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Going from Llangollen to Barmouth.
Ideally I would chose April/May time, before the heather and tussocks have grown and you can still pick out some sheep trods and not fall into too many pot holes in the peat. If it has been dry it is far better underfoot, but no water and vice versa when wet weather, this is what caught me out, I expected to find water but didn't for the first couple of sections.
Whatever you do, make sure you cover the section from road at Milltir Gerrig to Bwlch y Groes road in daylight, don't hit this after dark. The rest is fine, also water after Bwlch y Groes.
If I was planning it again for solo (or with a mate) but unsupported and wanted an enjoyable day out I would do this.
Come down day before, drop water bottle and feed at minor road crossings and then spend the night in the van/car at Barmouth. Have early breakfast and catch first bus to Llangollen, run back. Really easy to arrange at short notice and you don't rely on backup supporters. Alternative would be catch evening bus back to Llangollen and night in B&B, then leave your overnight sack at accommodation to pick up later on return.
Just a few ideas.
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Thanks Molehill for an absolute mine of information...
I will study it in detail with the map in hand. Very interesting about the tough section not to be attempted in the dark... I'll have to see where that fits against various start times and times of year. I did briefly look at doing it in reverse, but for me there's something more magic about travelling towards a finish at the sea!
I'm pretty lucky that logistics shouldn't be too much of an issue, and I can probably mobilise things within a couple of weeks notice. The only issue for me is the mass of races already entered, and future plans, which already restricting my calendar for squeezing something like this in before autumn of next year.
Thanks again, I'll keep this thread updated with any plans, but I must get UTS100 out of the way, and I certainly won't be attempting the line before this coming autumn.
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Quick update, and once again thanks to Molehill for a mine of info (I also had a brief Facebook conversation with a Mercia Fellrunner who had completed)......
Now looking at early May for an attempt of this. Hopefully an ideal time of year for daylight and lack of heather on the route, I should be fairly fit for the distance, with Haworth Hobble, LM42, Coventry Way Ultra in the weeks and months before, and gives me a good few weeks recovery before what is already looking like a very strenuous June (as always.... why are so many fantastic races squashed into June!).
Fairly determined that this is my priority for May, I'm not even looking at races around that time, so I don't get tempted by anything else.
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Yiannis, ydt of this parish, is also a good source of information on this route, when he's in good old Blighty.
My only flirtation with this route is sleeping in the campervan at the top of the Bwlch-y-Groes on 3 occasions, when on my way to marshal at Yiannis' Arenig Fawr race.