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Lakes
Hard Rock Tour
In 1996, John
Topping and Simon Berry achieved a remarkable self-supported round
of all the Hard Rock routes in the Lake Distritrict in three days.
No vehicles were used, and they started and finished in Ambleside.
Here are details
of their round:
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Lakes
"Hard Rock Tour" 15th-17th July 1996
|
|
15th
July
|
Distance
km
|
Height
Gain
|
Time
Estimate
|
Actual
Time
|
Route
Length
|
Start
|
Arrive at
Crag
|
Finish
Route
|
Time on
Route
|
|
Ambleside
|
|
|
|
|
|
05:00
|
|
|
|
|
Extol
|
7
|
825
|
2:30
|
1:40
|
75
|
|
06:40
|
09:25
|
2:45
|
|
North
Crag Eliminate
|
14.5
|
630
|
3:30
|
3:20
|
75
|
|
12:45
|
13:55
|
1:10
|
|
Praying
Mantis
|
11.5
|
775
|
3:10
|
4:10
|
85
|
|
18:05
|
20:00
|
1:55
|
|
Stockley
Bridge
|
8
|
150
|
1:35
|
2:00
|
|
|
|
22:00
|
5:50
|
|
Daily
|
41
|
2380
|
10:45
|
11:10
|
235
|
Time for Day
|
Walking
|
Route Time
|
|
17:00
|
11:10
|
5:50
|
|
16th
July
|
Distance
km
|
Height
Gain
|
Time
Estimate
|
Actual
Time
|
Route
Length
|
Start
|
Arrive at
Crag
|
Finish
Route
|
Time on
Route
|
|
Stockley
Bridge
|
|
|
|
|
|
05:00
|
|
|
|
|
Engineers'
Slabs
|
3.5
|
675
|
1:40
|
2:20
|
60
|
|
07:20
|
08:45
|
1:25
|
|
Central
Buttress*
|
5
|
525
|
1:45
|
2:25
|
120
|
|
11:10
|
13:50
|
2:04
|
|
Ichabod
|
0.5
|
0
|
0:10
|
0:35
|
45
|
|
14:25
|
15:45
|
1:20
|
|
Central
Pillar
|
2
|
30
|
0:25
|
1:15
|
98
|
|
17:00
|
19:05
|
2:05
|
|
Gormenghast
|
4.5
|
100
|
0:55
|
1:40
|
53
|
|
20:45
|
21:55
|
1:10
|
|
Upper
Eskdale
|
0.5
|
0
|
0:10
|
0:15
|
|
|
|
22:10
|
8:40
|
|
Daily
|
16
|
1330
|
10:45
|
11:10
|
376
|
Time for Day
|
Walking
|
Route Time
|
| *
The outside of the Great Flake route was taken. |
17:10
|
8:30
|
8:40
|
|
17th
July
|
Distance
km
|
Height
Gain
|
Time
Estimate
|
Actual
Time
|
Route
Length
|
Start
|
Arrive at
Crag
|
Finish
Route
|
Time on
Route
|
|
Upper
Eskdale
|
|
|
|
|
|
05:00
|
|
|
|
|
The
Crack
|
9.5
|
1050
|
3:20
|
4:00
|
74
|
|
09:00
|
10:55
|
1:55
|
|
Kipling
Groove
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
52
|
|
10:55
|
12:10
|
1:15
|
|
Deer
Bield Buttress
|
5.5
|
300
|
1:25
|
1:55
|
68
|
|
15:05
|
16:00
|
1:55
|
|
Ambleside
|
10
|
100
|
1:50
|
2:45
|
|
|
|
18:45
|
5:05
|
|
Daily
|
25
|
1450
|
6:35
|
8:40
|
194
|
Time for Day
|
Walking
|
Route Time
|
| |
13:45
|
08:40
|
05:05
|
| Totals |
Time on Move
|
Walking
|
Route Time
|
|
|
82
|
5160
|
22:25
|
28:20
|
805
|
|
47:55
|
28:20
|
19:35
|
|
|
(51 miles)
|
(16925 ft)
|
|
|
(2640 ft)
|
Overall Time
|
|
61:45
|
|
|
Photos
- Left: Simon (on the left) and John, at the start.
Centre: John on Engineers Slabs.
Right: Still smiling at the end!
(All photos - Simon Berry Collection)
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Anyone wishing
to repeat John and Simon's epic will have a small problem with Deer
Bield Buttress as the entire climb has since collapsed. It is suggested
that Totalitarian (E1) on Raven Crag Thirlmere would make a suitable
substitute, and indeed this route is likely to replace DBB in any
future edition of Hard Rock.
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