Fell running and looking

We are coming up to the time of year that has some of my favourite fell races. The Mountain Trial, Three Shires fell race, Langdale Horseshoe. And then the Original Mountain Marathon (OMM) at the end of October. 

Over the past few weeks I have run the Borrowdale and Sedbergh Hills fell races. It was great to do these both again - the last time I ran Sedbergh was 2008 and Borrowdale 2006. 

Howgill fells

The Sedbergh Hills race is a 16 mile loop around the Howgills, which sit in eastern Cumbria. Confusingly about half of the land that makes up this stretch of hills are in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. I write in Adventures In Mind that I can understand why both the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria want to claim the Howgills as their own, they are wonderful, tranquil hills, stunningly beautiful. In 2011 The Guardian recognised this in an editorial where they argued for the creation of a new national park - Westmorland. When I read that I thought it was a pretty cool idea.

In my last blog I wrote about being inspired by Yorkshire, and that I am finding the landscapes of the north-western Yorkshire Dales particularly inspiring. The area around Great Shunner Fell, Mallerstang Edge, Wild Boar Fell and then further west to the Howgills really are an amazing and wild landscape - compared to the hordes that descend on some parts of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales there is no one there, even though they are just as beautiful. 

Whether the Howgills are in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria or Westmorland (I know it’s just us humans setting our own artificial boundaries), I can hardly wait to start painting them having taken a few photos after running the race at Sedbergh last weekend. Hopefully I will have my current on-the-go painting finished in a few days and then I can get cracking.

Painting on the go - Looking to Little Whernside from the Cam Gill road

I did not have a very good race at last week. My legs felt heavy and I was tired. After a few miles I resolved to chill out a little, to enjoy the run and the scenery. The views of the hills and valleys were amazing. Fast moving clouds from the west meant the light constantly changed, time and again I marvelled at the view and massively regretted not bringing a camera - I had decided one was too big to squeeze into my racing bumbag. 

I can still see one particular scene in my head, it is kind of haunting me. As I followed the race route, climbed steeply out of the Langdale valley, looking south towards the summit of The Calf (the highest of the Howgill fells) I looked up Middle Grain. On the map this valley is small and indescript. Looking up to it from the side of Hazlegill Knott, as I climbed the steep hillside it was absolutely stunning; the texture and colour of the fells caused by shadow and the dappled summer light was amazing.  I was so cross I did not have my camera. I could hardly bear to look at it as the light changed further and the scene changed again - the colours got even more intense - golden browns, greens and yellows. I know in my minds’ eye this scene will be closer to perfect than it actually was last Sunday but I also know how much I would love to paint it. 

Middle Grain is in the middle

Some people may suggest I paint the valley from memory as I have not got a photograph. I am not sure whether I could do it any kind of justice if I tried. What I do know is that I am going to have to head back to the Howgills again soon to try and capture that scene so I can attempt to paint it. If I don’t it will keep bothering me. To some degree my obsession with mountains seems to have moved on from trying to nail races over them to trying to capture their beauty. 

Inspired by Le Tour Yorkshire

I live in the fantastic valley of Wharfedale on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. It’s a great place for all kinds of things to do outside - we have gritstone, sweet singletrack, hills aplenty and loads of different routes out of and around the valleys. 

Lower Wharfedale

Over the next year it’s going to get pretty crazy here for all things cycling as Yorkshire builds up for what be one of its most prestigious sporting events ever: Le Grand Depart of the Tour de France. In 2012 when the bids were being considered by the organisers of the Tour this was a proper coup for Yorkshire (the governing body British Cycling and the UK Government had put their weight behind a rival Scottish bid). I can’t help thinking this would only have encouraged the French organisers to be even more sympathetic to Yorkshire’s rebellious bid. 

The moment the route was announced in January excitement rippled palpably over social media and my office at work in Leeds (not many people I work with cycle although that seems to be changing). Departing Leeds, coming through Otley (whoop whoop!), Ilkley, further up Wharfedale, over the classic passes of Fleet Moss and Buttertubs through to Swaledale and then back to finish in Harrogate via Masham. Day two starting in York, passing just north of Otley as it heads into the heart of the south Peninnes. Another proper lumpy day over through to Hebden Bridge, up Cragg Vale to Blackstone Edge, then through Huddersfield to Holmfirth, the great climb of Holme Moss and then skirting the north eastern edge of the Peak District through to Sheffield. Two days when the riders will get to see and ride through some of the very best terrain Yorkshire has to offer. 

A moody looking Stoodley

For the first time in a while I am feeling really inspired by a sporting event (the last time was when I found myself shouting at the television, willing Lizzie Armistead on to glory in the rain of the road race at the London Olympics, and I hardly ever watch TV let alone shout at it). This inspiration is encouraging to both get out on my bike and take some photos of the hills and valleys I see and ride over along the way. Last Sunday I cycled a variant (and a bit shorter - just over 100 miles) of day two of next year’s Tour, from my house in Otley to that of some of my family on the edge of Chesterfield, over the hills to Hebden Bridge and then following the race route (apart from avoiding central Huddersfield) through to the wonderful Strines road, where I carried on going through to Stanage End and then to the Hope Valley. I can’t believe that it was the first time I had cycled over Holme Moss - fantastic! 

Stanage End

Sometime over the few weeks I will ride day one of the Tour - it’s been a long time since I cycled over Fleet Moss and Buttertubs and I am really looking forward to it. I particularly love the northern parts of the Dales - the hills (and therefore roads) are steeper and more rugged, there is a sense of a much wilder place than further down the valleys where there are more people and associated activity. I will take my camera with me on this ride too. 

Flowerdale

Some of the scenes I take pictures of I will have a go at painting. Most of my paintings so far have been of mountains in the Lake District or Scottish Highlands. The first painting I did was of one of the Flowerdale mountains, just north of Torridon in the north-west Scottish Highlands. The painting was based on a photograph I took having spent a great weekend running around those hills during the 2010 Highlander Mountain Marathon. And then there is Upper Eskdale - I have amazing memories of long days running in the Lakes - crossing this stunning hanging valley surrounded by the giants of the Scafells. I generally seem to be inspired to paint wild places I have loved travelling through. 

Upper Eskdale

Before now I had kind of wondered why I had not felt compelled to paint scenes from the Yorkshire Dales - they are so beautiful and kind of on my home patch. I think it’s a combination of the great light we’ve had over the past couple of weeks and the pleasure I have found with both the anticipation of and the riding up the hills the Tour will pass over that has helped to inspire me to do so. Hopefully the paintings will turn out ok, it will be fun whatever happens. 

Le Tour Yorkshire has the potential to inspire loads of cultural as well as sporting events, the two go together really well and there are so many talented artists in Yorkshire. My friend the uber-talented Shane Green has already been inspired in earnest.

While I am on the subject of Yorkshire artists and craftsmen and women I need to mention Ricky Feather - the awesome framebuilder who last year built me a road frame. It was a present to myself last year when I was getting back to riding after becoming a mum and I am enjoying every ride it fits me so well and climbs and descends brilliantly :o) 

Bike meets maker (just after the Rapha Gentleman's Race back in June)

Maybe a cross frame in a year or two (as every cyclist knows the number of bikes we each need is n+1...).