[Closed] Whinlatter challenge ……

Yes its still on and no there are no places left. The final details so there will be no entries on the day.

At the moment I think that might be academic as there is plenty of snow at higher levels and the forecast isn't great. I am keeping my eyes on the website for further updates as if the snow hits then it will be a battle to get to the start at 320M let alone up to the top of the course at 500M.

Sitting at the foot of the pass here - due to snow from 5am tomorrow until sunday.
Likely to be off I'd guess, but will update in morning.

boxelder - Member
Sitting at the foot of the pass here - due to snow from 5am tomorrow until sunday.
Likely to be off I'd guess, but will update in morning.

POSTED 1 MINUTE AGO # REPORT-POST

It doesn't look great in Kendal but if you could keep us posted it would be appreciated.

Pete up there from tomorrow will give you a heads up on the situation!
Riding the Borrowdale Bash Saturday and helping out @ Whinlatter on Sunday if its off I should know pretty quick!

Rich

Cheers rich

I rode the Whinlatter Altura (red) this evening (Thursday) and on Tuesday evening. There was nearly as much snow this evening as there was on Tuesday but tonight it was, in places, compacted to ice. Snow is due from early tomorrow morning so I guess that there will be even more by Sunday unless there is a massive thaw...

Must remember my ice spiker tyres 😉

There are races for 8-18 year olds on Saturday at Whinlatter. We're making a call at noon tomorrow. I'll try to remember to copy decision here. Google Cyclewise Academy for race details.

Im up in Cockermouth as i write this and the conditions are very cold and we have had a shower of snow through the night, looking out the window i can't see the mountain tops because of snow and mist, Whinlatter is not too far from here and i think it may be a struggle to get up there, but i could be wrong...

I also will keep posting weather reports when i can

Parking is going to be interesting, a few hundred cars driving along the fire roads will soon compact any snow.

I missed out on real snow at the puffer, looks like I'll have it on Sunday!

According to the update on the website there may be some changes to the route. I don't think the riding is going to be the problem, it's getting cars up to the visitor centre and in the surrounding area. I don't think the mrs and daughter will be coming if the weathers bad not much fun for a 7 month old to be hanging around in the cold.

Thinking about it, if they cancel, they'd have to refund wouldn't they? So not sure if I can see it being cancelled.

They have made the car park bigger over the last year or so and the main car park now has a filter car park so should the car park be kept clear of snow then i would have said there will be ample parking for all, I think they are trying to keep you away from that fire road you are talking about...

The puffer eh?! am thinking of putting a team together for that next year!

TBH if it's looking like a problem parking I might just see about getting dropped off. Or leaving my car a few miles away at the OH folks farm and ride up... maybe.

The final details say its fire road parking, and not to use the public car park.

The puffer is good crack, so dark for so long!

Well you have to ask the question as to why they don't use the public car park??!! after spending all that money and with how the conditions are going to be! Its more than likely all down to money!

I have always found the fire road to be a bit of a pain if you don't get there early enough!

I think I'll put knobbly tyres on the Fat Bike today as beach riding semi slicks may be a bit of an issue.

I know Keswick is a bit/lot lower but it's nearby.
Here's there webcam link http://www.friarsofkeswick.co.uk/keswick-town-centre-live-webcam

I don't think I'll be camping on the Saturday night at this rate, last minute B&B I guess

It certainly looks pretty bleak - here's George Fishers webcam looking towards Skiddaw - http://www.georgefisher.co.uk/pages/webcam.asp

Keswick was well gritted last night so the roads are clear at the moment. There was approx. 30cm of snow on top of Walla Crag at 6.30 this morning (roughly about the same height as the visitors center at Whinlatter) - it was drifting a lot in the wind.

I would assume this is going to be postponed. Wouldn't fancy camping sat night....

From the WMBC twitter feed...

[i]"WMBC WILL GO AHEAD!! Plan your journey and be prepared!"[/i]

ps...that tweet was on Friday AM

Junior race scheduled for tomorrow at Whinlatter is cancelled.

[url= http://cyclewise.co.uk/index.php/cyclewise-whinlatter-news/219 ]Cancelled race[/url]

I am not fussed if Sundays event is on or off but I will be mighty pissed if I get up there and they call it off. I think they may try and put something on to avoid any issues with returning the £18,590 that has been taken in entry fees. What that something is I dont know because parking is not great at the best of times and there is no way the fire road the use for parking is going to be navigable with any sort of snow covering.

Agreed, would rather it be postponed than ride a second choice crappy course.

Its a 500 mile round trip for me so wont be too happy if it isn't worth the petrol money.

Tough one for the organizer, they don't control the weather etc.
I'd rather they cancelled it and kept my money than have me drive up and not ride the event I am expecting.

Sorry for negative post - hope it all works out ok and we get to ride the full route in crazy snowy and cold conditions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-21892761

'drivers urged not to travel' etc

No response to a tweet to the organisers yet. Maybe they're in one of the Cumbrian homes without power?!

I agree with Scottyroyal - I'd rather they keep my money than ride a different event, or go ahead in dangerous conditions...

😕

Tough one for the organizer, they don't control the weather etc.

I think on a safety issue alone its an easy choice. With a significant number of people proposing to attend the chance of one person receiving an injury thus leading to hypothermia etc is very real.

I wouldn't drive far for this. We're at the foot of the pass and it's 'orrible out there.
10km road race (run) from the village tomorrow will be cancelled I'm sure (I hope - as due to ride ahead of the runners)

Its a 500 mile round trip for me so wont be too happy if it isn't worth the petrol money

I wouldn't drive 20 miles to do the Whinlatter Challenge, even if the weather was good. Pay £25 to ride a Trail Centre? No thanks...

ir_bandito - Member

Its a 500 mile round trip for me so wont be too happy if it isn't worth the petrol money

I wouldn't drive 20 miles to do the Whinlatter Challenge, even if the weather was good. Pay £25 to ride a Trail Centre? No thanks...

Maybe he is intending racing rather than riding it? Especially if it is part of a [url= http://www.endurance-series.co.uk/ ]race series[/url]

Maybe he is. I was just saying that I wouldn't.

ir_bandito - Member

Maybe he is. I was just saying that I wouldn't.

Who would pay to ride a trail centre? I wouldn’t. I might pay someone to organise an event on one though. I might even pay someone to organise an event on bridleways. You don’t pay for the privilege of access to the route, you pay for the organisation of the event.

If the organisers are keeping the event on just to prevent having to issue refunds that is madness and irresponsible in my book.

If they genuinely think the event can run safely and properly that is their call

That said I was up at Whinlatter the other week and it would be utter carnage in the snow, avoidable carnage at that...

Cheers

Danny B

I was just saying that I wouldn't.

That is, I wouldn't pay to ride in the Whinlatter Enduro. Its all relative, but for a greater entry fee than say, Dyfi Enduro, I expect a superb event. And it wasn't.

They've just put up the road closed signs on our side. Tried to get up to cyclewise for some disc hose, but spun out. First time this winter that the vans not made it. They clear the keswick side though and tomorrow will be warm and sunny.

The mountain forecast tomorrow on met office don't look great.

Weather

Little change for Saturday, remaining cloudy and very wiindy with further periods of snow, again this mostly across eastern upslopes. Some drier interludes expected across the west towards Cockermouth and Ravenglass. Strong winds leading to buffeting and severe wind chill, expect gales on higher summits.
Visibility

Moderate occasionally good across the west, poor or very poor still in snow across the east.
Hill fog

Extensive down to 450 metres across the east and perhaps down to 300 metres in prolonged snow, otherwise more broken down to 650 metres across the west.

Maximum winds above 500m

Easterly 40 mph gust 60 mph

Temperature
Valleys Zero Celsius
900 m Minus 7 Celsius
Freezing level 150 metres

All lakes area rescue teams have been out today rescuing vehicles on back roads!

I've just been for a ride round Whinlatter. The trail is riding absolutely fantastically, ground is frozen with half an inch of snow across the trail that's giving tons of grip. One other set of tyre tracks have been round today and it was a great ride out considering the weather. All a bit Narnia really.

However, up around the top of the North Loop there's quite a few bits that have drifted. I managed to ride most of it, so it's not too bad, but the first bit off the fire road climb isn't rideable.

I've no idea whether putting a load of bikes through it will turn it to ice or whether the grip will stay, I guess it depends on the temperature. Later on there's some ice under the snow, but nothing too treacherous. Descents were fairly decent, but you needed to reign things in a bit as it was hard to feel the grip under the front end and if it had washed it was going to be a hard impact! I suspect there'll be big queues on the technical descents as the roadies won't know what to do with it 🙂

Putting a normal race field up it will be carnage on the slippier bits, though I'd guess the field will be much smaller so that will help. My guess is that if the weather stays like this is that it'll still be fun but difficult to really race as there'll be big queues on the singletrack. Still quite a bit of time to go though, so it could all change.

I'd guess the decision to go ahead or not will come down to the condition of the roads and parking rather than the trail and that if it goes ahead people will have to be a bit pragmatic when it comes to what they expect from the event.

I couldn't get up the pass from the Lorton side and left my car at Spout Force and rode in from there, the pass is mostly fine apart from the steep bit after spout force where it's drifted as well as being steep. My Focus had no chance.

Coming back down I was flagged down by a young couple whose car had gone off the road and was upside-down against a tree with the roof caved in! No idea how but they barely had a scratch on them, one sore elbow and one suspected concussion. SO they had to be ferried to the hospital. No idea what's what on the Keswick side, but there were more tracks coming the from that way, so I suspect it's better.

I might go back tomorrow as I'm struggling to think of anywhere to go that's not going to be worse, though perhaps the Borrowdale Bash might be an option.

Saw your focus when I was up there. Where you from then paul?
The trails around Loweswater/ Fangs should be fun at the moment.

I grew up in Pardshaw over the hill out of Loweswater, but live in Durham and work in Manchester these days. I came up for the weekend as there was a new bike sat waiting for me at my parents' house. I wouldn't normally have gone out in weather like that but new bikes need to be ridden don't they!

I can ride Loweswater from home, but I struggle to turn it into a decent length ride without either doing loads on the road, or going up that bog towards Floutern Tarn and then getting abused by walkers along the side of Crummock. Any ideas? Probably too much snow to go over Scarth Gap from Ennerdale.

just received email from wmbc . It's still on, but car parking has been changed and a shorter lap to be ridden 3 times instead of 2

The bogs not hard to avoid.
Suggestions.......Cogra Moss, Ennerdale Bridge, Cold Fell to cattle grid, right and down Uldale, back up Lowther Park and on towards Grike. Down the front of Anglers Crag to E Bridge, Floutern bearing left at bottom to avoid bog. Home via back of Loweswater ( or better still - Kirkstile).
Having seen the forecast, just do the bit in brackets.......

That sounds ok, I'll see what the weather man says in the morning....

After reading the reports of the conditions, seeing the weather forcast for dry but cold I'm really looking forward to it now.

I just remembered that I bailed on the challenge last year because I knew after the first climb I wasn't going to finish because of the heat and that if I didn't do the second climb I'd get home before the F1 started! I know that sounds pathetic, but I was in the middle of a bullshit redundancy thing and hadn't slept properly for a few months and just felt awful.

Anyway it was pretty much the hottest day of the year last year about 25 degrees I think. Mental.

Hmmm. I'm rather regretting entering the full enduro as my first ever race. Saw the report from last year and thought it looked fun. I only have Maxxis Advantages on my bike - will I die?

Anyway it was pretty much the hottest day of the year last year about 25 degrees I think. Mental.

Yeah, last year was a scorcher. Quite bizarre really, when you think about it.

Hmmm. I'm rather regretting entering the full enduro as my first ever race. Saw the report from last year and thought it looked fun. I only have Maxxis Advantages on my bike - will I die?

I don't think anyone knows what tyres to run this weekend! It's all very much a chance I'd say, but the Advantages are probably fine. And if you struggle you can pull out at the half way mark (or 1/3 if they're doing 3 laps) which would be the half enduro point.

For info, I was riding brand new Hans Dampfs today and they seemed pretty much perfect for the conditions. Chances are the conditions will change, if I do a few laps tomorrow it might be an ice rink for you by Sunday 🙂

Have a great ride guys. I'm out. I suspect the organisers are on some sort of ego trip. Revised parking arrangements due to impassable roads and a revised course with warnings about dangerous descents. And it's still on! - perhaps to prove that the organisers can put on an event in the face of horrendous weather conditions. "Remember 2013 guys? - the year we beat the weather". Bollocks.

I'm not bothered about a refund - the money's gone. But I'll say this, if the organisers don't show some sense and cancel I'll never enter the event again.

Just remember it's not a race it's a challenge.

Unless you're an Elite rider

I'm up for a challenge on Sunday - 'The Warm Duvet Challenge'. I'm gonna see if I can stay under it until 11am.

Lol at miner29er
If they don't cancel I will never enter again!
Do you really think they will miss you? If its too tough for you stay under the duvet! But why throw the toys out the pram? A lot of others will still enjoy having a good crack at the event with the tricky conditions.

In the interests of protecting the event for future years, I think they should cancel. Subtract their running costs to date, offer a refund, but give people the option of refund or donate their entry fee to Mountain Rescue/Air Ambulance (both of whom would be needed if the event went ahead!). I would happily donate my entry (or maybe £20 of it) to those causes.

Or postpone a few weeks.

I suspect it would be wins all round:
no wasted fuel
no broken bones
no loss of money for the organisers
500 people give £20 to charity
500 people don't spend £xx on fuel

It's a bit of snow and ice, it's just going to add to the challenge! I'm quite looking forward to it.

And I've already beaten a few people by not quitting.

Now I'm very rarely one for quitting and not particularly concerned about the riding conditions, it's getting there I'm bothered about! Right now, I'll be lucky to get my car out of the garage and up to the road! BMWs are not renowned for their ability in slippery conditions!

The main road from Carlisle to Cockermouth is shut, so it'll need to be the A66.
The A66 west bound from Keswick to Cockermouth is shut at the moment - fallen tree.

Carlisle to Maryport (A596) should be okay then head to Cockermouth.

Yes, closed bit is Thursby r'bout to Bothel.

It was shut at the roundabout by Cockermouth too, gritter went through so hopefully will be open soon.

I know it's only a bit of snow and ice, but for some of us it is also a 200 mile drive each way, I already have to be on the road at 5.30am to get there for 9.30 - any earlier and it starts to get impractical.

I guess if you're local it's a lot easier to get there (you could even ride to the event if the roads are shut), but there's a lot of people not quite so fortunate.

I think it's pretty irresponsible actually suggesting (by keeping the event open) that numerous people should still try and drive into Cumbria for this from outside. I'm sat in Notts still considering it, even though I know it's totally mental as a plan!

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/crashes-drivers-stuck-and-power-cuts-in-snow-chaos-1.1044293?referrerPath=home

I think this has been posted already but..>

/p>

Theres supposed to be a further update later today but thats not helpful to everyone travelling up from away,>

Like many have said here, its gonna be getting to the event that's going to be the challenge. I don't see how its possible for anyone from further afield than Keswick to make it there. It's more of a driving challenge than a riding challenge. Rescheduling the event to after the bank holiday seems the logical decision.

BBC cumbria traffic news also now states a591 closed at thirlmere (that's the main road from south lakes to keswick), because of snow.

Same here,two of us are coming from Shrewsbury.Gonna be harder to get there than riding the event.could be wasted fuel and a dangerous journey to ride a shorter course.Think it should be cancelled.

Mirror what a lot of people are saying, no problem riding the event but not going to risk getting there so I'm out.

I think recovery services, mountain rescue, police, ambulance etc will be busy enough without having to worry about 600+ mtb'er tring to get to an event, or deal with riders who slip and injur themselves.

Shame, I really hope they postpone rather than worry about loosing a few £££

Cyclewise has this on their web site:

demo day cancelled
Sorry folks but despite all our best efforts the snow has won and we have had no choice but to cancel the planned demo day. The top of the pass is causing the problems due to the drifted snow. At this stage we are not sure about the race tomorrow. Hopefully the snow will melt to allow access onto the car park but we will of course update you once we know from the race organiser. There website www.whinlatterchallenge.co.uk for reference. Thanks

I like the 'hopefully the snow will melt' bit. Have they seen the weather forecast... 🙂

BBC news 'rescuers in Cumbria have never seen the conditions so bad' - hope the team are in consultation with the ones responsible for digging them out the shit if/ when things go tits up

Reading this thread you'd think there was armagedon going on up Whinlatter, but it's really not all that bad up there. Looking at the news it's much worse in other bits of the country. There's no snow on my garden here and you can see the grass through a light covering of snow on the hills between here and Whinlatter.

I'd agree regarding people travelling from further afield as the roads seem worse away from Cumbria, but I think that's something for individuals to make their own decisions on, not the organisers. Once the tree is gone from the A66 and the M6 at Shap is clear anyone that can get to the M6 can get there relatively easily at the moment.

Anyone been up the pass from the Keswick side at all? It was passable yesterday and there hasn't been any more snow, though there could have been more drifting. I got the impression that it wasn't as bad on the Keswick side, but didn't have a look.

I did see a quad bike with a plough on the front up there yesterday and I'd expect what drifting there was on the road could be cleared relatively easily, the main car park had 4 inches drifted across the entrance and would be harder to clear and I don't know what the fireroad carparking is like. A lot of the fire road I rode was clear because the wind was blowing snow into the trees, especially lower down.

I'd er towards the side of leaving the event on at the moment myself, but it's due to snow again tonight isn't it. If that happens it could well end up being cancelled at the last minute. Difficult call for the organisers.

I'd say it should go ahead (if the forecast of no more snow is correct)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2645756

A mate has just said
[i]"I'm staying in the hotel 400m before the trail centre. The road does currently have a light covering of snow with a bit of luck that should go.
Reading up windchill puts temps at -13 :-).
It feels it.[/i]"

If vans can get to Keswick for today's market http://www.friarsofkeswick.co.uk/keswick-town-centre-live-webcam

If we are parking lower down at least we'll have a tail wind blowing us up the hill to the start.

The traffic camera's on the M6 http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/cumbria don't show any hold ups or even any snow for that matter.

Looking at Google maps of the Penrith and Keswick areas then clicking on TRAFFIC show's no hold ups today on the M6 and A66.

The snow's stopped here in Merseyside and is melting fast at +2 degree's

I can understand why some Southerners don't want to travel that far, or Elite riders who don't want to carry extra clothing to weigh them down but for the rest of us it's going to be great fun and a nice Sunday "challenge"

#MTFU 😉

They need to be serving some nice warm cups of concrete in some places so people can harden the something up. -13 at least its light...

its not really a difficult call. Sounds absolutely pointless continuing with the event. The temps are gonna stay chilly so nothing will defrost and the safety has to be the main concern for everyone. I wont be going thats for sure

The only concern I have is as the entry says car parking is included but now we are having to park in the normal car parks, will a note saying we are doing the challenge in the windscreen stop us getting clamped if we don't pay at the machines?

radoggair - Member

its not really a difficult call. Sounds absolutely pointless continuing with the event. The temps are gonna stay chilly so nothing will defrost and the safety has to be the main concern for everyone. I wont be going thats for sure

But you are a racer and I undersand why, can I have your Elite starting place please?

Its also not a race its a challenge

Events like the strathpuffer don't get called off for snow do they. Admittedly if we can't actually get up to the visitor centre that could prove an issue. I'm fifteen miles by road away from Whinlatter, and they are clear, so it isn't all of Cumbria that's snow bound.

It is bloody cold though, I might have to wuss out and cover my legs tomorrow. The shame.

Just took the dog round the block and was met by 6ft snow drifts blocking the road outside my estate in both directions. Maybe its worse here in Bradford than int lakes, but with the walls of snow in my way in the words of Duncan Banatyne..........

I'm just about to head off from South Lincolnshire. Trunk roads pretty much all the way to Keswick so should be fine.
As someone said above, it should be up to the organisers to decide if the course is safe, and up to the indiviuals to decide if the drive is safe.
There is an NPS race at Sherwood about 20 miles from my house tomorrow, that's still on. Yes, we have less snow here but there's people coming from very snowy areas to get to it so they will be doing just as much driving in the snow. The Gorrick is still on too, but I guess peeps don''t travel as far for that.
The Lightning Run 12hr was cancelled a couple of days back though. Seems like an over-reaction to me, these southern types get all excited at the first sign of snow.

But you are a racer and I undersand why, can I have your Elite starting place please?

for a small fee 😉

the main reason tho is cos i'm pretty unwell, haven't ridden the bike in 6 days and the weather looks like a brilliant excuse 🙂

As long as I can get to Braithwaite I'm ready

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