beer meaning he was quicker out of the blocks than James. The nav leg has in previous years had some interesting route choice and some challenging navigation. This year it was very much a case of follow the leader with minor choices which either saved or cost a few seconds here and there. We set an aggressive pace on the first climb, James’ contribution to the nav was an out of breath ‘are you ok for me just to follow?’. Overall, we were well matched with James pushing on in the 2nd half as we passed several teams who had one member who looked to have broken down on the fell for one reason or another and leading a flat out – full beans – run into the field for the changeover to leg 3.
Leg 3 – Max Wilkinson and Dan Hoyle
Fast start, got passed on first climb to CP1, Max bringing up the rear, claggy and warm. Steady climb onwards to CP2, very steep descent to CP3 followed by hands and feet mega steep ascent to CP4. Long steady run off, passed by a few more teams. Steep climb to final CP5. Finish in sight in valley below. Sketchy, slippery bum sliding descent to finish. Handover to Tom. Dan towed Max around.
Leg 4 – Tom Dobbing
I was very cold even after warmup but decided to give it the beans on the way out, I settled down on the climb and soon warmed through nicely. The climb, steady at first, then super steep and then steady again. The ‘steady’ was an annoying gradient that didn’t quite let you run at times. Took 3 places back on the climb but unable to close any further gaps on the descent, which was a greasy steep one with little rocks ready to give you a good whack if you fell! Into the finish and whacked! About 5 and a bit K in 33mins.
‘Don’t run the legs off each other on the first climb!’ Was the instruction ringing in our ears as we left the carpark below Rannerdale Knots on a calm and sunny Monday morning, to depart on leg 23 out of 24. Myself and Rory wouldn’t claim to specialist in the ‘long stuff’, and we both enjoy a short blast. This leg at around 20km, was somewhere between a short blast and the long stuff so we had to be careful how we went.
We had both recced the leg well and knew every grassy ramp and trod, discussing each junction before we approached and always taking the right course. On the first climb we discussed the pacing, held ourselves back as instructed and planned to give it everything if we still had anything for the last hour or so. The leg is almost all on good runnable paths except the really steep and fun descent from Causey Pike directly towards Barrow, which 50% of our party enjoyed.
The last hour approached, and some quick calculations showed we were on to finish in under 3 hours, our best estimate had been 3:20, we didn’t know if the tracker was working due to poor mobile coverage, so were concerned leg 24 might not be ready for us. Rory fired off a WhatApp message on the last descent “down in 5”, which got through to the waiting team a minute or so before us, leading to a somewhat rushed changeover.
Throughout the leg Rory was faster on the runnable sections and I was faster on the steep stuff, meaning at all points we each had someone to chase – the pace was brilliantly furious. Not what everyone would enjoy, but 24 hours later and i’m still smiling about it. One of the best mornings out I’ve ever had on the fells.
It looks like our tracker has stopped working, battery was showing 9% so we had planned to charge it later today. We are assuming that low battery is the problem, but will have the technological inquest later.
Leg 15 are just about to finish on their schedule, leg 16 won’t have any tracker coverage either, leg 17 will be equipped with a charger to try and resolve the issue.
Leg 4 started at the rather antisocial time of 1am, as we stood shivering in the car park wearing jackets Rory and Dan ran in sweating ; clearly we were overdressed.
The first climb of Grike has little to recommend it other than it gains plenty of height which we weren’t to lose until the descent of Yewbarrow near the end of the leg.
The next section is mostly on familiar ground being the reverse of the Ennerdale race route, however it being night and running it backwards meant a careful eye was kept on navigation by Adam for the first part and Andy for the second part being the bits we had recced.
One minor nav error was spotted by Adam in the return from Pillar as Andy was engrossed in explaining the origins of the many universe theory, perhaps in another universe we didn’t miss the trod and all was well! Error quickly recovered and the climb and then losing descent of Red pike went without incident (is this the top? No, how about this one? No? Maybe the next…)
The final section was always going to be the crux, BG trod to Yewbarrow, followed by an unreasonably steep gully descent, then the climb of Knot End (not a Wainwright but right in the way), the descent of Knot End is on unreasonably rocky and bracken infested ground followed by the unreasonably steep climb of Seatallen, soon after the unreasonably steep descent of Seatallen followed by Middle fell with its unreasonably steep descent. We were both suffering at this point and were ready to be done.
Buckbarrow is in comparison to the previous hills perfectly reasonable, we descended to meet James, Graham and Martyn at the road crossing.
The weather was perfect throughout, moon and star light lit the way, barely a breath of wind and a fine warm dawn.
I hadn’t run with Adam before but we were well matched for pace, Andy learned a lot about David Bowie’s back catalogue and Adam learnt that Andy gets distracted when talking about physics.
