Good morning!

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the 59th Fellsman next weekend.

We have emailed out a handbook containing all the information you need about next weekend, from when the school at Threshfield opens for kit check on Friday, to what’s available at all the roadside checkpoints in terms of food (including the vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options). However, in case the email doesn’t reach you (which is all too common these days), you can click the image on the left to allow you to download a pdf copy of the 2023 Fellsman Handbook.

For those who have entered previously, much of the information in the handbook will be familiar to you but we ask you to read it carefully as there may be some changes you need to be aware of.

Please note the timings for Friday – the car park at the quarry car park opens at 4pm, where motorhomes can also park up for the weekend. The shuttle bus to the camp site starts at 5.30pm, however registration / kit check will open at 7pm and not before.

There is strictly no car access to the school / campsite, and no entry for entrants to the school until 7pm.

Thank you, see you next weekend!

The Fellsman Committee

With great sadness, the Fellsman Committee regret to inform you of the passing of one of their own – Kate Metcalfe. Anyone who has been on the event in the last 15 years will have met Kate, as she was always front of house at Threshfield. To us she was so many things, but primarily a Friend, and one of the finest. She will be sorely missed, and always remembered. RIP Kate xx

It’s official – The 59th Fellsman will definitely go ahead on 29th / 30th April 2023…

Thanks to everyone who shared our previous post, all those who have entered, sent donations, delivered flyers, or offered to help, and some amazing support from our suppliers, we have now hit our ‘Magic Number’ and can go ahead.

However, we’re not totally out of the woods yet. Entrant numbers can still go down as well as up, and we’re now approaching what is historically Withdrawal Season. Too many and we will end up running at a loss for a second year, from which there would be no coming back…

So! As per, We STILL NEED YOUR HELP!

• Been considering entering? Please do! You can enter here – Enter online at SiEntries
• Would love to enter but you’ve not done enough training? Perhaps you’d like to come help? The Fellsman relies 100% on volunteers to run the event, and we ALWAYS need more! Besides needing spare staff for roadside and hilltop checkpoints, there’s a variety of tasks needing assistance at both the start and the finish, perfect for any entrant supporters wanting to come along and have something to do… if you’d like to get involved, please email event@fellsman.org.uk, and you can read about our SEARCH FOR A ROADSIDE CHECKPOINT TEAM here
• We’ve had a few emails from people intending on entering next year offering donations to help there BE a Next Year. Thank you each and every one of you. If this is something you’d like to do, please get in touch through the email account. We all just want to reach 60…
• Entrants – keep an eye out for more info bursts in the run up to the event. Please read our post about the route here

Thank you for your continued support.
As always, please share this post wherever you can. Thank you for reading.

The Fellsman Committee

Due to the retirement of one of our veteran roadside checkpoint teams, we’re got an interesting vacancy that we desperately need to fill…

Ideally, we are looking for a group of 8 (minimum, pref 10) with their own large marquee style tent, and other equipment (or access to), to come and set up at a roadside location in an elevated location (580m above sea level) with amazing views 😁 (See below for full kit requirements).

The checkpoint would need to be ready and open from 2pm on Saturday afternoon (through to the early hours of Sunday morning) to welcome runners and walkers who need to be tagged and timed (with details recorded on our system) & fed and watered (we provide all the food etc., you’ll just need to prep and serve it! Tin opener provided🤣)

We have 26 checkpoints in total, mostly staffed by Scouters from the Keighley District and neighbouring areas. A not for profit event, we rely 100% on volunteers. We would love to have you onboard if you are interested! A small donation to your group would be made to help cover costs.

Please get in touch via messenger or email event@fellsman.org.uk if you think you could help!

Kit requirements

• Marquee/Large Mess Tent (32sq metres minimum), which will accommodate –
  • 8 benches for entrants / staff
  • (One table for radio ops, who are provided by event)
  • 4 tables for food prep and serving area
  • Gas and double burner
  • Boiler for hot drinks
  • Utensils /Crockery required to prep food (billies / pans etc, details of food on request, nothing complicated!)
  • Heater & gas usually provided by us.

If after reading all that (thank you!) you’ve got any questions, or would like to offer help (individuals also welcome, we always have a variety of jobs both indoor and outdoor that need extra help on the weekend…) then please contact us through fb messenger or by email at event@fellsman.org.uk

If you’d like to enter (!?) details can be found here – Enter online at SiEntries

If you’re an entrant, please read our other article (if you haven’t already!) here – Full Steam Ahead

And finally, as always, please share this post anywhere you think pertinent. The right group of people are out there, we know it, we just need to find them…

The Fellsman Committee

Hot off the press from the Fellsman Committee… Urgent News Update!

Following on from our other post about all things entry based*, we now bring you an update on The Fleet Moss Situation…

Having been unable to resolve the route across the infamous Fleet Moss, the committee have looked at various solutions, reviewed last year’s tracker data, consulted with our extremely knowledgeable sweep teams, and have settled on a plan (for this year at least, but that’s a tale for another day 😉).

We have retired two checkpoints (Yockenthwaite and Middle Tongue) and replaced them with two new ones (Deepdale and Chapel Moor) in an effort to streamline the route back up to Cray. We’ve also slightly moved Hells Gap for the same reasons. Full details can be found below.

For those of you who own one of our maps – we will give you a replacement section at kit check. The maps remain valid to use, you can mark the new checkpoints on them too.

The iconic Fellsman Tally will be adjusted accordingly, this could be a one off edition for any collectors out there!

Still thinking about entering this year? Please do it soon – read our article* about this here – https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=574681128030802&id=100064667590582&sfnsn=scwspmo
You can enter here – https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=10617
Details of the event can be found here – https://www.fellsman.org.uk/?page_id=11
You can buy one of our maps here – https://www.fellsman.org.uk/?page_id=1844

To read about us in Runner’s World Magazine, please purchase the April issue, now available in larger newsagents.

If you have any questions not answered by this or our other post, please email here – event@fellsman.org.uk

NEW CHECKPOINT DETAILS AND POINTS TO OBSERVE

Once you have descended the road from FLEET MOSS to Deepdale
• You will be directed across the wooden footbridge over the River Wharfe at SD 889 799 (it will be flagged and have flashers for night-time).
• Then follow the track down the riverbank to our first new checkpoint DEEPDALE at SD 891 798.
• From DEEPDALE you will cross over the road bridge and follow the Dales Way to Yockenthwaite farm.
• Once through the farm you will then head up the fell and onto our second new checkpoint CHAPEL MOOR at SD 924 807.
• Following along the same line you will then come to our final Checkpoint change. We have moved HELLS GAP down the track to SD 936 815
• At this point you are back on the usual route down the hill into Cray.

PLEASE NOTE – As this is hot off the press, the route details on the Fellsman Website Route pages will be updated shortly. Please bear with us!

Thank you for reading. If you have time, we’d really appreciate you sharing our entries post wherever you can. Help us get to our 60th 😀

We’re not going to beat about the Bush. The fact is, if we don’t get more entrants registered by the 16th of March, this year’s event is not going to be able to run…

We get it. These days there are a lot of events out there, with new ones appearing almost weekly, and only so many entrants, with ever dwindling resources, to go round. It’s just the way it is. Gone are the days when The Fellsman was one of only a handful of similar length events on the calendar and we benefited from many returning entrants. We understand.

As a not-for-profit event, run by Keighley Scout Service Network, we absolutely cannot afford to run at a loss. Last year we did, and we cannot survive another one. We’ve already taken measures to lower our costs this year wherever possible, but with ever increasing prices on pretty much everything, we have to accept that if we do not reach our minimum needed to break even, we are going to have to cancel. The 16th is the latest we can leave such a decision before we start to commit finances we would not get back.

We really don’t want this to happen, not least because we fear that would be it. Next year will be our 60th, a milestone a lot of the organisers / volunteers have been looking forward to, and it would be a shame to get so close…
So. We’d really, REALLY, appreciate it if you’d share this plea far and wide. Time for the Big Push.

Done it before? You might like to know we now have GPS trackers, and have done away with grouping! Might this be enough to tempt you? We’ve also tinkered with the reroute from Fleetmoss to Cray to make it a little better!
Had your eye on entering this year? Please, now is the time!

Looking at entering next year? Help there Be a Next Year by sharing wherever you can to help us keep going just a little while longer…
You can enter here – https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=10617
Details of the event can be found here – https://www.fellsman.org.uk/?page_id=11
You can buy one of our maps here – https://www.fellsman.org.uk/?page_id=1844
For updates on this year’s event, including new checkpoint details, please see our other current post here – https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=574679768030938&id=100064667590582&sfnsn=scwspmo

To read about us in Runner’s World Magazine, please purchase the April issue, now available in larger newsagents. You can read some snippets in the pictures attached.

If you have any questions not answered by this or our other post, please email here – event@fellsman.org.uk
Finally, please be assured that if we do have to cancel, refunds will be issued. Please don’t jump, we’re not sinking…
Thank you for your time, and in advance for your help. Fingers crossed we get to blow out candles on our 60th cake xx

BREAKING NEWS JUST IN…

The Fellsman Committee have been busy with the initial plans for the organisation of the 2023 event, so keep an eye on all our social media trails for further updates! But first, seeing as it is Halloween, we thought we would leave the Tricking to the kids in your local areas, and give all our wonderful entrants a Treat…

Are you ready for it….

We are opening Entries early!!

Yep, you read it right!

The committee is breaking with the tradition of the 1^st January opening day, and has outsourced entering the event to SiEntries, who will manage the complicated job of registering all the entrants on to our event. This should make it easier to enter the event and select any independent extras you require –  Oh, and reduce the number of times you duplicate information with it all being in one place!

You can enter from 1^st of November 2022 by clicking the following link;

Enter online at SiEntries

So spread the word!

We look forward to seeing you in April on the starting line!

Other Breaking News:

The 2023 event sees the return of (limited) indoor sleeping accommodation at Threshfield, for both Friday night pre-race and Saturday evening when you return from the fells (no restrictions of when).

Indoor Sleeping is limited to 50 people on a first come first serve basis and will be in the sports hall as part of our new Shop, Drop ‘n’ Stop setup, and will be managed by our dedicated team who will be able to help with any queries on the weekend.

Other types of accommodation are still available for you too. There is a camping field located 5 minutes from the school and there is ample space in our entrant car park at the quarry for those who prefer to bring a caravan or motorhome (no electric hook up available, but there is a portaloo on site) or simply sleep in their cars. A shuttle service will be running regularly from the car park over the weekend as usual.

That’s it for now 😊

Keep your eyes peeled here for further news on the 59^th Event.

The 2023 Fellsman Committee

The Fellsman committee have had a meeting. Plans are afoot.

Watch this space for more news coming soon!

3 days to go – this is the first of a few updates today, so please check back later! It’s all GO! here in Fellsman land, and we’ve some updated info for you… First up – Camping! We’ve secured a second camping area, and are confident we’ll have enough space.

However, it is still finite, so we ask that:

• you share with friends where possible and keep tent numbers to an absolute minimum
• you pitch your tents as close together as is sensible – no wasting space please.
• if you have the option of a camper van, please take it and park in our quarry car park (toilet and shuttle bus provided).
• where possible pitch your tent Friday night.

Please note that there is NO VEHICLE ACCESS to the camping field – you can drop equipment at field and then park in quarry carpark but there will be ABSOLUTELY NO PARKING – Drop And Leave only. You may want to just start at the car park!

Next – paying for stuff on the weekend… in another blinding move forward with times, we’ve acquired card readers! So, if you need to pay for your transport or meals, or buy a map, you can pay by card!! We’ll still be accepting cash if necessary) but we’d be grateful if you could use a card where possible. Don’t forget some small change for the tea shop at the start (£20 not accepted!)
MAPS – these, along with PONCHOS will be available to purchase before the start (Threshfield Friday, Ingleton Saturday) so panic not. If you’ve ordered a map recently it’ll be ready for you to collect (having finally realised what day it is, I’m not risking the postal service…) and will no longer be available online from today.

Finally for now – registration opens at 7pm on Friday. Please remember there will, as always, be NO PARKING AT THE SCHOOL OR ON ANY OF THE ROADS NEARBY – please go straight to the quarry car park and utilize our shuttle buses. We really appreciate your help keeping the neighbours happy The email account is a bit hectic at the mo, so if you’re waiting on a response, it’s worth considering if your query is answered by any of these posts first, and I’ll be contacting those not covered asap.

Take care til the weekend – Shona