Chester parkrun

'Race': Chester parkrun

Time/Position: 19.30 (10th from 260 [1st V50])

My worst ever parkrun finishing position, but given that this was the first time I had run at an even vaguely quick pace since mid-September, I was pretty pleased. Only the second time I've done the B course, which takes a tighter loop with less off-road running. That said, it was still pretty slippery in the conditions. High HR at times, but mainly in the final mile.

Bethesda hills

Peaks: Moel Faban, Llefn, Gyrn, Moel Wnion, Drosgl, Gyrn Wigau

Area: Carneddau, Eryri

Like most people, I tend to neglect this side of the Carneddau in favour of the higher peaks. I remember doing the old Moel Wnion race route from Rachub nearly 20 years ago, but apart from that the tops of the first few little hills have rarely been visited. They are Bethesda's home hills, and I was up Moel Faban from the central car park in less than 20 minutes: strong winds and grim conditions higher up, so this was a good choice. Over the lumps of Llefn and the impressive outcrop of Gyrn to gain the standard path up Wnion with a lovely tailwind. That became a challenging crosswind for the ancient Llwybr Aryg track which skirts and contours the higher mountain of Drosgl. No real path to the summit, so I ploughed up through the boulders, mist flirting with the top, then plummeted down towards Gyrn Wigau. From here, a superb and exhilarating path weaves down to Gerlan far below: great views of the high Carneddau. A nice tour of the different parts of Bethesda (there aren't many more interesting towns) by doing it this way too: back down to the central car park through the hilly maze of little streets (1.41 for the 14k/1000m round).

Round the Walls

Race: Round the Walls

Time/Position: 25.48 (34th from 531 [1st V50])

A great relief to be back racing after my longest lay-off since E was born in 2004! By far my worst ever finishing position at the Walls race (perhaps the 12th or 13th time I've done it, 50th anniversary race this year) although that seemed inevitable as I haven't raced or done any speed sessions since developing glandular fever after London in October. I have finished as high as 8th in the past, but just tried to maintain a steady pace today - only the second time I have ever done it anticlockwise. In fact, this was possibly the best and most satisfying of the many different route variations over the years: a proper lap of the racecourse (surprisingly dryish), then east round the perimeter Deeside bike path to gain the walls on Lower Bridge Street. I had no idea how I would feel so took it very steady before picking it up just a little as we crossed Northgate: in fact my HR stayed relatively low throughout, which is very promising after the travails of the last few months - finishing first V50 was pure fluke, however. Morgan had a superb debut at his first ever proper race, finishing in the top 100, so a good day all round.

Carneddau south

Peaks: Pen yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd

Area: Carneddau, Eryri

A very rapid thaw, even by Welsh standards, with almost all snow gone and gale-force south-westerlies raking the tops. However, this was still another trip up new peaks for M, around a little loop I have done many times over several decades. A predictably wet slog up from Glan Dena, but then nicely clearing weather with spectacular cloudbursts as we took the little scramble above Cwm Lloer. Very windy along the ridge, with a painful hail shower, but great to be up here with the young man. Always awkward to descend from Dafydd to Cwm Lloer but we took a great line today and the shores of Ffynnon Lloer have always ranked highly in my list of favourite spots. Nicely sheltered too. 

Glyderau west

Peaks: Y Garn, Foel Goch, Mynydd Perfedd, Carnedd y Filiast

Area: Glyderau, Eryri

I missed the best of the weather yesterday, and did so again today: the early bird did not catch the worm. Still, this superb blocking-high cold snap demands some attention, so I set off up the very icy track to Idwal first thing, the peaks fully draped in white and nicely defined against a pale blue sky. I've been lucky enough to be up here in similar conditions many times over the years, and memories flooded back, especially of the winter climbs at the back of the cwm. Nothing like that planned today (the snow is still unconsolidated and the ice thin anyway), and my compromised physical condition still craves steep upward movement (yet baulks at fast running) for some reason, so the north-east (banana) ridge of Y Garn beckoned. This was superb, quite icy, some snow showers tracking in up Nant Ffrancon from Anglesey - nicely atmospheric with good snow cover. I put my kahtoolas on and adopted a steady uphill pace. I have done gate to summit in 28 minutes in the past, but was inevitably more pedestrian today. Not too shabby though, and I really enjoyed the hard-packed snow towards the top, and the bitterly cold summit shrouded in an icy mist. No place to linger, so I trotted down and along to Foel Goch in some tiring drifts. The weather started to clear as I crossed the deep dip and tiring thick snow up to Perfedd. Some sunshine now, and the mist peeled off Elidir as the sun lit the top rocks of Carnedd y Filiast: wonderful views, clearing in all directions. So far, so very good, but the descent from Filiast proved awkward under a thick blanket of snow. Getting to Ogwen from here is OK normally, but the path is narrow and hard to locate at the best of times. Today it was impossible, and I trawled through the nasty boulder fields for a long time, a very unpleasant 45 minutes down to Ogwen. I have had many unpleasant descents in my time, but this was a bad one. From the old Nant Ffrancon road I was in no state to run back to Ogwen Cottage so again resumed the now familiar fast walk, and it was icy throughout anyway. Crystal clear cloudless skies as I enjoyed a cup of tea and a pasty at the cottage, perfect winter conditions.

Carneddau north

Peaks: Llwytmor Bach, Yr Orsedd, Foel Ganol

Area: Carneddau, Eryri

A significant cold snap, long-lasting by the standards of recent years, and even recalling 2010 at times. As such, this was not the most sensible of choices today, due to the untracked nature of the ground and numerous drifts higher up, although time was limited so I couldn't stray too far from Conwy. I set off from the A55 at my now familiar fast walking pace, health still compromised. I would have done this anyway, however, as the road was streaked with black ice - and the path to the falls was similar in places. As a result, I decided against the awkward traverse above the falls, given the likelihood of ice, and ploughed instead straight up the fence - an extremely steep climb. Higher up, the wind was bitter - close to -20 windchill according to the mountain forecast. Around the subpeak of Llwytmor Bach the snow had drifted and this route was obviously not tracked out. I concluded a retreat to Cwm Anafon was the only realistic option, and that was hard enough, soft drifts throughout. I took a shallow gully to the top of Yr Orsedd, a fine place to be in these conditions (this ridge is too low and too close to the sea to hold much snow in normal circumstances). The rest of the fairly narrow ridge down to Foel Ganol was a delight, with an Alpine flavour as the sun came out, rare to have deep snow here, and great views across to Anglesey in front. Behind, Cwm Anafon looked menacing (although the weather infuriatingly cleared later on). From the col, I ploughed down to the tarmac and back down to Aber. 

Great End/Glaramara

Peaks: Great End, Allen Crags, Glaramara

Area: Borrowdale, Lake District

The weather is getting colder: temperatures plummeted overnight, and it seemed a good idea to get above the snowline today, which was high. Gone was the cloud of the last two days: crystal clear and bitterly cold as I drove down towards Seathwaite, one of the finest spots in the Lakes. I was vaguely thinking of going up Gable via Base Brown, but in the event I missed the path and instead headed up the main valley towards Stockley bridge. From here, one path goes up to Styhead Tarn (I remember going up here to climb on Gable many years ago). I took the Grains Gill path towards Great End, which looms superbly ahead, staying in view throughout. It is famous for its winter gullies and was snow-covered today. Even better, as far as I can remember I have never been up it before. So it turned into the logical objective for the day. Grains Gill narrows towards the top and becomes a little gorge (Ruddy Gill). Some tricky verglas required caution. At the top, below Great End, I joined the familiar path up to Esk Hause (painful memories of the brutal climax of the Wasdale Fell race). At Esk Hause, the snow cover became thicker, lending a superb Alpine ambience to the route up the Cove. It took me a little while to realise this was the familiar route up Scafell Pike, it just seemed so different in the snow. I had no intention of continuing up the Pike today, so branched off at the col to take in the plateau-like summit of Great End. Superb conditions, nicely snow covered with deep blue skies, and I had it all to myself. Bowfell, Scafell Pike and Gable all glistening white. I trotted back to Esk Hause with the sun dazzling over Esk Pike and Bowfell, then took the long, lumpy continuation ridge over Glaramara. Again, I have done this hill before but many years ago (from Langstrath, I think). The first peak of Allen Crags is reached very quickly, but the rest is a surprisingly long haul over multiple false summits. It is a little like the Glyder ridge at the Capel end, just when you think it's over, it kicks up again. All delightful though, with little frozen tarns dotted around rock outcrops (hardly any snow at this level). The top of Glaramara is equally complex, with numerous mini summits dotted around. I located the highpoint and then began the descent to Seathwaite down frozen turf and very icy north-facing slopes. I soon found myself above Combe Gill, too far north, descending to Seatoller. So I corrected myself and contoured round to embark on the extremely steep and pathless direct descent to Seathwaite. Fabulous views to Gable and Skiddaw were some distraction, but this was a very steep descent, even by my standards. Tricky to regain the base of the valley. A very encouraging three days: although I didn't really run, I did move quickly with some light jogging, and felt no ill-effects although remaining conscious the virus is still with me. Around 3500m of ascent, so things can't possibly be too bad.

Honister loop

Peaks: Dale Head, Hindscarth, Robinson, Fleetwith Pike

Area: Borrowdale/Buttermere, Lake District

This outing brought back happy memories of the legendary OMM of 2008, where we took the same route over the Dale Head ridge in 70mph winds and biblical rain, linking arms to avoid being blown over. Later, my tent flew away from the Buttermere camp (literally), cars floated downstream, and the abandoned event featured extensively on the BBC ('2000 runners unaccounted for'). The route up Dale Head was also familiar to me from the Borrowdale fell race, which I also did a long time ago - 2009 maybe? It was very cold at Honister, always a rather bleak spot, but this is a very quick route onto the summits - around 24 minutes from pass to summit. Thick hoar frost and a bitter wind, but signs of a clearance in the weather, which got better for the trot over to Hindscarth (which is set back from the true ridge line). Great views in clearing weather, down to Newlands and across to Pillar and Gable. Wonderful to be up here feeling relatively normal again (although still not able to properly run, I never felt especially tired and moved briskly throughout - albeit far slower than the last time I was here, the Anniverary Waltz fell race in 2016, which remains probably my best performance in Lakeland). I took the steep short cut direct to the flat summit of Robinson and its great views over Grasmoor and the Solway Firth. I could clearly see Criffel in Dumfries, which we ran up three years ago. I took a steep, obscure but direct descent down to Buttermere, then jogged up to Gatesgarth with the ridge of Fleetwith Pike looms above. As with Blencathra yesterday, I have only been up the Pike once, a strange omission as it is another fine mountain. I adopted the now familiar rapid uphill walk, a function of my glandular fever: entirely comfortable throughout. The ridge is superb, and rather like Hall's Fell yesterday leads in an elegant beeline to the summit with a little mild scrambling towards the top: around 32 minutes, which was quite pleasing given fitness levels and the stage of the day. The summit of Fleetwith Pike is one of the best spots in the Lakes, superb views over Buttermere and across to the ridge from Haystacks. Lots of memories of different races and mountain marathons came flooding back. A short jog down the continuation traverse line (with some sunshine) led down to the Dubs quarry road and a toastie at the Honister cafe. Later, a little mountain bike outing. And after that, a run from the YHA to the top of Castle Crag. I couldn't resist the latter, as it features as a short fell race: it is something like a 3k blast (or less) along the banks of the Derwent to the steep climb to the tiny summit, which occupies a famously beautiful spot above the Jaws of Borrowdale. In my compromised state of health (and after this morning's outing) it took me 20 minutes from the door of the hostel to the summit of Castle Crag. A wonderful few minutes enjoying the view and ambience before ambling back to relax at the hostel with a pint of Loweswater Gold.

Blencathra

Peak: Blencathra

Area: Northern Lakes

Arguably the most impressive mountain in the Lakes, so it is remarkable that I've only been up Blencathra once before, way back in the mid 90s. I seem to remember we went up Sharp Edge and down Hall's Fell that day. The weather was turning increasingly wintry as I set off from the edge of Threlkeld in the early afternoon after an easy drive up. The path headed up a little stream valley before contouring east to join the base of Hall's Fell ridge, which leads in a near-perfect beeline for the summit, definitely one of the UK's most direct ascents. I am still barely able to run, no real improvement, but moving quickly uphill (and moving quickly in the hills generally) is absolutely no problem. So this was perfect: it climbs at least 600m in 2k and doesn't really let up in steepness. Towards the top, it gets a little rocky and this was the exact point that thick hoar frost kicked in, making life a little tricky for the top section, some surprisingly awkward little slabs and icy rock walls. All good fun, and it finishes bang on the summit (41 minutes). Thick mist, very cold, light snow cover, so I evacuated down the west ridge immediately. This leads comfortably over the shoulder of Blease Fell - where the mist cleared to views over Keswick and Derwent Water - and down equally comfortable zigzags to get back to the stream valley above Threlkeld. Felt good throughout - around 1.36 for the loop. Drove down Borrowdale at dusk via a little side-trip to the Bowderstone: atmospheric.