Bowstones fell race

Race: Bowstones fell race, Poynton (11k/1063ft)
Time/Position: 48.27 (17th from 384)
Third consecutive year at this race on the edge of the Peak District, and another minute slower. It's very runnable throughout, so any lack of speed is quickly exposed; but it was still a bit disappointing to feel so sluggish after having a good race at Round the Walls five days ago, and finishing 4th at the hilly Buckley handicap around Moel Famau on the 28th. There is no real downtime on the course, you have to push throughout, and I began to feel it on the path through the woods and the final climb up to the highpoint. A few seconds to enjoy the views of Greater Manchester (another nice sunny day for this race), then it was into the long descent, predictably muddy underfoot.

Round the Walls race

Race: Round the Walls, Chester (4.5m)
Time/Position: 26.10 (8th from 443)
The bridge over Watergate re-opened after months of work just days before this year's race, which meant that an almost-complete circuit could be run again. As usual, we all went along for this perfect Boxing Day outing, and it was a nice day: cold, but not freezing, sunny and crisp. The initial half loop of a wet Roodee led to another sprint below the grandstand then up on to Nun's Road for a clockwise loop of the walls, coming down briefly at Northgate where rebuilding work continues. Two passed me before the narrow section round the cathedral but I didn't lose too much ground. Step technique is always the key! We came off the walls beyond Handbridge and then looped round the Roodee on the Dee path, where I managed to regain the places I'd lost. Kate enjoyed the race too: always an excellent way of burning off some of the excess and making space for more food and drink.

Cylch Llangollen variant

A short version of the Llangollen Round, a 32 mile trip round the Dee catchment. Peter suggested it as a Christmas Eve outing, and it was an excellent idea, but I hadn't properly checked the details and needed to be home by midday. So, sadly, it was a curtailed version for Steve and I, but all very enjoyable. We left Trevor at first light, in drizzle and lowish cloud, then headed through the lanes to join the OD path through the woods north of the village. These emerge on the Panorama road and we climbed through the Monument boulders to gain the escarpment and the edge of Ruabon moor. The route then takes a direct line across the edge of Esclusham Moor, much of this new territory for me and much more runnable than I'd expected (I have always used the OD path below the crags when doing loops of this valley). As we approached World's End, a brief glimmer of sun, and a useful tail/cross wind. The terrain, kind underfoot until this point, turns boggy after the duckboards and the crosswind turned into a headwind as we crested Cyrn y Brain. After a coffee and jaffa cakes at the Ponderosa, we continued in a strong wind over Moel y Faen and Moel y Gamelin before going our separate ways: Peter continuing to Carrog, Steve and I looping back to the Ponderosa.

Wepre parkrun

'Race': Wepre Parkrun (5k)
Time/Position: 20.05 (4th from 143)
An unexpectedly beautiful morning. Even Deeside looked stunning, with a cloud inversion over the estuary and low sunshine streaming through the light mist. I felt a bit rough throughout, my third outing at Wepre, but it is a good fartlek session and a nice start to the weekend.

Berwyn run

Peaks: Cadair Bronwen
Area: Berwyn
More like a badly equipped hillwalk than a run, we were stymied by waist-deep drifts across the Berwyn ridge, a fairly common occurrence when running in full winter conditions. A cold snap coincided with my trip to Malaysia and the days following my return. Much of the snow has already disappeared from lower levels and it was a predominantly slushy run up from Llandrillo until the slopes beyond the stone circle of Moel Ty Uchaf. Soft snow then gave way to much deeper cover, drifting in many places. The snow also had that characteristic unpredictable quality, every fourth or fifth step leading to a plunge through the crust (which otherwise supports your weight). This is always exhausting, and was the primary reason for John B's hypothermia in similar conditions on Creigiau Gleision a few years ago. We plodded on to the top of Cadair Berwyn, then down the ridge (the duckboards under feet of snow in places) until we reached the col. Strong winds and dreadful snow conditions meant we had to descend, which made for an interesting nav test as the path was undetectable until we regained our footprints.

Kuala Lumpur run

Not so much a run as a slow jog or quick walk in humid conditions around the environs of the Batu Caves. The steep steps up to the caves would give an excellent hill rep session, although the volume of visitors makes this impractical! They are, however, considerably more impressive than I'd been led to believe, and a fresh coconut was a nice way to rehydrate.

Moel Wnion run

Peak: Moel Wnion
Area: Carneddau, Eryri
A full frontal assault up the Aber Falls side of Moel Wnion, just a quick early morning blast on the way back from Anglesey. From the usual path to the falls, I branched west then took the obvious shallow but very steep 'gully' that leads to the summit plateau. This is steep throughout, but gets very steep towards the top, involving heathery handholds and a great deal of wet grass. Thick mist on the summit so just took a vague northerly bearing and headed back: the mist didn't part until I was just above the road, I could hear the A55 traffic but couldn't see it, a cloudbase of 100m perhaps.

Penrhyn parkrun

'Race': Penrhyn Parkrun (5k)
Time/Position: 18.34 (2nd from 125)
Staying on Anglesey for the weekend, so Kate and I nipped across the Menai Straits for the Penrhyn Parkrun. Drizzle and low cloud obscured the normally superb views of mountain and sea, but the circuit is a pleasant (though tortuous) one, with two long laps round the grounds and two short ones. Not particularly fast: muddy, narrow and hilly in places. A nice finish, inside the castle courtyard.

Bangor XC

Race: Bangor XC (North Wales Cross Country League, race 3)
Time/Position: 37.41 (28th from 148 [3rd V45])
This course is often a mudbath, although conditions today were perhaps the worst I have known. Times were certainly down, although my decision to leave my spikes in the car was not a good one! The hill and the far reaches of the rugby fields were particularly cloying, with the descent through the woods the only brief relief from the quagmire.

Roaches fell race

Race: Roaches fell race (BL/15m+/3700ft)
Time/Position: 2.40.19 (36th from 215)
A relaxed 'away day' at the end of the fell running year, and another British classic ticked off the list. I had no inclination to race this, tired after Friday night's race and with a distinct lack of training distance in the legs: but the weather was perfect, cold and crystal clear, albeit accompanied by a stiff northerly that seemed likely to cause problems on the outward leg. The route is unusual as a long 'out and back': Vic and I had reccied quite a bit of it on an extremely grim day in early January 2016 and I have climbed at the Roaches a few times over the years, so had some knowledge of the first part of the route. From Meerbrook, it heads towards the crags on the skyline, through an infamous slurry pit at the farm where we both got electrocuted in 2016! A horrible slog through muddy fields leads up to the road below the crags, before the route takes a big gritstone path which curves round to the famous upper tier, home of many classic rock climbs. Above this, the route emerges on a vague ridge amidst typical gritstone scenery: it is awkward rocky running terrain demanding full concentration, although distant views over Cheshire and the Peak were superb today. Eventually, after the trig point, it descends and very rapid progress on grit flagstones is made down to the road at Roach End. After this, the descent continues, awkward and steeper, into the Gradbach woods which give undulating and exciting running along to the river crossing (thigh deep) in the Dane Valley. More climbing over muddy fields leads eventually to Crag Hall and Wildboarclough where the final climb up the steep cone of Shutlingsloe begins. This is the only real 'peak' in the Peak District, the Matterhorn of Cheshire, and a fine mini-objective on which to turn round! The reverse leg is not at all tedious, and (rather surprisingly) is substantially quicker and less physically demanding. The tailwind was a help at times, as expected, and I kept the same gently plodding pace going throughout, intent on enjoyment rather than competition! The final descent from the Roaches to Meerbrook was ultra muddy, even by the standards of a November fell race. As I approach my 500th race, it's been a good year for ticking off interesting and classic fell races that have long been obvious gaps on the 'cv': all of them done in relaxed 'tourist mode', starting with the wonderful Anniversary Waltz in April, and including the Preseli Beast, Ennerdale Horseshoe, Kentmere, and even some newer Welsh races that I've contrived to miss in the past, like Trefriw Mill, Gyrn Gallop and Fron Four.

Dash in the dark

Race: Dash in the dark, Race 1 (6.5k/750ft)
Time/Position: 27.29 (7th from 134)
I somehow contrived to miss all of last year's headtorch races, so it was great to be able to reacquaint myself with this very enjoyable event tonight. I have done it a lot over the years, most often in its earlier incarnation when I can remember just 25 people turning up one grim winter night. It's very different now, and a big crowd of runners set off from Llandegla in good conditions: cool and dry, with rain forecast to arrive later. A quick start at the front, and I soon got in a group of four, trying to keep with Steve's rapid early pace. Our little group had a grand little battle, and we were neck and neck as we emerged at the lakeside path which gives the only opportunity for a flat blast. A very steep descent through the woods follows, on which it is virtually impossible to stay upright, even with decent studs. My new head torch and shoes paid dividends (although I didn't stay upright, sliding twice) and I was able to pull away a bit on the final climb to the centre. Great fun, as always.

Abergele 5

Race: Abergele 5 mile (North Wales Championships)
Time/Position: 29.19 (17th from 184 [1st V45])
My slowest ever time at the Abergele 5, and this despite the fact that the once hilly course has now changed to a fast, flat dash along the seafront. Possibly my worst finishing position too, so I was rather lucky to win my age category in both the open race and the championship today. That said, conditions were not great, with strong westerly winds rendering the outward two miles quite demanding and a small tidal flood blocking the path further on. I got in with an equally matched group of runners, the third such group on the road, and this gave us some shelter before it broke up on the return leg. This new championship route is the same as the long established border league fixture, which I have also done many times: I remember running 28.00 on the course, or a version of it, so this was a lot slower.

Tryfan climbing

Peak: Tryfan
Route: First Pinnacle Rib (D:led in 6 p's)
It always feels like a bonus to get any Snowdonian climbing done this late in the year, no matter how easy, and this was a delightful way to revisit a grand old classic of the Welsh mountains. I last did this route in the early 90s: perhaps the only one of Tryfan's classic triptych that I've never repeated. Sunshine was just peeping through the milky cloud as Steve, Vic and myself slogged up to the Heather Terrace - a very familiar journey indeed. Nobody else was around, and I still have vivid memories of myself and Tim picking off all the mountaineering classics on the East Face in similar circumstances in the winter of 1992. The nomenclature of the two pinnacle rib routes has got a bit confusing over the years, but we set off up Pinnacle Rib route, the right-hand line. A deep groove, delicious in the sunshine, leads to a chockstone and steepening to flakes and a stance. I brought Steve and Vic up, then led an equally enjoyable second up the steeper front of the rib. Above, a broken series of steep walls gives a long pitch. Vic led a 10m wall left to gain the pinnacle, where we merged with the left-hand line to ensure we got the Yellow Slab. This is much harder than the rest of the route, a delicate and distinct crux up a perfect rippled slab. I'm not sure I have ever led this before: it is short-lived and leads to a groove and big holds. Above, the final (sixth) pitch takes a photogenic rib of sheaved, curving rock: I remembered this as if it was yesterday, lovely relaxing climbing with the deep gulf of South Gully beyond. The sun was dropping as we lunched, along with the air temperature, so we avoided the continuation wall and scrambled up to the summit: sunny and clear, although a bank of cloud was spilling over the Glyder ridge. I suggested descending North and Little gullies, an old trick of mine, and they enjoyed the continuation of the rock work and directness. A jog down Heather Terrace got us back to the car well before sunset: an efficient little outing.  

Halloween Hellraiser

Race: Halloween Hellraiser XC, Nantwich (10.5m)
Time/Position: 1.11.41 (8th from 125 [2nd V45])
I was staggered to realise it has been seven years since I last did this race, which is an enjoyable tour through the Cheshire countryside, rather like an ultra-long cross-country figure of eight. In 2010, I finished 6th and first Veteran, so was pleased to finish not too far off that today, although I felt rather sluggish throughout. The course is longer than it was, starting through a series of fields which lead to various short road sections and a descent through a graveyard. All the hills are short-lived, and there are several interesting sections, including a field full of frisian cows, good views of Mow Cop, and a horrible ploughed field near the finish. I found myself in a good battle for 7th place, and we both chose to run all the way round the edge of the ploughed field, a lengthy detour! Good fun, and good cakes to round off as I picked up the V45 prize, but only by default as Jez came 2nd.

Llandudno XC

Race: Llandudno 6m (North Wales Cross Country League, race 2)
Time/Position: 38.50 (24th from 159 [2nd V45])
Appalling conditions for the second race of the season, adding a bit of extra spice to this excellent circuit: proper, hard cross country terrain. I'd missed the first race of the season, so this was essential and we set off in driving rain and galeforce winds as 'Storm Brian' hit its peak. After looping the sports fields at St David's College, muddy climbs and descents lead to a dry wooded section before a big and exposed loop over boggy fields to the south. Two giant loops make this a long XC course, particularly so in these trying conditions. I felt pretty good, for a change, although it was very hard to close gaps in the wind and rain. After the finish, completely soaked, I enjoyed a mild dose of hypothermia until we warmed up in the cafe.

British Fell Relays

Race: British fell relay championships, Llanberis (Leg 3, navigation)
Time/Position: 1.58.29 (72nd from 181) 
An unusual taste of responsibility as I captained the team for the first time, having entered as soon as I heard it was coming back to Llanberis. This was our sixth time at the relays: I've done every one, it is always a great day out and this year we brought a strong team. Steve got us off to a great start on a tough first leg, with Peter and Simon keeping pace on the long second. Andy and I had the nav leg, only the second time I have done this leg (Long Mynd being the first). It does put a bit of pressure on, as a mistake can result in devastating time losses which affect the entire team. As it happens, we did OK but perhaps could have taken slightly more efficient lines at some points. We took a short-cut path through the fields to the first CP on top of the little hill south of the quarries, then went too low around Bryn Mawr to CP2 (although we didn't lose any height). It was then into thick clag and strong winds, slogging up to the summit of Moel Eilio before dropping down to CP3 below Bwlch Cwm Casig on the Betws Garmon side. Herein lay some controversy. We could hear voices in the mist on the Cwellyn side, but the rules made it pretty clear that crossing points had to be used (as is standard on mountain marathons). These were both virtually on the summit. But there was also an obvious illegal short-cut, contouring Eilio on the Cwellyn side with almost no climbing involved. Some teams obviously did that, as we were suddenly joined by lots more runners who effectively overtook us as we dropped out of the mist to CP4 below Foel Gron. The run-in was long but not complex, with no real route choice above Llyn Dwythiwch north to Bwlch y Groes and a fast final descent, ultra boggy, on which Andy cut his leg open after a nasty fall. Adrenalin got him to the finish. Chris then put in a fantastic final leg and we finished 61st overall, just squeezing into the top third of what is always a very high calibre field.

Trefriw Mill fell race

Race: Trefriw Mill (17km/2886ft)
Time/Position: 1.56.36 (9th from 37)
Guilty of slightly underestimating this race, a minor case of familiarity breeding contempt. It is a new, or revived, circuit around an area I know well, heading up from Trefriw to the paths and tracks leading west to Cefn Cyfarwydd. Conditions were quite good: mild with some mist, but generally the cloud base stayed just above the ridge. The long crossing of the complex ridge over Creigiau Gleision is boggy at the best of times, but was waist deep and very arduous today. I fell in three different places between the main Gleision summit and over Craig Wen and Crimpiau: always wonderful views over Cowlyd to the rest of the Carneddau. But, although I know the ridge well and have done it many times, I still managed to underestimate the return leg. After a superb descent down steep grass to Crafnant, I bonked on the way back over the shoulder of Mynydd Deulyn to Geirionydd: no food and a long period of suffering as I staggered along the bouldery and awkward lakeside path. At the last checkpoint, mercifully, two jelly babies materialised: I could therefore regain some kind of pace for the wonderful north and east above the Crafnant valley and down to the Conwy valley and the abrupt finish in Trefriw.

Tryfan scramble

Peak: Tryfan
Routes: V Buttress (M:sol), Notch Arete (M:led p.1+3), Zig Zag (M:sol)
My old friend and climbing partner Tim was back from NZ for his first visit in five years. A special occasion but time was tight meaning that we weren't able to start until well after 3pm, which is hardly ideal for a mountain day in October! Relaxed scrambling was the order of the day, in rather cool weather with high, milky cloud. I suggested a route up the west face of Tryfan and repeated the scramble that I'd taken John up a couple of years ago. A slog to the base of V Buttress, which is a pleasant if rather brief scramble. We roped up for an exposed section at the top, then slogged over to the delightful Notch Arete which we pitched. This is a lovely route on the border of scrambling and climbing, on magnificent rock, and allows for full relaxation and chat. Then it was up the North Ridge, nostalgic for expat Tim, and down via the Heather Terrace and a final route up the right-hand side of Tryfan Bach. Nostalgia was the order of the day, as we'd paired up many times to cut our teeth on Tryfan in the late 80s and early 90s.

Trevor climbing

Crag: Trevor Rocks, Eglwyseg
Routes: Disappearing Act (f5a:led), Clue, So (f4c:led), Suspect Device (f6a+:led), Innocence (f5c:led), Crime Scene (f6b:sec)
Cold winds and drizzle threatening: a familiar scene as I arrived direct from work for a brief late season session. After failing on the crux of the horrible No Remittal, with greasy rock and numb hands up an apparent one-armed mantel move, I led up the f5 corner done numerous times before. The easy arete to its right (Clue, So) is perhaps the most climbed route in the entire area: I remember doing it when it was first bolted over 10 years ago, and thinking it quite pleasant by the standards of British limestone. It is now polished to a high sheen, an illustration of the paucity of such routes locally. Much better was Suspect Device, which allowed me to salvage some pride after failing on the baffling mantel further right. This went easily up to the break, then a hard move on small but distinct holds allows a high step on to the nice upper wall - this is rough and textured, and gives good climbing. The rain started in earnest as I set out up the 6b of Crime Scene. By the time I reached the crux, it was wet, so I switched to the top part of Innocence, two grades easier but still tricky in the wet. We both seconded the 6b, enjoying its technicalities despite the wet and cold: autumn has well and truly arrived.

Capenhurst Border League

Race: Capenhurst 5m (Border League race 1)
Time/Position: 28.56 (29th from 385)
After having a reasonably good run at the 5k here in August, I was surprised to look down at my watch towards the finish to see such a slow time: my worst finishing position in the league for many years. Thought I might be regaining a bit of speed after the lay-off, but that proved a forlorn hope. Quite a quick start, as competitive as it has ever been: my 12th season in the league. A very fast first mile made me think it might have been measured wrong, but none of us really blew so the slow time is just that, slow. Buckley in first place in division 1 after this opener, hardly surprising with such huge numbers of new runners joining.