Bob Graham Round Leg 1: Skiddaw and Blencathra

The route

This is leg 1 of the classic Bob Graham Round, run as a point to point line from the Moot Hall in Keswick out to Threlkeld. It covers 20.8 km and gains 1,576 m, and all three of its high summits are Wainwrights: Skiddaw (931 m), Great Calva (690 m) and Blencathra (868 m).

From Keswick you climb steadily past the flank of Latrigg and onto the broad Jenkin Hill path, the same firm track the Skiddaw fell racers use. The gradient is relentless rather than technical, and you gain height fast. The pull onto Skiddaw's summit ridge opens up the whole of the Northern Fells, with Bassenthwaite Lake to the west and the Solway beyond.

The high traverse

Off Skiddaw the route drops east and climbs the lonely, heathery dome of Great Calva, then crosses the quiet, boggy ground near Skiddaw House before the long pull onto Blencathra. This middle section is open fell with no waymarks, so it rewards a clear head for navigation when cloud is down. Blencathra's summit sits right on the edge of its dramatic southern face.

The descent

The finish is the part that sticks in the memory: the drop off Blencathra towards Threlkeld. The direct Bob Graham line down Hall's Fell ridge is narrow, rocky and exposed, with a short scramble over Narrow Edge before the path eases to the valley. Take it steadily. It is a genuinely committing descent and it is where this leg earns its grade.

Why it works

Run as a standalone outing it is a superb big day on two of the most recognisable fells in the country, and as part of a round attempt it sets the tone for everything that follows. Carry food and water from Keswick, because there is nothing on the hill. On a clear day the panorama from Skiddaw stretches north to Scotland, and ticking off the first leg of the round is a milestone every Lakeland fell runner remembers.