Captain Cook's Fell Race - 1st January, 2013

The plateau summit at Capt Cook's is reached by John Baty - as our lead runner. John finished 14 th overall on the day and first V45 back.

Meantime - another day and another year and another fell race- as the fell section made the 40 minute dash down the the A19 to Great Broughton. This time John Baty joined the trio from Auld Lang Syne of Trevor Wakenshaw, Barry Young and Dave Johnson*. (There were some stiff legs from the previous day). Conditions were a good deal calmer with a blue sky and warmish westerly winds that had eased down. Despite all this it was still cold enough for ice to cream a few of the roads . This caused a couple of early fallers as the field of 260 plus  headed up towards the Captain Cook monument.
A mid race downhill road section also required a fair bit of caution - as indeed did a few of the styles as John came a cropper on one of them.
Captain Cook is a fine race for New Year's Day - and got the nod over Hillforts and Headaches - up at Rothbury (but which is really a short blast hill race rather than a fell race).Mick Golightly represented us up there.

Trevor Wakenshaw making steady progress during the early stages of the race - Trevor worked his way through to 114 position.

The climb out of Great Aydon is shortlived but tactically you need to start fairly near the front as there is a good deal of congestion on the first 1/2 mile section. After you leave the tarmac there is a severe final scarp up through some coniferous forest - which becomes pretty much a walk.John was well on his way by this stage - but I bumped into Trevor just before this section.From there I linked up with a group containing Steve Small from Middlesbrough & Cleveland Harriers - a fine hurdler and steeplechaser - although I'd let Mike Bennett of Elvet slip away.  Once however you reach the plateau at Captain Cook's monument - virtually all the climbing is done (and within the first 10 mintues).

All fell run specialists tack their number to their shorts.....Esk Valley had run out of numbers - so I ran as X5 .The road was very icy at this midpoint in the race - so caution rather than adventure.Completed the course at position 80- and quite surprised to pass a dozen or so on the flat run in .

The monument is a bit unimpressive - for the local boy made good. They tend to spend a bit more money on the warmongers at the Admiralty - rather than the mappers and navigators. Cook was impressive on that score - as he led one of the few successful naval expeditions. For sure sailing round the Pacific Islands must have been the dream posting compared , say, with Franklin's disasterous effort to sail round the north of Canada complete with the usual over bloated naval back up of Royal Derby china, moustache wax and snuff.
You're not on the summit for long before you head back downhill through the woods and then out onto a sharp descent a slippery path cut through the broom . Running wide gives the option of breaking the descent if that's needed.  Once you hit the valley bottom it's about a 1 mile run over fields , through holly ways and across various kissing gates to the finish - which comes up in a hurry.
The fun was all over well within 50 minutes - as we all headed off for a New Year's Day wash down in the fast running stream before the process began of estimating where the team would have finished - if we'd had that elusive 4th runner.The New Year was welcomed in with a quick dram of Macallan's !
This is just one of many well run fell races from Esk Valley Fellrunners across the North Yorks Moors. Results are here:http://www.eskvalleyfellclub.org/results/fell/nehra/Captain%20Cook%27s%20Race%201-Jan-2013.pdf

Thanks also to them for the photos.

There's always one - but he'll need more than those dark sun glasses to disguise that inauspicious shirt ! Dave Johnson* finished in 140 place and about 45 mins of steady running.