A while ago, I noticed in my archive the results of the 1993 Crib y Ddisgyl [sic] Race, in which I came 8th out of only 20 finishers, (although less than 7 minutes behind Mervyn Keys' winning time of 84:26. The strange thing was that I had no memory of the race, apart from a vague idea that it started in Llanberis and finished at the top of Crib y Ddysgl, but went across to the Snowdon Ranger path rather than taking the direct route.
I spent a few days in Snowdonia last week, including a visit to Crib y Ddysgl, and determined to find out more. Looking back at the October 1993 Fellrunner magazine, I found a race report by Eilir Evans, which explains that the route had been used for trials for uphill-only World Cup races in the past, although it wasn't serving that function in 1993. No route details were given, apart from a mention of the first checkpoint on Moel Eilio; presumably it dropped down to the Snowdon Ranger path from Bwlch Maesgwm or maybe Moel Cynghorion. With 4900 feet of climbing in 8.25 miles, it seems a splendid route, and surely worthy of reviving?
Incidentally, the race report also explains why I have expunged it from my memory. Apparently I had a cold, but decided to run anyway, and was leading at Moel Eilio! [My ability to go off too fast in the early stages of a race is something that has never changed.] Clearly I was suffering in the later stages, as I dropped seven places.