Back in 1932, Bob Graham was a hotel owner who liked walking on the fells around his hotel in the heart of the beautiful English Lake District.
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| Bob Graham's hotel - Image by http://www.thorneyhow.org.uk/?p=249 |
Bob Graham's hotel is now the Derwent Water Youth Hostel in Borrowdale near Keswick. One summer's day Bob set out from his hotel and walked all day and all night to break a record. He covered 72 miles and 42 mountain tops in that twenty four hours as he was 42. This walk has become known as the Bob Graham Round. Many English Fellrunners now consider the Bob Graham Round to be the ultimate distance challenge that everyone needs to have a go at. And now even the new breed of Ultra Runner is starting to claim the Bob Graham Round as a challenge..
What is it?
- 42 mountain tops in twenty four hours.
- you must do a certain set of 42 mountain tops, the same ones as Bob Graham did in 1932
- it's roughly 72 miles and involves 27,000ft of ascent.
When?
It can be done at any time of the year but most like to have a go in the May/June months as these have the longest daylight hours (more than 16 hours of daylight on the longest day) but having a go in the winter is a different matter. There are only 7 and a quarter hours of daylight on the shortest day (21 December) and conditions on the fells can be very difficult. The record for a summer 'Bob Graham' or 'BG' is 13 hours and 53 minutes (by the great Borrowdale runner Billy Bland in the 1980s). The record for a Winter Solstice BG (accepted as two weeks either side of 21 December) is 22 hours and 8 minutes.
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| Conditions in the Lake District on Saturday were quite wintery. |
Why?
Because it's there!
The clockwise route
These timings are for a 23 hour completion setting off at 3am.
| Leg 1 - Keswick to Threlkeld | Time |
| Depart Keswick | 03:00hrs |
| Skiddaw | 04:15hrs |
| Great Calva | 04:55hrs |
| Belencathra | 06:05hrs |
| Arrive Threlkeld | 06:35hrs |
| Leg 2 Threlkeld to Dunmail Raise | Time |
| Depart Threlkeld | 06:50hrs |
| Clough Head | 07:34hrs |
| Great Dodd | 08:02hrs |
| Watson Dodd | 08:12hrs |
| Stybarrow Dodd | 08:23hrs |
| Raise | 08:37hrs |
| White Side | 08:45hrs |
| Low Man | 08:58hrs |
| Helvellyn | 09:03hrs |
| Dollywaggon Pike | 09:24hrs |
| Fairfield | 10:00hrs |
| Seat Sandle | 10:21hrs |
| Arrive Dunmail | 10:41hrs |
| Leg 3 Dunmail to Wasdale | Time |
| Depart Dunmail Raise | 10:56hrs |
| Steel Fell | 11:28hrs |
| Calf Crag | 11:50hrs |
| Sergeant Man | 12:23hrs |
| High Raise | 12:38hrs |
| Thurnacar Knott | 12:52hrs |
| Harrison Stickle | 13:00hrs |
| Pike O Stickle | 13:14hrs |
| Rossett Pike | 14:05hrs |
| Bowfell | 14:38hrs |
| Esk Pike | 14:59hrs |
| Great End | 15:29hrs |
| Ill Crag | 15:44hrs |
| Broad Crag | 15:54hrs |
| Scafell Pike | 16:06hrs |
| Scafell | 16:31hrs |
| Arrive Wasdale | 17:17hrs |
| Leg 4 Wasdale to Honister | Time |
| Depart Wasdale | 17:31hrs |
| Yewbarrow | 18:19hrs |
| Red Pike | 19:05hrs |
| Steeple | 19:25hrs |
| Pillar | 19:57hrs |
| Kirk Fell | 20:47hrs |
| Great Gable | 21:30hrs |
| Green Gable | 21:45hrs |
| Brandreth | 22:05hrs |
| Grey Knotts | 22:15hrs |
| Arrive Honister | 22:35hrs |
| Leg 5 Honister to Keswick | Time |
| Depart Honister | 22:55hrs |
| Dale Head | 23:30hrs |
| Hindsgarth | 23:50hrs |
| Robinson | 00:20hrs |
| Finish at Keswick | 02:00hrs |
If you want to know more....visit the Bob Graham club's website
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