Bowstones fell race

Race: Bowstones fell race, Poynton (11k/1063ft)
Time/Position: 48.27 (17th from 384)
Third consecutive year at this race on the edge of the Peak District, and another minute slower. It's very runnable throughout, so any lack of speed is quickly exposed; but it was still a bit disappointing to feel so sluggish after having a good race at Round the Walls five days ago, and finishing 4th at the hilly Buckley handicap around Moel Famau on the 28th. There is no real downtime on the course, you have to push throughout, and I began to feel it on the path through the woods and the final climb up to the highpoint. A few seconds to enjoy the views of Greater Manchester (another nice sunny day for this race), then it was into the long descent, predictably muddy underfoot.

Round the Walls race

Race: Round the Walls, Chester (4.5m)
Time/Position: 26.10 (8th from 443)
The bridge over Watergate re-opened after months of work just days before this year's race, which meant that an almost-complete circuit could be run again. As usual, we all went along for this perfect Boxing Day outing, and it was a nice day: cold, but not freezing, sunny and crisp. The initial half loop of a wet Roodee led to another sprint below the grandstand then up on to Nun's Road for a clockwise loop of the walls, coming down briefly at Northgate where rebuilding work continues. Two passed me before the narrow section round the cathedral but I didn't lose too much ground. Step technique is always the key! We came off the walls beyond Handbridge and then looped round the Roodee on the Dee path, where I managed to regain the places I'd lost. Kate enjoyed the race too: always an excellent way of burning off some of the excess and making space for more food and drink.

Cylch Llangollen variant

A short version of the Llangollen Round, a 32 mile trip round the Dee catchment. Peter suggested it as a Christmas Eve outing, and it was an excellent idea, but I hadn't properly checked the details and needed to be home by midday. So, sadly, it was a curtailed version for Steve and I, but all very enjoyable. We left Trevor at first light, in drizzle and lowish cloud, then headed through the lanes to join the OD path through the woods north of the village. These emerge on the Panorama road and we climbed through the Monument boulders to gain the escarpment and the edge of Ruabon moor. The route then takes a direct line across the edge of Esclusham Moor, much of this new territory for me and much more runnable than I'd expected (I have always used the OD path below the crags when doing loops of this valley). As we approached World's End, a brief glimmer of sun, and a useful tail/cross wind. The terrain, kind underfoot until this point, turns boggy after the duckboards and the crosswind turned into a headwind as we crested Cyrn y Brain. After a coffee and jaffa cakes at the Ponderosa, we continued in a strong wind over Moel y Faen and Moel y Gamelin before going our separate ways: Peter continuing to Carrog, Steve and I looping back to the Ponderosa.

Wepre parkrun

'Race': Wepre Parkrun (5k)
Time/Position: 20.05 (4th from 143)
An unexpectedly beautiful morning. Even Deeside looked stunning, with a cloud inversion over the estuary and low sunshine streaming through the light mist. I felt a bit rough throughout, my third outing at Wepre, but it is a good fartlek session and a nice start to the weekend.

Berwyn run

Peaks: Cadair Bronwen
Area: Berwyn
More like a badly equipped hillwalk than a run, we were stymied by waist-deep drifts across the Berwyn ridge, a fairly common occurrence when running in full winter conditions. A cold snap coincided with my trip to Malaysia and the days following my return. Much of the snow has already disappeared from lower levels and it was a predominantly slushy run up from Llandrillo until the slopes beyond the stone circle of Moel Ty Uchaf. Soft snow then gave way to much deeper cover, drifting in many places. The snow also had that characteristic unpredictable quality, every fourth or fifth step leading to a plunge through the crust (which otherwise supports your weight). This is always exhausting, and was the primary reason for John B's hypothermia in similar conditions on Creigiau Gleision a few years ago. We plodded on to the top of Cadair Berwyn, then down the ridge (the duckboards under feet of snow in places) until we reached the col. Strong winds and dreadful snow conditions meant we had to descend, which made for an interesting nav test as the path was undetectable until we regained our footprints.

Kuala Lumpur run

Not so much a run as a slow jog or quick walk in humid conditions around the environs of the Batu Caves. The steep steps up to the caves would give an excellent hill rep session, although the volume of visitors makes this impractical! They are, however, considerably more impressive than I'd been led to believe, and a fresh coconut was a nice way to rehydrate.

Moel Wnion run

Peak: Moel Wnion
Area: Carneddau, Eryri
A full frontal assault up the Aber Falls side of Moel Wnion, just a quick early morning blast on the way back from Anglesey. From the usual path to the falls, I branched west then took the obvious shallow but very steep 'gully' that leads to the summit plateau. This is steep throughout, but gets very steep towards the top, involving heathery handholds and a great deal of wet grass. Thick mist on the summit so just took a vague northerly bearing and headed back: the mist didn't part until I was just above the road, I could hear the A55 traffic but couldn't see it, a cloudbase of 100m perhaps.

Penrhyn parkrun

'Race': Penrhyn Parkrun (5k)
Time/Position: 18.34 (2nd from 125)
Staying on Anglesey for the weekend, so Kate and I nipped across the Menai Straits for the Penrhyn Parkrun. Drizzle and low cloud obscured the normally superb views of mountain and sea, but the circuit is a pleasant (though tortuous) one, with two long laps round the grounds and two short ones. Not particularly fast: muddy, narrow and hilly in places. A nice finish, inside the castle courtyard.

Bangor XC

Race: Bangor XC (North Wales Cross Country League, race 3)
Time/Position: 37.41 (28th from 148 [3rd V45])
This course is often a mudbath, although conditions today were perhaps the worst I have known. Times were certainly down, although my decision to leave my spikes in the car was not a good one! The hill and the far reaches of the rugby fields were particularly cloying, with the descent through the woods the only brief relief from the quagmire.

Roaches fell race

Race: Roaches fell race (BL/15m+/3700ft)
Time/Position: 2.40.19 (36th from 215)
A relaxed 'away day' at the end of the fell running year, and another British classic ticked off the list. I had no inclination to race this, tired after Friday night's race and with a distinct lack of training distance in the legs: but the weather was perfect, cold and crystal clear, albeit accompanied by a stiff northerly that seemed likely to cause problems on the outward leg. The route is unusual as a long 'out and back': Vic and I had reccied quite a bit of it on an extremely grim day in early January 2016 and I have climbed at the Roaches a few times over the years, so had some knowledge of the first part of the route. From Meerbrook, it heads towards the crags on the skyline, through an infamous slurry pit at the farm where we both got electrocuted in 2016! A horrible slog through muddy fields leads up to the road below the crags, before the route takes a big gritstone path which curves round to the famous upper tier, home of many classic rock climbs. Above this, the route emerges on a vague ridge amidst typical gritstone scenery: it is awkward rocky running terrain demanding full concentration, although distant views over Cheshire and the Peak were superb today. Eventually, after the trig point, it descends and very rapid progress on grit flagstones is made down to the road at Roach End. After this, the descent continues, awkward and steeper, into the Gradbach woods which give undulating and exciting running along to the river crossing (thigh deep) in the Dane Valley. More climbing over muddy fields leads eventually to Crag Hall and Wildboarclough where the final climb up the steep cone of Shutlingsloe begins. This is the only real 'peak' in the Peak District, the Matterhorn of Cheshire, and a fine mini-objective on which to turn round! The reverse leg is not at all tedious, and (rather surprisingly) is substantially quicker and less physically demanding. The tailwind was a help at times, as expected, and I kept the same gently plodding pace going throughout, intent on enjoyment rather than competition! The final descent from the Roaches to Meerbrook was ultra muddy, even by the standards of a November fell race. As I approach my 500th race, it's been a good year for ticking off interesting and classic fell races that have long been obvious gaps on the 'cv': all of them done in relaxed 'tourist mode', starting with the wonderful Anniversary Waltz in April, and including the Preseli Beast, Ennerdale Horseshoe, Kentmere, and even some newer Welsh races that I've contrived to miss in the past, like Trefriw Mill, Gyrn Gallop and Fron Four.

Dash in the dark

Race: Dash in the dark, Race 1 (6.5k/750ft)
Time/Position: 27.29 (7th from 134)
I somehow contrived to miss all of last year's headtorch races, so it was great to be able to reacquaint myself with this very enjoyable event tonight. I have done it a lot over the years, most often in its earlier incarnation when I can remember just 25 people turning up one grim winter night. It's very different now, and a big crowd of runners set off from Llandegla in good conditions: cool and dry, with rain forecast to arrive later. A quick start at the front, and I soon got in a group of four, trying to keep with Steve's rapid early pace. Our little group had a grand little battle, and we were neck and neck as we emerged at the lakeside path which gives the only opportunity for a flat blast. A very steep descent through the woods follows, on which it is virtually impossible to stay upright, even with decent studs. My new head torch and shoes paid dividends (although I didn't stay upright, sliding twice) and I was able to pull away a bit on the final climb to the centre. Great fun, as always.

Abergele 5

Race: Abergele 5 mile (North Wales Championships)
Time/Position: 29.19 (17th from 184 [1st V45])
My slowest ever time at the Abergele 5, and this despite the fact that the once hilly course has now changed to a fast, flat dash along the seafront. Possibly my worst finishing position too, so I was rather lucky to win my age category in both the open race and the championship today. That said, conditions were not great, with strong westerly winds rendering the outward two miles quite demanding and a small tidal flood blocking the path further on. I got in with an equally matched group of runners, the third such group on the road, and this gave us some shelter before it broke up on the return leg. This new championship route is the same as the long established border league fixture, which I have also done many times: I remember running 28.00 on the course, or a version of it, so this was a lot slower.

Tryfan climbing

Peak: Tryfan
Route: First Pinnacle Rib (D:led in 6 p's)
It always feels like a bonus to get any Snowdonian climbing done this late in the year, no matter how easy, and this was a delightful way to revisit a grand old classic of the Welsh mountains. I last did this route in the early 90s: perhaps the only one of Tryfan's classic triptych that I've never repeated. Sunshine was just peeping through the milky cloud as Steve, Vic and myself slogged up to the Heather Terrace - a very familiar journey indeed. Nobody else was around, and I still have vivid memories of myself and Tim picking off all the mountaineering classics on the East Face in similar circumstances in the winter of 1992. The nomenclature of the two pinnacle rib routes has got a bit confusing over the years, but we set off up Pinnacle Rib route, the right-hand line. A deep groove, delicious in the sunshine, leads to a chockstone and steepening to flakes and a stance. I brought Steve and Vic up, then led an equally enjoyable second up the steeper front of the rib. Above, a broken series of steep walls gives a long pitch. Vic led a 10m wall left to gain the pinnacle, where we merged with the left-hand line to ensure we got the Yellow Slab. This is much harder than the rest of the route, a delicate and distinct crux up a perfect rippled slab. I'm not sure I have ever led this before: it is short-lived and leads to a groove and big holds. Above, the final (sixth) pitch takes a photogenic rib of sheaved, curving rock: I remembered this as if it was yesterday, lovely relaxing climbing with the deep gulf of South Gully beyond. The sun was dropping as we lunched, along with the air temperature, so we avoided the continuation wall and scrambled up to the summit: sunny and clear, although a bank of cloud was spilling over the Glyder ridge. I suggested descending North and Little gullies, an old trick of mine, and they enjoyed the continuation of the rock work and directness. A jog down Heather Terrace got us back to the car well before sunset: an efficient little outing.  

Halloween Hellraiser

Race: Halloween Hellraiser XC, Nantwich (10.5m)
Time/Position: 1.11.41 (8th from 125 [2nd V45])
I was staggered to realise it has been seven years since I last did this race, which is an enjoyable tour through the Cheshire countryside, rather like an ultra-long cross-country figure of eight. In 2010, I finished 6th and first Veteran, so was pleased to finish not too far off that today, although I felt rather sluggish throughout. The course is longer than it was, starting through a series of fields which lead to various short road sections and a descent through a graveyard. All the hills are short-lived, and there are several interesting sections, including a field full of frisian cows, good views of Mow Cop, and a horrible ploughed field near the finish. I found myself in a good battle for 7th place, and we both chose to run all the way round the edge of the ploughed field, a lengthy detour! Good fun, and good cakes to round off as I picked up the V45 prize, but only by default as Jez came 2nd.

Llandudno XC

Race: Llandudno 6m (North Wales Cross Country League, race 2)
Time/Position: 38.50 (24th from 159 [2nd V45])
Appalling conditions for the second race of the season, adding a bit of extra spice to this excellent circuit: proper, hard cross country terrain. I'd missed the first race of the season, so this was essential and we set off in driving rain and galeforce winds as 'Storm Brian' hit its peak. After looping the sports fields at St David's College, muddy climbs and descents lead to a dry wooded section before a big and exposed loop over boggy fields to the south. Two giant loops make this a long XC course, particularly so in these trying conditions. I felt pretty good, for a change, although it was very hard to close gaps in the wind and rain. After the finish, completely soaked, I enjoyed a mild dose of hypothermia until we warmed up in the cafe.

British Fell Relays

Race: British fell relay championships, Llanberis (Leg 3, navigation)
Time/Position: 1.58.29 (72nd from 181) 
An unusual taste of responsibility as I captained the team for the first time, having entered as soon as I heard it was coming back to Llanberis. This was our sixth time at the relays: I've done every one, it is always a great day out and this year we brought a strong team. Steve got us off to a great start on a tough first leg, with Peter and Simon keeping pace on the long second. Andy and I had the nav leg, only the second time I have done this leg (Long Mynd being the first). It does put a bit of pressure on, as a mistake can result in devastating time losses which affect the entire team. As it happens, we did OK but perhaps could have taken slightly more efficient lines at some points. We took a short-cut path through the fields to the first CP on top of the little hill south of the quarries, then went too low around Bryn Mawr to CP2 (although we didn't lose any height). It was then into thick clag and strong winds, slogging up to the summit of Moel Eilio before dropping down to CP3 below Bwlch Cwm Casig on the Betws Garmon side. Herein lay some controversy. We could hear voices in the mist on the Cwellyn side, but the rules made it pretty clear that crossing points had to be used (as is standard on mountain marathons). These were both virtually on the summit. But there was also an obvious illegal short-cut, contouring Eilio on the Cwellyn side with almost no climbing involved. Some teams obviously did that, as we were suddenly joined by lots more runners who effectively overtook us as we dropped out of the mist to CP4 below Foel Gron. The run-in was long but not complex, with no real route choice above Llyn Dwythiwch north to Bwlch y Groes and a fast final descent, ultra boggy, on which Andy cut his leg open after a nasty fall. Adrenalin got him to the finish. Chris then put in a fantastic final leg and we finished 61st overall, just squeezing into the top third of what is always a very high calibre field.

Trefriw Mill fell race

Race: Trefriw Mill (17km/2886ft)
Time/Position: 1.56.36 (9th from 37)
Guilty of slightly underestimating this race, a minor case of familiarity breeding contempt. It is a new, or revived, circuit around an area I know well, heading up from Trefriw to the paths and tracks leading west to Cefn Cyfarwydd. Conditions were quite good: mild with some mist, but generally the cloud base stayed just above the ridge. The long crossing of the complex ridge over Creigiau Gleision is boggy at the best of times, but was waist deep and very arduous today. I fell in three different places between the main Gleision summit and over Craig Wen and Crimpiau: always wonderful views over Cowlyd to the rest of the Carneddau. But, although I know the ridge well and have done it many times, I still managed to underestimate the return leg. After a superb descent down steep grass to Crafnant, I bonked on the way back over the shoulder of Mynydd Deulyn to Geirionydd: no food and a long period of suffering as I staggered along the bouldery and awkward lakeside path. At the last checkpoint, mercifully, two jelly babies materialised: I could therefore regain some kind of pace for the wonderful north and east above the Crafnant valley and down to the Conwy valley and the abrupt finish in Trefriw.

Tryfan scramble

Peak: Tryfan
Routes: V Buttress (M:sol), Notch Arete (M:led p.1+3), Zig Zag (M:sol)
My old friend and climbing partner Tim was back from NZ for his first visit in five years. A special occasion but time was tight meaning that we weren't able to start until well after 3pm, which is hardly ideal for a mountain day in October! Relaxed scrambling was the order of the day, in rather cool weather with high, milky cloud. I suggested a route up the west face of Tryfan and repeated the scramble that I'd taken John up a couple of years ago. A slog to the base of V Buttress, which is a pleasant if rather brief scramble. We roped up for an exposed section at the top, then slogged over to the delightful Notch Arete which we pitched. This is a lovely route on the border of scrambling and climbing, on magnificent rock, and allows for full relaxation and chat. Then it was up the North Ridge, nostalgic for expat Tim, and down via the Heather Terrace and a final route up the right-hand side of Tryfan Bach. Nostalgia was the order of the day, as we'd paired up many times to cut our teeth on Tryfan in the late 80s and early 90s.

Trevor climbing

Crag: Trevor Rocks, Eglwyseg
Routes: Disappearing Act (f5a:led), Clue, So (f4c:led), Suspect Device (f6a+:led), Innocence (f5c:led), Crime Scene (f6b:sec)
Cold winds and drizzle threatening: a familiar scene as I arrived direct from work for a brief late season session. After failing on the crux of the horrible No Remittal, with greasy rock and numb hands up an apparent one-armed mantel move, I led up the f5 corner done numerous times before. The easy arete to its right (Clue, So) is perhaps the most climbed route in the entire area: I remember doing it when it was first bolted over 10 years ago, and thinking it quite pleasant by the standards of British limestone. It is now polished to a high sheen, an illustration of the paucity of such routes locally. Much better was Suspect Device, which allowed me to salvage some pride after failing on the baffling mantel further right. This went easily up to the break, then a hard move on small but distinct holds allows a high step on to the nice upper wall - this is rough and textured, and gives good climbing. The rain started in earnest as I set out up the 6b of Crime Scene. By the time I reached the crux, it was wet, so I switched to the top part of Innocence, two grades easier but still tricky in the wet. We both seconded the 6b, enjoying its technicalities despite the wet and cold: autumn has well and truly arrived.

Capenhurst Border League

Race: Capenhurst 5m (Border League race 1)
Time/Position: 28.56 (29th from 385)
After having a reasonably good run at the 5k here in August, I was surprised to look down at my watch towards the finish to see such a slow time: my worst finishing position in the league for many years. Thought I might be regaining a bit of speed after the lay-off, but that proved a forlorn hope. Quite a quick start, as competitive as it has ever been: my 12th season in the league. A very fast first mile made me think it might have been measured wrong, but none of us really blew so the slow time is just that, slow. Buckley in first place in division 1 after this opener, hardly surprising with such huge numbers of new runners joining.

Tremadog climbing

Crag: Bwlch y Moch, Tremadog
Routes: Christmas Curry (S:led p.1+2), Micah Eliminate (HS 4b:sec), Cynhyrchwyr (VS 4b,4b:led p.1), Borneo (VS 4c:sec)
To call Christmas Curry an old favourite is an understatement: I first did it in 1992 and last did it in April this year. After merging the first two pitches, Vic led the superior Micah Eliminate finish. We had Steve on board, hence our choice of this much travelled route, and we both simul-climbed with me able to give him a few pointers - as this was only his third or fourth experience of trad climbing. As a result, I had plenty of time to savour the moves and positions. A heavy shower made life a tad tricky, as did high winds when rounding the upper arete. After lunch, we moved right to try to find the obscure area around the ramp line of Borneo, recently salvaged from the vegetation. We had never climbed here before, and I led the wet first pitch of Cynhyrchwyr to begin our exploration. We've had a lot of rain recently, and this gets little sun: although it was easy and slabby, it was insecure. Two thin cracks, greasy and slimy, led to a drier and easier section. Above, glorious sunshine and easy padding to a gentle crack: this is possibly the top pitch of the neighbouring HS Rio, as it didn't feel VS. To the left, Borneo takes the obvious ramp line and is a route of some character. Most of it is slabby and easy, if a tad dirty. But there is a tricky slab at half height with technical moves up the corner then right to avoid a steepening. The crux comes at the end: a wet corner with undercut and interesting moves out right.

Wirral Multi-Terrain Series, Arrowe Park

Race: Wirral MT Series, Arrowe Park (Birkenhead)
Time/Position: 27.24 (16th from 207 [2nd V45])
Having missed all the other races in this series, this was just an inconsequential run-out to stretch the legs. I felt OK, but my time was way down on last year's time, and even further down on 2015, when I won my age category in this excellent series and did all four races. Having said that, conditions were much muddier today, with the opening field a quagmire and some other cloying patches. The second lap always gets quite dark in the woods as dusk gathers, giving the illusion of speed (illusion being the operative word with present form).

Chester Parkrun

'Race': Chester Parkrun (5k)
Time/Position: 18.12 (4th from 242)
Just an experiment to see how slow my legs are after a two week travelling lay-off, one of my longest ever. The answer was: very sluggish indeed. Conditions were dank and drizzly, which makes the double off-road section unhelpfully slippery. I felt fairly rough on the second lap, and finished well over a minute down on the Capenhurst time I recorded just over a month ago.

Poonagala run

Peak: Lipton's Seat/Poonagala (1950m)
Area: Haputale, Sri Lanka
A well known walk through the tea plantations from the Dambetenna factory above Haputale. It also lent itself to a running approach, although it was hardly the conventional way to do it! After taking the train to Haputale from Kandy yesterday, standing up for six hours on one of the world's best rail journeys, I spent the morning walking to Adisham in perfect weather, then got an ancient bus up through the mist to Dambetenna. From here, a narrow road twists through the tea plantations, incredibly scenic and atmospheric as the mist continually rolled in then occasionally lifted to show glimpses of distant hills and villages. It continues at a gentle gradient for 7km, perfect for running actually, and reaches the famed Lipton's Seat - supposedly the favourite viewpoint of colonial tea magnate Thomas Lipton. It was, inevitably, misty - which was why I'd taken advantage of the clear weather first thing this morning to go to Adisham (I would never have reached this point in time - the mist comes down very early). A tea shack was open on the summit of Poonagala: I had a wonderfully restorative cuppa and selected from a tray of Sri Lankan 'tapas'. Fresh warm rotis, sambal, and a selection of vadai. I was just pondering another roti when I spied a young Macaque monkey in the vegetation below. As I pondered how to protect the food, he immediately leapt over the wall and took the remaining three rotis: calibrating his jump precisely before I'd had a chance to cover the food. Admirable and ingenious. The ambience up here, at 2000m, was wonderful, and I spent some time enjoying the peace before the cold sent me jogging back down to Dambetenna and a chaotic bus back to Haputale.

Caernarfon 10k

Race: Caernarfon 10k (North Wales Championships)
Time/Position: 35.56 (8th from 156 [2nd V45])
Although I was quite pleased to dip under 36 minutes on this hilly course, in wet and rather windy conditions, it was a shame that I blew up completely in the last kilometre. Not surprising, really, given the obvious lack of speed endurance: plenty of slow endurance, and plenty of short speedwork, but not much suitable for the specific demands of a 10k. That said, I've done more than 50 10k's in the past, so should have some idea about pacing! The route was reversed, which makes it slightly easier, with a sharp hill at the start and a few more steep climbs heading west. A headwind at times, with small groups forming and breaking, then the fast descent going through 5k in 18.07. A cross-tailwind didn't have a great deal of effect on the fast run along the coastal path back to Caernarfon. I moved up into sixth place, finishing strongly (initially) before blowing right at the end where I was pushed back into eighth place, missing out on the category win by 6 seconds. I always enjoy this course though: must have done it 7 or 8 times in both directions.

Pot Hole Quarry climbing

Crag: Pot Hole Quarry
Routes: Grizzly (HVS 5a:sec), Major (HVS 5a:sec), Vetta (HVS 5a:sec), Ego Variant (E3:sh), Vetta Variation (E3 5c:sec), Ceba (E1 5b:sec), Canine Meander (E2 5b:sec), The Dog (HVS 5b:sec), Right Wall (E2 5c:sec)
Just the usual top-roped training workout on all the old favourites: the only differences being an eliminate version of Ego and a messy ascent of the very hard Vetta Variation. As ever, the two vague eliminate lines of Right Wall and Canine Meander now give the best climbing: much less polished, sharp holds and good friction.

Clogwyn Cyrau climbing

Crag: Clogwyn Cyrau, Betws y Coed
Routes: The Groove (VD:sol), Direct Route (VS 5a:sh), Pryderi (VS 4c:sh), Gwydion (VS 4c:sh), Wanderer (HS 4b:sol/sh), Sion (S:sol/sh), Sian (VD:sol/sh), Little Chimney (VD:sol), Siencyn (S:des), Groove Left Wall (S 4a:sh)
A few hours to myself after a night in Llandudno, so headed up to Clogwyn Cyrau for a bit of climbing. After romping up the simple Groove, I shunted all the routes on the steeper front face of the crag overlooking Betws: not entirely convinced I have done these before. They are nice routes, much cleaner and drier than the slimy and massively polished climbs further left. Direct Route is steep to start, and Pryderi and Gwydion both take natural lines - thin cracks, not too polished. A little light rain fell, but nothing serious, and after working through numerous short routes I jogged back down for a couple of hot pies in the park.

Cwm Llafur scramble and run

Peaks: Carnedd Dafydd, Yr Elen
Area: Carneddau, Eryri
A version of the Cwm Llafur horseshoe, last done in superb snowy conditions in early January, incorporating the Llech Ddu spur. After dropping Kate at work and a coffee in the Puffin cafe, I parked in lower Gerlan and ran up the lanes to the start of the Black Ladders path. This is very boggy initially, but the scenery is the essence of Welshness in this little area, I always think. After the branch off for the walking path to Dafydd, the path becomes dry and flat: and gives excellent fast running towards the impressive headwall of the Cwm, one of the finest in Wales. Llech Ddu rises in front, with Ysgolion Duon (Black Ladders) beyond. I have done the Llech Ddu/Crib Lem scramble a few times over the years, but less than the other classics: it is remote and superbly situated. But the last two visits to these parts were for winter routes on the Black Ladders. A small path leads up Cwmglas Bach and eventually cuts left above the top of Llech Ddu to gain the start of the rocky spur that initiates the scramble. It was soaking wet throughout, but at least the rain stopped while I was on it - cold hands but enjoyable climbing throughout. A good run along the ridge, less tired than I was at the same point on Monday, before branching off for the contouring path that we'd taken 64 hours earlier on our 3000s run - I could clearly see our Innov8 footprints in the mud! At the top of Yr Elen, the rain began again in earnest and I got a right soaking as I ran down the excellent ridge to plunge into the dense vegetation at the base of Cwm Llafur. By the time I reached the car in Gerlan I was soaked and cold: a foretaste of winter as my numb hands fumbled with the car keys.

Trevor climbing

Crag: Trevor Rocks, Eglwyseg
Routes: Impaction (f5:sec), Opening Impact (f6b:sec), No Evasion (f5:led), Sudden Impact (f4:led), Impact Imminent (f6b:sec)
One of the least distinguished areas on this undistinguished crag, but these routes at least gave a bit of entertainment before heading to the office. Opening Impact is short but hard at the grade, and No Evasion has a high first bolt: I'd done all the other routes before. Andy and Hayley carried on climbing, but I had to head to work before mid-morning.

Welsh 3000s

Peaks: Yr Wyddfa, Crib y Ddisgyl, Crib Goch, Elidir Fawr, Y Garn, Glyder Fawr, Glyder Fach, Tryfan, Pen yr Olau Wen, Carnedd Dafydd, Yr Elen, Carnedd Llewellyn, Foel Grach, Carnedd Gwenllian, Foel Fras
Time: 8.38
The finest Welsh mountain day of all, but only the second time I've done it. This is partly due to the awkward logistics, although running it is far easier and less complex than walking: indeed, we only decided to do it on Friday night. In 2003, it was planned for several months: we had support team and various other advantages when I walked it with Steve and company, and it took 15 hours from Crib Goch to Foel Fras. This time Peter, Jez and I did it in purist fashion: no support, and walking up Snowdon first (the true start of the classic route, harder than starting up Crib Goch). It is such an aesthetic, varied and logical line, nothing arbitrary about it, that it is surprising that it seems to be falling out of favour slightly. Pen y Pass was rammed when we arrived at 1am! I can only assume these were the dreaded, rather contemptible 'three peak' challengers: whatever they were, vans arrived all night and we had a couple of hours sleep at best before ambling up Snowdon at 6am for the true start of the 3000s (which is traditionally timed from the top of Snowdon to the top of Foel Fras). The weather was dire: thick clag, rain and 35mph westerlies that we just knew were waiting to batter us as we crested the ridge by the obelisk above the zigzags. Even at our ambling pace, we were on top of Snowdon in well under an hour. Touching the cairn, we set off running down the main path to the branch off towards Crib y Ddisgyl (Garnedd Ugain). It was pretty obvious that the ridge would be awkward in the high winds, and the rock was soaking - not ideal in old fell running shoes. Fine for Peter and I, not so fine for Jez, who does not have a climbing or mountaineering background. In the event, he was fine as we enjoyed the initial rocky ridge down to Crib Goch, with the first pinnacle looming through the mist. After a few pointers, Jez negotiated this without any problems and the rest of the ridge was completed without issues, although the wind and the rain slowed us down considerably. The North Ridge, down from the summit, is also awkward in these conditions, and we then had the trickiest nav on the route to do in claggy conditions. We cut north-west down the screes, then went a tad too far west as we descended grassy slopes to emerge above Llyn Glas. This was far from the optimal line, but not too disastrous as it leads to a good path which I knew well from previous visits to Cwm Glas for winter routes and the like. Down past Cyrn Las and a spectacular but brief clearance over the pass, then the road at Blaen y Nant. Quick running down the pass to Nant Peris and then the dreadful climb up Elidir Fawr. Almost certainly the day's lowpoint, we'd done this on last September's memorable Elidir Fawr race and remembered all the tiny shortcuts. The climb is endless, but at least we had the superb run over Bwlch y Brechan to Y Garn to look forward to. Conditions continued dire: cold, wet and windy. Indeed, Y Garn was an unexpected and unanticipated lowpoint for me. It didn't last, though, and we picked up the pace down to Llyn y Cwn and up the steep screes to Glyder Fawr. Careful nav across the plateau, always tricky in clag, to the scramble up Glyder Fach, then down the side of Bristly Ridge where the weather finally, and spectacularly, cleared eompletely: superb conditions for the rest of the day. Within five minutes, it was warm and the wind had dropped: dry rock for the scramble up Tryfan and down the western gully to Ogwen. I descended more quickly than the other two and pelted down to Ogwen cottage for the psychologically crucial hot pie I had been looking forward to! Along with a coke and crisps, it represented rebirth, and we all flew up the first section of the notorious slog up Pen yr Olau Wen: only 51 minutes from Ogwen to summit. It is all over bar the shouting then, and I was surprised to have very good legs for the rest of the day - just a few minutes over the top of Dafydd then above the Black Ladders to the crucial traverse path to Yr Elen, which includes a welcome water source. Back over Carnedd Llewellyn, fine and fast despite the sharp climb, then the wonderful final leg - all runnable - over Foel Grach and Carnedd Gwenllian to Foel Fras. Not a fast time (8.38 is closer to Thomas Firbank than Colin Donnelly!) but we weren't trying to push it, just to enjoy the day. With a ride up Snowdon, better conditions for the first half, and a better line down to Blaen y Nant, perhaps 90 minutes could be taken off. Given that I've spent the summer training for 1500m and 5k, I was just surprised to have the legs: although the big days in Scotland, the Alps and the Lakes obviously also helped, the benefits of my usual ultra-varied approach. An easy stroll down to Llyn Anafon and the car, back to pick up the car at Pen y Pass and a quick recovery pint in the Vaynol.

Llanymynech climbing

Crag: Llanymynech, Shropshire/Powys
Routes: Bah Bah Black Sheep (f6a+:led), Up the Spout (f6b:sec), Coming of Age (f6a:led), Culture Cryptic (f5b:led), Culture Vulture (f5b:sec)
One of those venues that you drive past hundreds of times without ever investigating further. The new guidebook inspired me to take a closer look, so myself and Steve headed over for a brief reccie session as the typical unreliable August weather continues. I knew the quarried walls were big, but didn't appreciate quite how big - some massive bolted pitches, reminiscent of the huge single pitches in Gorbio or other Provencal venues. We kicked off with the popular 6a+ taking the vague arete on the right-hand side of the excellent and impressive Grid Iron Wall. This was a fine route - one of the best sports routes of its grade locally - interesting throughout, well bolted, with crux moves over the obvious small overhang at half height. Good rests in places, and rarely overtly strenuous. The final moves took a short wall on small holds. I found the route quite straitforward, and did it quickly and cleanly onsight. The f6b to its left is similar, although I did not take on the continuation on the upper wall. Further right, I led the left-hand 6a up a much scrappier and more broken area of rock. Another very long route, at least 30m from the bottom, only just possible on the stretch of the rope. It was slightly loose in places, but very reasonable technically, just one awkward mantel at half height. Much further left, we walked along the path (crossing into Wales) for two routes on the Cult Wall. This is much shorter, so we did the two longest and cleanest-looking routes on the right: both were worthwhile. Cryptic had one crux move over an overlap which was much harder than the rest of the route, but both were on dark and relatively solid limestone. An early finish gave us time for the Collie run up Moel Famau later.

Trevor climbing

Crag: Trevor Rocks, Eglwyseg
Routes: Dai Laughing (f5a:led), The Valleys Initiative (f5b:led)
Rain was already sweeping in from the Berwyns as we arrived at the crag, walking in to the routes more in hope than expectation. By the time we arrived, the rock was sodden, as were we, so we gave up and went for a run along the escarpment to Twilight Tower Buttress, with a continuous band of showers coming in from the west. The path down to OD is very feint here, much more so than the other limestone valleys - Pinfold and the like. At the bottom. we ran down OD then along the road back to the car. Another heavy shower as we tried again to climb, before a short clearance eventually allowed us to do a couple of routes. Sadly, both were awful: soapy rock, sloping holds, rusty lower offs. Even by the standards of Trevor, this section of cliff is uninspiring. More rain came as a relief and we scampered back to the car glad to have an excuse to finish before midday.

Dyffryn Mymbyr climbing

Crag: Clogwyn Wen/Clogwyn Du (Dyffryn Mymbyr)
Routes: Direct Route (HS 4b:sec), Anos (HVS 5a:sec), Proten (HVS 5a:sec), Zigzag (VD:led), Joycean (VS 4b:sec), High Cross (E2 5b:sec), Pock Wall (S:led), Sheep's Pen Buttress (VS 4c:sec)
One of those occasions when detailed local knowledge comes into its own. It had poured down in the night, as this unstable August continues. It was obvious that the Pass crags were wet as we drove up, and it seemed likely the showers would continue. As a result, we ditched our Cromlech plans and I suggested the southern side of the Glyderau might make a good alternative, as a kind of miniature rain shadow area. This worked a treat and, although Clogwyn Wen is short, it is a fine crag of excellent clean granite: the routes are, almost without exception, good and varied. Vic kicked off with the obvious central line, Direct Route, in glorious sunshine with the rock almost completely dry. This route goes up a gently curving groove to a tricky move up steep rock to gain good holds and an easy finishing chimney. We then took the opportunity to bomb up the two fine HVS's to the right with rope above. Anos heads up to an upside down flake and massive undercut hold. A powerful layback using satisfyingly huge flake holds goes up to a ledge and thread. Proten, further right, was wet higher up but also good: heading up to a strange detached flake with small but positive holds. I then led Zigzag, an easy route up granite steps traversing diagonally left over the face. At the junction with Anos/Direct Route, I reversed back to a belay and Vic led through up the undistinguished Joycean at mild VS. The best route here is the hardest, High Cross, again done with rope above. A superb and varied pitch, it goes up an awkward groove to a very hard move with little for the feet. This gains a rest in Direct Route, before a pulsating hand traverse below the roof. Good holds and tiny ledges for the feet, which can be found if you look hard enough. At the far end of the traverse, a semi-rest, before long reaches for good side pulls and mini jugs up the steep finishing wall. Light showers passed from time to time, but our choice was thoroughly vindicated: the Pass and Snowdon stayed clagged in and wet for the entire day. After a heavier shower, we moved round to Clogwyn Du (where I have climbed before). I did Pock Wall in drizzle: reminiscent of the Moelwyns with its pocketed and slabby rock, but very short. Vic then led Sheep's Pen Buttress, a good varied pitch with a steep finish, as the rain started in earnest. Our luck then ran out and we got an absolute drenching as we ran back to the car.

Capenhurst 5k

Race: Capenhurst 5k
Time/Position: 17.07 (22nd from 300 [1st V45])
It is possible that my clueless training for yesterday's 1500m has had some other benefits. I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to middle distance training, and was slightly disappointed by my time last night as a partial result. But, to my surprise, I felt good this evening and recorded my fastest 5k time for a few years on this well-known, prestigious course. I last did it in 2010 when I just dipped under 17 minutes, but I've done lots of races round these lanes and know them very well indeed. It was a bit windy tonight, especially on the tough section out towards Two Mills, but I felt surprisingly good and began to push the pace after 3k and work up the field a bit. Tight in the V45 category, but I managed to finish in first place, again to my surprise: only 13 seconds down on my PB.

Trafford AC Grand Prix 1500m

Race: Longford Park 1500m
Time/Position: 4.41 (7th from 12, Heat 4)
The toughest distance of all, but also the shortest race I have ever done. It has taken me 500 races and 20 years of running, although we did a timed mile at Deeside earlier this summer which put the idea in my head. It wasn't my first time at the Trafford Grand Prix: four years ago, I did the 3000m on the same track at the same excellent summer meet. They are very interesting experiences, superbly slick and professional, an entirely different aspect of running (I can guarantee no other competitors were still recovering from the Maesgwm Muddle fell race). Proper middle distance running must be the hardest discipline of all with its combination of speed and endurance. This sluggish performance was no such thing, but I wanted to at least record a geriatric time before I switch to ultras next year. After watching the elite, I was placed in heat 4 and got a bit boxed in over the first two laps: I couldn't get the inside lane and was put off my stride on three occasions in the middle of a very tight group (all heats are selected by predicted time). Margins are, of course, tiny in these races and that was enough to miss my sub 4.40 target time (however, I was only 1 second slower than the time I had predicted, at 4.41.32, so not too disastrous). Most of the competitors are very young but, at 47, I was still not quite the oldest runner.

Maesgwm Muddle

Race: Maesgwm Muddle fell race (16.3k/1300m)
Time/Position: 1.51.48 (63rd from 180)
A British Championship race again, as it was the last time I did it in 2014. I found it a tad contrived then, with some arbitrary punishment in the form of illogical descents and long extensions to the natural 'reverse' horseshoe of the Moel Eilio race route. This time, I enjoyed it more, but as I was over four minutes slower that is perhaps not surprising! After fast running along the tracks to Hebron, the climb up Moel Cynhorion is a brute, but you can at least get your head down and plod up. A very steep descent (the Pedol Peris final descent) then more or less reverses the climb right back to the base of the valley, which is a tad demoralising. Thick mist and rain for the main ridge crossing, just a few metres of visibility. I have reasonable knowledge of the ridge but still had to get the map and compass out once on the descent from Moel Eilio as I couldn't remember whether the route followed the fenceline or the track. As always, it is remarkable how thick mist swallows up a big field, even a British championship field - in general, the conditions probably slowed times a bit but I've also been feeling sluggish for weeks so the time was no surprise. A long run in over the obscure spur of Cefn Du, way out to the north, then a lovely descent to Llanberis - echoing the final section of the Snowdonia marathon - as the weather finally began to clear. The final climb back to the finishing point just feels sadistic!

Independence Quarry climbing

Crag: Independence Quarry, Eglwyseg
Routes: Umpalumpa Groove (f5:led), Augustus Gloop (f6a+:led), Oh Calcutta (f6a:led), Independence Day (f6b+:sec), High Stepper (f6a+:led), Technocrat (f6a:led)
From below, this crag looks so broken and unappealing that even I had never bothered to visit before. However, the routes are much better than they look and this was a surprisingly worthwhile little session. The vegetated groove on the right wing is the easiest and probably worst route here, but it did provide a warm up and is an obvious line with a tricky finish up a steep crack. The crag is much better in the 6's, so I went for the hanging black groove to the right, which has a high first bolt and tough move over the horrible band of shale which splits all the routes. Above this, good technical climbing leads to a hard but satisfying final move up the steep wall on small holds. Further right is a steep slab of black limestone, and I led the route on the left, which also has a high first bolt and one initially puzzling move at half height. I took this on the right initially, which is very hard, and eventually unlocked it on the left, which is consistent with the grade. The 6b+ to the right gives some fine technical climbing and interesting sequences. The left-wing of the quarry looks more broken and vegetated from a distance but is again better than it looks. High Stepper is good at 6a+: an easier but interesting lower wall gives clean and enjoyable climbing to a ledge, after which the route builds to a hard and technical climax. I moved left over the steep arete, which seemed slightly off route, but a chap below reckoned that was the correct line.

Lanhydrock Parkrun

'Race': Lanhydrock Parkrun, Cornwall (5k)
Time/Position: 19.19 (1st from 286)
Supposedly the toughest Parkrun in the country, although I didn't know that before the start. It just knocks our local Wepre run into second place, with 5ft more climbing! I chose it only because of its perfect location, just off the A30 and ideally timed at one hour in to our journey home. The setting is very nice, in the grounds of Lanhydrock house, a major National Trust venue outside Bodmin. From the start, a very fast plunge down tarmac paths leads to an equally rapid fell race-style descent through woods, which all means the first half is covered unusually quickly. I worked my way up the field during the only flat section, along a pretty riverbank, before the race rears up dramatically for the last mile. A long and steep climb, gaining 270ft and reminiscent of a mild fell race came next, although it also took in a wet field with uncomfortably long grass. I thought that a young lad was in front of me, so was rather surprised to finish in first place in the 'timed run'.

St Ives bouldering round-up

Three quite well known bouldering areas dot the headlands around St Ives, and it was easy to reach them on several occasions during our week in Towednack, usually during short breaks to restore circulation when bodyboarding with the family at Porthmeor. With no mat and no spotter, I concentrated on the most obvious and visible lines from St Ives, all simple - more like short VS climbs, not really boulder problems. These included Double Overhang and longer lines at Carrick Du (Man's Head), the nice arete routes on the obvious Camel's Head (Summit Boulders above Clodgy Point), and Exposure Slab (and other routes) on the orange rocks below the Coastguard station on the Island. All of these lines, although short, were visible from various parts of the town. This morning, I left at 6am for a run over the top of Trevalgan hill to the coast path and then along to the main (best quality) sea-level section of Clodgy Point as the sun began to light the rocks: a stunning morning of perfect clarity. Sadly, the lower part of the Great Wall and other sections were wet, but I did a lot of the easier routes on the Undercut Wall, excellent rock and enjoyable climbing. I also did lines on the Star Boulder and Great Wall upper tier.

Rosemergy climbing

Crag: Rosemergy Towers, Penwith, Cornwall
Routes: Flash Back (S 4a:sh), Sam's Greasy Thumbprint (S 4a:sh), Go Shorty Variant (HVS:sh)
Hardly the best venue on the North Cornwall coast, but my solo options with the shunt were rather limited. I climbed at neighbouring Bosigran in the mid 90s, it is undoubtedly one of the finest crags in the UK: Rosemergy is emphatically not! But it did at least provide a sample of Cornish granite and ambience on this early morning trip: nobody around, the sun just rising to light the gorse as I jogged along the coast path. The main, slightly broken, slab is obvious and I found a large flake above it quite easily, abbing down to a comfortable base: a friendly venue, although the swell remained quite heavy below. I didn't know where the routes went, but chose the two obvious lines up the main slab, which was clean and obviously fairly well travelled: excellent rock throughout, both routes following blocky rock interspersed with a couple of delicate moves up to a positive flake crack and scrappy, vegetated finish. The steep and blank face to the right turned out to be Get Shorty at E2 5c. I did the first few moves on a loose shunt, up to the break, fingery and technical. But I had to avoid the final steep wall due to the pendulum, so traversed left into the obvious wet flake crack. Back in time for breakfast and a superb day of boarding in perfect conditions at Porthmeor.

Plym Valley parkrun

'Race': Plym Valley Parkrun, Devon (5k)
Time/Position: 18.39 (4th from 242 [1st Vet])
A quick speed session before leaving Saltash for our cottage in West Penwith. I am still fairly new to Parkruns, but this was a nice course through Plymbridge Woods in the countryside just to the north of Plymouth. It rained throughout, and was already wet underfoot, so I was glad of my fell shoes for the muddy fields that make up the first section of the run. A loop round these fields led to a nice flat towpath along a canal before a steep off-road climb. After this, a long and gradual tarmac descent before a second lap round the muddy fields, where I gained some places to finish 4th. Slow time, but it didn't feel too bad given the nature of the terrain and the muddy conditions.

Sheeps Tor climbing

Crag: Sheeps Tor, Dartmoor, Devon
Routes: Play Crack (D:sol), Slanting Crack (VD:sh), Mushroom Wall (VS 4c+:sh), Burdock (HS 4b:sh), Overhang Crack (HS 4b:sh), Barking Crack (VD:sol/sh), Sheltered Crack (VD:sol/sh), Flake Arete (D:des), Flake Wall (VD:sh), Shallow Corner (VD:sol)
A few days in Devon at the start of our summer holidays, with rather unstable weather throughout. We had visited Saunton Sands and Wembury for bodyboarding, and I'd done a cross-border run across the Tamar Bridge to Plymouth from outside Saltash yesterday. Opportunities to sample a bit more Dartmoor climbing were limited, so I left the motel at 6am and arrived at Sheepstor in classic Dartmoor conditions of dank drizzle and mist half an hour later. Wonderfully atmospheric, and very nice to be back after enjoying the area two years ago. Sheeps Tor is an obvious crag which gives its name to the tiny, tranquil village that nestles below it. It is made up of characteristic Dartmoor granite, rough and steep throughout. Conditions were hardly ideal, with mist swirling over the moorland and intermittent drizzle, but the climbs are straightforward, short and enjoyable. After nipping up Play Crack, I set up a loose shunt, finding the steep and sustained Slanting Crack rather undergraded: a tricky jamming crack, unless I missed something. An eliminate up Mushroom Wall for training purposes was steep and sustained up small positive holds. On the face further right, the two cracklines of Burdock and Overhang Crack are probably the best routes here: both building to difficult crux moves over a final overlap. All the climbs were enjoyable, though, and the rock was so rough that the drizzle didn't affect things too badly. Back to Saltash in time for breakfast.

Gyrn Gallop

Race: Gyrn Gallop fell race (11k/1100ft)
Time/Position: 46.52 (6th from 48)
It was rather nice to be able to see the entire race route from the field in the tiny hamlet in Rhiwlas where we parked. Gyrn is a long summit, quite high for this delightful area of hidden valleys and twisting lanes along the Wales-England border: the Oswestry hinterland. The race should have suited me, but I had a bit of a stinker. Three minutes ahead of the runner behind me, only a minute or so separating second place from me in sixth, with Jez well out in front. A very fast descent down a lane leads to the start of the runnable and fairly gentle bridleway which climbs to the top of Gyrn, with me in second place initially. Although gentle, this kind of climb is always deceptive and the fatigue began to build as I neared the top. The tight group of Oswestry runners all went past me, and although I narrowed the gap on the descent, I then blew completely on the climb back up the steep lane to the village and staggered home at the back of the group.

Dinbren climbing

Crag: Dinbren, Eglwyseg
Routes: Trailer Trash (f6b:led), Laughing Gnome (VS 4b:sec), Goblin Girls (HVS 5a:sec), Ash Crack (HS 4a:led)
Not the most successful climbing trip of the year. Time was very limited, so I immediately got to work on Trailer Trash, a 6b, in cold and windy weather, wearing a coat - not ideal for a route at my current technical limit. It is steep to start, but a line of holds moves left to the second bolt before some easier climbing gains a good foothold and rest. Above, the footholds remain good and allow for a few rests, while the handholds are small but generally positive. The cold wind made life difficult, however, and although I did the route entirely clean and on-sight I fear I moved too far left for the very last move. After this, we moved to the left-hand wall as the sun finally came out. Vic backed off the undergraded Yale, and we also found Goblin Girls moderately stiff for the grade, although it has a fine steep finish on huge holds. This section of crag, on the lower tier at the left-hand end of the crag, is short and undistinguished, and remained very windy this afternoon. A couple more scrappy routes, rather painfully shabby after our Austrian exploits, little wonder that we hadn't been to this section of the crag before, and it was time to go.

Trevor climbing

Crag: Trevor Rocks, Eglwyseg
Routes: The Welsh Wizard (f4c:led), Free Wales (f4a:led), Over Yr on my Heddlu (f5b:led), Christmas Gone Crackers (f6a:sec), Slow, Araf, Slow (f6a:led), Dim Parcio (f4a:sec), Welsh Fargo (f5a:sec)
In instructor mode with Steve, although he got into the swing of things quickly and we soon moved up the grades. I haven't been back to this rather scrappy area since doing most of the routes when they were first developed around a decade ago. It isn't great climbing, but has the usual nice views over Dinas Bran and was particularly pleasant in glorious sunshine on this brief late afternoon visit. Two quite pleasant easy routes started us off, both on reasonably sold rock by the sorry standards of this crag, and taking reasonable lines up slabby ribs. Further right, a better area of rock and two longish routes: not far off 20m. The 5b had an awkward move into a groove with a borehole before pleasant climbing up an easy wall. The supposed 6a was overgraded: I kept religiously to the bolt line, and there were a few vaguely technical moves, but the route is 5+ at most. Similarly, much further left, Slow, Araf, Slow is never f6a. Some sloping holds lead up a slab to a slanting crack, then a steep but juggy finish up the wall above. Not bad, but overgraded. I think I have done the two easy slabby routes to the left before, both longish, and both finishing up a horrible band of shale.

Kentmere horseshoe

Race: Kentmere Horseshoe fell race (20k/3300ft/AM)
Peaks: Ill Bell, High Street, Kentmere Pike
Time/Position: 1.58.28 (62nd from 346)
Our third trip to the Lakes to tick off a classic fell race this year. This one, which is almost as old as me, echoed the Anniversary Waltz (but contrasted with Ennerdale) in that it coincided with some wonderful weather. It echoed the Waltz in another way too, as my time was almost exactly the same (3 seconds quicker) although it was a much worse performance as I was still tired after last week and certainly felt Thursday's giant Watzmann traverse in my legs as we set off up the delightful lanes and tracks from Kentmere village. I have walked this circuit before, and have done at least two mountain marathons in the area, so had some knowledge of the peaks. The route climbs sharply over the shoulder of the Garburn Pass to a bog which leads to a path contouring the tops of Yoke and Froswick. I gained some places after a crowded start, and pushed on a bit to the top of Ill Bell. Wonderful views over the valley and rest of the horseshoe from here. It is a long but runnable haul to the top of High Street from here. To an extent, the rest of the race is just one long downhill blast, but this is actually a lot tougher than I remembered from previous visits, another possible indication of residual fatigue after last week. Brilliant views of the whole horseshoe as I descended towards Mardale Ill Bell, missing a shortcut, then a quick climb up the ridge leads to a narrow contouring line to gain the wide ridge towards Kentmere Pike. This is a short climb, and the descent then continues, although it was surprisingly rocky and boggy in places. I held my position reasonably well, although missed the tape marking the final descent to the village, along with dozens of other runners (it was obscured). Not sure if this made it much longer, but I finished running uphill on tarmac back to the field. A tremendous, logical horseshoe, and another great race.

Watzmann traverse

Peaks: Hocheck (2651m), Watzmann Mittelspitze (2713m), Watzmann Sudspitze (2712m)
Route: Uberschreitung (uI+)
Area: Watzmann, Berchtesgaden, Germany
One of the most famous ridge traverses in the Eastern Alps, this was a memorable way to finish the trip. Our weather luck deserted us, however, with a howling gale slamming into the hut all night and only gradually easing this morning. It all made for a relaxed start, given the magnitude of the task in front of us: the standard time for the full traverse is an alarming 15.5 hours. The precipitous main ridge is just the start of the day: there follows a huge descent 'down the back' of the Watzmann, the terrain and scenery superb throughout. It all meant a leisurely breakfast of speck, rye bread and cheese, with litres of coffee, as clouds continued to wreathe the hut and gusts continued to batter the walls. Eventually, we set off after the rain diminished to a light drizzle and the wind dropped somewhat. The Hocheck is a bit of a slog, but the path meanders upwards to take in some limestone slabs and a short section of scrambling before embarking on the steep, roof-like final climb. The clag was persistent up here, the slabby limestone wet, and the air temperatures uncomfortably cold even without factoring in the wind (2C at the summit, wind chill well below this). I emerged at the Hocheck summit cross a few minutes ahead of Vic, so ducked inside the bivouac shelter nestled at the start of the ridge traverse to sort myself out. The door was locked from the inside, where 12-15 people nestled in a tiny space, waiting for the weather to improve. Several other parties just retreated down from the Hocheck. I waited, and waited - but for some unaccountable reason, Vic didn't come through the door. I went back to the summit cross and peered into the gloom: no sign. After 25 minutes, I decided he must have walked past the hut and started the traverse, but I couldn't be sure, so set off myself, rather tentatively for that reason. It is exposed immediately, but the clag remained stubborn and the rock wet throughout. The wind was dropping, however, so it was perfectly reasonable particularly given the fact that all exposed sections have via ferrata style chains and the like. A sharp arete, very narrow, led to a tricky descent and a series of gangways. A brief clearance to the west revealed a pair of climbers in front (perhaps the only other people to do the traverse today), while to the west, mist obscured the famous 1800m Ostwand/East Face. A spectacular scene and by know I was into the rhythm of the scrambling. It was absolutely wonderful - absorbing and enjoyable, continually varied. A steep gendarme followed by a gully descent was rather awkward, but the Mittelspitze was gained quickly via the Felsen-fenstergrat, no more than 45 minutes from Hocheck, even with my cautious and deliberate approach. No sign of Vic, and all my texts were bouncing back to me. I waited for a long time at the summit, partly hoping for a clearance, partly to give Vic a chance to catch up just in case he was behind. Eventually, the urge to continue got the better of me, and a catwalk led to more superb continuous scrambling. Every so often, huge gendarmes and pinnacles would start to emerge from the mist, only to be swallowed up again when I got the camera out! The section from Mittel to Sudspitze is much longer and more involved, descending the 'zickzacks' to the huge Zackengrat gendarme, which is circumvented via a circuitous detour over the western side of the ridge - intricate and absorbing. Eventually, I heard from Vic - he was already on the South Summit! So I powered past the pair in front and continued along the very narrow section of ridge that precedes the final climb to the South Summit: this knife-edge is avoided by a cat walk in places, but at other times the only way is a'cheval over the knife-edge itself. Above lies the Sudspitze, where all exposure ends - a surprisingly flat and large summit and a very sudden change from the rest of the ridge. The clag remained as thick as ever, but I found Vic sheltering behind some rocks: he was cold, so started the descent after a couple of photos. I had a sandwich first, then set off in pursuit down the vast south 'face' of the mountain. Initially, the line picks an intricate and twisting way down a giant couloir interspersed with small rocky sections. This was enjoyable, and continued the scrambling tone of the day: it reminded me a little of the descent down the western side of Tryfan, albeit it on a far grander scale. As we emerged at the huge scree slopes that form the Schonfeldschnied, we dropped below the clag for the first time, revealing gigantic walls of limestone towering into the mist and an impressive continuation ridge dropping down to the valley. The scree allowed for a rapid descent initially, although it was all quite steep. As we dropped, further clearances began to reveal the stunning valley in front - and there followed an hour or so of the most incredible skies as the mist peeled away from the Grosser Hundstod in front and the Hoch Kalter to the west. Limestone spires wreathed in tendrils of mist, with us looking down on the scene: very memorable and very photogenic. After a snack watching these magnificent scenes unfold, we continued down a mixture of grass, scree and rocky sections, still tortuous and weaving to avoid a canyon where the streams dropped down to the valley base. A long chained section down an eroded spur finally allowed us to gain the Bangraben in the Wimbachtal valley itself. The scenery here, marked Schonfeldgraben, is the equal of anything in the Alps: in fact, it is somewhat atypical, and reminiscent more of Canada or parts of the Himalaya. Intermittent conifer forest, and a vast dry storm channel, surrounded by spires of rock. We finally gained a the standard path down the Wimbachtal for the final, very long, section back to the car: perhaps 13k? A delightful walk ensued, initially down the valley to the obvious target of the Wimbachgrieshutte where we stopped for tea and goulaschsuppe. Wonderfully restorative, sitting on benches in the sunshine while the mist peeled away from the spectacular Sigaretkopf to the south-west. Fortified, we ploughed down the remainder of the Wimbachtal, which begins to curve round to the north at this point, first to the Wimbachschloss, and then to the forested hills above the Wimbachbrucke. It was all a very long way, but played to our strengths, as did the entire traverse.

Wimbachbrucke to Watzmannhaus

Although I do a fair amount of research before every trip, I occasionally skirt over inconvenient details. This was one such example: I presumed the walk-in to the Watzmannhaus was short and simple. It is actually (in theory) a four-hour walk up a 1400m vertical interval - which wasn't ideal after a rather intense few days. We were, however, pleased that we had been disciplined and severely limited the scope of this morning's climbing - and managed to reach the hut in a leisurely but sustained 2.5 hours. Wimbachbrucke is a busy focal point for lots of walks and mountain outings, but we were able to park because of the late hour. Long and sweaty zigzags, humidity building, led through deep forest to a clearance below the Stubenalm. The skies had darkened and thunder began to rumble around: time for coats and a snack. The hut was still well above us (it can be seen from the valley as it is spectacularly sited on the edge of a spur running down from the high peaks, overlooking the entire valley). It seemed that an unwelcome repeat of Saturday night's drenching was on the cards, not a prospect to be relished, although the trees seemed likely to shelter us from the worst of the storm. In the event, despite some heavy rain, the thunder and lightning stayed distant. Past the Mitterkaseralm, steep paths led to open mountainside and spectacular views to the pyramidal Kleiner Watzmann directly in front. The skyscape changed continually - with clouds shifting in and out and occasional rainbows below us in the valley. At one point, streamers of cloud blew over the ridge and were backlit by the sun. A few chamois and a probable black woodpecker (lower in the forest) also enlivened the slog upwards, which ended with a few wet zigzags and then a burst of glorious sunshine in bracing winds as we emerged two minutes below the hut - as I looked over the misty valley to the east my glory appeared in the valley below, a huge shadow ringed by a rainbow, the 5th or 6th time I have experienced this famous phenomenon. Above rose another range of peaks above the town of Berchtesgaden nestling in the valley way below. We retired to the large (but cosy and convivial) hut for a stormy night, westerly gusts battering the hut continually, refuelling on the excellent local helles brew, with dumplings, speck and kaiserschmarrn.

Gamsfelsen climbing

Crag: Gamsfelsen, Ellmau, Wilder Kaiser
Routes: Aser (f4:led), Trager (f6+:led), Lauscher (f6+:led), Gamsbart (f5+:led), Auf der Pirsch (f5:led), Kruckel (f4:led), Ameisentanz (f3:sec)
It felt wrong to be surrounded by the highest Wilder Kaiser peaks but playing around on this little crag. However, there were good reasons for this. Firstly, we were tired. Secondly, we were walking in to the Watzmann hut later and had the full traverse in store tomorrow. In addition, I had been here before - driving to the Wochunbrunner Alm in 2011 before traversing the Ellmauer Tor and climbing three of the highest peaks (indeed the Vordere Goinger Halt and Ellmauer Halt towered above us today, looking satisfyingly impressive). A steep walk up from the Alm leads to the Gaudeamushutte hut and delightful Alpine pastures. It was a glorious morning, with the cow bells tinkling and truly wonderful views over Ellmauer and the verdant Hohe Salve to the Zillertal and Venediger beyond. The crag was indeed small, but perfect for a spot of mild cragging in a supremely tranquil and scenic environment. We swept the crag from left to right, beginning with the pleasant arete taken by Aser, then upping the grade for two delicate 6+ routes which had thought-provoking crux moves on tiny pockets and edges. The two grade 5s were juggy, fairly steep and enjoyable, although all over too quickly. We both led every route, apart from the f3 at the right-hand side which we both climbed one handed! After a picnic at Wochunbrunner, we drove east through Lofer and its gorge into Germany and, after a coffee in Ramsau, parked at Wimbachbruke for the walk-in to the Watzmannhaus.

Achleiten climbing

Crag: Achleiten, Soll, Austria
Routes: Tannenweg (f4:sec), Eulenweg (f5c:led), Direkter Eulenweg (f6a:sec), Weg zur Eibe (f5:led)
Tired after the run up Scheffauer, and the previous two days, this steep and strenuous crag was probably not the ideal choice for a spot of relaxed climbing. But it was Soll's local crag and gave us a different perspective on the landscape at this end of the range. A long and twisting drive up the side of the valley led to a longish, but mercifully largely downhill walk-in. The crag is relentlessly steep throughout, its lower half hidden by trees, its upper half exposed to full sunshine as it was now mid-afternoon. The crag has a rather complex structure, which we tried to partially unlock by doing the easy Tannenweg up slabs to gain an obvious ledge system, above which several other reasonably graded routes made their way. I led up Eulenweg, which took a shallow groove diagonally right to finish up a steep wall. Here, we had our first encounter with a bizarre feature of the crag: numerous 'knobs' of dark rock protruding from the limestone. These often provided pinch holds, or crucial footholds, my geological knowledge is insufficient to identify: fossilised wood perhaps? I lowered off below the true finish of the climb, frying in intense afternoon sunshine with the humidity building, and tiring rapidly after the morning run. Vic unlocked the crucial upper section, and I then followed up with the Direct version straight through the lower bulge - powerful but good, hidden holds - and completed the route with an excellent crux move stepping left onto a steep wall using those 'knobs'. We retreated to the shade at the bottom of the crag and finished with Weg zur Eibe, which was a fine route up a steep slab to a pull over an overhang and good climbing above using the knobs. A clap of thunder as I lowered off, and this heralded another storm, which turned out to be less intense than the others.

Scheffauer run

Peak: Scheffauer (2111m)
Area: Wilder Kaiser, Austria
Although we had gorged ourselves on rock yesterday, I was conscious that the high peaks beckoned and was keen to add to the list of Wilder Kaiser summits I had climbed in 2011. A beautiful morning, and after strudel and coffee in Soll we drove up to Barnstatt above Scheffau where I set out for the village's signature peak: Sheffauer itself, which dominates the western fringes of the range. A rather fearsome 1300m vertical interval lay in wait, along with a walking time of four hours to reach the summit, six hours for the round trip. Vic went for a coffee and I gave myself a target of two hours to reach the summit and back. Good running up tracks led to a clearing, then hairpins up to the wonderfully positioned Steiner Hochalm. Above, the path steepens to reach dense forest which eventually gives way to open screes below the headwall that marks the end of the main Wilder Kaiser ridge. A vague path ran diagonally up through the screes and made for quick progress as it was largely runnable. Once beyond the screes, the route becomes more tortuous, weaving up little rocky sections to eventually engage in another long traverse, diagonally leftwards this time, directly below the limestone headwall. It was all really enjoyable, as wisps of mist drifted across the face of the Sonneck to the east. A chained section took wet slabs below a large overhang until more scrambling led straight up to the pronounced col on the main Wilder Kaiser ridge line. The mist cleared at the exact point that I reached the col, providing an absolutely spectacular backdrop and wonderful views. A short run along grass then rocks led to the cross on the summit of the Scheffauer - in 71 minutes from the car, which I was quite pleased with. It was immediately clear that I had chosen my objective wisely, as it essentially marks the western extremity of the range: beyond, the ridge just descends down to the stunning turquoise lake of the Hintersteiner See and the lower Bavarian Alps across the German border beyond. To the east, a stunning sight as the Hackenkopfe emerged from the mist, which boiled up from the south: the ridge to it looked superb and relatively easy, but I had to get back so pelted back down for a two hour round trip. This area has a totally different ambience and outlook than the peaks I climbed more centrally in 2011.

Wildangerwandl climbing

Crag: Wildangerwandl, Totenkirchl, Wilder Kaiser
Routes: Cola Light (f4,5:led p.2), Goinger Wandl (f4+,4+:led p.2), Gargamel (f5+:sec), Via Christine (f4,4,4:led p.2)
Crag: Gams-Wandl, Fleischbank, Wilder Kaiser
Routes: Nass & Kalt (f5:led), Edelmischung (f5:sec)
After another wet night, drizzle in the morning meant it seemed unlikely we would get much done. However, over another leisurely and highly atypical hut breakfast, the rain began to clear to leave spectacular tendrils of mist in the valley containing these crags, which nestle between the walls of the Totenkirchl and Fleischbank lending them a spectacular and memorable backdrop. The walk-in from the hut is easy, and we arrived to find much of the cliff still dripping wet - although the sun was beginning to light the top of the slabby wall on the right where we started. The classics were occupied, so we started up Cola Light on the far right of the crag. Vic led a wet but easy first, very sparsely bolted, to a small stance. It quickly became obvious that this route wasn't the standard clip-up: my pitch traversed right past two spaced bolts, some delicate moves on wet holds, to gain a crack system. This was vegetated in places, and wet almost throughout. One peg and some threaded tat meant I was glad we had packed the wires and friends: it was just like being at home! The gear was good, though, as was the climbing, and it all made for a satisfying if unanticipated start. The two pitch Goinger Wandl was more conventional, taking a steeper crack line via two good pitches. Vic's first took a smooth slab to a juggy crack, while my second took the continuation with some enjoyable moves. Gargamel was a new, steeper addition, taking a curving crackline further left. After all this, the classic of the crag - Via Christine - finally became free after two parties finished climbing it. An excellent route, albeit perhaps the easiest of the day, gently sustained at British S/HS throughout three varied pitches. Vic's first pitch took an elegant, and dry, rib to a small stance. I led through on lovely bubbly limestone trending left towards an obvious capping overhang. Unsurprisingly, the rock was wet beneath the overhang, but it was superbly rough and juggy. A few pinched holds and upside down spikes allow the overhang to be skirted on the left. A final, exposed pitch up clean walls leads to the top of the crag. A very fine route: we just managed to get down in two abseils (we had a single 70m rope, which just about allowed us to use the abseil stations on this section of crag). A brilliant start to the day - 8 long pitches - but we now had it in our heads to indulge in a feeding frenzy and go for the favoured 1000ft of climbing target. After a quick lunch, we sauntered over to the nearby Gams-Wandl, a separate crag below the North Ridge of the Fleischbank. Despite its proximity, this crag has a friendlier atmosphere than the Wildanger, and looks up the valley towards the Stripsenjoch. The climbing is slabby and delicate, and is characterised by continuous waterworn tubes/pillars of impeccable limestone. I led up a completely dry route which took an easy slab to a steepening half tube of concrete-like limestone. This gave superb climbing with a mixture of delicate bridging up the tube and the occasional pocket and face hold. Another long 30m+ pitch, we were getting close to the 1000ft target. Vic completed proceedings with a lead of a similar line further left: also slabby, delicate and thought-provoking, particularly at the start with some tenuous and technical moves despite the very lowly grade. After this, reluctantly, we packed the gear after a superb day of climbing - 10 long pitches all around British VS. We were conscious of the fact that we had no accommodation booked in the valley, had not showered for two days, and had to recuperate. We scampered down to Griesenau and the car, drove round to the southern side of the range for a good feed in St Johan before booking an ideal cheap hotel in Soll where we refuelled on Tyrolean Rosti as another torrential storm blew in.

Hundskopf climbing

Crag: Hundskopf, Stripsenkopf, Wilder Kaiser
Routes: Lupo (f4:sec), Idefix (f5:led), Amadeus (f4+:led)
After our uneccessary reccie of the other crags, and the 10 pitches of the Fuhrerweg, we perhaps should have retired to the hut for Strudel. However, we were conscious of the mixed forecast for the week, and decided to take advantage of the sunshine to climb on the Hundskopf. Again, I had been here before: doing the via ferrata in 2011. This time, we took the gear and fried, both on the steep walk up, and in the direct sunshine on the west facing crags. As ever, stupendous views across to the walls of the main Wilder Kaiser, and a great place to pick out the line of this morning's long route. The climbing on the Hundskopf is undistinguished, particularly given the grand surroundings, but it was a pleasant place to spend the afternoon. Vic led Lupo, which took a wide and twisting crack to a steeper section up juggy ledges. I led Idefix, a tad harder, up the vague arete to the right. This had some nice moves up to a steep slab below an overhang. Moves right gain a sharp arete and a pull over to the finish: longish pitch. Amadeus was another longish ridge pitch to the left, after which it was a race against time to avoid the next thunderstorm galloping in from the west: the first rumbles and flashes came as Vic failed on a harder route. We both abbed off to retrieve the gear, packed the stuff in record time, and ran back to the hut. This time, in contrast to last night, we got there just in the nick of time as the heavens opened. A splendid evening of refuelling followed: superb beer, soup, Wiener Schnitzel and Topfenstrudel.

Fuhrerweg climb

Crag: Totenkirchl, Wilder Kaiser, Austria
Route: Fuhrerweg (u2,3-,2,2,3,2,3-,3,2:led p.2,4,6,8,10)
This historic route, which finds an easy way through the outrageous rock walls of the Totenkirchl, seemed an ideal way to start our trip. It is little more than a scramble technically, around UK Diff in standard, but is the only real line of resistance and so is (very mildly) committing. After a wet night, the day dawned clear and we sat around in the sunshine eating breakfast: not something I have ever done before at a mountain hut. This casual approach had a price: we walked along the wooded ridge towards the face and spied a few parties ahead of us. We were inevitably going to get caught behind them. The initial ridge is delightful, and leads to a broad scree gully leading up to the walls of the Totenkirchl which tower above. One awkward move round a jammed boulder leads to a widening, before the first 50m 'pitch' is reached. This is just a scramble, around grade II climbing, but very enjoyable and sustained the whole way. At the stance, we roped up and realised we were going nowhere fast, with two or three pairs above. However, we soon reconciled ourselves to our fate, a relaxed start to the trip - and, as I was concerned about the possibility of storms, I was consoled by the fact that we would be able to retreat first if a storm rolled in later on. Still, it was frustrating to have to wait for three separate parties on such an easy route which we could have quickly romped up. I led the steeper second, which took a wet chimney on slippery and polished limestone. A long traverse then led to an 8 metre downclimb into a gap above a long chimney, which gave Vic the lead of the crucial 'Fuhrerwandl' pitch. This looks steep from across the gap, but is actually slabby and delightfully juggy: a nice pitch with one tricky move to finish. Another long traverse right gains the base of the main chimney system, known as the Fuhrerkamin, a huge feature very clearly visible from the hut. Vic led up the waterworn groove itself in one long rope length. I led through, up steep rock to the right of an obvious constriction then continued up the chimney line to some tat above some huge jammed boulders. From my stance, I realised I had gone too high and missed the crucial leftward traverse! This was annoying, as we had climbed past the slowest party by now and were making rapid progress. But I was able to secure the downclimb by clipping the tat and joined Vic for the leftwards escape from the main chimney system. This leads to a subsidiary chimney groove (the Leuchsrinne), which is easier, and heads up to the main terrace. As we completed the pitch, a triple clap of thunder rang out. Decision time. We had done all the climbing on the main part of the route - the rest is a walk up the terrace to a short pitch below the summit. I had no desire to be caught in a storm high up on the mountain, although Vic felt we should wait to see if the storm passed. We went with retreat which, on this occasion was the wrong decision, but I still felt it was sound mountain judgment. Indeed, we had to reverse the entire route anyway, with a series of at least 8 abseils. When we got to the base, the sun came out and all danger of storms passed: such is the nature of the game. We picked an exposed an tenuous line down through spectacular pyramids to the east, intent on finding the Wildangerwald. This was unnecessarily tiring in the building heat, wasted energy, and we finally retreated back up to the hut for water before setting out for some afternoon cragging on the Hundskopf.

Griesenau to Stripsenjoch

I've been caught in a few storms in my time, but none quite as sudden or violent as this one, which made for an unexpectedly memorable hut walk at the start of this year's Alpine trip. We had flown into Munich in the afternoon, stopped for a pizza at Walchsee and started the short walk in to Stripsenjoch unusually late, almost 7pm. The reason for this casual approach was that we had booked places, and I had previously visited the hut in 2011 from the much longer northern approach via the Eggersteig and knew this way to be far easier. It was indeed, but we didn't factor in the storm which blew in very rapidly as we contoured up through the trees in worsening light and increasing humidity. The view up to the Ellmaeur Tor from here is spectacular, arguably Europe's most dramatic col. We were stripped to the waist initially, then came a distant clap of thunder. By the time we emerged from the woods, the storm had blown in (from the other side of the Stripsenjoch to the west - which was why it took us by surprise). Soon, torrential rain and squally gusts accompanied the thunder and lightning. Mercifully, the hut's lights glimmered not too far above, so we put our running fitness to good use and increased the speed, with headtorches and coats replacing the bare chests! Water cascaded from the slabs above the path - as Vic said, it was like being in a car wash without the car. I likened it to having buckets of water thrown over you. Explosions of thunder and seemingly constant lightning flashes as we crested the col and scampered into the warmth and conviviality of the hut, totally sodden. Time for one beer before bed in our own room in the separate hut building.

Pen Trwyn climbing

Crag: Pen Trwyn, Llandudno
Routes: Belay Bunny Bounces Back (f6a+:led), Really Exciting Climb (VS 5a:sec), Vic 20 (HVS 5a:sec), Captain Percival (f6a+:led)
Intermittent visits to the Orme over many years tend to end the same way - tail between the legs, defeated by the steep and sustained nature of the climbing. This was only a partial exception, in the sense that we got four decent routes in before the pump kicked in on a harder route. I am at least now building a reasonable list of routes around the Orme, albeit slowly! I kicked off with the f6a+ that we failed on at the end of a tiring session a couple of years ago. Like all the routes here, it is steep to start, focusing the mind immediately with a series of sustained moves on good holds. Once passed the third bolt, it eases slightly but is sustained up to here. It is pumpy, though, deceptively steep as ever on this crag, and I weighted the fourth bolt briefly even though this is after the crux. Above, it eases but remains thought-provoking. The VS to its right is a bit of a sandbag, steep moves to a polished crack which gives nice climbing. Good line, but closer to HVS. The route to its left actually is HVS, albeit top-end, with technical climbing at first with a tiny pinch and small footholds - more like 5b - leading to an excellent positive crack and steep but enjoyable climbing up a bulge to finish. Much further right, Captain Percival is a 6a+ right next to the road. Steep moves on good holds lead to an unfortunate grass ledge before a waterworn groove gives good climbing to a wide bridge: then a delicate and technical move on to the face on the right, small holds, up to a bigger flat hold and the finish. We ended the day by failing on the notoriously desperate start of the 6b+ to its right.

Dyserth climbing

Crag: Dyserth waterfall crag
Routes: Magnificent Rita (f5:sec), Men of Dinorwic Slate (f5:led), Rhubarb Wall (f6a+:sec), Diamonds and Pearls (f5:led), Suleiman the Insignificant (f5:sec), Custard Corner (f5:sec), Windsor Wall (f6b:sec)
A short afternoon trip, with just a couple of hours spare. All routes were repeats, as I had swept the crag on a winter's day a few years ago. It may not be the greatest venue, but it is pleasant enough right next to the stream through this sylvan valley, and very convenient for a short visit. The longer corner taken by 'Dinorwic' is steep, juggy and interesting, and I bouldered out the top of Rhubarb Wall while I was here (the best route on this part of the crag, in a good position above the overhangs). Custard Corner seemed much better than last time: good, powerful laybacking up an obvious corner with crystals for the feet, and the 6b eliminate 'Windsor Wall' is also entertaining and good for finger strength. One of the most public places I have ever climbed, with dozens of visitors from nearby holiday resorts wandering past and stopping to ask questions!

Deeside track mile

Race: Deeside Track Mile (One mile)
Time/Position: 5.05.6 (5th from 35)
Track events are the obvious thing missing from my 'running CV'. Not surprisingly, age is a bit of a barrier to speed, and 47 is hardly the perfect age for this distance, although I suspect I wouldn't have had much raw speed even if I had taken it seriously in my early 20s. I ran a 9.49 3k on the track a few years ago, and have trained a few times at the Deeside track, but this was my first ever formal measured track mile. The pace was obviously hard from the off, but I held back a bit, unable to go with the pace of this first heat. By the second lap I managed to catch up a bit with my usual 'one pace' approach, tucked in behind Dave and Chris, then pushed as hard as I could on the last lap, narrowly failing to break 5 minutes. I will try a few more 1500m/mile races on the track this summer, if possible, before switching to the entirely contrasting (but also largely missing from my experience) ultras next year.

Dinbren climbing

Crag: Dinbren, Eglwyseg
Routes: Sally in Pink (VS 4b:led), Astrola (VS 4b:sec), The Phoenix (S 4a:led), Nit Nurse (E1 5b:sec), Tower of Babel (VS 5a:sec), Babbling Arete variant (S 4a:led), Babel Face (HVS 5a:sec)
Although I rarely bother with trad limestone these days, this is a crag I have visited often in the past: I've been coming here for more than a quarter of a century. It has a lovely outlook over Dinas Bran towards Arenig, and the climbs are reasonably good. Sally in Pink is probably the route I've done most often in the entire valley: a nice, clean-cut groove and a strong line. It's not too polished, and the 'wobbly block' at half height is still there 26 years after I first put a sling round it! The dead yew tree is still there too. Vic then led the polished Astrola, before I nipped up The Phoenix, which again has a tree to negotiate but is a pleasant climb up a corner groove: couldn't remember bothering with it before. We took the opportunity to nip up Nit Nurse, a spicy E1 to the left. Nip being the operative word, as a technical wall of fine limestone leads to a steep, very powerful move over the threadable bulge to a juggy upper wall. Quite high in the grade, and a good, though short, route. The VS up the first 'tower' struck us as a tad overgraded, although the HVS led by Vic to its right is tricky - on rather fragile and snappy rock. Not well travelled, which is not surprising. I led up Babbling Tower, forgetting that the arete gives the better route, so switched to it half way up.

Ras Moel Hebog

Race: Moel Hebog fell race (4.2m/2460ft)
Time/Position: 62.24 (14th from 63)
This Welsh Championship race was always likely to be a struggle, as the third race in four days, but it was rendered particularly draining given the flat-out nature of last night's Tattenhall team race. Having said that, it's the third time I've done this classic race, and it is probably the best kind of race to do in these less-than-ideal circumstances, with a steep 'walk' up and a descent that really depends on your willingness to risk a sprained ankle (or worse) on the loose rocks and scree that make up much of the upper part of Hebog. The weather was dank and humid with a cloud base around 1500ft, and the course has changed to take in an initial loop through the centre of Beddgelert first. Predictably, I was very slow on the climb and very relieved to be able to use my arms as we got to the rocky sections at the top. Some wind for the short summit ridge, then the usual awkward and hazardous descent, particularly tricky in the wet. Shifting scree, large boulders, trying to stick to the grass where possible. Given the circumstances, I had a reasonable descent and passed three runners, although Andy charged past just before we regained the path. I summonsed a bit more energy for the fast and flat run back to the hotel. Well outside my previous times for the race, but that is partly due to the longer course. An ideal family day out, as with Ras y Gader, and we all had a nice village walk and picnic to follow.

Tattenhall Tough Team

Race: Tattenhall Tough Team (9m+)
Time/Position: 61.41 (6th from 197 [2nd team from 66])
Fourth time at this great event, but the first time I've ever done it properly as a team: much better, good fun and camaraderie, with a tactical element. Previously, I have always been middle man, isolated between Jez and either Eric or Steve. This time, Chris and Dave were my team-mates, which Chris has long suggested would make an ideal team. He was absolutely right, it worked really well - I tried to make up for the age gap (I was the oldest by some margin!) by keeping the pace steady, which is what I'd been employed to do. We stuck together for the first long road section, in the lead at this point, then teams from Helsby and Wallasey started to pull clear as we entered the long off-road section through the Peckforton Hills. We moved into second place, and held this on the infamous and outrageously steep railway, although could never quite catch the Helsby team. Chris slipped behind slightly, but by the time we reached the flatter fields we were all together again, which was brilliant as this is the most enjoyable section of the race with views out to the Cheshire plain. On the long road run in, we could see Helsby in front of us, tantalisingly close, but they had around a minute on Chris and I by the finish back in Tattenhall. Dave slipped a few seconds behind, but we were comfortably established in second place by then (the same position as myself, Jez and Eric finished in last year). Good fun, but then it was time for every recovery technique I could muster before tomorrow's important Moel Hebog race.

Up the Beast fell race

Race: Up the Beast fell race (7.5k/2000ft)
Time/Position: 42.08 (8th from 79 [2nd V40])
Tired after a day climbing on the slate, I didn't really feel up to this as I arrived with just a few minutes to spare. But it is probably the only race that I have done every year since it started, perhaps 10 consecutive editions, so I felt obliged to continue the tradition! Unsurprisingly, my time was a couple of minutes down on last year, and even further down on my best times a few years ago, but I didn't feel too bad and ran a reasonably good tactical race. It is always a hot and humid race, particularly the airless second climb back to Bryn Alyn, but this year took the biscuit: pouring with sweat throughout the race. I gradually worked my way through the field and just about managed to keep it going for the 'new' finishing route through the Maeshafn woods.

Llanberis Slate Climbing

Crag: Llanberis Slate (California, Serengeti, Never Never Land)
Routes: We No Speak Americano (f6a:led), A Pair of Six (E2:sec), Serengeti Express (f3:sec), Peter Pan (f6a+:led), Sans Chisel Variation (f6b:sec), Hawkeye (f5:sec), Macsen (f5+:led), Fresh Air (f5+:sec)
Not the day we had planned, but it was the only option when Vic realised he'd forgotten the wires as we started to gear up at the base of Craig Ddu. A very hot and humid day in a dry week, hence our choice of that normally wet and forbidding crag, but the lack of gear forced our hand: slate was the only option. As it happened, it was an excellent one, and I suggested a 'touring' approach, which works really well and adds an extra exploratory dimension to the quarries. We walked past the now-banned Dali's Hole, getting great views down to the pool from the contouring path which leads to the tunnel through to California. I got the wrong tunnel initially, but then you emerge at the dripping wet initial pit, followed by another tunnel to the atmospheric upper level of California, a huge bowl of slate: massive boulders and big walls all around. Our route was, in contrast to all that seriousness, an amenable f6a, albeit in a sombre atmosphere far removed from the usual sports clip-ups. I led up a shallow groove, steepish but on excellent holds to a belay ledge. An easy aperitif, and it seemed logical to continue up the harder second 'pitch', which has some thought-provoking moves up a series of fairly steep bulges. One of these contained a wasp's nest - which meant an interesting 'mounting' of a sharp bulging arete trying to avoid it. The pitch was a good 30m long, absorbing and surprisingly good, in atmospheric surroundings: well worth the effort, all clean and on-sight. We took the opportunity to second A Pair of Six, less amenably bolted, but similar in standard: hard moves above the ledge, after which we lowered off for a delayed lunch. The mild adventure then continued, up the sliding scree to the top of the California bowl, then across a verdant area being reclaimed by birches and rich vegetation, up steps to rope up for the mini 'climb' up a stepped groove (Serengeti Express) which leads to a small plateau overlooking California. From here, a tunnel brings you out above the Serengeti level and big views across to Nant Peris and Yr Wyddfa. Some intermittent rainfall, but it was so hot that the slate was drying almost immediately. Because we were limited to sports routes, I decided to go for Peter Pan, an eye-catching and photogenic line I have looked at before. It is an unusual route, which takes a slanting and steep seam with all the bolts on the smooth wall to the right. All quite steep and slightly off-balance, but good holds all the way to the mildly famous crux at the top. This involves a hidden hold. Not sure if I found it, but my solution was to lay away off a sidepull before a very long reach for a long, flat hold and a powerful move to the top. A satisfying route to do clean and onsight. We nipped up the 6b further right, deciding to pass on the desperate-looking Nick the Chisel at 7b! The 6b takes a series of small ledges up to good moves on small pockets to gain easier flakes. On the way back to the car, we stopped at the edge of Never Never Land to do a few more routes: I seconded Vic up Hawkeye, which I've done before, then led Macsen in the rain up sharp flakes and a short corner. As is often the case here, this is absurdly overgraded and would probably be f4 in Provence. Fresh Air is always a nice way to finish: then it was a jog back to the car and a long journey to the start of the Beast race in Maeshafn, and part two of the day.

Idwal climbs

Crag: Idwal Quarry (Ogwen)
Routes: Toasted Teacake Crack (VD:sol/sh), Toasted Teacake Slab (VD:sol/sh)
After breakfast, it was still only 6am, so I did a couple of short routes in the scruffy little gorge near Ogwen cottage. Pleasant, with the sunshine lighting the top half of the slab. Several variations on the slab to the right of the crack, trying to avoid the jugs. A bit of bouldering on the nearby Idwal Cottage Crag, including the three V1s, and it was time to drive to work.