The Bob Graham Round is a circuit of 42 fells in the English Lake District, including the 3,000-foot (910 m) peaks of Skiddaw, Helvellyn, Scafell and Scafell Pike. The round is named after Bob Graham (1889–1966), a Keswick guest-house owner, who in 1932 set the record for the number of Lakeland fells traversed in 24 hours which he held for twenty eight years until its repeat, with Graham's encouragement, by Alan Heaton in a quicker time in 1960.
Any contender who traverses the fells of Bob Graham's round within 24 hours is eligible for membership of the Bob Graham Club. While the club keeps to a low profile policy in the spirit of Bob Graham's reputation as a quiet, modest individual, its primary role being record keeper of attempts and successful rounds, members encourage and support contenders. Despite Graham's understatement that the round is achievable by anyone of "average" fitness, it is considered by many as one of the most demanding tests of endurance for an amateur athlete or mountaineer.
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The development of progressively lengthier and more competitive rounds of the Lakeland fells is chronicled in the Bob Graham Club's Story of the Bob Graham Round,[1] and in the fell-walking section of M. J. B. Baddeley's Lakeland guidebook[2]:
On 12–13 June 1932 the Lakeland fell runner Bob Graham set the peak bagging record of 42 Lakeland peaks in just under 24 hours. Bob Graham's Round was not repeated again until 1960. Depending on the line taken, the length of the route is between 63 miles (101 km) and 66 miles (106 km) with approximately 8,200-metre (26,900 ft) of ascent and descent. Several 20th Century sources (including the 42 Peaks booklet[1]) erroneously state the distance to be 72 miles (116 km).
The Lakeland writer Harry Griffin is credited with rekindling interest in Graham's record in the late 1950s, at a time when the veteran walker Dr Barbara Moore had gained much publicity for doing the John o'Groats to Land's End walk. Griffin went on, with Fred Rogerson, to found the Bob Graham Club, which meets bi-annually in the Lake District.
Alan Heaton became the first to repeat and better Graham's round in 1960, though the tops Heaton chose were not the same as Graham had visited. Graham included:
These were replaced by:
It is these along with the other 38 tops that is now called the "Bob Graham Round" and are listed below.
The Bob Graham Round is now a standard fell-runner's test-piece: having been successfully completed by 1710 people at the end of 2011. Although it is possible to complete the basic round at a fast walking pace, most contenders choose to run at least the level ground. Solo rounds have been accomplished but, again, most contenders are accompanied by at least one runner in support: a requirement for acceptance by the Bob Graham Club. The vast majority of attempts are undertaken close to mid summer to make use of maximum daylight. Nonetheless, as of March 2011, twenty three individuals have successfully completed a winter round of the standard circuit.
The Bob Graham cairn [1], commemorating both Graham and his feat, stands just below Ashness Bridge (grid reference NY270196), quite close to the road. Note that this memorial erroneously gives the date of Graham's round as 13–14 June.
The round may be attempted either clockwise or anti-clockwise, provided that the start and finish is at the Moot Hall, Keswick. Predicted times for each stage of the round can be determined using an adaptation of Naismith's Rule.
| Summit Sequence |
Location |
|---|---|
| Start and Finish Line | Moot Hall, Keswick |
| 1 | Skiddaw |
| 2 | Great Calva |
| 3 | Blencathra |
| Road Crossing | Threlkeld |
| 4 | Clough Head |
| 5 | Great Dodd |
| 6 | Watson's Dodd |
| 7 | Stybarrow Dodd |
| 8 | Raise |
| 9 | White Side |
| 10 | Lowerman |
| 11 | Helvellyn |
| 12 | Nethermost Pike |
| 13 | Dollywagon Pike |
| 14 | Fairfield |
| 15 | Seat Sandal |
| Road Crossing | Dunmail Raise |
| 16 | Steel Fell |
| 17 | Calf Crag |
| 18 | High Raise |
| 19 | Sergeant Man |
| 20 | Thunacar Knott |
| 21 | Harrison Stickle |
| 22 | Pike O' Stickle |
| 23 | Rossett Pike |
| 24 | Bowfell |
| 25 | Esk Pike |
| 26 | Great End |
| 27 | Ill Crag |
| 28 | Broad Crag |
| 29 | Scafell Pike |
| 30 | Scafell |
| Road Crossing | Wasdale Campsite |
| 31 | Yewbarrow |
| 32 | Red Pike |
| 33 | Steeple |
| 34 | Pillar |
| 35 | Kirk Fell |
| 36 | Great Gable |
| 37 | Green Gable |
| 38 | Brandreth |
| 39 | Grey Knotts |
| Road Crossing | Honister Pass |
| 40 | Dale Head |
| 41 | Hindscarth |
| 42 | Robinson |
| Start and Finish Line | Moot Hall, Keswick |
The record for the fastest round of the standard 42 tops was reduced progressively:
The fastest ladies round is:
Building on the basic Bob Graham Round, later runners raised the number of peaks traversed within 24 hours still further:
The ladies record is:
Graham is believed to have chosen 42 peaks as his age at that time - he had attempted a round of 41 peaks the previous year and narrowly failed to complete it in 24 hours. Several later runners have successfully attempted 50 peaks at 50, and 55 peaks at 55. Notable achievements are: