tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34009125323587032582012-02-16T12:00:02.244ZMountain Sports BlogRichard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.comBlogger591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-66227054967185430122011-04-15T23:03:00.000+01:002011-04-15T23:03:50.215+01:00

If You would like to keep up to date with this blog going forwards please visit www.climberandrunner.wordpress.com

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-52279501650275860172011-01-02T18:46:00.000Z2011-01-02T18:46:22.952Z

After a week of rapid thaw (in terms of snow cover at least), the first day of 2011 dawned distinctly colder again and ended with me having completed my longest post-op run yet. More importantly I have reached my objective of completing what used to be my regular 14km training route. A massive and psychologically important milestone. Snow still clinging onto the central fells The days

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-82828686399673926922010-12-13T13:00:00.001Z2010-12-13T13:00:08.769Z

Another day, another small milestone. Despite being full of cold, having a unshakeable cough and my knee still being sore from the previous weekends climbing i managed my longest run to date - around 12km. I'll be honest, at times it hurt like hell, but I told myself that with nothing physically wrong, any pain could only be post-op soreness or some other minor irritant. I thought of Joss

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-3756769042062517902010-12-12T17:35:00.002Z2010-12-12T17:37:28.423Z

Last weekend was spent immersed in the snow and ice of the Lake District. Newlands Hause (III), Newlands "....If its 'in' be prepared to queue.." Not last Saturday! Following heavy overnight snow the it was impossible to drive to the high Col, only 1o minutes from its base and so it was a 2.5 Km walk along the minor road to reach this frozen fall - but we had the place to ourselves. It was

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-24032513569120976232010-11-27T17:33:00.009Z2010-12-01T12:35:58.986Z

We're not quite into December but the first snows of the winter have arrived.I awoke on Saturday to one of those magical mornings, pulling the blinds back to reveal a blanket of snow lying across the Cumbrian fells. Hard to believe its really only 9 months since we last saw snow in the valleys. Looking across to Potter Tarn and the central fells on SundayAnd so, on Sunday it was out on my first

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-91790715383435296722010-11-22T17:00:00.005Z2010-11-22T17:23:17.690Z

It has now been 8 months since I had knee surgery, two weeks ago I took my first tenative steps back towards running on the fells again with a run back upto Potter Tarn and I am now running 2-3 times a week, with only slight post-run discomfort. Its too early to say with any confidence whether I am fully fixed or whether I will return to where I was before, but I am being insanely optimistic.This

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-47563699388983437762010-11-22T09:20:00.003Z2010-11-22T16:59:41.732Z

A few weeks ago I was invited to work on the first official OMM Training Camp, held at the national mountain centre for England & Wales, Plas Y Brenin. With partner Keith, on day 2 of OMM 2007, Lowther Hills.I ran two of the workshops this year, a practical on-the-hill navigation session and another focussing on Mountain Marathon Kit and ideas on how to travel lighter and faster. My notes are

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-48769763714206595782010-06-13T13:24:00.006+01:002010-06-13T13:43:48.248+01:00

Well its the weekend of this years Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon and I can only watch in envy via the website, the pack and fell shoes are still firmly shut in the cupboard. Running Pack & Fell shoes are still locked awayIts now just under 3 months since I had keyhole surgery and I've still yet to start running. But the good news is that my range of mobility is now close to normal and I've now

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-34601702288133600182010-04-03T10:38:00.002+01:002010-04-03T10:41:48.786+01:00

We really do take our legs fof granted. One week after knee surgery and the most I have achieved is a speedier hobble!In all serious, the post-op recovery is progressing slowly but steadily. The bandages are off, the swelling has gone down and I can now almost walk up and down the stairs normally. But god its tiring walking around mostly on one leg.Not sure when i can start running again, maybe

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-39823396300684089562010-03-27T16:55:00.006Z2010-03-27T17:12:26.432Z

Well its been some 13 months since I orginally injured my knee, on a 24 mile fell run from my house over towards High Street and the Kentmere Horseshoe.2009 was extremely frustrating; months of rest and physio, 6 weeks of seemingly getting back on track before everything went abruptly downhill again, with acute pain in June that marked the end of running and to a large extent much time in the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-5713547586044240302010-03-12T08:34:00.033Z2010-03-19T13:58:27.006Z

Sunset from Beinn UdlaidhIt's been a manic few weeks so am only finally getting round to writing about our trip to the Scottish Highlands at the beginning of March.In the final weeks of February everything was looking good; the cold weather was continuning, the sun continued to shine and the avalanche risk relatively low. In short there was no shortage of amazing routes to go and climb.But as

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-79106193918439498642010-02-21T19:18:00.014Z2010-02-21T20:07:13.339Z

Another good weekends winter climbing. Blea Water Gill, IIIYesterday, after a late-ish start we headed around to Haweswater to climb Blea Water Gill. Steph had been mad keen to climb this ever since she missed her chance last winter so with clear blue skies it was too good an opportunity to miss.Climbing conditions on the east face above Blea Water are currently very good. Plenty of good water

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-57146855818451137002010-02-16T08:30:00.004Z2010-02-16T09:46:15.216Z

Beinn Mheadhoin (1182m). Distance 15-16km. 1400-1500m ascent. 7-9 hours. Located at the heart of the Cairngorms, this is a remote and, in winter, not easily accessible peak that gives an excellent day on ski. Looking down to the Cairngorm Ski centre.Although brighter initially it was clear this was not going to be a blue sky day and by the time we were established on the Fiacaill Choire Chais

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-68376434736632642302010-02-15T18:30:00.001Z2010-02-15T18:44:02.375Z

Well after a busy week working in Munich and with enough time to just about un-pack it was back up to Scotland on Thursday Night to check out the snow-conditions in the Northern Cairngorms. With less than 20 minutes to go we had a change of heart. Exploration and descents were the order of the day, not lugging big packs across flat plateaus! Coire an t-Sneachda - Cairngorm - The Saddle. Distance

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-48589016541646444932010-01-31T17:24:00.031Z2010-01-31T20:04:53.916Z

Just got back from a second day of winter climbing here in the Lakes. Two awesome days of blue skies, low temperatures and firm snow. Window Gully (Upper Icefall Finish) III & SE Gully (III) An early start (06.50am) saw us leaving the house as the moon was beginning to set in the western skies, our destination, Great End. The moon lighting the road - it wasnt 25c by the way! The hour drive north

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-38805973501378391852010-01-29T16:00:00.003Z2010-01-29T16:07:34.539Z

Another wintry weekend outlook beckons and its looking like i'll be staying close to home for the climbing action. It would appear a few people have been out this week - Dollywagon Pike, Great End and Brown Cove Crag seeming to be the most popular but its hard to tell exactly, some people hold their cards very close to their chest when it comes to giving away what winter lines may be in condition

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-53237594994065059182010-01-25T13:30:00.003Z2010-01-25T14:59:14.004Z

Yesterday we had to back off No.6 gully on Aonach Dubh after a meteoric rise in temperatures meant that the snow-ice was rapidly turning to slush and unclimbable; a slightly disappointing end to what has been an enjoyable week or so in Scotland. For the past 7 days I've been working with a whole bunch of staff from Cotswold Outdoor who joined us on a winter skills training week and despite the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-8148100301844947452010-01-10T12:49:00.023Z2010-01-10T14:56:18.032Z

On Saturday we completed a rare North-South traverse of the Helvellyn massif on ski. The alarm sounded at 5:30am. It was dark, very dark and cold. This seemed like such a good idea last night, now it just felt very early for a saturday morning. Our aim, to complete a full traverse of the chain of mountains that forms the distinct spine north and south of Helvellyn, a journey from Threlkeld in the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-63729259573800712812010-01-08T17:21:00.011Z2010-01-08T17:59:51.113Z

Following another cold night in Cumbria (-15c in Shap) and sub-zero daytime temperatures, we decided to head over to the Howgills to scope out Cautley Spout. We had some information that the top two pitches had formed earlier in the week so with a little bit of luck, the rest may have come in. Approaching Cautley SpoutFor those who've not visited before, Cautley Spout forms a delighful grade 3

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-19102804978696428122010-01-05T20:27:00.010Z2010-01-05T20:43:05.489Z

Sometimes the shortest and simplest of walks can be truly beautiful. This corner of Cumbria has now been under snowcover for the past two weeks.So rather than keep having to tell people what its like, heres a few pictures from around my home and the surrounding upper reaches of the River Kent. The view from our houseSnowy LanesAfter some very cold nights the River Kent is now starting to

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-81394305938017335382010-01-05T20:00:00.000Z2010-01-05T20:27:05.823Z

I returned to a snowy Cumbria after a long 21 hour drive from the French Alps after a mixed couple of weeks in the Ecrins. We arrived the week before Christmas. The mercury was dipping to -18c overnight and the icefalls were beginning to form. A few days later and the Ecrins were buried, snowfall over two consecutive days dumped a good 60 to 70cm of snow down to 1000m and considerably more fell

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-65333928521526400542009-10-23T16:20:00.002+01:002009-10-23T16:26:55.640+01:00

Intrameniscal Tissue, Posterior Horn. Change of Signal.And that means what exactly? Oh it means there is something not quite right.So nearly 10 months after my legs ground to a thuddering halt I nearly have an answer, possibly a timeframe for recovery but very definitely an injured knee. Thank god for that, I thought I was going mad.So its not a torn cartlidge, well not now at least, it might

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-88547866501074845752009-10-13T19:01:00.005+01:002009-10-13T19:14:37.581+01:00

The truck parked outside the hospital was not the most inspiring sight I've ever seen. Perhaps Eddie Stobart is moving into healthcare I thought. "Its a mobile unit, down the corridor and take a seat. They'll come to get you" said the lady. And so I sat patiently in a largely empty waiting room. The small tv in the corner provided the 'entertainment'. It was that or attempt to read the overly

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-77676401112917603202009-10-13T18:55:00.003+01:002009-10-13T18:59:01.913+01:00

Saturday morning dawned distinctly damp. Thank-god for that I thought, the perfect excuse for a lie-in.Rich Bailey sent me a text, he was running late. The lingering hill-fog and autumn dampness was having the same effect on him. Somewhere quick to get to and that would be dry limited our choice to only a few crags and Castle Rock won the vote. This bastion of rock has two very contrasting sides.

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-45321962381304716372009-10-12T09:42:00.008+01:002009-10-13T18:26:03.828+01:00

Sometimes you arrive at a crag and contemplate whether the best thing to do, is to turn around and go back home again. Sunday was one of those days.After a late start, waiting for the rain and hill-fog to clear, we chose to drive around to Shepherds Crag for an afternoons climbing.It was buzzing, tree surgeons waving chainsaws around clearing rotten trees from the path and all of the classic

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-67818404736289963142009-10-05T12:08:00.009+01:002009-10-05T21:00:55.531+01:00

After the battering received on Saturday, Sunday dawned considerably quieter. The high winds had abated and the horizontal rain had been replaced by clear (ish) blue skies. Destination: Black Crag, Borrowdale. Autumn shades over Derwent WaterIts been a while since I was last at this crag, despite the fact that it is easily one of the best climbing venues in Borrowdale. Soaring out of the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-84646497753929124062009-10-02T16:39:00.006+01:002009-10-02T17:06:16.888+01:00

Well there have been a distinct lack of posts lately and for one very good reason, despite now being October I am no nearer to being injury free.Despite months of rest and no running, very little walking up and down hills or anything else particulary energetic i am still having pain in my knee and a disconcerting buckling sensation every so often. I was forced to pull out of this years Mountain

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-67197537950534312752009-08-17T13:42:00.007+01:002009-08-18T14:07:49.266+01:00

"If you could avoid running for at least another 6 weeks as well as anything that involves ascent or descent."If there was a sentence which was sure to send shivers down the spine of someone who likes wandering up and down mountains and fell running, this was surely it. The Doctor was quite certain that the knee he was twisting and pulling was not behaving as it should and despite having some

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-15546185941392055072009-08-04T17:35:00.005+01:002009-08-04T18:00:01.074+01:00

Well the entry for the Lake District Mountain Trial recently landed in my inbox, followed shortly afterwards by the release of the start times and venue for this year's OMM. And, my Physio has finally admitted defeat and I am being referred (hopefully) to a consultant in an attempt to fix my knackered knee. It is so frustrating, the Lake District Mountain Trial is one of the pinnacle long fell

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-2847138494695924852009-07-13T10:12:00.007+01:002009-07-21T17:54:20.720+01:00

Where to head to next? Gowder Crag I thought. One classic VS line and according to the Borrowdale guide, plenty of other things to go at. A less than speedy team on Fools Paradise and a very unhappy Rich climbing through less than perfect rock on another route saw us descending back to the road. Lets go to Shepherds, a safe bet, was the consensus.So Chris and I 'warmed up' on Conclusion - the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-24091645489071227502009-07-06T10:37:00.010+01:002009-07-06T12:06:29.343+01:00

Seeing as sitting on my bed, lifting my leg up and down whilst tied to a giant elastic band is not that inspiring I thought I'd better go cragging.Despite the overcast and damp start to Saturday morning, I headed over to Langdale to meet up with Dan and some of his mates who were encamped in the summer metropolis that is the national trust campsite. Clouds hung perilously close and spots of rain

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-62497706964382356892009-06-30T14:21:00.002+01:002009-06-30T14:29:16.831+01:00

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.If i were to rest anymore, I think I would be 6ft underground pushing up daisies. This was not the words I needed to hear from the Physio. Seriously I would not describe my level of exercise during the past 6 weeks as anything close to above average. Having done approximately 40km of running since the beginning of June and the odd spot of cragging I sincerely hope that

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-83810645913379587052009-06-07T17:28:00.005+01:002009-06-08T17:49:31.438+01:00

What a rubbish weekend I have just endured. Never before have I had a DNF classification in a race. But if you raise the stakes enough, finishing 10th in A class would have been as bad and that was the situation that we faced on day one, having started well, very well my partner (am sure he won't mind me saying this!) simply imploded, and despite eating and drinking everything there was available

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-81067820240581422852009-06-05T11:38:00.005+01:002009-06-05T14:04:49.264+01:00

Well the countdown has almost come to an end. I'm packed and starting to get twitchy. It's time to head north to Kintail for this years Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon.Its looking like it could be a cold one, snow showers above 900 metres on both days but at least no heat wave to endure so just one chilly night in an inadequate sleeping bag squashed in an unnecessarily small tent. Still the pack

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-82311237502173145162009-05-22T09:54:00.003+01:002009-05-22T10:36:25.304+01:00

There are not many weeks when a potential recurrence of the knee injury I have been battling for the past four months would seem so insignificant, but this is well and truly one of them. It is a week I shall remember yet wish I could forget probably for the rest of my life. A week which started with so much anticipation and of course excitement has ended in a very tragic way.I have just returned

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-53392601716352278272009-05-15T11:19:00.002+01:002009-05-15T11:36:12.581+01:00

Well its been a mixed bag on the weather front, glorious sunshine, gusty winds and now rain. On the running front it has ranged from running through pea soup fog, hot and sweaty descents and gruelling battles into head-strong winds.On Sunday it was a full round of kentmere, taking in all the tops on the complete horseshoe. You should know that when even the drive to Kentmere is lethargic it does

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-50749310420851260032009-05-12T09:33:00.004+01:002009-05-12T14:55:15.665+01:00

Had an enquiry asking for more infomation on my Potter Tarn round so I thought I would post the options here for everyone! All times are assuming start from the village of Bowston.Start: Village of Bowston or alternatively from near Hagg Farm on the minor road between Burneside and Staveley.Description: From Bowston follow the old tramline and minor road to Cowan Head. From the cottages, take the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-46351518200613054742009-05-05T19:45:00.012+01:002009-05-05T20:14:54.649+01:00

Well it has now been some eight weeks since I started attempting to run again and four weeks or so since I managed my first 10km. I am now back to running 20-25 km distances at the weekends and now managing evening distances of around 14km also. It feels almost like business as usual again. Bluebells brightening up an otherwise thoroughly dull eveningAnd as the excitement for this years LAMM

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-3495899227552980692009-05-04T10:28:00.002+01:002009-05-04T10:47:15.242+01:00

As parts of the Britain (or should that be southern England?) basked in glorious bank-holiday sunshine and warmth, I skirted through a brisk north-westerly and hail showers. Eventually running a slight variation on leg 2 of the Bob Graham Round.Having been dropped off at Newsham House, close to Threlkeld my initial plan was to run along the spine of Helvellyn and down to Dunmail Raise where my

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-70282976076328624322009-04-27T11:29:00.004+01:002009-04-27T11:59:57.906+01:00

Yesterday was the first of what I would describe as proper mountain runs in a long time, running a chunk of leg 3 of the Bob Graham round before veering back to Langdale.So for those not familiar with the route, it started just before 9am from Dunmail Raise. A viscious 300 metres of climbing straight up the Eastern flanks of Steel Fell got the leg burn kicking in straight from the start. It was

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-65339485074632863452009-04-20T08:39:00.005+01:002009-04-20T10:14:37.588+01:00

After nearly four months since I last traced the skyline of Kentmere I was back. As sunday morning dawned bright and warm, the strong April sunshine continuing for the Lake District I headed off on another Kentmere horseshoe round.It was not the earliest of starts, and as I zipped down the lanes out of Staveley I was questionning whether i would even find anywhere to park, luckily there was one '

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-83763588275951912852009-04-14T10:04:00.007+01:002009-04-14T12:37:57.784+01:00

Saturday morning dawned overcast but bright with the promise of better weather and the prospect of my first decent fell run since January. So how to avoid the crowds on a sun-drenched bank holiday? Run along a totally random route of 'checkpoints'.Keith (LAMM partner) arrived early and the plan was to complete around 9 checkpoints taking us from Steel End on a circular route around Ullscarf and

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-32638865074923891112009-04-06T10:28:00.002+01:002009-04-06T10:40:25.153+01:00

Well 12 weeks since rupturing my knee tendon and some 4 weeks since I started partial excercise again I have managed to run my first 10km distance again!As importantly it has been the end of my first week of running every 3 days. Another marker on this long and frustrating road to full recovery.After a pretty grotty day, Saturday evening proved to be delightful with amazing and vivid light

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-62943660839225999292009-03-30T08:53:00.002+01:002009-03-30T09:00:42.558+01:00

Well the clocks have finally gone forwards and we can officially put winter to bed and concentrate on Summer.It has been a pretty decent weekend up in the Lakes, in fact Sunday was glorious and outside of the northerly winds felt very pleasant indeed. Snow on the mountains down to 500 metres or so, especially on the central fells but this appeared to be retreating uphill yesterday.It has been a

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-33037482578173873592009-03-22T19:12:00.007Z2009-03-22T19:46:03.347Z

Well the first official weekend of Spring has been a busy one in the Lakes, judging by the hoards that gathered at Gimmer Crag on Saturday.After a slightly pacy hours ride on the bike on Friday evening my knee was feel the effects and with running on the fells still out of the equation I thought a steady weekend of mountain cragging would help give it a moderate workout.For Saturday light winds

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-5906875075336130902009-03-14T09:13:00.004Z2009-03-14T09:27:51.724Z

Well some pain has returned to my knee, hopefully nothing too serious, just enough to remind that I have got to take things slowly. Another run upto Potter Tarn late yesterday afternoon and the first using my new knee support, but if I am totally honest I could not feel much benefit during the run itself, the depression of knowing I could feel pain in my knee was masking everything, this injury

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-26999376668505403222009-03-13T15:16:00.004Z2009-03-13T15:29:12.793Z

Ok, so this afternoon I have taken delivery of a Bio Skin Knee support.Will it work? well only time will tell but it has been recommended to me by the Physio in the hope that it will speed up my recovery.Some more progress has been made this week with my longest run to date since becoming injured.Tuesday 10th March was meaningful for all sorts of reasons, the main one being my birthday. It was

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-14445633742920924512009-03-09T19:10:00.006Z2009-03-09T19:24:29.638Z

Ok so the attempt at recovering continues, as does the less than inspriring weather! The biggest challenge this weekend was recovering from a Casey hospitality induced hangover, the worst I have attempted to cope with for some time! I am now just about managing to run every 2 or 3 days and the distance seems to be settling down to between 2 and 3 miles. But my knee injury is still along way from

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-86699623887991163872009-03-04T19:57:00.006Z2009-03-04T20:14:09.646Z

Well perhaps things are finally beginning to look up!The snow is back on the fells, down to 350 metres or so, the days are gradually getting that little bit longer and finally, finally after weeks and weeks of frustration there appears to be a glimmer of running hope.Tonight, my first full 2 mile run, no stops, only a slight background ache. A real chance to begin to feel optimistic again. But I

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-89675905888668132192009-02-25T13:35:00.002Z2009-02-25T13:41:45.438Z

Ok, so we're not flying over the fells, the miles being ticked off without a thought, but last night I started running again! Albeit only about a mile.I should be elated, and in some-ways simply stepping outside the front door seemed like a momentus occasion (i dont kiss my fell shoes very often!) but it was equally frustrating.A steady mix of running and walking on a circular loop was all the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-81411646248930723242009-02-23T19:51:00.008Z2009-02-24T19:25:38.617Z

After nearly 7 weeks without doing any running whatsoever I have finally been given the Green Light by the Physio to start some running again! It may not be any marathon distance to start with, and it might be slightly painful, but its a start at least. Only 8 weeks until the 3 Peaks fell race and 12 weeks to go until the LAMM...It was a quiet weekend, the mild weather and melt of lying snow

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-39936646653666887692009-02-16T12:40:00.003Z2009-02-16T12:46:04.183Z

Going ski touring and climbing, its easy to forget how knackered my knee is at the moment.The latest diagnosis is a ruptured tendon, which thankfully is getting a little better, seemingly in precise correlation to my bank balance getting smaller! But it is still painful and I dont think I could even contemplate running at the moment.I am having physio sessions twice a week, some ultrasound and

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-52949427446097127032009-02-15T11:00:00.011Z2009-02-15T11:28:12.415Z

An earlyish start saw us meeting up with Dan & Fel at the foot of Deepdale around 7am. I don't think Dan had quite thought I would get up that early and was hoping to have at least 20 minutes to sort his kit out before we arrived but, the forecast favoured the early bird and so we were ready to start walking in by the time he and Fel had arrived. Our aim being to head up towards Hart Crag, giving

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-3526387718561509192009-02-13T18:02:00.002Z2009-02-13T18:08:18.076Z

Friday 13th has dawned, overcast and with a hint of mild temperatures in the air. Temperatures around plus 5c or maybe 6c in the valley today and the majority of the snow in the valley has now melted but there still looks to be a decent amount above 400 or 500 metres.The freezing level if forecast to rise considerably over the weekend, to above the summits by end of day tomorrow. Fingers crossed

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-70931132236967909332009-02-10T22:02:00.016Z2009-02-10T22:56:35.056Z

Another awesome weekend! Friday night saw Keith, Steph and myself heading up Braemar, our plan to do a 2-day tour of one of the quieter corners of the Cairngorms. The snow started just beyond Blairgowrie and 400 yards from the summit of the Glenshee ski centre, keiths van lost all traction. Some spirited driving, reversing back and forth on our tracks and the weight of Steph and I sat over the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-47217816815037027862009-02-06T13:58:00.002Z2009-02-06T14:03:54.960Z

This winter is throwing up some really difficult dilemna's!Conditions in the Lakes today are utterly gorgeous. Crystal clear skies, weak winter sunshine and shimmering snow covered hills. We've not had the dumps that pther parts of the UK may have had and certainly there has been better cover earlier this winter, but generally its excellent and now, more importantly, climbing conditions are

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-46709715021293804892009-01-28T17:39:00.002Z2009-01-28T17:47:23.705Z

I have now been off fell running for nearly 3 weeks. Yet another knee injury has surfaced but this time it feels a bit more serious! This is real blow. The dark months of early new year were to be a key part of my early BG training, allowing me to hit the ground running when the days started to lengthen.As such any hope of completing a sub 21hr Bob Graham Round, or indeed any BG Round this summer

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-46412655600426074812009-01-27T21:59:00.002Z2009-01-27T22:53:40.504Z

The classic horseshoe round of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge was our option for a 'short sprint' in the hills.Weather conditions were not so kind to us on Sunday, heavy snow showers and gusty winds made for an atmospheric start along Striding Edge, not to mention the deafening noise of a Seaking helicopter hovering somewhere in the mist below us. We later discovered a walker had slipped and

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400912532358703258.post-17844109620753156822009-01-27T21:25:00.001Z2009-01-27T21:58:54.588Z

After a week working on the mountains of Glencoe and Lochaber it was back home for the weekend to see what the Lakes had to offer.An early start and a promising forecast saw Dan Shacklock, Steph and myself heading upto Bowfell Buttress. Our plan was to get some long awaited winter climbing bagged and for Steph to get some good (hopefully!) photo's. Plenty of snow has fallen on the fells in the

Richard Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835242119424023209noreply@blogger.com