OMM Elan Valley

Race: Original Mountain Marathon, Long Score, Day 1
Area: Elan Valley, Mid Wales
Time/Pts: 6:22 (240pts)
My record at the OMM is less than glorious, what with last year's cancellation and the previous year's partner drop-out. So the aim here was simply to enjoy the weekend and finish respectably. The location was another big plus, not exactly home turf but at least we were in Wales for a change. I was pleased to be doing Long Score, which strikes me as the ideal class, although we were very conservative (partly as a result of the above!) and didn't use anywhere near the time available which inevitably limited our score. We started off in drizzle from Gilfach, and chose a fairly cautious initial route which took us over the side of Moelfryn to Penrhiw wen. This is the highpoint of the Rhayader 20 mile Lakes race, which I've done twice, and hence familiar. We then moved out to the first CP near Esgair Perfedd which led to superb running down tracks to the Craig Goch reservoir. We were then alone for the slog up the valley to Clawdd Du - remarkable, given 3000 runners and the appalling crocodiles of line-class runners we later joined. The score classes are just much better in this kind of terrain, which lends itself to deep trenches - there can't have been much navigation involved for those on the line classes this year. We bagged a 40 pointer before heading west to Llyn Cerrig Llwydion. After taking a line through appalling tussocks (a real feature of the weekend), a lapse in concentration saw me disorientated for the only time in the weekend. Stef's second opinion was invaluable as a result, and we landed bang on the next CP. Easier running - albeit boggy - led south to the remote Claerwen reservoir: superb running for this section, miles away from the crocodiles on the line classes, clearing weather, great scenery. Picked up more points quite easily and followed the lakeside to pick up a big 50 pointer before thigh-deep bogs over Cefn Blaen Coed and a squally shower gave us a good soaking before arriving in the campside west of Caban Coch. A good day, very enjoyable but also ultra-conservative (far too much time remaining). No real nav problems and a logical loop of the land (the elegance of the route is always important to me, more so than the points!). The struggle to put up the tent in what by now were gale-force winds was probably the low-point of the weekend - but the campsite was in a beautiful location and we got a plumb pitch next to the river.