The Charnley Way                                                            UK Ultras

The Charnley Way was devised by the friends of Gerry Charnley following his death on the Helvellyn range in a tragic accident in December 1982 when he was 53. The area chosen for the route was the scene of the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon (now the OMM) which he devised and organised in 1981.  A commemorative map was published through Harvey Map Sevices  showing the route(s) defined by 26 control points.  It provided the option of either three separate circuits of Eskdale, Borrowdale and Langdale or the complete round of some 57 km and 3600m of ascent illustrated below. Each circuit started at a youth hostel and converged on Charnley Crag south of Esk Pike. Although now out of print a wall-mounted copy can still be seen at Eskdale hostel.    

Ben Abdelnoor resurrected the route in 2007 with a time of 10-47 but believes Billy Bland completed the route in under 8 hours in the 1980's.  A copy of Ben's article which appeared in The Fellrunner (Autumn 2007) can be down-loaded via the link below.

Route and Control Points

Notes:

□    The control points listed above are taken from an example of a complete round scheduled on the Charnley Way map.  The list omits the control at Angle Tarn (245 078), which is visited on the Borrowdale and Langdale circuits, presumably to create a better overall circuit of the three valleys (illustrated in red)

□    Ben Abdelnoor's round included Angle Tarn and is shown as a variation on the above map by green dashes.  Either route can be used subject to your preference for either visiting all 26 controls or following the complete round as scheduled on the Charnley Way map.   

□   The round is shown starting at High Close Youth Hostel as it is probably the nearest point for most runners travelling to the Lakes, but any start point is permitted.

Schedule

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Click on the icon to view/print a pdf schedule of Ben Abdelnoor’s round

Completions

This is an informal challenge without rules, registrations or time limits but Ben Abdelnoor would be pleased to hear of any further completions or accurate records of previous rounds.

Email: ben_abdelnoor@yahoo.com

Links and Further Information

□   The Charnley Way – A Grand Day Out     Ben Abdelnoor (The Fellrunner, Autumn, 2007)

□   The Charnley Way – Harvey Map Services, 1985.  Now out of print.