Beacon Hill Fell Race - Round 5 NSP Fell Champs - July 11 , 2013

The climb to the first summit and away from Lordenshaws is headed up by Chris Rowe .

Another glorious summer evening - all thanks to those great folks that have bought Chelsea tractors to run round Tesco's car parks and to cause all this global warming . One place that needed a good bit of global warming was the  Simonside Fells- the site for round 5 of our fell champs.
A wonderful drive north in brilliant sunshine ruined only by the irritating presence of Dave Johnson's scruffy puce coloured vest lying on the back seat of the Grey Shark.It was the first day of the Oval Test and by 1750 England were looking to bat  to stumps with Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott. DJ no stranger to the cricket field predicted in the final 40 mins England would score 12 - my bet of 25 looked the smarter as KP swept away 10 in the first over. DJ then proudly announced how in one match he'd held up his end ( a cricketing term with odd connotations)- while at the same time scoring 6 runs in 4 hours ( This may have been down to some spread betting syndicate amongst Malaysian OAPs that DJ had got mixed up in). As the time ticked down and the sun lowered behind the windmills - the England duo managed only 1 more run in 35 mins. It was going to be a difficult evening with DJ on a high from his only correct prediction that month.
Out of pique I refused to study the colour map he'd brought - how could you get lost on a long summer night on these fells? Navigating  in thick fog on an orienteering champs event 3 years earlier where you couldn't see your elbow from any section of the body - hadn't proved a problem.
On arrival we spotted Chris Rowe's big blue campervan - or maybe it's his house - you only ever see him in it (rather like the family of Scoobee Do) . Chris claimed he'd not fully recovered from his Chevy Chase antics a week or so earlier. He then demonstrated a limp across the training area at the prehistoric area of Lordenshaws as we limbered up by kicking at a few stone relics - fortunately members of a rival club . (Fell races provide plenty of space for athletes who like a good warm up - some even warm up by running the route).
It was a strong field for the event with some top fellrunners. The start was organised with loud 'Go' - as we all filed up the hill to the Simonside ridge . From there the route loiped back down to the valley before climbing up again to Simonside summit. I snuck in behind Chris and waited for him to pick the best line through thick heather (that's the main type of plant that thrives on the acidic  fells - and not a dim female). Chris was just about visible behind the huge clouds of flies that blackened the runners' heads for a good part of the way. Plenty of protein there - except for perhaps the sole runner from the Vegan Running Club - who'd have to dig up a root or something.

And a tricky descent home - as Ian Baxter in the distance - seeks to make up ground by attempting flight.

Then the trickiest section - the craggy drop off  the summit. Chris  broke away and then well clear across the flat boggy section before the forest - and had notched up about 100m . This called for desperate actions  to regain position . Rather than following the race line -I took a line straight through some bracken (that's a type of vegetation well suited to boggy areas - rather than a European 5k vet champion) - hoping to carve out a route that would take out a neck of road and close him down again. A few followers from NFR thought this was also a good tactic. That was until the vegetation got over waist height. Another quick sharp route diversion - and it was worse. The second miscalculation of the night.
After what seemed like ages we finally got back to the track - to find a good proportion of the field had filed through.Chris had gone and he wasn't to feel any hot breaths down his collar  for the rest of the run.
 There followed a   soft forest path section crossed by some windblown trees before a severe muddy climb on to a trail ridge - with fine sunlit views along the Upper Coquet  meanders and ox bow lakes and beyond to Holywell. By this time I was tailing Ian Baxter of Blyth - and up just ahead were a couple of Everton minted TBH vests ( Colin Dilks/Alan Wallace - I think).
 Then after a sortie through some fell cleared forest  it was time to get back onto Simonside for my least favourite section of the run - across the huge flagstones dumped on to the path to avoid further soil erosion. Never an easy run as your stride pattern gets messed around with the danger of twisting an ankle. Trail shoes proved a bit better than the mudclaws here. No sign now of Rowe - who was well on his way to full points after his goat like footwork on the crag descent - and probably rustling up a bacon sandwich and a cup of Bovril in the campervan .Bet he wasn't limping now !
The final tumble down to the finish - and failing to make up ground on Wallace and Co - but managing just to hold off Ian Baxter.

Sunglasses parked on his head -as Dave Johnson  the old man of the hills leads the race's youngest runner (James Green ) towards the first summit .

Dave Johnson came in a few of minutes later complaining that he'd had to deal with bumpers ; or bouncers (unlikely to see them here) ; leg breaks and the odd full toss .
The race winner was a GB orienteer - Duncan Archer from Cleveland Orienteering Club and Durham Fellrunners.Duncan had rather sportingly tracked and stopped an errant TBH man - then in the lead - from taking a route that would have left him at the post office at Thropton. There he'd probably have had to dial  999 and hope Kenny would pick up the phone. Despite his unplanned diversion, Dunc still had the strength to then keep up a good lead all the way to the finish. Saltwell Harriers won the team prize. Poly one runner short of  team.
Race Positions : 1. Duncan Archer 51 m 7 s; 20. Chris Rowe 1 h 6m 4 s; 26. Barry Young 1 h 8 m 46 s; 35. Dave Johnson 1h 11 m 49 s. 49 runners set out.
Full results here :http://www.northumberlandfellrunners.co.uk/html/raceresults/2013/BeaconHill_2013.pdf
 Position in the NSP Champs now as follows :
 1. Barry Young 196 pts; 2.Chris Rowe 148 pts; 3. Dave Johnson 96 pts 4= Garry Robson/John Baty  50 pts; 5= Martin Frost /George Adamson 49 pts ; 6. Heather Gould 48 pts; 7. Mal Slater 46 pts

The debate continues to  rage over DJ's inclusion in the results with his 'foot in both camps approach'  - especially as now it seems he has joined yet another club - Keswick AC.It's certainly  not cricket - where you can only play for one team . But knowing his track record   DJ probably volunteered to field and bowl for the opposition after having surrendered his end while batting.
A rather fine evening and thanks go to NFR for the easy going and efficient way that they regularly pull these events off. Thanks also to NFR web site for a few of the photos.