On the first weekend of July every year, we assist club Vice-President Bob Saunders by manning the checkpoints for the Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon. This is a two-day mountain orienteering event for several classes of backpacking fell runners, a bit too strenuous for the average club member although the odd one has been known to compete.
The checkpoints are usually decent wild pitches, and we much prefer the more relaxing job of lounging around all weekend booking them all through. Club member Alan Stiling organises the marshals, who are mostly from his hard core of regulars, though newcomers are always welcome.
This year's event was around the Coniston Fells and a few of us managed to get the Friday off to go out and find the location of our checkpoint, it saves the panic rushing off very early Saturday morning, or groping around on Friday night as the light fades. Our checkpoint was on Brunt Fell, west of Caw, and covered in thick cloud.
The event organiser has previously put out an orienteering marker, and it took some methodical sweep searching to find it, we are always amazed how easily the front running competitors find us!
Most checkpoints will be on the route of some classes on the first day and other classes on the second, so our duty is not over until sometime Sunday, then if we are on an early finishing control, we may be able to take an enjoyable return walk back to base, where hopefully, some event food has been left for us. The weather this year was a mixture of low cloud, heavy rain, drizzle, and sun.
Tony Wilson
11 July 1999
Last updated: 22 January 2000.
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