Area: Moel Hebog, Eryri
After turning 54 yesterday, I decided to test myself on a time-trial up a climb I know very well. The route up Hebog from Beddgelert is, let's say, rather punishing. I did the race a few times in my late 30s and early 40s, and once more recently, and broke the hour up-and-down quite comfortably more than once. I don't think I could do that nowadays, but I was still pleased with this little session. From the old Gelert shop I took the road over the railway line to the cycle path and then the relentlessly steep main climb - which rarely lets up at all and often gets rocky and awkward. This is particularly the case towards the top, where there are multiple lines of varying efficiency. I got a pretty decent one through the scree and emerged at a very windy ridge with the mist down, stumbling across a young couple arguing about whether or not they should continue: they seemed surprised to see me emerge from the other side of the ridge in shorts. From the summit (43 minutes from Beddgelert, 31.50 for the steep part), I plummeted down the northern slopes, getting out of the wind quickly, then took the rocky and awkward descent towards the conifer plantations. This leads to a horrible path, which is actually marked out as if sensible people might want to do it. It takes a direct line through the conifers, appallingly boggy and awkward throughout, to eventually gain fire tracks back to the railway. My sole detached itself from my right shoe at the top of the track, meaning I had to hobble in without it, essentially padding along on a sock, which is rather painful on gravel. The shoes were ceremonially binned in Caernarfon.
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