Brecon Beacons Fell Race

Does anybody know anything about this race?

How hard is it navigationally?

And how experienced do you need to be?

Thanks,

Mike.

In fine weather it's a easy navigationaly. Clowd down though there are a number if tricky bits and as the fields down South Wales are not so big you can not nessasaraly follow... If your competent with a map then not much to worry about if your not then a reccy would be in order. The tricky bits are at either end, over the main tops is straight forward.

As for experiance it's a good long race, so you need to know what your doing for the distance but if you have done some medium races it's as good a race to step up to long as any... Worst possibiblty is potentialy a realy hot suny day when it is all to easy to get de-hydrated if your not carefull.

Ifor

Further to this advice does anyone know the checkpoints on this? Would like to do it, but want to recce as I hate stopping to map read mid race (I'm slow enough as it is!).:rolleyes:

Hi

Start/Finish Tal-y-Bont campsite (at least it used to be, now seems to be a building site) 105210

CP1 Tor-y-Foel summit 115195
CP2 Pant y Creigiau 057162
CP3 Lower Neuadd 031180
CP4 Trig on ridge 022176
CP5 Corn Du 008213
CP6 Pen y Fan 012216
CP7 Cribyn 024213
CP8 Carn Pica 068202

As has been said, the first and last bits are the most difficult navigationally. It's definitely worth a recce in my opinion. I've seen people miss CP4 because it's not on the path as such which turns right immediately from climb to top of ridge and along it. There seems to be alot of scope for going wrong around CP8, specially if claggy. I spoke to the orgnaiser yesterday and it's definitely clockwise this year.

Brilliant, thanks. recce definately on the cars!

Ohh goody, clockwise, that mega-climb up Tor-y-Foel to begin with!!.



Oh, I seem to be away in the Pyrennes :D

And congratulations Longdogs on your recent blistering form!

I prefer clockwise since coming DOWN Tory-Boy on shot legs is a sure fire recipe for cramp on the sprint (cough, cough!) across the dam. Mindyou, as Ifor says, the potential for falling off the ridge with dehydration after battling with Big Fanny is quite high. Once bounced a group of soldiers along the ridge to Carn Pica begging sweeties and water.

Carrying a camel is to be recommended. There's no standing water at all en route (unless you want to fall into Neuadd Resevoir!:D).

So when was the last time you sprinted over the dam? And is the camel an added handicapping system devised by CRB?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boy Wonder

And congratulations Longdogs on your recent blistering form!

---

Thanks, that's kind of you to say so but has all gone a bit tits up mid-season with repetitive tonsillitis and wonky feet. But hoping for late comeback... My new weapon is the bicycle- primarily to outwit Gordon Brown (or whoever that other bloke is who's chancellor nowadays), but i hope it will improve my fell running too. Hope you are going ok and look forward to making the bat runs next winter...

Shame, seemed like you were well on the way to stardom (or what counts for stardom round here - most non-runners would only rate stardom as being on Big Bro!) but never to late for a comeback.... I know, I've been saying it for years!!

How do the dogs manage with the bike - all four(?) of them strung out in front like some bizarre lurcher-powered chariot thing? The mind boggles!

Hope you can make the batruns - was hoping to arrange some fun summer evenings as well but so far haven't had a chance - but watch this space, you can bike behind shouting encouragement (or something!)

Regret that the nearest i've got to stardom was being told by my boss yesterday that i look like Tom Petty. On account of him being a bloke and me being, well, a girl... i was not totally impressed. But not to worry, he's now buried in a shallow grave in the Forest of Dean :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Longdogs

Regret that the nearest i've got to stardom was being told by my boss yesterday that i look like Tom Petty. On account of him being a bloke and me being, well, a girl... i was not totally impressed. But not to worry, he's now buried in a shallow grave in the Forest of Dean :D

---

Priceless!! I presume it's your boss in a shallow grave - not Tom Petty! I can see why you weren't impressed by the comparison:D

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:.../Tom.Petty.jpg

She's Goooorgeous!!

Ok, ok. Tell me where and and I'll jump in with him. Hope its on Plump Hill. Nice views from there!;)

Plump Hill - my current address!

Had an e-mail from Toffer last night - need to loose 'terminal adiposity' pdq!

One thing is an absolute racing certainty....Toffer ain't gonna be doin' Brecon Beacons Race this year!

Question is, will I?? Hmmmm. Done it 4 times and hated it every time.

Oh, go on then! Good training for the 25th Naf Snart!;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wheeze

Carrying a camel is to be recommended. There's no standing water at all en route.

---

I seem to remember a peaty trickle out on the western most ridge, and also in the river at the bottom of there - dried up or not advisable to drink any more?? It is 15yrs since I last ran the race.

I also remember a runner slurping rain water as it ran down the path somewhere along the main ridge!

Stevie, if it rains, no probs. Plenty of puddles and also a stream forms on the slope leading up from Neuadd. But when its dry, its very dry.
Somehow, I think we can leave our camels at home this year (unless puddle water is not to your taste!).

Hi,

Has anyone got the checkpoints or an electronic version of the route for this race on Saturday?

Thanks,

Matt

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Matt the Brum

Hi,

Has anyone got the checkpoints or an electronic version of the route for this race on Saturday?

Thanks,

Matt

---

This is the route I have marked my map up for and its anti-clockwise this year. I have not done it before and apart from the Pen-y-Fan/Cribyn section its all new territory for me :)

http://explore.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/os_routes/show/4911

It has the checkpoints on as well.

See you there :D

Went over Bryn in the clag last year and ended up coming in via Llanfrynach and Pencelli - nothing like a 5 mile road run to loosen down! I hope you have better weather!!:)

Checkpoints are:
Craig Pwlffa
Cribyn
Pen y Fan
642m Trig approx 02251775 (Twyn Mwyalchod)
Pant y Creigiau
Tor y Foel

Yup, anticlockwise this year.

Really looking forward to this, first time in that neck of the woods.

Does anyone know if there are maps available at the start or is it time to get out the permanent marker?

Thanks for the help guys, see you all there tomorrow.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RhysFR

Really looking forward to this, first time in that neck of the woods.

Does anyone know if there are maps available at the start or is it time to get out the permanent marker?

---

Don't seem to remember maps being available, but it's been a couple of years since I last did this, so might be prudent to get the marker out. Appear weathers going to be fine and clear according to the forecast. Good luck, have a good one.

Thanks to organisers and marshalls on a great day out for me. Lots of sunshine and great views. A small field but I never seemed to be on my own round the course which helped with the navigation.

The mudclaws were useful on the descents but gave my knees a lot of grief on the tarmac bits :eek:

I haven't done the course clockwise but I would think I would prefer anticlockwise as you have to climb the Pen-y-Fan to make you feel that you have got round the Brecon Beacons the hard way.

Enjoyed a few pints of The Breconshire Breweries finest 'Cribyn' ale in the evening to round of a very enjoyable weekend :)

These WFRA races are beginning to become addictive (now when is the Black Mountains race ?) :D

Glad you liked it Alf. Black Mountains are 26 September and a much better race IMHO.
You are right about the anti-clock direction being better. I retired at the top of Pen Y Fan rather than suffering the mind-numbing tedium of the second half of the course! The fact that my mate Toffer was on marshal duties there with a bottle of Glenlivet had nothing whatsoever with my decision!:rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wheeze

Glad you liked it Alf. Black Mountains are 26 September and a much better race IMHO.
You are right about the anti-clock direction being better. I retired at the top of Pen Y Fan rather than suffering the mind-numbing tedium of the second half of the course! The fact that my mate Toffer was on marshal duties there with a bottle of Glenlivet had nothing whatsoever with my decision!:rolleyes:

---

Actually if he hadn't retired I would have disqualified him on account of the absolutely disgusting pair of skimpy black silk lustered shorts that he was wearing, poor shy sheep having to endure 3 hrs of that:eek:
And yes, BB is half a good race, Wheeze did the good half and saw sense after the Glenlivet. Black Mts on the other hand is a cracking afternoon out, thoroughly recommended, if only for the priceless hand-written results published by Puffing Billy afterwards!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Toffer

Actually if he hadn't retired I would have disqualified him on account of the absolutely disgusting pair of skimpy black silk lustered shorts that he was wearing, poor shy sheep having to endure 3 hrs of that:eek:
And yes, BB is half a good race, Wheeze did the good half and saw sense after the Glenlivet. Black Mts on the other hand is a cracking afternoon out, thoroughly recommended, if only for the priceless hand-written results published by Puffing Billy afterwards!

---

I agree with Toff, those shorts were well, erghm... barely acceptable if that :rolleyes:

Black Mountains is a super race, may fave race here in South Wales, definitely a good day out! Won't be able to do it this year, as I am doing 3 Peaks Cyclocross the day after :( But I do recommend it...

That wasn't lustre, that was a lethal mix of sweat and viper! Leaky camelbak y'see!:D

Viper, VIPER? :eek:

I have to say that I do wonder what is in that Viper stuff you swear by :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wheeze

Glad you liked it Alf. Black Mountains are 26 September and a much better race IMHO.
You are right about the anti-clock direction being better. I retired at the top of Pen Y Fan rather than suffering the mind-numbing tedium of the second half of the course! The fact that my mate Toffer was on marshal duties there with a bottle of Glenlivet had nothing whatsoever with my decision!:rolleyes:

---

If I had known there was a bottle of Glenlivet there I may have stayed a "bit longer" as well :D

The Black Mountains race is definitely on my list now. I have been looking at the course based on info and maps posted on the forum and it looks a goodun! Not sure yet if I can get down for a recce prior to the race so it may be even more interesting on the day especially if a bit of mist comes down.

The woods section on the home leg looks tricky :( My track record of entering woods at the correct point is very good but unfortunately exiting them at the right point has always been a bit of a problem with me! :rolleyes:

The run off Bal mawr to Crug Mawr is definately worth a recce. Its not actually that bad once you've strung it together but it does arrive at a point of knackerdness!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Alf

If I had known there was a bottle of Glenlivet there I may have stayed a "bit longer" as well :D

The Black Mountains race is definitely on my list now. I have been looking at the course based on info and maps posted on the forum and it looks a goodun! Not sure yet if I can get down for a recce prior to the race so it may be even more interesting on the day especially if a bit of mist comes down.

The woods section on the home leg looks tricky :( My track record of entering woods at the correct point is very good but unfortunately exiting them at the right point has always been a bit of a problem with me! :rolleyes:

---

The woods is where a lot of people go wrong... If you do manage to come for a recce, pm me and I will guide you through that bit, as it is hard to find if you don't know it and don't have any studmarks or @rses to follow...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hanneke

The woods is where a lot of people go wrong... If you do manage to come for a recce, pm me and I will guide you through that bit, as it is hard to find if you don't know it and don't have any studmarks or @rses to follow...

---

Thanks for the advice Hanneke and Wheeze and offers of help and ChrisU's excellent map of the course I found on a forum search :D

If I am coming down prior to the race it will probably be the weekend of the Stretton Skyline when I will only be up to navigating a small portion so the last section (Bal Mawr to finish) looks manageable.

Are there any results around for the race? I'd like to confirm how slowly I did it!

Forget that - I've just seen Tom sent the results by email today!

Any idea what date this race is this year? Can't seem to find it in the calendar

It's on 21st August

Thanks