Callow

Race: Callow fell race (8.5k/880m)

Time/Position: 1.15.20 (29th from 68)

This must be a contender for the hardest short fell race in the UK. Long Mynd Valleys (which I've done twice) is the famous race in these parts, but that is much longer and takes a while to build up to its brutal climax. In contrast, Callow gets to grips with it immediately. Little Stretton is absurdly picturesque, and the race starts from the beautiful valley (Ashes Hollow) which I remembered from the South Mynd Tour, one of many Shropshire races I have done. Not Callow though, so it was nice to finally put that right. After a short run up the valley, the race kicks right up steep pathless terrain which doesn't relent until the top of Ashlet, which is so obvious from the village. We had a wonderful little weather window for the race, and the views from sunlit Ashlet over to Caer Caradoc were superb - a tough contouring descent led down to Townbrook before entering another of the tight valleys that characterise this area. Then comes a savage climb up the front of Yearlet, long and draining. The descent into the top part of Ashes Hollow sadly gives no respite as it is extremely steep and awkward. After a brief run along the valley bottom (some locals had better lines than me here) you are into the next climb, brutally steep up the eastern slopes of Grindle. This hill is appropriately named, and the attrition really kicks in on this grinding climb. Took a bad line on the descent alongside the leading lady, culminating in thickets of impenetrable gorse. A few minutes relief down a very tight and awkward valley led to the final climb up Callow, where I started to lose places in earnest. A fast finish from the top of Callow to the edge of Little Stretton. A very memorable outing, and it started to rain the second I crossed the finish line!

Cwm Glas horseshoe (classic)

Peaks: Crib Goch, Garnedd Ugain

Area: Yr Wyddfa, Eryri

A return to Cwm Glas four days after my last visit, although this time prospects for an inversion seemed even better. The opportunity to do Crib Goch in a full cloud inversion was too good to miss, so I headed up towards Cyrn Las then took the very faint paths that lead to the boggy ground above Dinas Mot. I was aiming for the North Ridge of Crib Goch, and eventually located the horrible steep scree that leads up to the ridge itself. The mist was very thick, the weather dank and dreary, but I was growing increasingly confident about the conditions. The North Ridge gets narrow at the top, narrower than Crib Goch proper in fact, and was greasy and damp in the clag. Then, at the exact moment I arrived on the summit, I poked through the cloud: an absolutely stunning moment, one of the most memorable single experiences I have had in almost 40 years in the Welsh mountains. From then on, the day was stupendous: the narrowest part of the ridge was clear, then a layer of cloud framed Yr Wyddfa and Garnedd Ugain beyond. The Glyderau poked through, but in all other directions a sea of cloud. Even more remarkably, because it was still early I had it all to myself. The early part of the ridge was truly unforgettable, as occasional wisps of mist lapped over me then dissipated. I took the crest to maximise the impact, then traversed the first pinnacle. The exposed move up the final pinnacle had only just emerged from the clag so was damper than the rest, and then it was briefly back into the mist at Bwlch Goch before emerging into the light. The remainder of the ridge to Garnedd Ugain was stunningly clear, the sun higher up now, Yr Wyddfa glistening above a bank of cloud. I had a tremendous brocken spectre, my shadow framed against the shadow of the ridge itself and projected onto the cloud bank with rainbow halo. After a memorable few minutes on top of Garnedd Ugain I jogged back towards the Cyrn Las ridge that I had ascended on Monday. A triple 'glory' at one point, projected onto the cloud bank where Llanberis would ordinarily have been. More amazing effects over Cwm Glas and then it was back into the damp clag down Cyrn Las with some wet scrambling initially. I've been visiting Eryri very regularly since 1988, hundreds if not thousands of outings, but this was right up there as one of the most memorable days I have ever had in the Welsh mountains.

Elidir Fawr

Peaks: Elidir Fawr

Area: Glyderau, Eryri

I had originally planned a short Lakes break this week, and the weather was looking promising, but in the end circumstances dictated a short outing after a dental appointment in Flint. So it was mid-afternoon by the time I set out for this 'speed' outing up Elidir from Dinorwic. It has been at last a decade since I last did Pedol Peris but I jogged along to start what I remembered of that route up Elidir, the twisting quarry road as opposed to the direct ramp up the cable. This went reasonably well, and I got to the open hill fairly quickly. The weather was glorious: blue skies and perfect clarity, and I was on the summit in 40 minutes. Then came the real business of the day, to try to set some kind of time for the direct descent from summit to road, if only because it is all so obvious from the Vags hut directly below. It is rocky and awkward at first, but then eases a little (although always steep) to grass and bog before the lower section down a track: a few seconds over 19 minutes and an effort I inevitably paid for with aching quads two days later. A painful hobble back through the quarries in beautiful low sunlight.

Cwm Glas horseshoe

Peaks: Garnedd Ugain, Yr Wyddfa

Area: Snowdon, Eryri

Another of my crowd-avoiding variants up Snowdon, this was really just an attempt to give myself a cloud inversion opportunity. It is a game of chance, however, and I didn't win today (despite the fact that superb conditions prevailed a day or two ago). The Cyrn Las ridge is always a nice option, I remember first doing it in the 1980s when it felt like we were pioneers of the route. It is a bit more popular these days, indeed some people call it the Cwm Glas ridge, which isn't a bad description either, although I think of it as the former given the prominence of that crag as you ascend. I was tired after yesterday's race so it was slow, plodding progress into the mist. Sadly that mist stayed thick all the way up the ridge, through the scrambly sections, and up Garnedd Ugain. No hope of a clearance, but I carried on to the top of Snowdon anyway - no inversion, just damp clag, so I scampered down the Pyg track, tiring badly, and then cut down the craggy hillside towards Dinas Cromlech. There's a reason few people do this - it has several awkward crags and is generally arduous, but it does effectively cut the corner avoiding Pen y Pass.

Delamere trail half

Race: Delamere trail half marathon

Time/Position: 1.32.29 (4th from 479 [1st V50])

After winning my category at the Nantwich 10k a couple of years ago, I have kept something of a streak going: with prizes of a free entry to any of the RunThrough events, I followed up with more age category wins at the Ladybower Trail half and then the Carsington Water Trail half. This was in the same mould but much closer to home in Delamere. As with all these races, there's a large field of leisure runners but the routes are actually really good and very enjoyable. Some of the racing pressure is off, and I am still cogniscent of the fact this is my fallow year, so I took it gently, at least at first for the spiralling climb up Old Pale. From the top, no time to enjoy the views on a rather murky but mild and still autumn day. The route then commences on a tortuous route through various sections of Delamere, much of which was familiar, much of which wasn't. From the top, it headed down familiar tracks towards Manley Common, occasionally on the Sandstone Trail route, and then it curved back east towards Hatchmere before looping Blakemere Moss, like the parkrun, before another tortuous detour led to the finish. It was enjoyable throughout, quite muddy in places, steep in others, twisting in others. I gradually made my way through the field, and was alone at the end, although well behind third place.

British fell relays (Yorkshire Dales)

Race: Fell Relays leg 3 (12k/600m)

Time/Position: 1.45 (98th)

Back at the fell relays for the first time since 2017 or 2018, captaining Buckley's team this year. A beautiful location for it, at Appletreewick in Wharfedale, and a very enjoyable day for our team of six. That said, Huw was carrying an injury for our nav leg and really suffered, and we did finish much lower down the field than in our previous six times at the event (I have been the only 'ever present' since our first when it came to the Clwydians in 2007). It's always great to watch the top teams finish their legs, and it was particularly spectacular this year as the start and finish was up a brutally steep hill. Andy, Bonj and Simon had got us off to a good start on legs one and two. The day had brightened up after a dank and claggy start and was now superbly clear, luckily enough for us on the navigation leg. The start headed up the very steep hill common to all legs, before picking up the map at a farmhouse and then heading off across featureless moorland to the first checkpoint. The terrain was hard, minimal climbing but tussocky and boggy underfoot. We headed towards the fence a little too early but corrected ourselves and then headed to distant checkpoint two, right out to the north. This was hidden in a sinkhole, but we'd already seen checkpoint three near a small lake so picked that up easily before the long next leg - for which we took a good line contouring awkward terrain to drop down into the steep valley of the Dibb. A really steep descent - indeed all of this terrain was a nightmare for Huw, who was really struggling to maintain any kind of pace. Then came an extremely steep climb back out and a long circuitous section to pick up the three or four checkpoints around the Dibb valley. Moving slowly but at least we got our lines bang on, and then it was a cruel out-and-back over Kail hill, awful again for Huw but we had no real choice aside from lower contouring, before finishing back down the steep descent. Our worst ever team performance but still a really enjoyable day, complete with chilli and local pale ale in the barn, and then a pint at the superb Craven Arms.

Eirias Park XC

Race: Eirias Park, North Wales XC League 1 (8.3k)

Time/Position: 33.42 (45th from 152)

Despite the lowly position, this was a rather pleasing performance and very enjoyable by cross-country standards: the first fixture of the new season. I had never done the course before, and it takes three and a half large loops round the edge of Eirias Park with sea views in places. I was relatively conservative, mindful of my total lack of recent training in my rest year, but was pleased to find I had decent legs and felt reasonably strong. I moved slowly through the field albeit well off the pace, and almost caught Jez at the end. Surprisingly dry underfoot and a classic XC course with a great blend of steep hills, woods and fields.