adidas Terrex Coast to Coast (C2C)
Where are they going? Day One
Rob Howard / 25.08.2011
The registration and start are at the port town of Whitehaven, with teams gathering by the newly developed Marina for a 09.15 briefing and a 10.00 start. If the weather is good this will be in their kayaks and stage one will be to paddle around the cliffs of St. Bees Head to the town of St. Bees itself. Last year the sea was too rough and the alternative of a run across the cliff tops was used, but it has been a still day in the Lake District today and the sea is currently calm. (It’s been so still that not a blade was turning on the ugly wind farms just outside Whitehaven this evening.) So, prospects are good that the paddle will take place.
From St. Bees the next stage is to cycle across the North Western Lake District, much of the way along a cycle way on a disused railway track, then with open route choice on the country roads to reach the northern end of Crummock Water, where they paddle again. Given the nature of the roads (narrow and slow) and the fast ride, this will be a race for their support crews who have to transfer the kayaks here from St. Bees!
This second paddle is down the length of Crummock Water and Buttermere, with a portage of a kilometre in between. (There are is only one body of water in the Lake District which is called a lake! The rest are meres, waters, tarns or reservoirs.)
This portage proved more difficult than expected in the previous race and the solos and those with heavier boats will be at a disadvantage. (The stream between the lakes has fish breeding in it, so the boats cannot be pulled along the stream, and the bank is overgrown and rocky.)
Next comes the first run of the race, and this is all on the Lake District hills (known locally as fells), starting with a King of the Mountains stage to the top of Robinson, then following the ridges above Derwent water towards the town of Keswick where the day finishes ... but there is a sting in the tail of this first days route! To get to the town the teams have to swim across Derwent Water. It is described as ‘a short swim’ in the route book, but its 500m at least and comes at the end of a long day – and the water is cold.
Shoes can be left on the far shore by support crews for the final run into the town centre where racers finish in the busy market square by the clock tower. This was where last years adidas TERREX expedition race finished. (It is also the start /finish for the Bob Graham Round, a 24 hour challenge run across all 42 of the 3000 foot peaks in the Lake District, something which several of the competitors have completed.) Once in Keswick everyone then camps for the night on the park by the Football Club.
The cut-off for the swim is 8pm, but anyone who is after this can opt to swim early on day 2, if they have the energy to do it before the 6am restart!
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