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.