The
2016 Spine Race showed just how far the event has come in the past five years,
with a combination of racing dramas, challenging winter conditions and
impressive personal stories of endurance making it a vintage year, maybe even
the best ever Spine yet.
The
Spine Safety Team has also developed in many respects. For the first Spine, we
had about the same small number of staff as racers which started at Edale and
the deployments were decided in the moment. As the numbers of starters grew, so
did the safety team and also the level of advance planning needed for the team
to be as efficient and effective as possible. We now begin refining the
deployment plan and putting together Safety Teams at least three months before
the race itself.
It
is testament to the work and contribution by all of the Spine Safety Team and
Race Organisation that other races are looking at our methods and procedures
with interest. Specifically, how we can run an event like this in winter with
all the variations that can throw at us and not be constantly calling on
Mountain Rescue.
Regular
Spine Challenger competitors, Tim Vriendt and Stef Schuermans, have organised
their own new event, The Legends, held
in the Belgium Ardennes, March 2016. For this they have brought in expertise
from The Spine Safety Team.
THE 2016 RACERS
The
leaders at the front were nip and tuck right up to the final day, until Eoin Keith
stole a march on pursuers Pavel Paloncy and Eugene Rosello Sole. Eoin had made
the bold statement that his 2015 finish was simply a reccie in preparation for winning
in 2016. He appeared unstoppable in his quest, setting the bar to a new high by
taking a huge chunk off Pavel’s course record.
The
Challenger too brought many new stories and new faces. There has been a
succession of fast performances in this 108 mile dash. Making it highly
competitive and arguably now as difficult to win as the full Spine.
Fresh
from their work dealing with the terrible flooding north of Manchester just
before the event, we welcomed members of local Mountain Rescue Teams racing a
special version of the Challenger. Thankfully for local communities, the water
levels had reduced, although the effects are bound to be felt for months.
But,
to paraphrase seasoned Spiner, Richard Lendon: “The Spine is more than just
touching a stone wall at The Border Inn, Kirk Yetholm (or opening those double
doors at The Market House in Hawes). It’s about the experience, the camaraderie
and being out there on the trail.”
It’s
what I struggled to adequately articulate in the interview with Summit Fever in the 2015 Spine movie,
leaving the viewer with the cheesy, if not now legendary, Spine chest thump.
Thank you to all the folks that joined in the chest thump salute during Spine
week, you made it real!
THE SPINE TEAM
Race
Directors Scott & Phil, had a clear vision for the race organisation with
specialist teams, each working autonomously, but sharing information and
resources when required to ensure the best possible response and outcome for
racers and race volunteers alike.
At times of high demand, a new on-line incident recording system enabling fast dissemination of
information. Each incident remained open and was monitored until the action was
closed.
THE SPINE SAFETY TEAM
OPS CENTRE
This
year’s safety team was based on the model I developed for the 2015 Spine. I
have already written in previous blogs about how the horrendous storms in 2015
played havoc with our best laid plans. However, there were still very worthwhile
lessons to take forwards.
The
first was Safety Team structure. New for 2016, was two teams of Coordinators (Darren Hunt & Jayme Morgan + Stuart
Smith & Lindley Chambers) on an alternating 12 hour shift. The shifts
ran from midnight to midday, then from midday to midnight. Coordination can be
extremely intensive and unrelenting so the aim here was that each pair had a
decent opportunity to rest as well as to get out of the Ops Room and see some
daylight during the week. In addition to the shift teams, coordinator Paul Gale took care of course safety reccies
and supervising CP5.5, Byrness.
The
collective skills set and experience of this year’s coordinator team is worthy
of note: Mountain & expedition leaders, MRT, event organisation, military
service, civilian blue light emergency service, aerospace safety investigation
and highly regulated nuclear industry.
This
year we especially focussed on communications. Not so much the method of
communication, i.e predominantly mobile phone and occasionally sat phones, but
rather the way we use them. With extensive experience of the Pennine Way, we now
have much better knowledge of mobile black spots, meaning that the SST’s on the
ground could be deployed far more effectively.
With
Teams using various mobile networks, dual chip phones or Manx sim, if there was
a signal available, most of the time someone could connect to it. The preferred
method of routine coms was by text, which is succinct and much easier
transmitted than voice call. It also freed up ops room phones for incoming
priority calls.
In
addition to racers having trackers for racers, we also made more use of trackers for SSTs and
Medics. On several occasions they proved invaluable in our ability to direct
SSTs to racers:
·
For routine welfare checks
·
To
assist in bringing a racer back on track after deviating off route towards a
major hazard.
·
To
locate racers in difficulty
·
To
locate a member of the public (more on this later)
For
the fourth consecutive year, medical matters were in the care of Exile Medics, headed by Brett Roccos. We worked closely with
Brett and his excellent team, to support competitors. There are many racers who
were able to progress a lot further due the assistance of the Exiles doctors.
THE SPINE SAFETY
TEAMs (SSTs) ON THE GROUND
Like
many Ultra Races, The Spine could not exist without volunteers. As SST
Coordinator, in addition to race safety, my aim is that our volunteers have the
best possible experience during their time with us. The fact that several
return year after year, hopefully proves that we are doing it right more often
than not. It is often said that working on The Spine can be as hard as racing,
but I have heard on many occasions that it is equally as enjoyable.
Many
potential Spiners and Challengers use their time on the SST as fact finding for
their own future race plans. I’m very much in support of this, Volunteering on
a SST provides opportunities for selective course research, route finding,
potential conditions underfoot and local resources such as shops and pubs. As
well as seeing the effects of race attrition, SSTs can gauge how their
endurance capabilities, navigation, hill and expeditions skills compare with
the finishers.
The
plan for SSTs worked very well this year and our teams were much better rested
in between deployments. Throughout the SST there is a diverse range of
experience, from Ultra Racers, Mountain Rescue, Emergency & Military
Services, Mountain & Expedition Leaders. This is only part of the story, in
addition to their professionalism, every member of the SST brought humour and
camaraderie which contributes to the Spine ‘race family’ atmosphere.
To all Spine Race
volunteers, I offer my sincere thanks for your commitment to the success of the
2016 race. And I look forward to seeing you again, either in the Safety Team,
as a Spine Racer, or simply on the hills and trails.
THE CONDITIONS
This
year the weather was, relatively, kinder to us than 2015. Thankfully there was
no repeat of successive gale force weather fronts, preventing movement of
racers and the Spine Safety Team. That said, the conditions were far from easy.
As if dialled up to order, mild temperatures yielded to Baltic cold, perhaps
catching some racers off their guard.
Snow
soon added to the mix, giving a positive Arctic flavour to Malham, Pen-Y-Ghent
and the approaches to Hawes.
Safety
teams were mostly all in position according to the deployment plan when the
snow fell. From these locations of most usefulness and with Exile medics distributed
along the race split, the team remained effective. Throughout the week we
continued to work around traffic disruption, the whole Spine Team minimising
road trips during the night on re-frozen surfaces.
With
the leading elites staying a step head, the snow mostly affected the peloton
and lanterns rouge. Based on a course reccie, the safety team implemented a diversion,
of equal distance, around the Cauldron Snout outflow. Thus, removing the potentially
hazardous river edge traverse and frozen scramble up to the dam.
Further
snow and drifts on Crossfell meant racers at the rear of the field were grouped
together for safety. John Bamber and
Paul Shorrock enjoyed a busier than
usual stay at Gregs Hut this year, with a number of forays out onto the trail
for welfare checks on slower racers. Exile Medics also made the prudent
decision to station one of their Doctors at the hut.
THE CHEVIOT
The
tough conditions underfoot, sudden drop in temperature and fatigue all took
their toll on racers. The pace of many began to slow, at times to as little as
1km an hour. At the same time racers completing the Cheviot reported their
exhausting efforts breaking trail and post holing, through deep drifts (which
was corroborated by watching their trackers).
With
the significant reduction in pace of mid-field racers, there was a growing
concern among the collective Race Organisation - RDs, SST, HQ, Exile Medics –
that:
i)
The
Lanterns Rouge could not possibly finish the event in time
ii)
There
was a high potential for multiple hypothermia/exhaustion casualties whilst on
the remote Cheviots.
In this knowledge, to allow this situation to
occur would have shown a reckless disregard for welfare of both racers and the
Safety Teams up on the hill. Hence the Byrness cut off had to be brought
forward, a decision not taken lightly. This decision was borne out by the fact
that the last racer to arrive at Kirk Yetholm did so just 28 minutes prior to
the 7 day race time limit.
Most of the racers who finished carried with
them stories of epic conditions up on high ground. As it was, our SST’s up at
Refuge 1-Lamb Hill and Refuge 2-Auchope had a busy night.
Hut 1 was manned for the duration by
experienced Spiner & mountaineer, Mark
Caldwell. He was joined by Al Pepper
who had completed the Challenger earlier in the week. They helped ensure that
racers were safe to continue the Cheviot traverse.
Racers were grouped together in at least
pairs (many did this automatically) so that they could share work breaking
trail, navigating and also looking out for each other. Past years has shown
this buddy system to be very worthwhile.
Our strategy for Hut 2 was to deploy a
succession of Teams who would then remotely shadow a group of racers on their
final descent into Kirk Yetholm. Coordinator, Darren Hunt, was able to drop off
several teams at the College Valley road head, enabling them to reach Hut 2
much more quickly than the standard Halterburn walk in. At one point we had
five safety teams on the hill.
With space at a premium in Hut 2, racers who
were fit to continue were encouraged to eat, drink and then push onwards to the
finish. This was a fine balance, but worked well thanks to Exile medics doctor
in-situ and the can-do efforts of the SSTs.
Next
year there may not be snow on the ground. With thanks to all SSTs who have
provided feedback, we will have to look at improving the water carry up to the
Huts. Given the conditions, we took the decision to carry up some extra rations
packs to Huts 1 and 2. Whilst I’m sure this was universally appreciated by
competitors, we have to be careful that there is not a future expectation of noodles,
rat packs or hot drinks service at hut and bothy locations. The main reason, is
that SSTs may not actually be in there, but deployed out on the course.
THE CHEVIOT RESCUE
Many
of you may have read reports in main-stream media that two Spine racers were
rescued by Borders Search And Rescue from the area around Auchope Hut on the
final night of the event. Not to let the facts get in the way of a good story,
the headlines were incorrect on many levels. With thanks to assistance from Jon O’Connell’s (SST1) father and his
media connections, the BBC quickly corrected their copy.
In
summary the actual events are thus: A member of the public independently walking
the Pennine Way was seen by Spine Racers on the Chevoit ridge. Concerned for
his welfare they called Spine Safety Ops, who then tasked an SST to assist. The
member of the public was walked to Hut 2 where he was assessed by an Exile
Medic and efforts were made to rewarm. After a couple of hours and still
concerned for the person’s well- being, BSAR were called, who responded on foot
and also brought in SAR Helicopter. On reaching the Hut, the member of the public
was deemed fit enough to walk off the hill accompanied by the BSAR team.
As
this was happening, a fatigued Spiner being closely escorted off the hill by
one of our SSTs needed a little extra help. Instead of us sending up another
SST, BSAR who were already in the immediate area offered assistance, for which
The Spine is extremely grateful.
THE SPINE 2017
The
Spine is billed as a self-sufficient and most brutal race in Britain. There has
been much commentary on social media that, with the introduction of CP1.5
Malham and CP5.5 Byrness, The Spine is now easier. I think this year proves
that the event is still as tough as it ever was. What I would say is that there
is a difference in the safety systems we have put in place as a duty of care to
our competitors and staff.
However,
the Race Organisation is mindful that the self-sufficient ethos is not ‘chipped
away’ turning a great race into a beige race. Hence, the Spine will remain in
its current mid-winter slot, compulsory kit items such as stoves and rations
should be carried at all times and there are definitely no pacers.
WHAT LESSONS CAN
FUTURE SPINERS & CHALLENGERS TAKE FROM 2016 TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR GOAL
OF REACHING THE FINISH?
·
Make
sure navigation skills are well practiced in the conditions which they are to
be used. i.e. on a cold wet trail and in the dark.
·
Look
at the weather reports and adjust strategy / kit / clothing accordingly. Eg would snowshoes have been a useful addition
this year?
·
Be
aware of own pacing. The strategy of just meeting cut offs does not work for
many competitors who try it, with a lot DNFs this year due to too much time on
the feet, insufficient rest and sleep deprivation - even before the revised cut
off at CP5.5 is taken into account. The suggestion here is to build some
contingency into a race finishing strategy. Start with aiming for a 6 ½ day
completion, which leaves 12 hours for weather events or indeed a little extra
rest in the final stages.
·
Come
to the Official Spine Training Weekend
in autumn for an enjoyable 2 days totally focussed on the top tips, shared
experience and essential skills needed to finish The Spine.
·
Start
your build up to the 2017 Spine now.
·
Join
our ‘Complete Spine Racer’ course
offered by Official Spine Training
Provider, Ranger Expeditions / Stu Westfield – Spine Safety Team &
Training Coordinator. Within an informal and friendly atmosphere (for small
groups and 1-to-1) we guide you through kit, strategies and share insights from
the 5 years of the Spine Race to help you achieve your Challenger or Spine
finish. We also spend plenty of time in Pennine Way country developing your
route finding navigation skills.
Stu Westfield
Spine
Safety Team Coordinator
Legends
Safety Team Coordinator
Ranger
Ultras Safety Team Coordinator
