Winter Rounds
Recent years have seen an increase in those interested in achieving a Bob Graham Round in winter. What constitutes "winter" is an interesting debate and one that has consumed much email traffic on the FRA Forum and produced much hot air in the pubs of Lakeland and elsewhere.
Those people wishing to undertake a winter round (members or non-members) often seek guidance from the Club as to the "rules" which apply. The short answer is that the only rules that the Club has are those contained in its Guidance Notes available elsewhere on this site which apply equally to winter rounds. It goes without saying that the level of all things required to achieve a summer round is greatly magnified for winter rounding.
Winter rounds were discussed most recently by the BG Club committee at its meeting in May 2008. It seems appropriate to produce some guidance on what the Club accepts as a winter round. One of the main functions of the Club is to monitor and record attempts, so it is right that it should do its best to set out the parameters of that record-keeping.
The Club perceives that there are 2 distinct types of winter Bob Graham Round which are:
- the "Mid-winter" round which, taking its inspiration from the earliest attempts on a winter round by Pete Simpson and Martin Stone in the early 1980s, is attempted at any time from the weekend before the shortest day through to the first period of decent weather after the shortest day but to be completed no later than 10 January; and
- the "Winter" round, which is a round not falling within the definition set out above, attempted during the period starting on 1 December and finishing on 1 March.
Even this distinction is artificial, because conditions on the shortest day could be quite benign, whilst full winter conditions could well be experienced at any time before or after within the wider definition of "winter". Ultimately, though, if records are to be kept, someone has to set parameters to keep them by. The Club is persuaded by the view of the early winter pioneers that the challenge represented by maximum hours of darkness puts the "Mid-winter" round into a category of its own.
For those motivated to attempt a winter round, the distinction drawn above will either be relevant or important to them, or it won't be. That will be up to them.
Whatever the motivation, completing a successful winter Bob Graham Round is a fabulous experience and achievement and those who have done so should rightly be saluted. Those who have completed a Mid-winter or a Winter round for which the Club has details are recorded in the list set out below.
If the list is in any way incomplete or incorrect, please send any additions or corrections to the Membership Secretary by email or by post (see the Contacts page).
Year | Date | Contender(BGC number) | Time | Direction | Notes | Mid-winter MW or winter W |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | 13/14 December | John Brockbank (324) | 23:06 | Clockwise | MW | |
1986 | 13/14 December | Selwyn Wright (170) | 23:06 | Clockwise | MW | |
1986 | 22/23 December | Steve Parr (203) | 23:26 | Clockwise | Steve disappeared on a trip to the Himalaya in 1988 or thereabouts | MW |
1987 | 7/8 January | Martin Stone (108) | 23:41 | Clockwise | Solo and unsupported | MW |
1989 | 9/10 December | Martin Scrowson (654) | 22:08 | First round | W | |
1989 | 9/10 December | Barry Laycock (571) | 22:08 | W | ||
1993 | 27/28 November | Alison Crabb (842) | 23:51 | Summer and winter rounds in the same year | W | |
1999 | 19/20 December | Scott Umpleby (693) | 22:48 | MW | ||
1999 | 19/20 December | Brian Meakin (1139) | 22:48 | First round | MW | |
2000 | 1/2 January | Nicky Lavery (445) | 22:45 | MW | ||
2005 | 17 December | John Fleetwood (1088) | 23:53 | Anticlockwise | No snow, heavy frost, -4 degrees C, icy rocks making descent of Broad Stand impossible. | MW |
2006 | February | Mike Robinson (1182) | 23:30 | Clockwise | W | |
2007 | 20/21 December | Alex Pilkington (1379) | 23:09 | Clockwise | Mainly solo | MW |
2007 | 22/23 December | Simon Halliday (1334) | 23:56 | Anticlockwise | Summer and winter rounds in the same year | MW |
2008 | 16 February | Simon Waller (1383) | 22:47 | Clockwise | First round | W |
2008 | 16 February | Garry Beardwood (1384) | 23:00 | Clockwise | First round | W |
2008 | 16 February | Paul Jackson (1385) | 23:53 | Clockwise | First round | W |
2008 | 20/21 December | Eddie Winslow (1461) | 23:56 | Clockwise | First round. Intermittent gale force winds on leg 1. Leg 2 gale force winds until 5.00 am. Then calm and clear. Temp dropped in evening, windy again after Gable. Bad conditions leg 5. A few patches of snow. Used Lord's Rake. | MW |
2011 | 1/2 Jan | Jon Morgan (1618) | 23:20 | Clockwise | Did it with Steve Watts. | MW |
2011 | 1/2 Jan | Steve Watts (1240) | 23:20 | Clockwise | Did it with Jon Morgan. | MW |
2011 | 21/22 Jan | Iain Taylor (1619) | 22:44 | Anticlockwise | The third fastest winter time to date. | W |
2011 | 21/22 Jan | Jason Hubert (1620) | 23:04 | Anticlockwise | W | |
2011 | 7/8 Feb | Tom Phillips (1552) | 23:19 | Clockwise | Light snow cover. | W |
2011 | 28 Feb/1 Mar | Jim Mann (1617) | 20:39 | Clockwise | Good weather with clear sky - very cold at night but good visibility. Solo for leg 2 at night. | W |
2011 | 22/23 Dec | Andrew Graham (1427) | 23:35 | Clockwise | Poor visibility, extensive snow cover often deep. | MW |
2011 | 22/23 Dec | Mike Park (1458) | 23:57 | Clockwise | Poor visibility, extensive snow cover often deep. | MW |
2012 | 7/8 Jan | Dave Ward (1711) | 23:02 | Clockwise | Hadn’t done a summer round before. | MW |
2013 | 4/5 Jan | Jules Coleman (1630) | 22:42 | Clockwise | Damp with melting snow on the ground and strong winds. | MW |
2013 | 1 Dec | Jim Mann (1617) | 18:18 | Clockwise | His second winter round and the fastest winter round to date. | W |
2014 | 19/20 Dec | Tom Hollins (1750) | 23:52 | Clockwise | Strong winds with showers. Excellent conditions underfoot. Snow only on higher ground. | MW |
2016 | 8/9 Jan | Mario Yeomans (1977) | 23:37 | Clockwise | First round | MW |
2016 | 8/9 Jan | Mick Allen (1978) | 23:37 | Clockwise | First round | MW |
2016 | 8/9 Jan | Paul Johnson (1915) | 23:37 | Clockwise | Some deep snow in places, misty with increasing wind and rain/sleet. | MW |
2016 | 22/23 Jan | Ricky Lightfoot (1979) | 21:10 | Clockwise | First round | W |
2016 | 13 Feb | Jasmin Paris | 22:08 | Clockwise | First round and also the fastest women's winter round to date. | W |
2016 | 13 Feb | Konrad Pawlik | 22:08 | Clockwise | First round | W |
2016 | 16/17 Dec | Tim Ripper (1872) | 21:26 | Clockwise | Solo on first three legs. Very mild. | W |
2017 | 15/16 Dec | Matt Reedy (2120) | 23:10 | Clockwise | Hadn’t done a summer round before. | W |
2017 | 16 Dec | Kim Collison (1436) | 20:36 | Clockwise | There was a good layer of snow above 300m with plenty of soft deep snow. | W |