FAQs

See below for some frequently asked questions, if you can’t find the answer you are looking for, feel free to get in touch: ymrfest@gmail.com

How much experience do I need? – we are open to all abilities. There are a range of activites to suit everyone and opportunities to learn some new skills.

Will I be able to buy food on site? – No you will need to bring everything you need with you. We will be providing food on Saturday evening but you need to bring everything else.

I am under 18, can I still come? – We’re very sorry we can’t accommodate under 18s at this event.

What if it is raining/bad weather? – Unless the weather is so bad that the event location is unusable or the ROs deem that it is unsafe to run the events on Saturday or Sunday (we will have a poor weather shortened course option) the event will go ahead in poor weather conditions. Participants should come prepared for poor weather with spare warm clothes and full waterproofs. There will be a marquee at the event centre where participants can eat and socialize out of the elements.

I cannot afford the £50 event fee but would love to attend, what should I do? – We have tried our best to keep the cost as low as possible but unfortunately we realise that entry costs can be a barrier to participation. Many running clubs or university clubs have small pots of money available to support young runners attending events, it is worth getting in touch. There are also many charities who can help support people getting into sport. For example, if you are from Yorkshire one of our sponsors, The Jack Bloor fund, specializes in supporting U26s in participating in outdoor activities. You can apply for their grant here. (https://www.jackbloor.co.uk/index.php/fund/167-applyforagrantonline)
If you are unable to access any other funds to help, please get in touch and we will try our best to help.

I don’t have a car, how can I get to the event centre? – We are encouraging participants to lift share wherever possible to minimize our environmental impact and help those who do not have access to a car. We recommend posting on the facebook (https://www.facebook.com/youthmountainfest/) page to see if anyone else is travelling from close to you. Alternatively, the nearest main-line train station is Oxenholme (nr Kendal), it may be possible for other participants to pick you up on route.

I’m new to fell running and don’t have the kit required, can you help? – We are looking into options for lending kit to those who may not have all the kit required for the event. Please get in touch with us at ymrfest@gmail.com and we will see what we can do to help. Alternatively, there are many members of the fell running community who are passionate about sharing their love for the sport. Posting the Fell Runners UK facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/44498401718/) asking to borrow kit or receive any unwanted second-hand kit is a good place to start. It is also possible to pick up good deals on Outdoor Gear Exchange (https://www.facebook.com/groups/usedgearexchangeuk/). We recommend you test any new kit before coming to the event so you are sure you know it works for you.

Score event terminology

Control – A control is another term for checkpoint. These will be marked with an orange and white kite and will have a dibber box.

Dibber – A dibber is a small device that you use to register your arrival at each checkpoint. These will be provided as part of the event if you do not already own one.

Score event – In a score event there is no set route for the competitors to follow. Each competitors map will contain an array of ‘controls’, each worth a different amount of points. These will vary from 10 points (typically for convenient controls on an obvious feature) to 50 points (typically in remote areas of the map or requiring precise navigation). The competitor can choose their own route to try and gain as many points as possible before returning to the event centre within the allotted time limit. The course is set out in a manner such that the ‘best’ route (i.e. the highest scoring) is not immediately obvious and hence most competitors routes will be completely different from one anothers. The event will start and finish at the event centre. For anyone returning to the event centre later than the allotted time available deductions will be made from their score for each minute they are late.

Time limit – That’s what this is, a ‘limit’, not a target. For those who are experienced in score events they will likely push it to the wire (or even come home late) in order to ensure they get the most points possible. For those new to this kind of event (and being out in the mountains for longer timescales) do not feel like you have to stay out for the whole time period. You’ve got some points and had a lot of fun? Then head for home and relax! Score courses are great because there’s no pressure to get to every control for risk of a DNF.

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Get in touch

Check out our Event Info and FAQ pages for more information.
More questions? If you want to get in touch, drop us an email at ymrfest@gmail.com or find us on facebook