So because I don’t read my blog because I think it’s terrible, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned the fact that I will be running the 2023 Summer spine Sprint with Sharon. If I haven’t, I am. If I have, I still am. Some of my friends (well, bad influences anyway) had entered the Haworth Hobble and, due to its location and massive FOMO, were easily able to persuade me to enter as well. The event is largely North of the Spine Sprint route, but does include the section of the Pennine Way from Stoodley Pike to Hebden Bridge on the Hebden Bridge Loop, which is very close to the end of the Spine Sprint route. There was also a ‘mixed Pairs’ category so I was able to persuade Sharon we should enter the previously mentioned category as it would be good training and it would ensure we had to run together (she normally tells me to run on my own and leave her to enjoy her run). I found a pub we could stay at with a phone box outside, a graveyard next door and only a couple of hundred metres from race registration and the finish, possibly the most perfect accommodation I’d ever found for anything.
When we entered we weren’t expecting the weather to be perfect but equally snow wasn’t high on our list of likely weather conditions either. However in the days before the race there was a Yellow Snow Warning more or less centred on the race route. Incidentally Met Office, I understand the colour coding for warnings but please understand, no-one can say there is a ‘yellow snow warning’ without sniggering. Due to the possibility of extreme weather and me having a very large bag to put my kit in, I channelled my inner Noah and packed two of everything, so I had kit for ‘normal’ weather plus much warmer kit should it be needed. I also packed my Inov8 G300 trail shoes if the ground was likely to be solid, and my trusty X-talon 260s if it was likely to be soft and snowy. I also packed waterproof socks. I don’t like to dictate to Sharon what she should wear but I did persuade her to at least take her X-talons and waterproof socks, even though I know neither of those are her preferred footwear. The fact that it started snowing in Chelmsford on Wednesday helped to focus our minds on making sure we had enough kit.
As Sharon does all the driving (my driving is worse than my navigating) I’d booked us into the Sibson Inn for the Thursday night so we could have a leisurely drive up on Friday and Sharon wouldn’t be too knackered for the race. If anyone is looking for accommodation on the A1 near Peterbrough I can thoroughly recommend the Sibson Inn, masses of character and an incredibly friendly welcome from Gabrielle, who we chatted to for most of the evening.
On Friday morning we were hearing reports that the threatened huge dump of snow had happened – it was white, not yellow, but that seemed to be the only good news associated with it. Motorists had been stuck on the M62 (which was where we are heading) all night and general snowy havoc had been wreaked all around the region of the race. Peterborough was relatively unscathed and by the time we left there was no snow on the road. However Gary Chapman (Seven times Winter Spine Finisher, Legend and Haworth Hobble Race Director) had started sending reports from Top Withens, where he was ‘playing’ in four foot deep snow drifts. His view was that there was nothing inherently dangerous about the conditions but that it was likely that the race route would be shortened as the conditions meant everyone would be a lot slower. The main challenge he appeared to face was logistics, his race car park was buried in snow and there were questions about how possible it would be to get marshals and supplies out to checkpoints, however if it was at all possible there would be a race!
From our perspective Google didn’t mention any obstacles in our way – the M62 closure was after the point we turned off it, our accommodation was booked and – at this point – non-refundable and as we had all our winter kit if the worst came to the worst we could have a little adventure on our own. I should mention at this point I’d even taken the unprecedented step of buying a map of the area. I know I like to claim I don’t know what to do with one and I do go the wrong way a lot but actually I can read a map and most of my navigational errors are due to a lack of concentration. Anyway we started driving to Haworth while Gary was running round Yorkshire re-planning a race that was due to start in less than 24 hours…
The snow was evident but fairly unspectacular all the way up the A1. Even the M62 looked OK but as we went further west it became obvious that a lot of snow had fallen, a lot of snow. All the roads were clear but in places they weren’t clear to their full width and there was a lot of snow all around. After a stop for fuel – on a forecourt that had clearly been very deep in snow earlier in the day – we finally arrived in Haworth. The SatNav (Google) was rather optimistically trying to send us up ‘Main Street’. This was a very picturesque steep cobbled street, which those of us of a certain age will forever associate with the Second Movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Hovis bread (even if the original was actually in Dorset apparently). It was also covered in snow. Fortunately the map indicated we could take the main road around to the top of the hill and approach the pub that way. It didn’t help. We got tot the pub but, despite the best efforts of the locals to help us with a push, there was no way the little Polo was going to climb the last snow covered slope into the pub car park. some slightly fraught driving later and we managed to park in the car park for the Bronte Museum and hoped there would be a thaw before Sunday.
We went into the pub and ordered lunch, massive sandwiches and chips. This was fortuitous as, due to the snow, Haworth was lacking in chefs that day and this would be the last proper food we would find. To be fair the sandwiches were so substantial we didn’t really try to find any more and just ate crisps later.
As promised by 9pm we had been told what the plan was for the race. We had already told it would be on and that it would be around 18-19 miles. As it was, it was 21.2 miles and we would be allowed to use GPS due to the late route changes. Obviously I was delighted, I had been quite prepared to do it ‘properly’ with a map and compass and had spent a lot of time looking over the route in preparation but GPS would be a lot easier. I had brought my hand held GPS anyway as I felt that if we had a white-out I would sooner navigate myself out of trouble with GPS and get disqualified than be rescued by Mountain Rescue – and still get disqualified. It’s a bit long-winded getting a GPX file into Garmin Connect using only a mobile phone but I managed it – and even added markers for the checkpoints – so I could have it on my watch, which was more convenient than the handheld. The start had also been delayed until 11am as the temperature was predicted to drop to -12 degrees overnight and this would mean that those starting early (there was an option to start up to one and a half hours early for those that felt they would be slower) wouldn’t be faced with full-on Arctic conditions. It also meant we could optimistically book breakfast at the pub…
…Saturday morning and the great Haworth Chef Shortage hadn’t abated and so breakfast was a bit of a non-starter. This wasn’t a problem as we had never expected breakfast if the start had been at 8am and there were bacon rolls for sale at Race HQ so we went for those instead.
So which items of my has collection of kit did I actually wear? Gary had told us in the copious information he had provided on Friday that we shouldn’t overdress as we would be working quite hard in the snow but that we should have warm kit with us. I went for my thermal vest, long sleeve LBRR top and my Mountain Equipment gilet for my top half. After some thought I settled on my windproof tights rather than my full-on winter ones as I had waterproof trousers if I needed any further leg protection. I also went for the X-Talons as there was definitely snow out there. I had an extra warm layer with me as per the kit list as well as my lighter weight waterproof as the weather was actually quite nice and not forecast to get too bad all day.
Anyway, we went to race HQ, got our bacon roll and met up with our fellow Ridge Runners, Ian and Terry. They were also running as pair (male, not mixed) but would undoubtedly be much quicker than us. We also registered and picked up our numbers and ‘dibber’ (timing chip). Finally it was time to walk down ‘Hovis Hill’ so we could start the race by running up it – I love it when Race Directors have a sense of humour…
After a short race briefing we were off up the hill (did I mention the start was uphill?). After the uphill bit we turned onto West Lane, which heads West, and Cemetery Road, which passes Haworth Cemetery, so no mysteries there. From there we continued along Bronte Way and into the stunning snow covered landscape. For us the running wasn’t too hard but then we had had the benefit of around 300 people going ahead of us and breaking the trail. Our first major landmark was Bronte Bridge.
We continued up across the moor towards Top Withens and the ruins that almost certainly aren’t Wuthering Heights.
Just because it’s called Top Withens doesn’t apparently mean it is at the top and we climbed a little more until we were rewarded with a wonderfully exhilarating run downhill to Walshaw Dean Reservoir.
Soon after we reached the first checkpoint at the Old Packhorse pub. As the road to the pub was closed we had been told the volunteers would run to it and only water would be available. Like many things on the race the checkpoint overachieved and also has a small supply of biscuits, including Jaffa Cakes. As I’d done quite well on my last race on Jaffa Cakes I decided to take a couple with me.
It was just before this point the race route deviated from the original plan. Instead of continuing West and South to turn back towards Todmorden and the infamous Stoodley Pike, we turned onto the Pennine Way and through Slack (Top and Bottom), passing quite close to Checkpoint One of the Spine Race at Hebden Hey Scout Campsite. On the way we encountered a roving medic, who could have been quite useful as Sharon had just had her one and only fall of the day, but fortunately only her pride was dented. He had a dog with him who was, we were told, a spaniel and hence couldn’t give us a lab report. There was also no cat scan available as the cat refused to come out in the cold.
We continued into Heptonstall to a checkpoint which I am happy to mention in the same breath as the legendary Alston Checkpoint on the Spine Race. It was epic! Apart from a seemingly limitless number of incredibly happy volunteers it was also able to supply me with a bacon roll and a tot of whisky!
We were now back on the original route and would be following the Calder Way and the Calder Aire Link back towards Haworth.
As it was by now well into the afternoon, the rising temperature and vast number of people ahead of us meant that the path was getting quite wet in places.
There was still one last checkpoint before the end. This was an ‘out and back’ and to my surprise we passed Terry and Ian on their way out as we were running in. I was quite pleased to see they were only about a mile and a quarter ahead of us, although we still had our checkpoint stop to make.
And once again the checkpoint didn’t disappoint. It was getting quite cold and windy by this point but once again the volunteers were very happy and providing hotdogs! I’m fairly sure I really did end this race heavier than when I started.
We only had four miles left to the finish and most of those were down. The last climb was along Moorside Lane until we turned off into the park and mostly round rather than over Penistone Hill. We passed through Haworth Churchyard and the Black Bull pub and retraced the route we had walked to the start to the finish.
Speaking of the Alston Checkpoint it was fantastic to see Rachel and Chris from the aforesaid oasis at the finish. Chris had also been in the race and Rachel had turned up probably because she wanted to make sure I’d been looking after my feet (they were fine). It was great to see Rachel and have a chance to chat when she wasn’t having to look after several hungry Spiners at the same time.
So, what’s the verdict on the absolutely unique (or at least, Gary chapman hopes it is I’m sure) slightly shortened 2023 Haworth Hobble? It was brilliant, that’s the verdict. I can’t imagine how Gary managed to basically plan an entire race in 15 hours – which was about the time from him getting to Top Withens and seeing how deep the snow was to an email being sent with the new race plan – but he did and I think everyone was very glad he did and we would like to thank him profusely for doing so. I guess if you can finish the Winter Spine seven times you get used to dealing with things. I think he would be the first to admit the process was made much easier by the incredible team he had assembled to help him run the event, including many Spiners with plenty of experience of exactly the conditions we had.
Just as a footnote, I mentioned we wanted to use this event as a bit of a recce and practice for the Summer Spine Sprint. As it turned out I got a bit more experience in snow that I’m sure will be invaluable in January 2024 on the Winter Spine but as we stayed overnight at Haworth we decided to go and have a little run around Stoodley Pike anyway.
The 2023 Haworth Hobble was a great event and, as I said before, almost certainly unique. Hopefully Gary’s nightmares will stop soon and he will be planning the 2024 Hobble on its traditional route, in which case, I think we might be back. However until then…
The Only Way Is Pennine... 