Thursday 7 October. Chin up.

Just found out that I didn't get shortlisted for a job I really wanted. Really upset about it. Don't know why, will find out tomorrow. App was very strong I thought, and I worked long and hard at it, but wondered whether short stint in my last role before redundancy put them off? Perhaps I just fell short in the face of strong opposition? Not good, I thought that I was strong opposition!

However, there are other opportunities. Got to keep going.

Time to cheer myself up with some images from 2 cracking days in the hills this week. Weds was a beauty, Seathwaite to Green Gable via Mitchell Gill (nice quiet route), Great Gable, down to Sty Head, up Great End via The Band (not the Bowfell one, but the steep spur in the first photo, it rises left to right behind the cairn you can see in the shot to Great End's summit - a new route for me up a summit I've done dozens of times). Then onto Ill Crag, Broad Crag and Scafell Pike before whooping down the scree run (the same one as from the Borrowdale race) and then down the Corridor Route (saw Jenny Turnbull's dad - what are the odds!) and then down to Seathwaite from Sty Head.


Great End from Gable


Scafell Pike and Broad Crag from Ill Crag


North from Scafell Pike

Overall it was about 6000' climbing and a stunning day. Felt quite strong but didn't hammer it too hard.

Then today i revisted Leg 1 (clockwise) of the BGR, just a lovely day. More great weather. Pacewise i took it easy and was actually 2 mins down on schedule going up Skiddaw (i'm always way under) but was then 12 mins up onto Calva so I knew i was going well. Then the plod up Blencathra....always a pull and i just waded down through the heather andthen up the other side, just taking in the autumn sunshine. As I neared Blencathra, I looked at the watch and realised I was bang on schedule. I touched the cairn 70 mins and zero secs after leaving Calva at a stroll, exactly on schedule. The view was familiar of course, but something about autumn sunshine enhanced it. Then that exhilerating descent to Threlkeld on that rocky ridge, fantastic.

5300' of climbing - 14 mins quicker than BGR schedule, just took it easy and enjoyed it.

SW from Blencathra



Days like that should make you thankful that you've got the health, skills and fitness to do things like the BGR, or even one leg of it. Perhaps I'll feel like that in a few days rather than knowing that's what I should feel like. Right now, i'm knackered and pissed off!

Time for a beer....