James Thorn

My training programme had me scheduled for 1.5hrs on the hills today, come rain or shine....or snow as it turned out! Here's a few photos from the run, but first a word on gear:

A bit about the gear: given that it was snowing on the tops, and down in Glossop there'd been fluttering showers of the white stuff, I opted to take some additional kit with me, even though I was only planning to be out for 1.5hrs. Bleaklow gets its reputation for a reason. So in my little 5.5ltr rucksack I took a running compass, inhaler (for asthma), waterproof pouch for phone (which includes some cash and emergency contact details), chocolate bar, geobar, thin gloves, spare thicker gloves, windproof beanie, buff (not shown as it was already round my neck), emergency bivi bag, torch, arcteryx insulation jacket which would get stuffed in the blue waterproof bag with spare gloves, and finally waterproof trousers.
I'm used to running with this rucksack and the weight doesn't bother me. To be honest I hardly notice it. In addition, I was wearing a base layer vest, thermal base layer, long tights+shorts, mudclaws and an OMM Kamelika smock. I run hot but like to be on the toasty side rather than cold. If I get cold it gets painful, so I'd rather be hot.

Cloud enveloping the top of Shelf Benches on the approach to Mossy Lea Farm.

I ran along the footpath in the valley bottom - along side Shelf Brook - to the footbridge at the bottom of Doctors Gate. Turning north I climbed up the steep hillside to pick up a trod up to the summit of James Thorn. This photo is looking back, vaguely south over to Coldharbour Moor.

first snow of the 2012 winter for my mudclaws

looking back across to Coldharbour Moor...a bit more snow under foot and the clouds just kissing the tops

somewhere in there is Higher Shelf Stones and 621 trig

guess where I came from...?!

and this is where I'm heading

James Thorn memorial stone - reached it just as the cloud lifted momentarily, view back towards Glossop

Me with Bleaklow behind....looking...errr....bleak.

Heading down to Spring Cabin with Shelf Benches to the right

It was a great run, I stayed surprisingly dry except for my feet, and came home feeling good. November was a month of little running - mostly rehabing a slight knee/ITB tweek, so it was good to get out on the fells and (almost literally) blow the cobwebs away. My knee feels strong and my lungs seem to have behaved fairly well after being kickstarted into action last week with a few easy road runs.