Whinlatter challenge ……

The bogs not hard to avoid.
Suggestions…….Cogra Moss, Ennerdale Bridge, Cold Fell to cattle grid, right and down Uldale, back up Lowther Park and on towards Grike. Down the front of Anglers Crag to E Bridge, Floutern bearing left at bottom to avoid bog. Home via back of Loweswater ( or better still – Kirkstile).
Having seen the forecast, just do the bit in brackets…….

That sounds ok, I’ll see what the weather man says in the morning….

After reading the reports of the conditions, seeing the weather forcast for dry but cold I’m really looking forward to it now.

I just remembered that I bailed on the challenge last year because I knew after the first climb I wasn’t going to finish because of the heat and that if I didn’t do the second climb I’d get home before the F1 started! I know that sounds pathetic, but I was in the middle of a bullshit redundancy thing and hadn’t slept properly for a few months and just felt awful.

Anyway it was pretty much the hottest day of the year last year about 25 degrees I think. Mental.

Hmmm. I’m rather regretting entering the full enduro as my first ever race. Saw the report from last year and thought it looked fun. I only have Maxxis Advantages on my bike – will I die?

Anyway it was pretty much the hottest day of the year last year about 25 degrees I think. Mental.

Yeah, last year was a scorcher. Quite bizarre really, when you think about it.

Hmmm. I’m rather regretting entering the full enduro as my first ever race. Saw the report from last year and thought it looked fun. I only have Maxxis Advantages on my bike – will I die?

I don’t think anyone knows what tyres to run this weekend! It’s all very much a chance I’d say, but the Advantages are probably fine. And if you struggle you can pull out at the half way mark (or 1/3 if they’re doing 3 laps) which would be the half enduro point.

For info, I was riding brand new Hans Dampfs today and they seemed pretty much perfect for the conditions. Chances are the conditions will change, if I do a few laps tomorrow it might be an ice rink for you by Sunday 🙂

Have a great ride guys. I’m out. I suspect the organisers are on some sort of ego trip. Revised parking arrangements due to impassable roads and a revised course with warnings about dangerous descents. And it’s still on! – perhaps to prove that the organisers can put on an event in the face of horrendous weather conditions. “Remember 2013 guys? – the year we beat the weather”. Bollocks.

I’m not bothered about a refund – the money’s gone. But I’ll say this, if the organisers don’t show some sense and cancel I’ll never enter the event again.

Just remember it’s not a race it’s a challenge.

Unless you’re an Elite rider

I’m up for a challenge on Sunday – ‘The Warm Duvet Challenge’. I’m gonna see if I can stay under it until 11am.

Lol at miner29er
If they don’t cancel I will never enter again!
Do you really think they will miss you? If its too tough for you stay under the duvet! But why throw the toys out the pram? A lot of others will still enjoy having a good crack at the event with the tricky conditions.

In the interests of protecting the event for future years, I think they should cancel. Subtract their running costs to date, offer a refund, but give people the option of refund or donate their entry fee to Mountain Rescue/Air Ambulance (both of whom would be needed if the event went ahead!). I would happily donate my entry (or maybe £20 of it) to those causes.

Or postpone a few weeks.

I suspect it would be wins all round:
no wasted fuel
no broken bones
no loss of money for the organisers
500 people give £20 to charity
500 people don’t spend £xx on fuel

It’s a bit of snow and ice, it’s just going to add to the challenge! I’m quite looking forward to it.

And I’ve already beaten a few people by not quitting.

Now I’m very rarely one for quitting and not particularly concerned about the riding conditions, it’s getting there I’m bothered about! Right now, I’ll be lucky to get my car out of the garage and up to the road! BMWs are not renowned for their ability in slippery conditions!

The main road from Carlisle to Cockermouth is shut, so it’ll need to be the A66.
The A66 west bound from Keswick to Cockermouth is shut at the moment – fallen tree.

Carlisle to Maryport (A596) should be okay then head to Cockermouth.

Yes, closed bit is Thursby r’bout to Bothel.

It was shut at the roundabout by Cockermouth too, gritter went through so hopefully will be open soon.

I know it’s only a bit of snow and ice, but for some of us it is also a 200 mile drive each way, I already have to be on the road at 5.30am to get there for 9.30 – any earlier and it starts to get impractical.

I guess if you’re local it’s a lot easier to get there (you could even ride to the event if the roads are shut), but there’s a lot of people not quite so fortunate.

I think it’s pretty irresponsible actually suggesting (by keeping the event open) that numerous people should still try and drive into Cumbria for this from outside. I’m sat in Notts still considering it, even though I know it’s totally mental as a plan!

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/crashes-drivers-stuck-and-power-cuts-in-snow-chaos-1.1044293?referrerPath=home

I think this has been posted already but…http://www.whinlatterchallenge.co.uk/Organisers_Note_2013.pdf

Theres supposed to be a further update later today but thats not helpful to everyone travelling up from away, http://www.whinlatterchallenge.co.uk/Organisers_Note_2013.pdf

Like many have said here, its gonna be getting to the event that’s going to be the challenge. I don’t see how its possible for anyone from further afield than Keswick to make it there. It’s more of a driving challenge than a riding challenge. Rescheduling the event to after the bank holiday seems the logical decision.

BBC cumbria traffic news also now states a591 closed at thirlmere (that’s the main road from south lakes to keswick), because of snow.

Same here,two of us are coming from Shrewsbury.Gonna be harder to get there than riding the event.could be wasted fuel and a dangerous journey to ride a shorter course.Think it should be cancelled.

Mirror what a lot of people are saying, no problem riding the event but not going to risk getting there so I’m out.

I think recovery services, mountain rescue, police, ambulance etc will be busy enough without having to worry about 600+ mtb’er tring to get to an event, or deal with riders who slip and injur themselves.

Shame, I really hope they postpone rather than worry about loosing a few £££

Cyclewise has this on their web site:

demo day cancelled
Sorry folks but despite all our best efforts the snow has won and we have had no choice but to cancel the planned demo day. The top of the pass is causing the problems due to the drifted snow. At this stage we are not sure about the race tomorrow. Hopefully the snow will melt to allow access onto the car park but we will of course update you once we know from the race organiser. There website http://www.whinlatterchallenge.co.uk for reference. Thanks

I like the ‘hopefully the snow will melt’ bit. Have they seen the weather forecast… 🙂

BBC news ‘rescuers in Cumbria have never seen the conditions so bad’ – hope the team are in consultation with the ones responsible for digging them out the shit if/ when things go tits up

Reading this thread you’d think there was armagedon going on up Whinlatter, but it’s really not all that bad up there. Looking at the news it’s much worse in other bits of the country. There’s no snow on my garden here and you can see the grass through a light covering of snow on the hills between here and Whinlatter.

I’d agree regarding people travelling from further afield as the roads seem worse away from Cumbria, but I think that’s something for individuals to make their own decisions on, not the organisers. Once the tree is gone from the A66 and the M6 at Shap is clear anyone that can get to the M6 can get there relatively easily at the moment.

Anyone been up the pass from the Keswick side at all? It was passable yesterday and there hasn’t been any more snow, though there could have been more drifting. I got the impression that it wasn’t as bad on the Keswick side, but didn’t have a look.

I did see a quad bike with a plough on the front up there yesterday and I’d expect what drifting there was on the road could be cleared relatively easily, the main car park had 4 inches drifted across the entrance and would be harder to clear and I don’t know what the fireroad carparking is like. A lot of the fire road I rode was clear because the wind was blowing snow into the trees, especially lower down.

I’d er towards the side of leaving the event on at the moment myself, but it’s due to snow again tonight isn’t it. If that happens it could well end up being cancelled at the last minute. Difficult call for the organisers.

I’d say it should go ahead (if the forecast of no more snow is correct)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2645756

A mate has just said
“I’m staying in the hotel 400m before the trail centre. The road does currently have a light covering of snow with a bit of luck that should go.
Reading up windchill puts temps at -13 :-).
It feels it.“

If vans can get to Keswick for today’s market http://www.friarsofkeswick.co.uk/keswick-town-centre-live-webcam see camera 2, then we can go the extra 4 miles to Brathwaite.

If we are parking lower down at least we’ll have a tail wind blowing us up the hill to the start.

The traffic camera’s on the M6 http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/cumbria don’t show any hold ups or even any snow for that matter.

Looking at Google maps of the Penrith and Keswick areas then clicking on TRAFFIC show’s no hold ups today on the M6 and A66.

The snow’s stopped here in Merseyside and is melting fast at +2 degree’s

I can understand why some Southerners don’t want to travel that far, or Elite riders who don’t want to carry extra clothing to weigh them down but for the rest of us it’s going to be great fun and a nice Sunday “challenge”

#MTFU 😉

They need to be serving some nice warm cups of concrete in some places so people can harden the something up. -13 at least its light…

its not really a difficult call. Sounds absolutely pointless continuing with the event. The temps are gonna stay chilly so nothing will defrost and the safety has to be the main concern for everyone. I wont be going thats for sure

The only concern I have is as the entry says car parking is included but now we are having to park in the normal car parks, will a note saying we are doing the challenge in the windscreen stop us getting clamped if we don’t pay at the machines?

radoggair – Member

its not really a difficult call. Sounds absolutely pointless continuing with the event. The temps are gonna stay chilly so nothing will defrost and the safety has to be the main concern for everyone. I wont be going thats for sure

But you are a racer and I undersand why, can I have your Elite starting place please?

Its also not a race its a challenge

Events like the strathpuffer don’t get called off for snow do they. Admittedly if we can’t actually get up to the visitor centre that could prove an issue. I’m fifteen miles by road away from Whinlatter, and they are clear, so it isn’t all of Cumbria that’s snow bound.

It is bloody cold though, I might have to wuss out and cover my legs tomorrow. The shame.

Just took the dog round the block and was met by 6ft snow drifts blocking the road outside my estate in both directions. Maybe its worse here in Bradford than int lakes, but with the walls of snow in my way in the words of Duncan Banatyne……….

I’m just about to head off from South Lincolnshire. Trunk roads pretty much all the way to Keswick so should be fine.
As someone said above, it should be up to the organisers to decide if the course is safe, and up to the indiviuals to decide if the drive is safe.
There is an NPS race at Sherwood about 20 miles from my house tomorrow, that’s still on. Yes, we have less snow here but there’s people coming from very snowy areas to get to it so they will be doing just as much driving in the snow. The Gorrick is still on too, but I guess peeps don”t travel as far for that.
The Lightning Run 12hr was cancelled a couple of days back though. Seems like an over-reaction to me, these southern types get all excited at the first sign of snow.

But you are a racer and I undersand why, can I have your Elite starting place please?

for a small fee 😉

the main reason tho is cos i’m pretty unwell, haven’t ridden the bike in 6 days and the weather looks like a brilliant excuse 🙂

As long as I can get to Braithwaite I’m ready