Event Details
Club: | West Coast MTB |
Event Name: | Threlkeld |
Date: | 15/01/12 |
Format: | MBO Score |
Mapping: | Ordnance Survey |
Time Limit: | 3hr |
National League: | - |
League: | West Coast MTB Winter League 2011/12 (Round 3 of 5) |
Electronic Punch: | No |
Event Report
Event report: Threlkeld, 15th Jan 2012, (WCMTB round 3)
A flurry of late entries meant that 65 riders arrived at Threlkeld Cricket Club, in cold frosty sunshine. A map covering a large area was designed to make route choice difficult (some commented it was a ‘4 hour’ map). A concentration of over 300 points were available around Keswick, St Johns in the Vale and Glenderaterra, plus two ‘big loops’ – around Blencathra and the Old Coach Rd. To win would require one of the big loops and some tidy route choice closer to base. Late starters were unfortunately delayed by an emergency call reporting that a rider had crashed badly in the Glenderaterra valley (see below), but thanks to those starting earlier (too cold to hang around?), everyone was away by 11.20am.
Many riders enjoyed the loop to Skiddaw House and down Mosedale, with the peaty ruts being quite well frozen. This certainly wasn’t the case on Wednesday night, when some ‘over-the-bars’ fun was had in wind-blown rain. A bold few took on the ‘Old Coach Rd’ from Dockray to Threlkeld. I’m told that the frozen puddles of doom could take rider weights up to 13 stone (bad luck Sir Bernard). The area with all the points around Keswick, St Johns in the Vale and Glenderaterra was plundered by most, but some canny route planning was needed to avoid excessive ups and downs. Apologies for the apparently wandering bench at CP14. It’s always frustrating when a CP is missing, but you’re confident that you are in the right place, don’t spend long looking.
Congratulations to all class winners and runners-up – there were some impressive scores in all classes, showing that you need brains and brawn. Bryan Singleton got the day’s highest score, with a clockwise loop through St John’s, Keswick, Latrigg, Mosedale and then Glenderaterra. Clearly back on form, he’s the man to beat this winter.
Bryan’s route: 3, 4, 2, 25, 20, 18, 14, 26, 11, 27, 10, 12, 19, 17, 22, 7, 15, 16, 13, 21, 6.
Apologies from me if I seemed a bit bewildered during prize giving, but the afternoon was a little busy and kids had made sure that sleep was a fairly distant memory that morning.
It was good to see a few new faces to the West Coast winter league – perhaps due to the improved communication through the BMBO site. The relative lateness of many entries caused a few headaches with maps, venues and budgeting for prizes etc, but it does mean that we’re able to give a decent donation to both the Great North Air Ambulance and to Keswick MRT. Which leads me on to:
The accident: The rider took a nasty fall approaching CP12 in the Glenderaterra Valley. Riders following him reported that it wasn’t really icy and it seems likely that loose rocks were the cause. Falling onto his hip and taking a blow to the head, he was in some pain and unable to move very far. Riders arrived pretty quickly and were able to provide space blankets, clothing, first aid and moral support. The y were also able to phone us at the start. The decision was taken to dial 999 and pretty soon an ambulance, helicopter and the Mountain Rescue were on the scene. The casualty was taken to Carlisle with a suspected pelvic injury, but happily he was reasonably comfortable there by tea time.
Special thanks to Emma and Cheryl, Angela and Ian and to Andy Cooney for helping to avoid a potentially very serious incident.
It’s a reminder of how important emergency kit and First Aid training can be (space blanket, mobile phone etc).
Thanks also to the two gents who got the casualty’s wife and car up to Carlisle – I think John Roelich and Steve Watson (?) but apologies if memory has failed me on that. If I can compensate anybody who helped with this incident (a free event entry or refund), please email me @ westcoastmtb@gmail.com with fao: Andy Williamson in the title.
Thanks also to Threlkeld Cricket Club, The Salutation (who don’t normally do food on a Sunday afternoon), Andy Cooney for putting controls out and collecting them in, and Andy Wrigley, Chris Hope and Jonny Hume for control collection. It can't be underestimated how welcome it is when folk volunteer to collect a few controls in.
Andy Williamson
Event Results
Results: | Download |
Club Website: | Unavailable |