Eglwyseg Round from Bwlchgwyn

All my carefully considered plans for V50 races have been blown out of the water, so there's not much left apart from variations on some of the long local loops I have done in the past. This was one such. I have done several variations on rounds of the Eglwyseg valley over the years, usually starting in Llangollen. This time I parked in Bwlchgwyn, taking small paths towards Minera and finally up to the World's End road which winds across Ruabon Moor. This is always peaceful, especially so under lockdown, with great views towards Berwyn. Dropping down to World's End, I joined OD for the path under the crags, which I have always considered to be the best scenery and best running in north-east Wales. In Llangollen, I got a pie and chocolate milk (a very rare shop visit) which gave something of a boost for the very long run back. This takes the canalside path to the Chain Bridge, then the lanes to Rhewl before the brutal Conquering Hero. This is always the crux of these rounds, and was again today - an unrelenting climb, initially on tarmac and then on grass up to the bwlch below Moel y Gamelin. The route to the summit is even steeper, and a squall blew in at this point - cold, windy and rainy for the haul over Moel y Faen, down to the Ponderosa and up Cyrn y Brain. From here there was still a long run-in through Llandegla forest back to Bwlchgwyn. Nearly 40k, 1200m, 3:47.