Long hybrid run

Beginning to panic mildly about the recent lack of long runs, so myself and Neil got a decent early morning 18 miler done. This was a repeat of a run I did for marathon preparation last year and is a really good work-out, all on minor roads but with a great deal of climbing: bit of a hybrid road/fell route. From HK over the shoulder of Waun y Llyn to Coed Talon, then a long, steep haul up to Treuddyn and Cae Hic. Then a superb descent, with the wind at our backs, down to Llanfynydd - some respite before the brutal final climb back to the summit of Waun y Llyn and trudge back to HK.

Capenhurst border league

Race: Capenhurst 5.5m (border league round 5)
Time/position: 32:05 (32/251)
A distinctly average race in the fifth round of the border league, 6 or 7 places down on the last two races. But, after the disaster in the Wrexham half last week, it was a relief just to feel OK during the race. I was nearly a minute quicker than the last time I raced this route (2006?). It's a fast, rural two-lap affair around the village. Rather breezy conditions: felt OK until the last few hundred metres, then lost a couple of places. This was last season's pattern, so it was a bit annoying for it to happen again. Buckley lengthened their lead at the top of division one: I'm currently 11th SM. A reasonable training week preceded this - with a decent intervals session, a run up Famau on Friday night, and a longish circuit on Thursday.

Foel Goch winter climbs

Peaks: Foel Goch, Y Garn
Area: Glyderau, Eryri
Routes: Esgair Gully (wI/II), Easy Gully (wI)
The best winter conditions for 20 years in Snowdonia. Probably more relevant for the technical ice climbs, less so for easy snow gullies, but Alwyn and I had another splendid 'mountaineering' day nonetheless. Low cloud made it difficult to make an assessment of which routes were in, but took the gamble of heading up into a murky Cwm Bual, hoping that Esgair Gully had a decent covering (this is the route I'd descended most of last winter). The steep slog up was made rather depressing by falling sleet and melting snow, but on arrival at the cwm base our luck was clearly in. Esgair gully had decent cover, and huge blue ice crystals draped the walls. We headed up deep drifting snow into the lower section, which was good water ice. The rest of this very atmospheric gully was a tad marginal - some good snow ice, some wet moss, some splendid neve, but always simple. It twists round to the right, then up a short pitch to a narrow squeeze through a cleft before twisting again past some ice crystals to an easy finale, topping out at an alpine-style breche below Yr Esgair. A lovely easy snow gully with a great atmosphere. We then dropped into upper Cwm Coch (a first for me), a gently descending traverse on unconsolidated snow, rather more enjoyable than expected, to the base of Easy Gully. This really is a simple route up a very shallow gully, more a mountaineering access route than a climb. However, the snow was perfect: crusty and reassuring, to the extent that we probably should have chosen the better-defined Red Gully to its right. Quite hard physically, getting on for 150m of calf-busting ascent, to a broad col between Creigiau Gleision and the main face. Quite a fierce wind as we traversed above the cornices up Y Garn, very icy and hostile (no sign of the predicted sunshine). After a quick bite, we headed down Banana (NE) Ridge in a near white-out, excellent snow with a real Alpine feel. Then took a sporting descent down into Cwm Cywion, taking the shallow (wI) gully line next to Summit Gully. This gave a steepish but absorbing descent on good snow down to some perfect ice falls. We had a splendid time climbing these little pitches for an hour or so before descending snow and scree to the old road at Blaen y Nant. Heavy sleet and hail gave us a good soaking as we trudged back to the car.

Hope-Pen Llan y Gwr

A wet night in HK, but guessed there must be snow higher up, so went for a superb early morning run from Hope up to Waun y Llyn under perfect blue skies. Then ran over Hope Mountain to the Ffrith bridleway and the long climb up Pen Llan y Gwr above Bwlchgwyn. As expected, this had a lot of fresh (and old) snow on it, and gave superb running. Ran up the gentle slopes via Pentre farm to the open hillside and the track through snow-draped trees and knee deep snow to the summit. Down on perfect virgin snow in bright sunshine and back over Waun y Llyn to Hope, complete with glissade down the 'sledging hill'. Felt almost Alpine in places today: deep virgin snow, warm sunshine, completely windless.

Frodsham bouldering

Rather tired after yesterday, but took the opportunity to jog up to Frodsham crags in the fading light. Sleet falling, and a dank feel to the crag, but it's so steep that precipitation hardly matters. After a few overhanging but juggy traverses, my feeble forearms protested and I finished off with a little more jogging across Woodhouse Hill by way of recovery from Long Mynd.

Long Mynd valleys fell race

Race: Long Mynd Valleys fell race (11.5m/4500ft)
Peaks: Callow, Yearlet
Area: Long Mynd, Shropshire
Time/Position: 2:11:18 (28/185)
A splendid race in a new area for me. Conditions were wonderful today: quite deep snow throughout, superb sunshine for the first half of the race, with heavy snow and low cloud adding some drama to the already fairly dramatic finale. Started up a steep spur leading NE out of Carding Mill valley, then deep snow contouring the hillside before a fast descent down an obvious spur lead down to Long Batch and the side valley of Jonathan's Hollow. I'd started very conservatively, so began to pick up places as we climbed out of this little valley to gain the easy running round the plateau heading SW. Splendid views of snow covered peaks like Caer Caradoc under blue skies, with fast, flat exhilerating running before a superb descent - steep at first - down the beautiful Ashes Hollow. A steep climb led from checkpoint 2 up the hillside south to an awkward flat section with drifts then a very steep descent on ice and snow. I thought I'd ripped my right buttock to shreds as I indulged in a controlled fall down this face - but the wound wasn't too bad on later inspection. The route goes down Barrister's Batch and Callow Hollow before another very narrow, very steep valley. A lung-busting climb led out of this before the descent to Minton Batch. This is the section which gives the race its reputation - a relentless series of steep climbs and descents over a series of very pretty, but remarkably narrow valleys. I made a small navigational error at the bottom of this descent (a full glissade) but righted myself, without losing too many places, for the desperate climb up what I presume was Windy Batch. It started snowing quite heavily at this point, but I was feeling quite good for the climb up to the top of Callow, then the descent through drifts to a track over the side of Grindle to a final very steep climb up Yearlet where I met up with Jez. The weather really closed in at this point, and I lost the feeling in my feet for the long descent to the finish. Quite frustrating, as I had plenty in my legs, but numb stumps for feet doesn't lend much confidence. So I couldn't quite catch the group in front. Finished a long way down the field, but enjoyed the race throughout.

Famau run

After a snowy run round Buckley on Thursday, snow draped trees and lots falling, it was good to get out for the Famau run in excellent winter conditions this evening. Quite deep snow all the way, some late sunshine at first, starting to drift above Ffrith mountain with beautiful snow-laden trees higher up. A snow shower moved in as it got dark, before an atmospheric descent through a snowy landscape with headtorches.

Glyder Fach winter climbs

Peaks: Glyder Fach
Area: Glyderau, Eryri
Routes: Gribin gully (wI), False Gribin (wI), Gribin (wII)
A good spell of winter weather saw a decent dump of snow over NE Wales. Seemed considerably more localised over Snowdonia, but met Alwyn under superb blue skies and the prospect of a little more daylight. Snow level was down to the road, but conditions were very variable. Some cwms packed with a mixture of neve and unconsolidated snow, some with just soft new snow. Some ridges heavily rimed and in full condition, others stripped by the wind. We opted to slog up into Cwm Bochlwyd, and make a further assessment. The lake was iced up, although the snow was mainly unconsolidated as we approached the face. Central gully (II/III) looked to be in good condition and seemed a good choice, lots of little steps, not remotely serious. We roped up and I led most of the first pitch before sadly coming to the conclusion that it just wasn't in condition: just new snow over verglas. So I downclimbed awkwardly and we spied another option on the east face of the Gribin ridge. In these conditions, this is an excellent remote feeling face with loads of mild mountaineering options. We took a shallow, easy-angled wI gully on the right-hand side. Luckily, the snow here was perfect, in direct contrast to Central Gully, and led elegantly up to a narrowing and a little pitch to gain False Gribin (wI) just below the steeper part. More good snow led interestingly up to a long snowfield, excellent cramponing, and lunch in the sunshine (at last). The rest of the Gribin was splendid. Probably the 3rd time I've done it in winter conditions, but the fullest and best. Thick consolidated snow, iced rock, gave simple but absorbing mountaineering-style ascent up to a sunny ridge with beautiful windslab formations in the snow. Kept crampons on for the crossing of Glyder Fach and the steep descent down to Bwlch Tryfan. Iron hard snow throughout this section.

Carneddau run

Peaks: Pen y Castell
Area: Carneddau, Eryri
Lunch in Deganwy, so we headed over to the Carneddau first thing in the morning. Weather was not as clear as forecast, but was as bitterly cold as expected. Despite this, Eve still joined me - with rucsac - for the little hike up Pen y Gaer. Very cold, good wild views into the Carneddau. Old snow fields and low cloud. I then ran up Pen y Castell in 17 minutes via the track and steep final slopes. Descended SW to the valley and ran back to the car via a second trip up Pen y Gaer.