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Sleepwalker Night Race 2012
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Just read that article and i didn't recognise it from the recce i started yesterday axeman.......was the course different from th map that is downloadable with the entry form.......
it was uphill for 4 miles..........and after the rocky technical decent.rthere was no cinder track of the taff trail bike route...........it was along the highwer track which was very muddy from all the rain and mountain bikes using it......
also noticed that there were signs saying in a few places that the paths were shut due to oogging etc and diversions were in place.........
wondering now what the route will be like
missed the video last time.watched it now and it cleared a lot of questions.some of the route that we thought was very difficult for running I can see that we don't need to do now........you go up on 5the taff trail.............not the other path.so much much easier for running.........I also love the idea that you can make any route home from checkpoint 3.the one that was following the map was horrendous for running.ral fell running stuff.water and rocks and lneedles everywhere......
feeling ahppier now
Having a run around part of the route on the 18th,set myself up for the following Saturday.
Seren nos, the route has been slighltly different both times I have done it.
Last year we ran up part of the Taff trail because the other path was in a bad state due to recent rainfall. Any changes will be explained in the briefing though and the detour onto the Taff trail was manned last year.
right.the other path was very muddy yesterday.due to rain and bikes using it....so the taff trail would be much easier.....but i know both parts...due to losing things from the ruck sac and having to back track.i missed the bit over the big mountain but that seemed to be covered in the video........the 5 hour cutoff will be tight for me on depending on route and conditions.......but should be fun
even though it shows the route takes the upper path, the 4 times I've done this run we've always gone up the taff trail after the rocky descent. I've found following the outward route back from the last checkpoint as good as any route back. it's gradual downhill and the surface isn't too bad. it's an awesome race, you can't fail to enjoy it!
Hmm Last year we followed the route shown, but I think that we did get to miss the upper path on the way out. I didn't know that you could use any trail to get back after CP3, that would be good, because the "official" map-route was pretty bad from the very last CP down towards the Reservoir. Then at the bottom, we missed the Trail and ended up going up the lane by the res and having to get back on course. It would be far easier to use the same route back as out from there.
2 years ago, the snow and ice were so bad that the Landrovers couldn't get to Checkpoints, so it was an out & back run. We went up following marked trail, then the Taff Trail, to the road & then up to 1st Res, then back on the upper trail (map marked for the way out).
It's a shame that they don't produce a more accurate and clear map/route. It would save confusion of thinking that you have got the designated trail, to hear and see lights on parallel/easier trails up or down the valley.
Still, we are looking forward to doing our 3rd Sleepwalker next week.
the route i followed on the map from checkpoint 3 was horrendous.a river with so many stones and leaqves there i was reduced to a snails pace.......following any path home will make it so much easier..........
going to go up hopefully on saturday to watch some of the likeys ultra and to reccee from checkpoint 2
Greame,
The rocky decent from CP1 on to the Taff Trial
I am sure there was a marshall at that point last year
The first time I did this race I ended up down by the reservoir from CP3 and came across a large group of runners who had made the same mistake. If you follow that path it will lead you to Talybont but do NOT cross the dam.
Dear runners,
not long to go now and the course is shaping up to be a classic Sleepwalker event - it is currently quite wet in places (both the hard ones and the soft ones).
Just a couple of points to clarify:- kit required is as specified at www.runnersworld.co.uk/sleepwalker and is a minimum. Foil sheets are not allowed but lightweight survival bags are, foil or plastic. Please note the comments about rocky tracks and ensure your footwear is adequate for your experience and/or ankles.
There will be a small route alteration this year due to a path closure by the Forestry Commission. This is due to an outbreak of the tree disease Phytophthora ramorum and acompulsory felling order being in place. I will brief this on the night and marked up maps on the walls will detail this.
Check in starts at 1530hrs and we will open the hall at this time. Please allow yourself plenty of time to mark up your map and remember to bring a suitable pen for this purpose.
We have decided this year to support Troop Aid as our Sleepwalker Charity. These guys provide 'grab bags' containing the basic essentials and a few comforts to injured troops, who often arrive in hospital with nothing at all. Each grab bag costs £25 and we will buy as many as we can using 100% of the money from the refreshments and cakes which are donated to us by our wonderful lady bakers!
Looking forwards to the 24th!
Hmm, just been looking at the TRA website and on the AGM minutes it says that the race is blacklisted for previous non-payment of unaffiliated fees??
http://www.tra-uk.org/downloads/TRA%20AGM%2011052012.pdf
Is this right?
Perhaps it's not got a permit this year - hence same price for affiliated and non-affiliated?
I'm gutted! I broke my scaphoid in a MTB accident yesterday. Got my arm in platster with my hand immobilized.
Looks like I'm out. I asked about running the race but the Doc says if it doesn't heal dead straight I could end up with complications.
Gah!
bad news Axeman.sounds painful......but i wouldn't even think about the race..it is really really muddy in places and even in daylight today my OH....got caught in the mud and fell.........
better to wait until its healed...
recced the rest of the course today and there is definitely a lot of water and mud around in places.in other places the path is good and very runnable.......
it was gorgeous out there today ...perfect views.
Bad news Axeman all the best and hope for a speedy recovery.
Perfect views, Seren did you get a chance to go across the mooreland today?
no views expected next Saturday apart from the light 3 foot in front of us.
I will be up and about early tomorrow the weather looks good.
yes got across the moorland.it was quite easy to navigate in the daylight....hope we get a clear moonlit night but with my luck we will have thick fog....
the paths on the moorland are filled with deep water in places but its easy to run by the side of them in most places..
really looking forward to it now
Seren said,
the paths on the mooreland are filled with deep water.
3 years ago my mate fell into one of them up to his waist,I was laughing so much I could not pull him out untill another runner came across us and dragged him out, to the disgust of my mate.
Not long now.
In view of the already heavy rain with more to come, I wonder of this is still going ahead. I actually withdrew last week due to a virus and my last long run not going to plan and it's beginning to look a better idea by the day.
2 years ago 1 foot of snow on the ground and it still went ahead.
As iI said come hell or high water I will be there.
right it has rained all week.and today torrential.............its going to be a mud bath in palces................looking forward to it...
has anyone recived any info by email etc..........i haven't heard anything and it does still seem to be very little info
it was very deep up on top.....i imagine the middle path up past the res would be very muddy now so hopefully they will let us go up the taff trail again..............
the part just past the small res was very muddy for a while as well.....
going to have to make sure the shoe laces are well tied up..glad i did a recee of the course....as i will be too close to the cutoffs to want to get lost
Res and know what it gets like in bad weather but don't really go up over talybont and was surprised how bad it was about 2 Weeks ago and the forecast looks like more rain on sat can anyone see them changing the route.would like to run most of it not swim it
the nice flat bit I like is the bit that is detoured so another little hill but thats on road...........
the one bit on top of the mountain was horrendous.no way of skirting around it and there was a stream in all directions.but i can't see a way to bypass it so they will have to just get very nuddy and hopefully stay on your feet..........
i live near caerphilly so easy for me to get up there....
i think they will let us go up the taff trail after coming down the steep path from the ridge.....
I always run in shorts so will not have to worry about getting dirty leggings
Looks like classic Sleepwalker weather forecast for Saturday
. This is why we insist on survival bags and waterproofs etc!
Route: the route will only change if the roads become impassable and we cannot get to the checkpoints in 4x4s, or some other hazard presents itself. We have access to the Forestry Commission gates/ roads and will assess this when course marking on Saturday - worst case scenario is a there and back route as 2010.
Conditions: The route is mostly runnable in all conditions as most of the paths have hard bases - some of the paths will channel water run-off which means wet feet. The exceptions to this are the Taf Fechan forest path which will be boggy, and the track over the moor above Dolygaer which will also be wet but still runnable.
"i think they will let us go up the taff trail after coming down the steep path from the ridge....." Correct - that is the best route to take. The top path really is hard work at the moment!
As a veteran Sleepwalker, Roy Silver sums it up perfectly. Remember to bring your sense of humour and smile at all the marshalls. See you all on Saturday.
Thank You........and a big thank you in advance to the marshalls...............if the weather is going to be bad.it is easier to run it than marshall
Have a good one!
I had a run today to see if I can still run with my injuries, the broken wrist is okay to run with but I must have strained my ankle in the crash as it was giving me gip and swelled up a bit.
Sounds like awesome conditions for the race I normaly do well in dicey weather.
I'll be back for next year.
Really looking forward to the race later, whatever the weather/conditions. Worse it gets, the greater the challenge and bigger the smile at the end!
Axeman........sorry that you aren't fit.........i think its dodgy conditions for anyone carrying any type of injury...........lets hope that now one picks any new ones up.slipping round in the cold is just asking for pulled muscles
I am amazed that people seem to be taking a pretty flippant attitude to the weather conditions. If people choose to put themselves at risk, that is up to them and we usually happily sign disclaimers. However, if a dangerous situation develops tonight, emergency services could be pulled away from people who have no choice and in those circumstances, the media would have a field day, portraying runners as selfish and lacking common sense. I find it worrying that I haven't seen anything on the events website, warning about the probable conditions.