Rest in peace, Iron Joss Naylor, the King of the Fells.
I'll admit I teared up a bit when I found out. I mean it wasn't unexpected; he was 88 and the sheep-farmer-to-legendary-fell-runner progression is hard on the body. Like "how the fuck are you not dead already?" hard on the body. But there's a feeling the world has lost someone unique and great. As far as I'm aware his record for ascending and descending England's highest mountain - Scafell Pike in 47 minutes - has never been beaten.
Tributes pour in for former sheep farmer who broke record for most peaks climbed in a 24-hour period three times
This is a Guardian reprint from 1972 about his attempt to run 65 Lake District peaks in 24 hours. (The 'standard' Bob Graham Round is 42.)
12 June 1972: Wasdale sheep farmer, Joss Naylor, aims to run up and down 65 Lakeland fells within 24 hours
