The early morning shopper’s looked a little bewildered this morning as a large group of friends and family clapped and cheered as Steve (with support runners Nic Barber and Paul Cornforth) set off from Moot Hall in Keswick at 0900 sharp. Steve will attempt to break the 27-year-old Joss Naylor record for visiting all the Lake District Wainwrights (the 214 summits described in described in A. Wainwright's seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells). The current record is 7 days a 1 hour.
The night before Steve seemed relaxed and found time to play with his kids, whilst Jane Soul (chief organiser/help), Alison Scott and Alison Herbert sorted out mountains of food and kit for the week ahead. There is an incredible number of people helping with this challenge and a huge amount of organisation taking place.
According to his support runners, it sounds as though Steve started a little faster than the planned schedule this morning but once up on the tussocky High Seat he settled into a good rhythm and is bang on his forecast schedule.
His first leg finished at Borrowdale School and Andy Schofield (Schoffer), Malcolm Patterson and Jim Mann stepped in as the support runners for leg 2 through to Kirkstile Inn in Loweswater, which they are expected to arrive at 22:30 this evening. Right now (20:42) Steve is 500m from Great Borne and right on Schedule (you can follow the live tracking by click the link on the left).
Apparently Schoffer has been out in the fells over the last few days stashing cans of coke and Eccles cakes ready for Steve to collect!
At Kirstile Inn the intention is for Andy Bradley, Nic Barber (who was supporting on leg 1 earlier today) and possibly Malcolm Patterson (who will have just ran leg 2) to continue with Steve to Ennerdale Water car park. That will be day one complete with 87.7km with an incredible 6,022m of ascent in the bank.
Below are some photos from day one.
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