Edale Skyline fell race

Race: Edale Skyline fell race (21m/4500ft)
Peaks: Ringing Roger, Win Hill, Lose Hill, Mam Tor, Lord's Seat, Brown Knoll, Grindslow Knoll
Time/Position: 3:37:46 (65/264)
A tremendous day out yesterday - perfect clear, sunny conditions for this classic race. Driving over Mam Nick in the morning sunshine with Vic, the challenge was brutally obvious. It's an irresistably compelling route taking a complete elongated loop of the ridges encircling the Edale valley. I had a reasonable race, starting deliberately slowly on the steep climb up to the rock garden of Ringing Roger. Then fairly easy running with perfect crystal clear views led to the top of Jagger's Clough and fast, grassy descent down to Crookstone Barn. Then came the delightfully gentle climb up Win Hill, entirely runnable. From the summit, though, the rest of the route looks frighteningly distant! A good descent down to Hope, still taking it easy, through the edge of the village to the steep climb up (through trees initially) to Lose Hill. This is probably the toughest climb of the race - but very scenic, now in the limestone of the White Peak (an intriguing contrast with the Dark Peak bogs and grit outcrops along the rest of the route). Walked a bit of this climb, then descended through trees to the easy-angled climb up paving slabs, past hundreds of tourists, to the top of Mam Tor. Feeling OK as I reached the cut-off at Mam Nick in 1:51. Then the race really starts, with a boggy haul over Lord's Seat - and very boggy trudge through the energy-sapping peat hags to Brown Knoll and Jacob's Ladder. Some of this terrain was familiar from a previous trip. My low point came shortly afterwards, for the long slog over the Grindslow Knoll across very awkward peaty terrain. I certainly felt the proximity of last week's Rhayader 20 mile race on this section! I perked up a bit for the rocky path along the edge of the escarpment back to Ringing Roger. Managed a decent final descent, passing at least five runners. A great event, made hard by the boggy terrain and the sheer length of the route - rather than the modest climbs and descents.