Ras y Gader

Race: Ras y Gader/Cader Idris fell race (10.5m/3000ft/AM)
Time/Position: 1.42.47 (24th from 270)
Back at the Cader race for the first time since 2009: a long gap. Too long, in fact, for me to remember the important racing line down the grassy rake from the summit rocks. I missed it, which was rather annoying, although once again I descended better than I climbed (which is not saying very much). The race always has a real sense of occasion starting and finishing in Dolgellau, that most distinctive and attractive of north Wales towns, and it celebrated its 25th anniversary this year (the 4th time I have done it). It is not an easy race to pace, as a long but steep road climb from the town makes the start pretty quick, before a long cross-country style path around the side of Llyn Gwernan. The next few fields are often very boggy, but were much drier today, and the mist was beginning to lift from the Cyfrwy arete and even Pen y Gadair itself after a wet morning. Finally, the car park and start of the normal ascent route is gained. This goes steeply up 'steps' for a good few hundred metres until it levels off to contour the lower hillside below hidden Llyn y Gadair. It steepens again at the zig zags, and I missed a couple of short cuts. Steve and I were together and equally matched, not for the first time this season! At the broad bwlch, the angle eases again and a runnable section leads up to steep scree before another runnable section (I cut the corner across awkward scree) leads to the final, much rockier climb. Mist was playing round the summit, quite atmospheric, and temperatures were a good 10c colder than in Dolgellau. I touched the cairn in 1.02 from Eldon Square (32nd to the top). The descent is notoriously tricky at first, down some rocky steps to the gentler section. I pelted down here, only realising after a couple of minutes that I was alone, and all the runners I had been with were instead hundreds of metres ahead on the grassy racing line! Very annoying. After this, I took all the direct short-cuts straight down the steepest line cutting out the zigzags. I like this terrain and took a few places. The contouring section back to the car park is good if you have the legs, and I felt OK. The key challenge in this race then becomes the small matter of adapting to the level XC section round the lake. Not easy after the flat-out descent, but a bit of endurance kicked in and I took five or six more places before the manic final dash down two miles of steep tarmac: around 39.50 from the summit to Eldon Square. An ideal family outing, we all enjoyed the day, and it was nice to do this classic race again after such a long gap.