Ras y Berwyn

Race: Ras y Berwyn (13m/3500ft/AL)
Time/Position: 1:59:47 (11th from 98 [3rd V40])
The second race of this year's Welsh Championships and, after a disastrous performance at Mynydd Troed, it was important to at least get round this long course reasonably efficiently. All this was secondary to the fact that I was really looking forward to the race, as this area is notorious for its access problems, with this the first ever event taking in these very runnable peaks. Peter had done a great job of organisation. Indeed, we had reccied it with him in March. Since then, however, significant changes had been made to the route to assist nesting birds. So it was that we started from Llandrillo then headed up the delightfully runnable tracks south below Cefn Pen Lletty to eventually enter the open hillside and the inevitable, immediate bog: including two waist deep river crossings. Weeks of rain rendered the subsequent long climb via Cwm Tywyll to the top of Cadair Berwyn an energy sapping trudge. I got caught by Simon E and three others as I crested the summit, now sunny, in 52m. This helped as I tried to stick with the group for the superb running south along the ridge towards the climb up Moel Sych. The ridge then curves east, the highlight of the event, with great views down into the wild cwm containing Llyn Lluncaws. Good descending, though awkward, down to the lake before a tough climb back up to ridge at Moel yr Ewig. I began to catch the group here, and went ahead during the awkward contouring east of the main Berwyn ridge. A tough climb up to CP5, surprised that the route didn't take in Tomle (as the reccie did), before enjoying the other big highlight of the old Ffordd y Saeson down to Bwlch Maen Gwynedd. I struggled a bit on the final climb up Cadair Bronwen but, to my surprise, made up some ground on the superb long descent over Moel Pearce. This gives exhilarating flat-out running down wet trenches, followed by streaming paths and finally the rough road from Moel Ty Uchaf back down to Llandrillo. I measured my length once, but no harm done, and gained one place to just dip inside two hours. A superb addition to the calendar.