Please don't let it be gone, just done it the once but it was one of my greatest every days out in the hills, seriously under-appreciated race.
Printable View
Please don't let it be gone, just done it the once but it was one of my greatest every days out in the hills, seriously under-appreciated race.
Yes it has been confirmed as early September. I think it's the 10th or thereabouts. There's also an online pre entry system somewhere, although I expect entry on the day will be available.
September could be tough, with Peris, Stretton Skyline and Black Mountains! !
Looking forward to this on Saturday. Despite a very poor showing last weekend I'm determined to have a decent run at Peris, and see how the rest of the year pans out from there...
Absolute monster of a course, know most of it but never raced it. Thinking about an hour longer than Borrowdale, but considerably tougher, would anyone agree?
Drinking tea from my Peris mug here. records are 3.02 (gavin bland), 3:28 Mena Angharad. How does that compare to Borrowdale?
I'd have to dig my record books out to find my comparative times but from memory I'd agree with GeoffB, Peris takes considerably longer than Borrowdale. Looking at climbs probably tells us why.
Climb 1. Esk Hause versus Elidir Fawr. Pretty similar in severity and technicality.
Climb 2. Scafell versus Glyders. I'd say Glyders edges this plus there is the minor challenge of Y Garn on the way.
Climb 3. Great Gable versus Lliwedd. Both pretty severe but Lliwedd is more drawn out initially and a lot more gnarly at the top. Also its a LONG way from Glyders in comparison to the scafell/GG.
Climb 4. Dale Head versus Yr Wyddfa. Dale head a long sapping slog. Yr Wyddfa a short gnarly rough smack in the chops. Take your pick.
Run in....not far from Dale Head to finish. Its a long way down from Yr Wyddfa to Llanberis!
I am glowing with pleasure at recalling these magical races. Sadly now beyond my reach I fear!
Just been for a recce of the modified finish, as per the organisers email. Only As far up as Hebron Station and it was absolutely foul, could hardly make progress in the wind, and did not see a single soul on the main Snowdon path.
Is due to clear up considerably overnight and be a good day tomorrow though, so fingers crossed...
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
Nice one Travs. Looking back at my exploits I would agree. Peris looms as the biggest beast in the jungle. I always wanted to compare it to the Arrochar Alps which looks even more fearsome but never got the chance.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it...................................!
Glad you enjoyed the day. Awesome, aint it??
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.
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??
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.
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.
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...!
Weather forecast for Saturday looks interesting: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/w...ate=2017-09-09
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.
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
I thought the weather was remarkably good, considering some of the biblical deluges I drove through to get there earlier in the morning - underfoot was treacherous though
I was told that I had timed out at Pen-y-Pass, which was a shame, but I enjoyed my "half"
It was pretty horrible going up over Lliwedd and Snowdon, but yes as you say, the terrain was more of an issue.
Sorry to hear you got timed out, but just the half is a good day out in itself...
MrRTS's 34th race of his 50@50. Loved it and a new favourite race. He will be back next year on this one. Really happy with his time of 04:43:52. He was on point with navigation all the way around (thumb compass is the way ahead ;-) ) He did though switch off after the last CP and was happily running along the track when he realised he was nearly at the finish at the road so he turned around and went back to come over the fells with everyone else as he was worried he would be disqualified haha. A few do that so he need not of worried, although he would of missed Beau Dog and I completely if he had finished that way! To those that heard Beau Dog cheering on the 1st ascent above on top of the slate scree slope I hope it spurred you on haha. I have included a few photos of Beau too as he is fed up not being star of his own show ;-) MrRTS said to say a massive thanks to the Organisers, helpers and many Marshals out on the course in some pretty horrid conditions. They cheered and encouraged the whole way around. Great to catch up with so many friends too. Well done Trav on knocking off 15 mins from last year! Amazing. We were probably in the little cafe when you went past after the finish as I got Nigel a pint of coke in and a toasted tea-cake before heading up onto the hill to take some photos. Few Photos that I took here while up the hill with Beau Dog. Anyone that wished to make a small donation to the Thomas Theyer Foundation please follow the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Nigel-Jeff If you would like the original message me with your e-mail quoting the file number bottom left of the photo I will send you the original with none of the writing on. Well done everyone. Just blooming brilliant!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PFkngzfJLwgViLnk2 - on top of the 1st slate scree slope. Getting back down that for me was interesting ;-)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KtI2KF8EE4Y7hMol1 Few from the finish. Sorry did not get everyone but it was lovely to see so many happy faces at the end of a very tough race. Helen Brown words as she went past at the end. "Knackered" haha. Helen is brilliant, it was her that got us our 1st rescue dog 5 years ago - little Winnie Woo. She is our fairy dogmother :-)
So Beau Dog didn't get up the hill in time to watch us Half-Perisers? We need some encouragement as well!
Actually, it was seeing Ellie Salisbury coming past with her dog that woke me up from the rather soporific state that I had fallen into while finding my way down from Glyder Fawr. I think was 16th at the top of GF; I know I was 23rd (i.e. second-last) at the finish at Pen-y-Pass; would have probably been last if it wasn't for seeing that dog!
Good running Anthony. Looking at your time, you must have been at PYP finish about the same time I went through, or perhaps I just passed you on the way down (although I don't recall passing anyone on the way down, such was the poor quality of my descending...)
So sorry AK. The plan was to be there for you guys too but when 20 mins from home in the car MrRTS realised he had forgotten his HR monitor so we had to go back. We didn't get there until you guys were about to leave. We did cheer you on as you came out of the car park and followed you up. We promise to be in that same spot next year and cheer you past. We saw the lady with the dog too. It's a medical dog for her. We have seen her at a couple of races. Love that they allow her to take her dog as she would not be able to do it without him. Well done on finishing. :-)
Yes indeed, Travs, you are a rubbish descender: your split time between Glyder Fawr and Pen-y-Pass was only 15 minutes faster than mine. Looking carefully at the checkpoint times, you did come past me before Pen-y-Pass, but you probably thought I was just a rambler.
[My spell-checker has just given me an idea. It keeps on changing "Glyder" to "Glider". Now that's what I need for a fast descent!]
:D
haha I have no intention of insinuating that anyone slower than me is a rubbish descender. But relative to my position in the race, I think my split on that section was slower than everyone in front, as well as a good number who finished behind me. I'd also note that on the final descent of the race, I only narrowly beat a fell-walker down, although he did lightly jog a few of the easier sections (bloody cheating that is!)
I did make a very poor choice regarding footwear which didn't help matters, and on the wonderfully fast descent down the Snowdon Ranger path I was in such pain that I was reduced to a limp. Back to mudclaws next time!
No worries, RTS, coming out of the car park I was concentrating on restraining myself from going off at my usual idiotic pace at the start of a race, so I didn't notice you. :rolleyes:
I was introduced to the medical dog at registration, where his owner was on duty earlier in the morning. So I knew who it was when the dog shot past on the slopes of Glyder Fawr.
As for next year: yes, I would love to do the Half Peris again, if it coincides with a gap between injuries and a weekend when my wife hasn't programmed something more sensible for me to do. :p My mind is still buzzing from the experience, and I couldn't concentrate at work today because I kept thinking back to Saturday. It was my longest race (in terms of time) since 1995; very different from the races in and around the Peak District that I have occasionally been running for the last few years. A wonderful experience!
Apparently someone on Snowdon on 9th September was doing something even dafter than running a 17-mile fell race: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...P=share_btn_fb
Planning some recces over the next few weeks for the 2018 race. I've got the old Pete Bland race map of the course but I've heard the route has changed. Is it just the last checkpoint that has changed, and if so what is the route from Moel Cynghorian to the finish?
Cheers
Arthur
From Moel Cynghorion you now descend directly north to the farm at Helfa Fawr and then go down the track to Hebron Station. This year there was a flagged section from immediately before the road, left over the fields and railway, to the finish.
In previous years the finish had still been in the Coed Victoria forest, but this year it was about 100 yards before you turn down into the forest at the cafe.
It's a steep descent off Cynghorion and a killer on wrecked legs, but reccying should be no problem. Although in the race I did go too far off to the left and lose a bit of time.
I can't seem to find any info about this year's race on the WFRA, Eryri or FRA websites. Anyone know a date first of all? Then I can work from there!
I am sure it is the last Saturday in September. I hope so as I have already made arrangements to be in Llanberis 🤞🤞🤞
Just checked fabian4.co.uk and you can enter online. Date is 29/09😁
For some reason I always had it in my head as being early September - same weekend as the Ben and Grisdale horseshoe. Can't do that last weekend this year. One year I'll finally be able to do this...
Well the big one has come round again.
Just reading the last few pages of this thread has got me buzzing for Saturday. Words such as 'monster', 'the biggest beast in the jungle', etc....
Long range forecast looks promising at the moment, cool but clear. No doubt that will take turn for the worse!
Favourite race of the year. Hoping to knock another chunk off my pb, if i can just manage this niggling hamstring through the week ahead, will be looking to try and get myself comfortably under 5 hours.