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  Studmarks from the Summit Fell Race

between Littleborough and Todmorden

Training at L'Académie Fell de Benny Hill paid dividends (picture thanks to Nick Barton, taken near the top of the main climb (near the White House pub))

  Advertised Statistics Measured Statistics
Distance 8.8km 5 miles (if you don't do zig zag descent)
Total Climbs  

about 900ft

Recce pictures and race pictures.

 

This race is being run in memory of the legendary fell runner Bill Smith who died tragically on Saddle Fell in 2011 after falling into a bog.  The race is from the Summit pub and is great bit of word play on Bill's masterpiece book entitled "Studmarks on the Summit".  Allan Greenwood, race organiser, is making a donation from the proceeds to to the Marie Curie Cancer care.

The course has a runnable start up past Chelburn Ressie (pictured above) and over a stile.  The path steepens up towards the White House pub (fantastic food!) then levels off across the moor to White Holme Ressie. From there its left along the pennine way and then a fast descent over a tussocky moor, with a choice of zig-zag path or just blasting a b-line to the end.

I have copied Allan Greenwood's very helpful detailed instructions below.

The Summit pub does food and tea (£1.20 for a cuppa!). A van about 1 mile further up the road toward Todmorden sells superb bacon and egg butties and tea.

Many thanks to Allan Greenwood and his colleagues for putting this great race on.  

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Allan Greenwood's detailed instructions:

The race starts outside the pub as White Holme / Race To The Summit. We now use the PBW to avoid the farm, bypassing it through the gated/fenced path.

Then the route goes to Castle Clough bridge and goes up towards the White House on the steep banking (as White Holme/RTTS) following the yellow topped posts I hammered in 3 years back.

About 300 yards before the White House, go left and take a faint trod across to the weir (as White Holme route), over the metal bridge (careful - it could be deadly with ice) and the conduit and then take a direct line across to the Pennine Way, hitting it by the metal railings where the bridge crosses the reservoir outflow.

Now go straight across the PW, keeping on the same bearing, and pick up a permissive path which runs parallel to the PW to end up facing White Holme resr.

At the end of this path it drops down a bit to a wide path. Go left and run along this wide track to eventually join the Pennine Way by some pylons, then left along the PW as if heading back towards White House.

Look for the yellow topped posts on the right (there is a little pack horse bridge on the left as a guide) and descend to the Chelburn reservoirs.

There is a zigzag path at the bottom. The choice is yours whether you zigzag or take a direct line down. Finish in the hollow near recreation area with the wooden fencing around.

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Copyright John Mayall 2012.