Episode 30 - Ring of Stirling with Natalie Hawkrigg

I talk to Natalie Hawkrigg about a number of Swim - Run challenges she has completed. Based in the North Lakes, Natalie is the female record holder for the Frog Graham Round, a 40 mile run with four lake swims around the Lake District. She was also the first female to complete the Frog Graham in winter, and went on to do the Welsh Puddle Buckley challenge as well. In May 2023, Natalie became the second ever finisher of The Ring of Stirling, a 35 mile round starting and finishing in Shieldaig, Torridon, which includes 5 swims (one of which is tidal), 10 summits and traverses some remote and beautiful corners of Torridon. The round was conceived by Chris Waters as a tribute to his late friend Chris Stirling who loved the hills of Torridon and has won the Celtman triathlon previously.

For her Stirling Round, Natalie had one failed attempt which finished at the frigid waters of Loch Coire Mhic Fhearchair (Beinn Eighe) but then returned the very next weekend to complete her round in 26 hours and 28 minutes. She talks through the process and gives her insights into this fascinating merger of hill running and open water swimming.

In the introduction I mention the "It's Up to Us" campaign, a joint venture from Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland which launched earlier this year and aims to raise awareness of the need for investment in the repair and maintenance of Scottish upland paths.

Go to ⁠www.savemountainpaths.scot⁠ for more info and to donate.

For details of the Ring of Stirling go to: ⁠https://ringofstirling.wordpress.com/⁠

And the Frog Graham info is at: ⁠https://www.froggrahamround.co.uk/

FrogMan (Full Bob Graham run plus swims): https://thefrogmanround.square.site/

Futher info/ corrections:

1. Lancaster bomber crash on Beinn Eighe 1951 - further info here: https://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2021/03/13/38412/ (my grandfather John Hinde was not involved in this RAF mountain rescue search, I got the stories muddled)

2. Biodiversity precautions on the Frog Graham Round: In recent years, the threat posed by Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) has increased hugely and sadly, Bassenthwaite and Derwentwater have been compromised for some time, completely upsetting the lakes’ delicate ecology and causing significant problems for lake users.  Crummock Water has also succumbed and is now infected with NZ pygmyweed. Only Buttermere remains untouched and the park authorities and WCRT are making strenuous efforts to ensure it remains that way. The Frog Graham Round Club is committed to supporting their initiatives. Please read the details on the biosecurity section of the Frog Graham website before attempting the round. https://www.froggrahamround.co.uk/biosecurity

3. Natalie realised she got a fact wrong at the end of the chat: "I said that Chris Waters had not completed the Ring Of Stirling - that is not true. He has completed it in time of 22hrs 42, it was the Puddle Buckley he has not completed - he devised the Puddle and recced it but never did the final version." 

4. Finlay says Ring of Steall when he means Ring of Stirling, near the end