Things were not looking good on the route finding front when I'd realised I'd managed to book myself onto the Camping&Caravan club site at Hertford and not Hereford. One click of a mouse and you could just be anywhere. Over 100 miles from where I needed to be in my case, although in my defence they are next to each other on their alphabetical list!
One of the C&C's worse sites, if the reviews are anything to go by. It was reading these and references in 2012 to travelling to the Olympics from the site that finally alerted me on Wednesday last week to my error. Anyway all sorted and off I headed south. (The Hereford site is lovely, even got offered a cup of tea by the neighbours whilst pitching the tent!)
A little trip past the Black Mountains on Saturday morning to reach Tal y Bont and the small select gathering for the race briefing, 36 to be precise. Usual stuff re kit, retiring and a small matter of having to finish in 5hrs. There was going to be a sweeper who would hint if you were going too slow to make it and send you home before the last two check-points.This year it was an Anti-clockwise route
So all I had to do was keep someone between me and the sweeper to avoid him whispering 'get a shift on' in my shell-like.
Fabulous day for views, including this one of Pen y Fan.
All going to plan from Carn Pica until droping down to the reservoir from the trig at Twyn Mwyalchod. Here I was informed by the guy at the water station that I had 5mins to meet the cut-off at the next road before the climb up to the penultimate check point.
Well that was nice, no mention of this before we set off just the deal with the sweeper!! I carried on, and made it to Pant y Creigiau to be greeted by the summit Marshall and the Sweeper. They both enquired after my health, and thankfully decided as I was up on the ridge I could stay up. But I was on my own from here onwards. The sweeper had sent the last runner back along the trail though the woods and taken a short cut to reach the summit before me (not marked on map).
Half-way to the next CP (yes I was going up, rude not to) I got whistled to a better line by the sweeper, who presumably had called back to base and was told to follow me back. Guess they didn't trust my navigating skills! He seemed happy enough for me to make the last climb and phone call ensured the last marshall held his post and allowed me to complete the race 'officially'. Some 15mins or so adrift of the allotted time, but not too bad an effort at pacing having run an unknown route virtually on my own from start to finish.
A lovely day to sample the delights of the Brecon Beacons. My thanks to the RO for allowing me to finish and to all the marshalls for waiting for me. I think my preference would be for the Anti-clockwise route, gets the rocky stuff out the way 'early-doors'. So could be back for another go in 2015.
Capricorn
I see that KLM has taken the bait. Anyone else prepared to nibble?
TF
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