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10 peaks brecon beacons 2014
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The sleepwalker was a good run. shame it was cancelled last year
Yes, that's the one. Not done that one, either.
Plenty of sleepwalking will be going on this weekend I suspect.
NATO summit fever in my area so I will be glad to get away to somewhere remote. If coming from across the Severn I would suggest using M50 or A40, not M4 Friday afternoon!!
Last recce today - just the first five and the last five miles. There are a confusing number of paths over Waun Rydd and down to the bwlch but it should be daylight by then. Similarly coming back, but most definitely not daylight then for me, at any rate!
All the best for final preparation and see you there.
Hope to get to the campsite by mid-afternoon tomorrow. We have booked a table at the local pub, stagger back
and listen to the race briefing, early night , early start.
I wish all runners the very best on Saturday, long or short course.
Oh my, that was tough route. I got to Picws Du and had no idea how I was going to get back to Talybont.
waiting for the race reports from you guys.weather seems to have been quite kind mainly
Great day out in the hills. Only had 1/2 hour sleep so report later!
I achieved my 19 2000' mountains, just. 32 minutes to spare.
BBs rarely been finer, particularly during the night. Rather hazy during the day. Brilliant race organisation and very friendly event.
Feet a mess but otherwise OK.
I would have liked a little drizzle at some point as I was just getting too hot. Started very humid, and just got warmer throughout the day. Navigation was made easy though, and the views, particularly in the evening, were breathtaking.
I had some issues that I need to think about (cramp, nausea) but really enjoyed the event as a whole, particularly the the race between me and another chap from Carn Pica; a race is a race whether it be for 1st place, or 18th place....7 minute mileing across the dam! Well done achieving your 19 peaks; not sure how that fits in with safety of the event as you'd be so off course but I'm pleased you managed it. I threw in Corn Ddu just because I thought it'd be rude not to.
T rex half hour sleep you lucky devil, sat till 0700hrs drinking beer outside my tent, sun up time for bed !
Race report tomorrow.
Hats off to you guys...I looked back up to the hills as I drove off & wondered how everyone on the long course was getting on. And thought about you all again as it got dark when I back home.
I really enjoyed myself - thanks to great course, cracking weather - and doing better than I thought I would. Got a job on myself Sean on the run home & down from Carn Pica to try & get within a time, so your story made me smile. When I showed Mrs Circlip I had completed last time in 1.01 (had expected 1.15/1.20 ish) she seemed to think I obviously hadn't been trying rest of way to be 'fresh'
Missed the first turn at the fence but then cut across to your track - great tip, thanks! Otherwise had a moment of baby steps on Cribyn but weirdly managed to get going again by Fan Y Big. Thought I'd done OK for first timer, until I saw the short course winner did 7.02 - stunning time (but bet he was naffed off by the 2mins!)
Anyone know fastest time for long course?
Great event, well run, & friendly support. Of course, stunning back drop. Minor quibbles from me would be nr of people who ignored instructions from briefing to run up farm track and the out of bounds for Fan Fryn. Was surprised to see no food/not even cup of tea at the finish. And as for the 2 dicks who parked nr my tent - one ran his engine until almost midnight & the other fired his up at 3.10. Grrr!
Yes, it was a very noisy campsite. There seems to be a new trend to leave your car engine running or have what sounds like a generator in your tent. Are they powering something up? A lot of very early packing and departing Sunday morning, as well as very late arrivals Friday evening.
A friendly event, I thought. Pity about those few who by their actions could make events like this close.
It hadn't occurred to me to think what I was doing in the race was irresponsible. At the Storey Arms mountain rescue overheard what I was saying to another runner about what I was up to and seemed to be concerned because strictly speaking their brief was to cover the course of the actual event or people inadventently getting lost. What I was doing was using the event for my own challenge which I can see puts organisers in a difficult position. I told the mountain rescue the three remaining extra peaks I still had to do and they seemed happy that they were near enough to the course for me to be able to make six flashes/whistle blasts.
I spent most of the day on my own and sometimes in the company of various other back markers and we got into some great conversations.
Probably if I had stuck to the course I might have shaved two hours or more off my 2013 time through knowing the area a bit better and not making as many nav blunders.
Winner got round in 11.01. I don't know how people can run through bogs, cross rough country, or climb such steep hills so fast. I ran on all smoothish flat or downhill sections but for the rest it was largely a power hike. And feet still trashed!
Stunning backdrops, as ever. The clag was never on the mountains we had to climb next. Spectacular night sky with a near enough full moon and the odd distant and slowly moving headtorch. Mountain faces illuminated in dark grey. It was great to be alive and outside.
About 0230 I had a fright when I went through the surface up on the Waun Rydd plateau, sinking into something to just below the left knee. Fortunately only one leg or I might still be there now. It felt like the leg was cast in quick-drying cement. Whatever foul substance was in this hole there was no way my leg was going to move no matter how I twisted or tried to lever it. It took a couple of minutes until I was finally able to wrench it free, the shoe fortunately still on the foot.
No major route mishaps except that one of my extra peaks was hard to find - hadn't recced it - and the minute cairns on a couple of the others were very hard to find after dark.
The information shared on this thread was very useful. Thanks, guys.
Will try for a 'fast' time next year. Peak #20 would be one too many for someone of my calibre and I'm also having misgivings about what I did.
Anyone know what that extremely low-flying helicopter was doing just after the Caving Club?
Great day out well run and thanks to all the people who made this possible especially the " Pirates " at the caving club.
Getting up Fan Gyhrych in 29 minutes after stepping over the stile till dibbing in at the top cheered me up. after passing so many people littered across the hillside on their backsides.
Managed to get to Storey Arms in daylight ( just ) helped me mentally to stay focused Seeing a few shooting stars whilst at the top of Fan-y-Big gave the day that extra touch. Well done to you all, one last thing NO map reading errors well happy with that.
Moksha8 - that was good going!! Took me more like 49 minutes, the last section hands and knees! By Storey Arms you were about 3 miles ahead of me, then. I was not far from the top of Fan Frynych when I had to turn the headtorch on.
As you say the next section was magical although stonier underfoot than I remembered, especially after Fan y Big. I now recommend getting to Y Gyrn (N of Storey Arms en route to Corn Du) whether day or night for a stunning view despite the top itself being very mundane.
Managed to see the event out with hardly any many medical problems. Rhabdomyolysis did not rear its head, perhaps because I was sure to drink plenty of water - about 8 litres in all - as well as two cups of black tea and about 2.5L of own electrolyte drink (not quite enough).
It was certainly hot by early afternoon, but I couldn't fault the conditions - they were ideal for me.
Developed what turned out to be only two large blisters and have probably lost one big toe nail. I wish you could get good, grippy offroad shoes in wide fittings. Inov8 are far too narrow for me. Currently using La Sportiva Crosslites but again on the narrow side.
Well done on your place and time, Sean. You must have kept up a cracking pace all the way round. I probably managed to muster up 10 minute miling across the dam ...
Looking forward to next year when I will do the race properly and plan to target a few points for very detailed recces to find the best route.
I really enjoyed watching the red kites riding the thermals and being mobbed by crows ... below me on the ridge up to Fan Hir and Fan Brycheiniog.
Hope your event went well, seren. I reached the Roman Road about 0110 but I didn't see you there, or indeed any of your runners!
I just couldn't get enough fluids; I filled from a few streams on route to keep me topped up. I had a few cupfuls of coke and about 250ml of water at every CP and left every CP with 500ml electrolyte and 500ml water.
ref the Crosslites T Rex; I've had a couple of pairs and also find them a bit narrow. The Inov8 Trailroc 255 are every bit as grippy though and much, much bigger in the toe box (the 245 aren't quite as roomy which is odd though). For these summer trails they're certainly worth a butchers.
Thanks, sean. I'll check out the 255s.
The CPs were quite far apart so looks like you could have done with a 1.5 or 2L hydration pack.
I don't really like using bladders as I like to spread the weight around. I'll probably look at getting some sort of filter thing though.
I've got a bottle with a filter in the lid. I'll try to find out a bit more about it and post on here.