Lake District Grand Tour

LDGT 400 Distance: 400 km/250 miles Ascent: 17,000m/55,800ft Waymarked: No Time Limit: 150 Hours Aid Stations: 30 Life Bases: 5 Number of Runners: 100 The Lake District Grand Tour 400 is a spectacular 392 km/245 mile ultra trail race around the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This roller coaster route with around 17,000 m+ / 55,800 ft+ ascent explores every corner of the National Park – It crosses 30 mountain passes, links all 13 valleys, visits 10 of the 16 lakes, has only 42 km / 26 miles of tarmac and has even less flat running. From Keswick the LDGT 400 heads south along the length of Borrowdale via Watendlath, Rosthwaite and Seathwaite. It climbs up to Styhead Pass, then again to Esk Hause before descending beside Rossett Gill to Langdale. Almost immediately it climbs up and over Stake Pass into Langstrath. At the end of the valley the route climbs up to Greenup Edge and then descends Far Easdale to Grasmere. Next, you climb up to Grisedale Hause and then descend Grisedale to reach Glenridding on the shores of Ullswater. Another climb takes the route over Sticks Pass to Thirlmere. An easy stretch through St John’s in the Vale and along the Old Coach Road around the northern end of the Helvellyn range ends at Dockray. Next, the route runs downhill to Aira Force, climbs up to Gowbarrow Crag and then follows field paths to Pooley Bridge at the foot of Ullswater. The route climbs up to Moor Divock, drops down to Howtown, dips in and out of Fusedale, Martindale and Boredale and then follows the shoreline path to Patterdale at the head of the lake. From here the LDGT 400 climbs up to Kidsty Pike via Boredale Hause and the Straits of Riggindale before dropping down to Haweswater. The route runs north beside Haweswater to Burnbanks, crosses Rosgill Moor to Swindale and then follows the Mardale Corpse Road back to Haweswater. After another climb past Small Water to the top of Nan Bield Pass, the route descends to Kentmere, and then climbs over Garburn Pass towards Troutbeck. Before reaching the valley bottom the route turns north and climbs up to Threshthwaite Mouth, drops down to Hartsop and Brothers Water and then climbs over Scandale Pass to Ambleside. The route passes Rydal Water to Grasmere and then crosses Silver How into Great Langdale, climbs up to the col beneath Side Pike and then descends past Blea Tarn into Little Langdale. Next, it continues to Coniston via High Tilberthwaite. The Walna Scar Road across the flanks of The Old Man of Coniston follows, and then the route climbs up to the top of Goat’s Hawse and then descends into Dunnerdale past Seathwaite Tarn. Crossing Grassguards Pass takes the route to Eskdale and then the Old Corpse Road is followed to Wasdale. The LDGT 400 traverses The Screes bordering Wastwater and then climbs over to Ennerdale. After following the shoreline path around the foot of the lake the route climbs up to the top of Floutern Pass, traverses the shoreline of Crummock Water, crosses Coledale Hawse to Braithwaite and then returns to Buttermere via Sail Pass. Next comes Borrowdale and the shores of Derwent Water back to Keswick. But you’ve not finished yet! From here the route climbs up and around Latrigg, and then along the Balcony Path to Threlkeld. It passes Scales, climbs over Mousethwaite Comb to Mungrisdale, continues through Mosedale and then heads into the heart of the Northern Fells to reach Skiddaw House. The final climb of the route – a 760m ascent of Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Longside Edge – is followed by a steep knee-trembling descent to Millbeck and then a fast section across fields to the finish in Keswick. LDGT 55 Distance: 55 km/34 miles Ascent: 2,000m/7,000ft Waymarked: No Time Limit: 12 Hours Aid Stations: 7 Number of Runners: 100 From the start in Keswick, the route climbs up and around Latrigg, and then along the Balcony Path to Threlkeld. It passes Scales (16 km/10 miles), climbs over Mousethwaite Comb to Mungrisdale, continues through Mosedale (23 km/14 miles) and then heads into the heart of the Northern Fells to reach Skiddaw House (32 km/20 miles). The final climb of the route – a 760m ascent of Skiddaw via Ullock Pike and Longside Edge – is followed by a steep knee-trembling descent to Millbeck and then a fast section across fields to the finish in Keswick