Wensleydale Wedge is a 23 mile Long Distance Walkers Association event that welcomes runners, it is organised by the Nidderdale LDWA group. It is a self navigating event.
This year was the 25 th running of the event and it is a favourite with Ripon Runners, it's only £11 to enter, there is food along the way and again at the end. It starts and ends at Askrigg in the Yorkshire Dales and has stunning views (normally).
For the last week weather forecasts have been closely observed, and so the 40-50 mph winds and torrential rain causing flooding was no surprise. There was a lot of standing water on the roads as we drove to Askrigg and as dawn broke it revealed that the River Ure had burst its banks, big style.
When we arrived and registered we were informed that there was a route change, we were to run by road to Bainbridge and stay on the road until we reached the track at Stellingbusk, this was to be the first check point.
The walkers and runners gathered in the village hall.
Soon it was 8:00 and the runners and walkers gathered on the road outside Askrigg Village Hall, there were noticeably less than usual on this sell out event. We set off down the road into a fierce headwind. My ponytail prevented my peaked cap blowing off, I used a Buff to keep it in place, Billy doesn't have a ponytail and had to go back to pick his cap up, I gave him a spare Buff to hold his on too. I have cycled this road a few times, but it seemed much longer, running it. Approaching Bainbridge it was apparent why we had been diverted, the path was deep under water. In Bainbridge it was lovely to see the Archemedes Screw turning the raging river into electricity. Now we started to run uphill, we were hammered by the wind, headwinds and sidewinds, we carried on past the stile where we usually have to queue and carried on up the right hand road, as we got higher it was easy to see over the wall and the floodwater in the valley, it was as if Semerwater had moved a mile or so closer to Bainbridge. The usual off road route was more undulating than the road, the road just seemed to climb forever and the winds made even the flatter bits seem like mountains. We waded through flood water. My view was hampered by the peak of my cap but that was stopping the driving wind and rain from stinging my eyes and face, most of my view was Tarmac and the feet ahead.
At Stellingbusk we checked in and continued upwards but now on a rocky puddly track, which was doing a good impression of being a river in many places. There was less rain though and there was a chance to lift my head and admire the view of the valley with patchy mist and silvery streams. The last corner of the track led to the steepest part and finally the wind was behind, shoving us to the second checkpoint of the day.
Now we changed direction heading for soft boggy grass and muddy rocky tracks, the wind was behind, pushing, shoving, forcing the pace, making me run faster, faster faster, too fast, I couldn't stop but I didn't like the uneven ground and lack of control, but that all eased as we set off down the other side. The paths now we're crisis crossed with deep fast flowing streams. Wet feet were the order of the day. At a fork in the path, we were in a group and were unsure of the way, I thought left but most thought left, but it felt wrong. We went onto the left hand track, ah! That's better, I recognised some trees. The track was uneven but the wind felt less brutal and we made good time. As we approached Thoralby the track was very rocky and my left foot flipped under me (it does this often :-( ). I ran to the checkpoint at the Village Hall but my foot was not reacting properly, it was rolling side to side on impact. Inside the hall was a wonderful array of food and drink, I went to the loo and then got some pork pie, cheese and cake whilst Billy went to the loo.
No messing, we were back out the door. My left foot was still not acting properly on the hard surface of the lane. To our right you could see the fields were flooded and we had to take an earlier entrance to the fields because the road was flooded. My foot was a bit better off road, phew! The fields from her to Aysgarth were mainly grassy hills seperated with stiles (the gap in the wall type, narrow and gated). We crossed the road and ran down through Aysgarth churchyard and onto the bridge by the mill. The River Ure raced through Aysgarth and the falls, churning cream and brown, a spectacular sight. We ran along the road to the next checkpoint. They had cheese and biscuits, I took some Wensleydale and a custard cream, and we left, walking and eating.
In the river valley it was much warmer and less windy than on the tops, we took our waterproof jackets off. There was a stunning rainbow, very vibrant over Castle Bolton. It was nice to be without them a while. More mud, more water up and down we ran. We ran down a narrow pathway between trees, it was really muddy and slippery, but the further we got down the path the wetter it became until we were running down a narrow stream to Little Thorelby and a self clip.
By now my legs were arguing with me, I was beginning to feel last week's Goathland Marathon, which had been 28 miles of mud wind and rain. I was also beginning to regret signing up to turbo everyday, which added to my Runstreak takes a bit extra energy everyday. I took a caffeine energy gel to help me get through the last section.
We walked up to Castle Bolton as I put my waterproof jacket back on, it's a steep road section but it's rewarded at the top with a checkpoint with flapjack and tea cakes, some with jam on. I took some flapjack and a piece of tea cake with jam and set off for the last 10km. We knew it would be windy again, but tired legs had the wind thinking it was winning the battle to keep us away from Askrigg, but the gel and food kicked in and we pushed onwards crossing swollen becks and avoiding molehills. There was another rainbow, a double one.
This section has loads of gates, Billy ran ahead and opened them, I ran through and he closed them and caught me up. We were no longer running together, I was chasing him and refusing to give in. On previous years I have felt reasonably good on this section, today I hurt, my legs were tired and I was struggling for breath in the head wind. I was running head down to keep my face out of the wind and rain, following Billy's feet and praying I wouldn't trip.
Finally we emerged from a lane to see the van that was the final check point, I struggled up to it, "Only a mile" the man said. It was like someone had pushed a switch, I ran to the stile and down to the woods, the tiredness lifting, through the fields and narrow gated stiles ( one of which I got stuck in) It's like the energy was in reserve, never daring to be used in case of emergency, but now it was released. At one stile there was a young boy in hi vis, offering encouragement ans at the next another who held the gate then ran ahead to the next one, holding that, then running back up the field to do it all again for the next runners and walkers. Now we were on the road, my foot was rollling again but it wouldn't stop me from charging (well that how it felt) down not Askrigg, through the village and into the village hall. Yey! Did it!
After checking in and getting changed out of my soaking clothes I enjoyed a lovely cup of coffee and some rice pudding with peaches. I didn't have the stew I case it had onions in. Billy had it, he said it was lovely. After food and a chat with other runners and walkers, we collected our commerative mugs, patches and certificates before going back out into the rain to walk to the other side of the village to collect the car. On the way out a volunteer warned us that the road was closed due to flooding at Wensley bridge and to go back by Redmire, which we would have been doing anyway, but it was nice to be informed.
Well done to everyone completing this event today. Annekeneke and Bill, first man and lady, both Ripon Runners The conditions were dreadful, special well done to Ripon Runners Linda, Lucy and Bully. Out in that for over 7 hours. Amazing determination.
So after getting home I still had to turbo, I just picked an easy gear, 90 cadence and kept my heartrate low, it eased my legs after the journey home.
we decided not to go up it again but ran around it and back to the car. 6.6 miles with nearly 700 m of ascent. Very pleased.
