"We were just out of Fallowfield Fell when the hallucinations took hold" - of the Spine and dot-watching in the winter

While most Sheffielders were building snowmen, strapping on skis and slipping down Spital Street, an altogether more demanding winter pursuit was taking place high on the trails above us.

“We were just out of Fountains Fell when the hallucinations started,” says an incredulous Vicky Bridges as she recounts the final leg of her astonishing Montane Spine Race across the mighty Pennine Way. “I turned to my other three runners, a couple from Scotland and a lad they’d met on the way and they were experiencing the same thing – snow gnomes, a narwhal, two calves on the horizon that was in reality just a block of ice, a snow owl.”

The Montane Spine Race has caught Sheffield thrill-seekers in its icy grip. Not only do a select few get to run it every January, with added hallucinations for its sleep-deprived runners as a bonus - but the pursuit of dot-watching (or osservazione dei punti for Italian readers), tracking the runners online as they complete an epic journey from Edale in the Peak District to Kirk Yeatholm in Scotland, has replaced the darts and FA Cup Third Round as the sofa sport du jour in January.

Today, I’m thrilled to bring you an interview with Vicky Bridges, who completed the first 108-mile stretch of the yomp across the Pennines last week (and was back at work climbing telegraph poles less than 48 hours later). Vicky’s 47 hours of continuous running was made even more special because it completed a five-year spiritual Spinal quest, interrupted by Covid and a stress fracture which cut last year’s effort short - “they had to pull me out - my foot was so swollen I couldn’t put my shoe on,” she says of that effort now. What’s more, the conditions this year went beyond challenging - thigh-deep snow, wintry bogs and the aforementioned hallucinations - like Aguirre Wrath of God if it had been set in Antarctica rather than the Andes.

But fear not, the Spine isn’t just for a hardy few. For Looking Up Sheffield subscriber Adam, and many like him, watching two dots grapple for ascendency on a laptop or mobile, is almost as good as the real thing.

Adam says: “There’s little to love about January, but one reason to celebrate is the return of the winter Spine Race each year.

“Every evening for a week we settle in front of the latest roundup, awed by the exploits of a largely unsung cast of heroes; Paris, Kelly, Spinks and Scott to name a few. The scenery is always breathtaking; upland England at its finest and most unforgiving, but the sheer endeavour of travelling those 268 hard, hard miles, deprived of sleep and battered by whatever the weather throws at them, is a remarkable achievement that most people, even most runners, aren’t aware of.”

This isn’t a piece about the race itself, and other chronicles are available, but of one Ougtibridge dot-watcher’s quest to push herself to the limit. I’m indebted to Andrew Hendry, whose stunning photographs appear here. And thanks to Vicky for the interview below.

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“We were just out of Fountains Fell when the hallucinations started,” says an incredulous Vicky Bridges as she recounts the final leg of her astonishing Montane Spine Race across the mighty Pennine Way. “I turned to my other three runners, a couple from Scotland and a lad they’d met on the way, and they were experiencing the same thing – snow gnomes, a narwhal, two calves on the horizon that was in reality just a block of ice, a snow owl.”

Vicky, a working mum from Oughtibridge in North-west Sheffield, was coming to the end of three days and nights competing in the toughest of all UK ultras – running from Edale in the Peak District to Hawes in north Yorkshire via Hebden Bridge and Gargrave – in the most torrid conditions the race has ever seen. Knee-deep powdery snow, “like running through quicksand”, hidden plateaus and those hallucinations were complemented by nearly 50 hours of near continuous running from 8am on Saturday morning to 6.54am on Monday.

To be fair, she did sleep for an hour in Hebden Bridge and had thirty-second naps at the final stiles, but, even so. I’d probably sleep for a week after something as epic as this, but Vicky was back “up the poles” in her job as a telecoms engineer by Wednesday. Fresh from a two-hour Nannan-nap, her words, not mine, Looking Up Sheffield spoke to Vicky about the “spine bubble”, the new-found sofa sport of “dot-watching”, her five-year long battle to complete the epic run – complete with stress fractures, Covid and a heartbreaking abandoned effort last year, and what goes through your mind in the most challenging of terrains.

Congratulations, Vicky! First of all, how did you feel finishing the Spine in Hawes on Monday?

“It was really a mixed bag of emotions, I knew I was going to finish it but I had terrible shoulder pain from carrying my backpack and I was on codeine. I was elated and a bit emotional, I just wanted to get that pack off.”

I’m not surprised after 47 hours of continuous running!

“47 hours in knee deep to thigh deep snow and we were the first runners – we were at the front of the pack, breaking trail. It wasn’t easy. I’ve never hallucinated before but it’s the longest event I’ve ever done. It was funny as on the last night there were four of us and we were all getting the same hallucinations - snow gnomes just hanging around near this wall, a family of them!

Snow gnomes not withstanding, who were you running this section with?

We’d picked each other up at Gargrave – four of us decided to keep together. I’d never met them before and within hours we were all hallucinating together! I’d never seen the others before in my life. We helped each other through the night doing some navigation. We’d just pick each other up when we fell down – we’d got a decent momentum as a team and we stuck together til the end. And of course now I’ve added them all on Strava.

How do you prepare for something like this?

“I’m quite good at self-management and being outdoors on my own - taking a bivvy bag into the moors. With the Spine, you’ve got a tracker, you’ve got a headtorch and you know you’re being looked after – you do feel kind of secure but I don’t think anything can prepare you for the conditions last weekend. It’s definitely your state of mind that gets you through – 100 per cent. Fitness helps but it’s a mental game – literally.

How would you describe the race looking back now?

Knee-deep snow. Going over Edale the first day was magical, the sun was rising over Jacob’s Ladder and then it kind of went pear-shaped over Kinder and Bleaklow. There was no ice crust, you couldn’t get any purchase – every step you took from there your foot was sliding – pulling your ligaments and joints for 30 miles. Bleaklow was thigh deep snow, every step you were lifting it to your chest – it was relentless. From Hebden Bridge it was all deep snow until the back end of Cam High Road and then we descended into Hawes through knee-deep bog, slip-sliding, relentless, slabs of ice. Ice grips were essential as the roads were just blocks of ice. I’ve completely blanked the last section – it was twice as long and it went on forever. It was like someone had just stretched it into the sky forever.

It’s been a few days since you finished it - but how are you feeling now?

I don’t think I’ve quite processed it – it’s been business as usual. I was back at work by Wednesday, climbing the poles. I was exhausted but I was straight back into work. I’ve been dot-watching all week looking at these incredible journeys beyond what I did (to Kirk Yetaholm) - it’s been tiring enough just watching that!

Tell me about dot-watching!

“I think it’s just exciting – people feel part of the race being able to do that. My family have just been watching this dot over the Pennine Way.”

This has been a long-time coming for you, right?

I started ultra running about eight years ago – I’ve always ran from junior school, and longer distances like track and field, but I’ve always been an avid dot watcher. Jasmin Parris has been the inspiration for many female runners. I was just in awe and she’s made it doable for people.

I entered this race for my 40th birthday in 2020 and got a place and then lockdown happened. I deferred my place and then ended with flu two weeks before the 2023 edition so I had to pull out. I’ve had some setbacks. Covid and long Covid and then some other issues and I fractured my leg on the Spine last year – I pulled out. I didn’t know it was a stress fracture - I’d got some shin pain – I took my shoe off and my foot swelled up. I couldn’t get my shoe back off and that was that a game changer. I was on crutches for a while. While I was laid up on crutches, dot watching, I was entering this year’s race - because it fills up so quick.”

How do your family feel about you doing these events?

My family are very supportive doing these mad ventures, I’ve got more races set up – it’s just my focus, I like to be training for something. I plan all our holidays, we’ve got a camper van, if there’s an ultra during the holiday I’m doing it – I’m a better person when I’m out running – it just clears my head. My runs are getting longer and longer, but don’t take it personally I’m just clearing my head.

Anyone you’d like to thank for helping you achieve this epic feat?

My running buds – who come out on recces with me. Jack and Emma. Long mad runs at stupid o’ clock in the morning – they’re angels. And people on the spine itself - it’s such a supportive network. I slept all day last Monday and on my day off on Tuesday I just read all my messages – it was brilliant.

What would you say to fellow dot-watchers. Should they become the dot?

I’d say just do it. If I can do it anyone can - just don’t rush into it. Training is important, kit is key, planning and looking after yourself. The last part of that race was survival mode and it was really important to check your mental health.

Have you exceeded your expectations?

I wanted to finish it, but I just thought, I’ll just enjoy the day out and then I was in no pain and it was just smashing.