Race Report: The Way of the Dead

When I posted it on social media, it attracted the interest of a few club members and “Wild Running” offered a discount for pairs of runners. Having considered the pairs approach and then have 6 pairs interested we made the decision that we would avail of the pairs discount but all 12 of us run together as a social run. None of us knew the area or the route and we didn’t get a chance to do a reconnaissance run so it would be an adventure to sort it out on the day.

It was an early start for the 12 of us as we assembled at Victoria to load into three vans at 3:30am to drive to Tavistock for registration and pick up our trackers. The temperature was +2 degrees as we wandered from the car park to the Brewery in our shorts thinking maybe we ought to have a few more clothes about us. As a sign of things to come, the bus that would take us to the start had got lost trying to find the Brewery. A few of us had sat in on a zoom presentation the previous Wednesday when the organisers had explained there will be no route marking. The gpx. file could be downloaded to watches or phones and that was the major navigation assistance. For those like me in the Stone Age, there was a map available. The bus arrived and we piled on and headed out across the frost covered moors. It was slow going in the bus on the narrow moorland lanes and when we arrived at the starting place at Trenchford Reservoir the runners who had decided to join from there had been waiting for 30 minutes so the race started late. This wasn’t a problem and there was a pleasant atmosphere and the later start had allowed the sun to rise a bit further and take the chill off the ground.

I had collected my laminated map but the whole of Dartmoor was reduced to two sides of A4. This was good from a carrying point of view but it was difficult to read the miniscule details necessary for reliable navigation. We set off at the back of the pack and as we had agreed to stay together we progressed steadily, confident that our party was capable of completing the event within the cut off time. The weather was glorious, a sunny blue sky and the trees and fields just showing their new fresh green. Being together as a group wearing our club colours had a feel of the “Saints way” about it, and in the woods the combination of the violets and primroses echoed our colour scheme.

It was all going swimmingly until we entered a a place called Lostleigh, the clue is in the name. The gpx system sent us right, away from an established footpath and into woodland. Next the gpx followers directed us a steep wooded bank climbing over fallen trees and getting tangled in ivy and brambles. Armando declared “we are back on the trail”. Yes I admit it was a trail, but only used by squirrels, there certainly hadn’t been over 100 ultra runners through there. After a while we did hit a road and then picked up the route to continue on. The scenery was beautiful with lovely woodland trails and now with sign posts directing us to a place called “Water” which was on the route. After “Water” we left the woodland and approached the moor. We passed by Jay’s Grave and when Karina asked if I knew the story behind it I didn’t but I have since looked it up but in retrospect we didn’t see any ghostly apparitions but then again it was mid morning not evening.
After Jay’s grave there was a long climb up Hameldown Tor and this type of scenery was the precursor to the rest of the run. This took us to the first checkpoint 8.5 miles by Grimspound. The victuals available were very limited and in this respect it didn’t feel like the Saints Way. The fact that the gpx track seemed to wander off substantial trails and send the followers crashing over heather and rough ground only to return them to the trail later was an idiosyncrasy that had to be learned painfully. The second checkpoint Bellever Woods by Postbridge 13.5 miles seemed to come very quickly. After that there was the longest section and the one that took us into the remote part of the moor. Here the route varied between following established paths or miners tracks and finding the best possible way over boggy patches or ground covered in tussocks. I must admit that here, I held back whilst the enthusiastic scouts went ahead and then I chose my route depending upon whether they went in up to the ankles, knees or thighs. During this long section the weather changed and a strong cold headwind developed and we were all glad as we descended down to the final checkpoint Merrivale 24 miles. From here it was gently downhill most of the way back to the Brewery and we all finished together well within the cut off time.

Despite the few little navigation errors along the way we all had a great time. It gave those who had not previously done an ultra before a taste of what they are like, without being too excessive. We had a little of the sleep deprivation, navigational issues, slogging over difficult terrain on tired legs, variations in the weather and did I mention – Finishing at a Brewery.