HK-Peckforton

I have three 'compass point' runs from home, all of which I've done in 2020, all of which are around 20m and scenically interesting with a challenging mix of terrain. North heads to Hilbre, South heads to Llangollen, West heads to Denbigh. I've done 'south' and 'west' twice, 'north' once, but I'd never tried 'east' before today as I'm slightly prejudiced about it as a direction of travel! The first few miles are relaxed and on tarmac, from HK to Balderton and then up the long drag to Eccleston. From here I took the ultra muddy Dee path to Aldford, and then headed direct to Lea Farm, new territory for me. It was always likely I would be caught out by flooding (as opposed to mere mud) at some point, and so I was - on a section of Bishop Bennett's Way which disappeared under a metre of water after a mile of boggy fields. I cut across the fields looking for a way to cross the swollen Aldford Brook. Eventually I found a bridge, and fields led to Milton Green before fast tarmac to Tattenhall. Then came the very familiar TTT opening up the long drag to Burwardsley and the Pheasant, where I met K and E for a walk along the Sandstone Trail and a cold picnic. This 'easterly' route needs some refining before I can add it to the roster. It's a bit too short at a tad over 16 miles, and very awkward in these wet conditions. Beeston might make a more distinctive objective. 

Nos Galan virtual 5k

Race: Nos Galan virtual 5k (HK-Bretton)

Time: 18.15

After enjoying Nos Galan so much last year, I entered the virtual event, only to find it was non competitive. So, with no need to race I just ran from home to Bretton, recording a perfunctory time to submit, then continued running to the Roodee for a family walk.

North Llyn traverse

More by luck than judgement, this lengthy outing took place just before the latest Welsh lockdown. A long run along the North Llyn coast had been forming as a vague plan for some time, as I have tried to spend a little more time exploring the Llyn this year. In the event, it exceeded my expectations and Jez joined me (two cars being essential) for the 6am start from HK, driving the entire width of north Wales to park beyond Uwchmynydd at the stunning tip of the Llyn overlooking Bardsey. For me, this location matches anything in the British Isles, and a 45mph tailwind then blew us up Mynydd Mawr, an easy start. Joining the coast path, the next section is scenically stunning, descending towards Porth Llanllawen and rounding Mynydd Anelog - another of the mini-mountains that characterises this end of Llyn. I was slipping and sliding immediately, my trail shoes an unwise choice given the volume of rain we have had. It was immensely muddy in places, and a very heavy shower blew in for the next section along the fabulous coastline (much lower cliffs here) to Porth Oer, the famous whistling sands, which I haven't visited since childhood. The running was easier here, and after another soaking heavy shower, it started to dry off for the easy terrain to Traeth Penllech (seals, choughs), and even a little sunshine peeked through the clouds. Beyond this, however, it became immensely muddy, and multiple isolated coves make life tricky with multiple switchbacks and some tricky river crossings where the high tide merged with outflows in spate (Porth Ysglaig, for example). The gentler pastoral feel then gives way to the weird interlude of Morfa Nefyn and its golf course - joltingly suburban and strange. We saw plenty of people here, of course, the only humans we saw all day apart from a few surfers. The section round Porth Dinllaen was hard to follow, but it did mean we took in the famous Ty Coch. High tide meant we had to climb an exposed dune system back to the golf course - all a bit draining. It was then an essential part of the plan to get food in Nefyn, so we detoured inland for a bit of road running then a tasteless pasty. After more road, normal service was resumed at Pistyll, where the route again becomes wilder and wilder, skirting Penrhyn Glas before fantastic running on high ground which then descends towards the peerless Nant Gwrtheyrn - undoubtedly one of Wales' finest sights, and that is even more marked when descending from the south towards the sea through a unique sessile oak woodland. From the wild beach, we climbed through the deserted language centre then all the way up the tarmac to Bwlch yr Eifl (the route I took for one of my first post-lockdown outings in summer). A final freezing shower of hail as we crested the pass, the day's highpoint, before descending rough ground to Trefor and an unexpected final loop around the coast with a stunning sunset beyond Carreg y Llam, the cliffs of Yr Eifl plunging down to the sea. Then, finally, back on the road through Gyrn Goch to Clynnog Fawr. Around 55k, with over 6000ft of climbing, 6.5 hours, with the mud slowing progress. A memorable end to 2020, all the more so as the latest lockdown was announced during the outing.

North Wales virtual half marathon champs

Race: Deeside-Chester half marathon (NW virtual champs)

Time/Position: 1.20.09/1.21.06 (9th from 51 [1st V50])

My original solution to the problem of running a solo half marathon was to do it somewhere scenic and inspiring. So I headed to Llanwddyn on Saturday to do the Vyrnwy race route (which at one time was a pb course for me). After five miles, I found the road completely blocked and utterly impassable (there were signs all the way but I assumed I would be able to pass). I returned to the dam, at 3.43 per km pace, which is pretty quick for me at present, but lost motivation given the change of plans (and a headwind). So I had to revert to plan B, and asked M to accompany me on the bike this morning. My plan was to run from the Blue Bridge in Queensferry west to the railway bridge and then along the Chester Millennium Greenway for 6 miles or so. It worked well, as it is a sheltered route and virtually flat - M did a good job and handed me a couple of gels. I turned just before the university and the return went well until a headwind made life hard for the final mile back to the Blue Bridge. In retrospect, I was perhaps a little too conservative and comfortable, and slower than my pace at Vyrnwy. My Garmin under-measures distance, annoyingly, but Strava re-measured it as a minute faster - around 2.5 minutes slower than my pb, which isn't too bad. 

Tal y Fan

Peaks: Tal y Fan

Area: Carneddau, Eryri

With a plan to run the virtual half marathon champs tomorrow, and the Lakes trip in my legs, a short outing made sense today. So I drove all the way to Bwlch y Ddaefaen in diabolical conditions - 45mph winds and torrential rain, with the road running with water and all streams in spate. I didn't hang around, ploughing down the road then taking the direct route to the summit from the style. I had a bit of a tailwind, but this was negated by the saturated nature of the ground, with much running water. I got to the trig in 13 minutes, not too bad in the circumstances. Strong gusts saw me scurrying back down to the car.

Helvellyn north circuit

Peaks: Helvellyn, White Side, Raise, Sheffield Pike

Area: Helvellyn, Lake District

We had vague plans to revisit the Grisedale horseshoe fell race route as we set off from our parking on the shores of Ullswater. A pleasant night in Ambleside (back at the YHA I stayed in last month), meeting up with Vic for the first time since March. We took the obvious bridleway north of the Ullswater valley up to the mines, then joined the main path up towards Red Tarn. This is a bit of a slog, and the cloudbase was right down. The wind was light down here, however, and we made rapid progress up to Swirral Edge (taken by the race route). This gives a short and mild scramble, enjoyable even in the damp and cold mist, straight up to the summit of Helvellyn. Given the wind direction, we decided to reverse our plans and instead head north - a route I hadn't taken since 1988 with the university hiking club! After a small nav error - heading towards Grasmere - we adjusted and came out on top of Lower Man, then made rapid progress on the comfortable terrain which leads over White Side to Raise and, eventually, Sticks Pass. This is a major watershed and gives a superb descent east towards Ullswater. At the boggy col, we went our separate ways. Vic back to the car, me on the squelchy ridge (pure bog) leading to the top of Sheffield Pike. This was a new summit for me, and a nice one - with good views down to Ullswater. It was out of the mist, so I finally got a view. The descent is complex and very boggy, leading through Glencoyne wood on a tiny, obscure path (especially by Lakes standards) which popped out right next to Vic and the car! A pleasant microbreak, much like the last one in November.

Howgills

Peaks: Winder, Arant Haw, Calders, The Calf

Area: Howgills, Cumbria

Back in the Howgills for the first time since the OMM of 2012. That is a fairly frustrating memory, as I dropped out of the elite course with Mick after day 1 (to this day I'm not entirely sure why, but it was certainly my fault). No hard work today, just a quick outing in fairly grim weather from the centre of Sedbergh involving a steep but short climb straight up the front of Winder to gain the little ridge that leads to the summit. On the OMM (and the Rab of 2009, which also took place in the Howgills and was a superb event on which I came 7th overall in wonderful weather) you obviously have to prioritise navigation and route choice. No such issues today, so I headed direct along the ridge to Arant Haw (which lies some distance from the main bridleway and so is much quieter). It was misty, wet and windy for the continuation over the sub-peak of Calders and out to the highpoint of the range at the Calf. I'd been up all these peaks before on the mountain marathons, but really enjoyed revisiting them. Squally blasts of wind and sleet at certain points. The mist began to clear only as I descended the big path east of Winder which takes in a little valley and heads direct back to the centre of Sedbergh. An ideal little outing to break the journey to Ambleside, where I now headed.

Northern Carneddau

Peaks: Drosgl, Moel Wnion

Area: Carneddau, Eryri

Drosgl doesn't see many visits, even from me. It's a shapeless plateau on the edge of the Carneddau and a long haul from Aber. I went fairly well from the A55 up to the Falls, but then slowed for the route up the wet valley below Wnion. This has a tiny path for a section but then becomes very wet and hard going, almost a gorge. I hopped across the river for the extremely steep climb out the other side which eventually gains gentler slopes. From here, it is not too bad across to Bera Mawr, but I went straight for Drosgl. Conditions on the high peaks were very wintry, a lot of snow with more falling. Given my garb, I had to launch plan B, which was to join the main Aryg path down to towards Gyrn and a climb up the front of Moel Wnion. The descent down to Aber is always fast and hugely enjoyable with the Menai Strait in front, and today was no exception.

Vale of Clwyd half marathon

Race: Vale of Clwyd half marathon

Time/Position: 1.22.10 (1st from 32)

A rare overall race win for me: they come around every 6 or 7 years! Admittedly, it was a small field this year for obvious reasons - but I think I prefer the word 'exclusive'. Not the best time, nearly five minutes down on my PB and exactly identical to my Four Villages time in January. But, like that race, this is not the quickest course - with around 300m of climbing in its journey round all the pretty lanes linking the villages of Gellifor, Llanynys and Llandyrnog. It was cold and frosty, with tendrils of mist in the bottom of the vale when we set off from Llandyrnog. A young lad broke clear, along with Richard Eccles. After the youngster dropped away, the race evolved into a great battle between the two veterans. We were more or less neck and neck the whole way. I pulled ahead on the drag up to Groes Efa, but then fell behind on the flatter sections that form a scenic balcony above the vale. Most of the time, however, we ran at exactly the same pace - and it felt great to be in a proper race after the dozens of cancellations and virtual events which have wrecked this running year. Towards the end, there's a long drag up Foel Goch - at least a mile up a very narrow road, climbing the whole way - and I made a move on this, before emptying the tank on the flat run in past the Kinmel Arms and back to the village. One of my very rare overall wins came at the Vale of Clwyd 10k back in 2013, but I'd never done the half marathon before: a lovely route.