All things being equal, I'm organising a new Skirrid Race, planned for Dec 8th 2012
I gaurantee it won't be like the Sugar Loaf race i.e. shed loads of 'road runner' track work !
Hopefully there'll be a prize or two for the fastest descent too. Let's face it, running uphill just requires 'grunt', no skill or gonads at all !
6 miles and about 1700ft.
Excellent stuff grubby. I've long been interested in a nasty steep little race here. Just one thing.....where will you start and finish it? If you get a SugarLoaf turnout, thats a hell of a lot of cars!
Simon Blease
Monmouth
Fear not Wheeze old boy, 'tis all done and dusted.
Parking in Llanvihangel. Start/Finish 500m across the main road. About 6 miles and 1700ft climb.
Permissions all acquired. Cakes and sarnies organised. Skirrid Inn ready.
I've had a few reccies, but not happy yet with the route. Need a more gnarly descent to stop buggers like you who always get to the top first, from getting down quickly too !
There's a nice thirty foot cliff to descend, which should see most people stationary and clinging on to a piece of heather for dear life. That should do the trick.
I know it well! Excellent choice!!. I was going to suggest the heather cliff...glad to see we think alike.
Simon Blease
Monmouth
Oh, the heather cliff... only been up that way, never down...
“the cause of my pain, was the cause of my cure” Rumi
There's a 'pain in the arse' subsidiary 'knoll' just to the west of the summit, obvious on the ground, that I'd like to include. It's a bit contrived though.
Anyway, the event is planned Dec 2012, so I maybe dead by then, having fallen down some other 'heathery cliff elsewhere !
In spite of finding instructions, I'm damned if I could manage to attach this to the original Skirrid thread. Dim wit !
Last edited by Grubby; 21-10-2012 at 10:41 PM.
Well, you have just 'dated' yourself out of a keen summit marshall...I am in the Lakes on the 22nd...
“the cause of my pain, was the cause of my cure” Rumi
Ooohhh!. First decent looks 'interesting'!! Did n't know there was a way down there. Should be 'rocky'! Will have a recce if poss shortly and let you know (I will use the footpaths over the fields though).
Simon Blease
Monmouth
Ok Grubby, the course as set is waaaaay to long for a winter league. Took me an hour to reach the final summit, so finishing time would be circa 1hr 10 for midfield. Rod Jones went round with me too to represent tail of field and he was out for about 2 hours. Even chopping 10% off those times to represent racing rather than training effort, the course would be a nice spring medium but needs amendment for a winter league race.
The loop from the last gate before the fellside to the first descent point (i.e. heading south along the fence line to the south end of the ridge then up the footpath to the outcrop where you peel off the ridge to descend) took me 25 mins. You could take 20 mins out of that by following the angled footpath up the east face to the outcrop marked on the map.
Also, the blue route back through the fields is now much better because new walker gates have been fitted to replace the broken stiles so it would be entirely possible to use the blue route for out AND back which cuts out a minor dogleg on the out route. Say another 5 mins saved. This should mean midfield finishing times in the 45-55 minute range i.e similar to Sugarloaf.
On the plus side, that final ascent up the knife edge is horrific!! For those in the know, it is as steep as first pull up Chwarel Y Fan, 5 times as long and there is NO FENCE to drag yourself up with! Superb!
Simon Blease
Monmouth
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