Chagford Challenge 2013

The 2013 Chagford Challenge was held on Sunday 24th March. the weather put off a few of the entrants - but not that many. 

Whilst driving up to assist manning the checkpoint at Bonehill Rocks, the temperature dropped and wind increased. The effects of the ice and frost on the granite outcrops and windswept grass was truly spectacular. The CP is approximately 1000 feet above sea level and was freezing. Others were manning checkpoints another 600-700 feet higher on really exposed ridges. I was thankfull that Les and I had not been allocated there.

The following is a gallery of the event. The first picture of the mass start was taken by Group Secretary, Tim Crosby. all the remaining ones by member Chris Taylor. I think they really sum up the day very well.

Annette Merchant

 Mass start from the Jubilee Hall, Chagford
 Hoar frost on blades of grass
 You can see here how the ice crystals have been shaped by the wind direction
 Adrian and Suzi Partridge on the road up to Chagford Common
 More walkers heading for the Common
 Bennett's Cross CP
 More of that Hoar Frost
 Visibility dropped to just a few yards.....
 ....here where the route crosses the Widecombe road, just after Birch Tor
 Christine Usher appears for the gloom at the road crossing
 Who's the madman in shorts? - the temperature is around zero here!
 Mike and Sue Smith manned the CP here at the southern end of the Hameldown Ridge.
 Roy Zelionka, sweeping the 30 mile route, the mist has frozen to his hair!!!
 Well done to Mike and Sue for managing to run the CP in this weather!
 Mike clips in the later walkers at the Hameldown CP.
 Brian Guy and Linda McCarthy, sweeping the 20 mile route arriving at the Hameldown CP
 Adrian and Suzi Partridge at Aish Tor CP with another hardy soul - David Hooper manning this one.
 Bonehill Rocks CP with Roy Ramsey in charge of clipping and recording times.
 More of the CP marshals and later walkers at Bonehill Rocks CP
 Even the barbed wire has acquired a coating of ice!!
 Meldon Hill, the final "summit" before the steep drop into Chagford
 Another spectacular picture of the effects of the weather today.
 Walkers approaching the summit of Meldon Hill
 Still enough time to capture a shot of these two at the summit.
 Marcus Peckham on the long climb from Yelland Cross, heading to Meldon Hill
 More of the later walkers on the climb
 Just to finish another look at those fantastic weather effects on the plant life

For further information about the Chagford Challenge email Barry Olver: chagford.challenge@gmail.com

Route Descriptions and GPX files are available to download for a little while longer by clicking on the relevant link below

16 Mile Route                 Route Description      GPX file                      
21 Mile route Route Description GPX file  
30 Mile Route Route Description GPX file