It’s been a good few years since swapping my tri-suit for fell shoes, and still my joy for swimming has continued to grow. I have often contemplated signing up for a swim/run event, but have never really committed to anything. However, last year I was introduced to the Frog Graham round… I wondered how my legs would fare as a result of tackling the intense Lakeland fells, with a total swim of 3 miles across open lakes. With that, I set a date and started planning logistics.
Eager to get going we set north after work one Friday evening. The original plan was to use my dad’s VW Caddy as a support station during the round. However, just 20 miles in, one of the fuel injectors had gone… Thankfully we were able to do a car swap with the help from my fiancée & sister, which meant we were back on the road within half an hour.
We arrived at our campsite at around 8:30pm, met up with the support crew (Carol, John and David Hatton), talked logistics and got an early night.
After a 4:45am wake up, we got to Moot Hall. It was a glorious morning, the sun was shining and the summits were clear as day. I realise now that I shouldn’t have taken this for granted…
Leg 1
Having recced the run of leg one earlier in the year, I knew what was coming. I headed up towards Skiddaw, where I was met with an influx of runners (which turned out to be runners of the Montane Lakeland 50/100 miler). About an hour had passed and I was just metres away from the first summit of the round. As I reached the summit, the wind was insane, but the sun was still out. On the descent I remembered how my quads felt post recce, so I made sure not to make the same mistake of going too hard. Taking my time and being very diplomatic with my foot placement I finally reached the road that would eventually lead me to the first lake, Bassenthwaite. Prior to the round I had arranged lake support and put together a schedule, providing rough timings for the support crew.
Thankfully because of said schedule, my fellow Peaking Out run club mate David was waiting on the lake for me. I remember coming up to the lake edge and glancing up to Skiddaw, only now the summit had disappeared. Instead there was a bed of clouds, which had subsequently taken over the whole mountain range. This change in weather caused the lake to become choppy and now a little less inviting than it perhaps initially was. Getting in I was pleasantly surprised by the temperature of the water, but the current of the lake soon eradicated any ounce of pleasantry. Eventually I exited the lake, where my old man, Carol and John (David’s parents) were on hand for the first swim to run transition.
Leg 2
Feeling good about leg 1 I was focused on maintaining momentum for the second leg. It was no secret that this was the hardest leg, in terms of elevation and mileage; but once tackled it meant I’d be well on my way to getting the round done. From this point on I was running into the unknown, having not recced any other leg. The following 9 miles or so were the toughest of the round. Getting up to Grisedale Pike was a slog but it wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for the intense wind and very poor visibility. I remember hitting what I thought was the summit a number of times, but kept finding myself climbing more and more into the clag. I passed a handful of walkers and shared the same grimace expression as we parted ways and dissolved in the clouds. Finally I was descending, and it wasn’t before too long that I was down at Crummock Water, where David, Carol and John were waiting for me on the shore. I’d be lying if I said I wasn't cold, wind swept and that cramping was beginning to be a problem, however I knew this was only temporary, and so I got in the lake and began my second lake swim.
Leg 3
Crummock Water was surprisingly warm and made for a relatively pleasant swim. This was however short lived, as it was only 20 minutes before I had to endure the relentless elements once again. My dad met me on the other side of the lake which was the motivation I needed for Mellbreak… I remembered reading up on the Mellbreak leg and how brutal the initial climb is. Preparing for this I took poles borrowed from Jack Scott, having only intended to use them for this leg alone.
The conditions continued to worsen, so it was merely a case of getting my head down and shuffling on. The descent down to Buttermere was tough and my quads were now starting to seize. Eventually I made it down to the third lake where again I was greeted by David, who was sticking to my schedule to the letter. The swim across Buttermere was very much the same as Crummock Water, only this time I was a little warmer and focused on getting back to Moot Hall.
Leg 4
I had under-estimated Robinson and felt fatigue setting in, however knowing this was the last intense climb, I pressed on. Thankfully, at last, the weather had improved slightly and the rain had subsided. I made the decision to continue with the poles which turned out to be one of the best decisions I made on the day. I was again in the clag but knowing that there were only a few miles to go my tail was up. Before I knew it I set eyes on Cat Bells and noticed Derwentwater in the near distance. Weaving through various walkers I had finally ascended the last climb where I was pleasantly greeted by my dad.
Descending Cat Bells was a bit of a blur and before I knew it I was on the shore in my wetsuit one last time. Derwentwater was the coldest out of the 4 lakes, but with it being the last swim I wasn’t fazed by it. The islands were a little tricky, down to the calf cramp on every exit onto the islands. After around 35 minutes I was out of my wetsuit and within touching distance of Moot Hall. Running into Keswick was a buzz, and I was feeling good.
One last check of my watch and I noticed I was on for sub 12 hour 30 minutes. Being mindful of this I emptied whatever was left in the tank. Navigating through the busy streets of Keswick I finally hit Moot Hall 12 hours 28 minutes and 50 seconds later. I was elated and extremely thankful for the support throughout the day. The crisp cold beer on the steps of Moot Hall was a perfect way to round off the accomplishment.
Tom (FGRC member 237)