Peris Horseshoe

[Edmond Jackson]

Lived through it today... Just...!

What a fantastic race. If it was in England there'd be hundreds doing it, I can't say enough good things about how good it was.

5hrs 20mins, which although modest by most people's standards, I was over the moon with, expected 6hrs in all reality.

First climb up to Elidr Fawr is a tough start, think it took me 57mins... The first half of the race, although tough, is just a prelude to the monstrous second half. Made up 5 places from pen-y-pass to the finish, but only actually saw two people, so not sure where the others got to! The climb up Snowdon was longer than I remembered, and was a real hard point. The descent off Snowdon was fantastic, but the climb up Cynghorion was a nightmare. Loved the new finish, straight off the end of Cynghorion, looks a lot more of s natural finish to me...

Going back to the previous posts, I personally thought this race made Borrowdale look like a stroll in the park in comparison.

I found Buttermere Horseshoe tougher than this, but mainly as it is more runnable... This is a slog, which suits me... But I think many would find Peris tougher.

I can only have the utmost respect to people who can get round Peris in 3 and a half hours... Are they human..?!

Best day I've had on the fells.

Pete

Very well done, and after your disappointment at Stretton - a sapping route in itself - only last Sunday. Hope this made up!

[RichardB]

Lived through it today... Just...!

What a fantastic race. If it was in England there'd be hundreds doing it, I can't say enough good things about how good it was.

5hrs 20mins, which although modest by most people's standards, I was over the moon with, expected 6hrs in all reality.

First climb up to Elidr Fawr is a tough start, think it took me 57mins... The first half of the race, although tough, is just a prelude to the monstrous second half. Made up 5 places from pen-y-pass to the finish, but only actually saw two people, so not sure where the others got to! The climb up Snowdon was longer than I remembered, and was a real hard point. The descent off Snowdon was fantastic, but the climb up Cynghorion was a nightmare. Loved the new finish, straight off the end of Cynghorion, looks a lot more of s natural finish to me...

Going back to the previous posts, I personally thought this race made Borrowdale look like a stroll in the park in comparison.

I found Buttermere Horseshoe tougher than this, but mainly as it is more runnable... This is a slog, which suits me... But I think many would find Peris tougher.

I can only have the utmost respect to people who can get round Peris in 3 and a half hours... Are they human..?!

Best day I've had on the fells.

Pete

It was my first attempt at this on Saturday also - what an incredible monster of a race!

I'd not had chance to recce or run any of the route before, but looking at previous times was aiming for 5 hrs - clocked 5.03, but managed to completely lose the finish, ending up at the triathlon one and having to double back!
I know I made lots of wrong line choices, particularly on the descents, so keen to do it again.
Feet are completely shattered - and a number of my Mudclaw studs have been ripped off - testament to the severity of the ground.

[Wheeze]

Ha! In my synopsis, I completely forgot about the Cynghorion climb...a significant reason why this is a tougher test than Borrowdale. I think its because my memory of the race is very hazy and blurry after Yr Wyddfa! I just remember an interminable run through the woods near the Victoria Hotel and nearly keeling over due to exhaustion.

I miss all that. Wonder if I can aspire to it again??

[Athers]

Fantastic race. One of those days that just sums up fell running/racing perfectly. Tough / technical climbs and descents and the full route which shows little or no mercy. Enjoyed my third outing on this monster. Weather was pretty much perfect i would say. Head down and didnt look at my watch for the full race as you are just in awe of your surroundings. What a place. 4hrs 1min so just missed out going sub 4. Next year. Great run by Pete Vale who comfortably won in 3 1/2 hrs. top stuff.

[Travs]

Very interesting seeing a complete list of split times on the excellent Racetek website. Really gives a sense of the race if you have time to look at the figures.

In my case, uphills are my stronger point, so had a decent run onto Elidr, immediately dropped half a dozen places between there and Pen-y-Pass due to my poor descending, had quite a good run over Lliwedd (despite a nasty fall), hit a bit of a wall on Snowdon, then had a great run over Cynghorion (admittedly I'd reccied it the previous evening) making up considerable time but only one more place unfortunately.

I noticed that had they done team prizes, Dark Peak would be (I think) 3rd team, and I would have been 3rd counter, which is probably the first and last time that will ever happen! Alas I don't think they did teams anyway so it's irrelevant, and certainly with the typically low turnout it would hardly put me up the with the fell running gods!

Still buzzing about the race now.

[Travs]

Just thought I'd mention this one for September. There's online entry again this year (Fabian4 website). It is a Welsh champs race so maybe a bigger turnout this year (although I'd be surprised if there wasn't still entry on the day).

I'm probably preaching to the converted on here, but what a race this is... If you're up to it and not done it before, then you really are missing out...!

[anthonykay]

Weather forecast for Saturday looks interesting: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/w...ate=2017-09-09

[RaceTheSweeper]

Weather forecast for Saturday looks interesting: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/w...ate=2017-09-09

Don't panic yet. If you don't like the weather in Britain .... wait a min :-) It will probably of all changed by Saturday ;-) We hope!!! If not the only photos Beau dog and I will be getting will be from the pub haha MrRTS will understand I'm sure!

[Travs]

Last year I travelled up on the Friday and went for a little recce early evening. Shocking weather, not a single person to be seen on the main Snowdon path (surely a record!), and even just up at Hebron station you could barely move into the wind. needless to say I didn't venture up onto Cynghorion, and just reccied the route from below!

The Saturday was perfect.

[Travs]

Great race again today. Conditions were pretty poor, but nothing a fell runner capable of getting round Peris shouldn't be prepared for. However it was the underfoot conditions which were a bit of a problem today. The rocks on Elidr and Lliwedd in particular were dangerously greasy, and it was also very boggy in places.

Having said all that, I had a good run by my own standards, knocking 15mins off last year's time despite the conditions, and coming home in 5hrs05. Very strong on the uphills, but a combination of lack of confidence on the treacherous ground, and a poor choice of shoe, left me struggling on the downhills, but my legs only really gave up on me on the final descent off Cynghorion.

On the rare occasions that I got to look round, and the clouds cleared enough to see anything, it was absolutely beautiful. In particular looking up at the cliffs of Lliwedd from the Miners Track and seeing all the white water cascading down them was stunning, and pretty intimidating as that was where we were headed.

Hello to Nigel RTS, another great run. Did spot your wife and dog on the first climb, but unfortunately powers of speech had left me by then. But your dog's howling echoing round the quarries was quite spooky!

Did see a guy get I think turned away at the start for having absolutely no kit at all, wearing just a thin t-shirt and shorts. No disrespect to the guy, he looked pretty athletic and I'm sure could have given lots of us a run for our money, but on a day like today that's pretty suicidal, and have to say well done to the race organiser for stepping in.

Pete