LawNet Challenge 2024: Glaramara
LawNet’s Member Services Manager George Coombes on organising the 14th annual challenge event.
Since 2009, with a brief interruption due to Covid, I have organised our exciting annual LawNet Challenge Event. It has been a genuine joy to combine one of my personal passions with work - these events take networking to new heights (literally) by having participants walk up a mountain or two!
These challenges aren’t just about physical feats; they also foster camaraderie, networking and pushing your own personal boundaries.
For 2024, we saw 93 people from the network take on the challenge of Glaramara, a fell in the Lake District’s Borrowdale region, standing at 2,569 feet. The distance was relatively short at 10.1 miles, however, the route included significant steep ascents (3,081 feet in total) and sharp descents, requiring some scrambling in certain areas.
As the event has grown, my role has become more logistical rather than participatory. My work begins months in advance, securing the venue and guides ten months before. Part of the preparation involves deciding upon a few possible routes followed by a recce with a colleague to complete and assess the route(s) as suitable. This took place early in the year, in February. We anticipated better conditions by the end of May when the challenge was scheduled.
How wrong we were! On Saturday 29th May it was raining! Consequently, visibility at the top of the fells was pretty poor. Despite the weather, participants and their guides set off into the misty fell tops with waterproofs on. Eight hours later, the first teams trickled back to base, grabbing a hotdog, cold drink and challenge medal. Spirits were remarkably high, with smiles and laughter filling the damp air. The sun even made a brief appearance later in the evening!
So, another successful challenge event completed. You can see for yourself with our Flickr album. As for 2025, the search for a suitable location and route has already begun. Stay tuned!