CYMDEITHAS WELSH 2006 AWST RHEDWYR FELL CYLCHGRAWN MYNYDD RUNNERS NEWSLETTER CYMRU www. wfra.org.uk ASSOCIATION AUGUST 2006 A GENTLEMANS FELL RUNNING, CYCLING AND EPICUREAN ADVENTURE SIMON BLEASE Like all daft things, the idea It then became immediately for the GFRCEA arrived in a obvious that we could intro- pub on a gloomy late winter duce even more elements and day, as a bedraggled group of so it was that the full GRFCEA runners tried to warm up after a plan was hatched. In a nutshell, Winter League Race. As was the proposal was to run up usual, much banter was direct- Snowdon, Cader Idris, ed around what to do in the Plynlimon and Pen Y Fan in one eagerly anticipated summer. I weekend, linking them together had been musing on an idea by bicycle and taking in some of floated by Chris Gildersleve the famous fell running water- (Toffer) which involved running ing holes on route. My fellow Snowdon, cycling south and plotters, Martin ‘Old running Pen Y Fan, so linking Greybeard’ Lucas and Mark the highest points in North and Bryant agreed that this would 'The Gentlemen’ preparing to take Plynlymon, Hafren Car Park, 9am Left South Wales in one day. The fly be a fun idea so I went home to right. Chris Smales, Wheeze, Doug Adlam (hidden), Old Grey Beard, in the ointment was the cycling. that evening and immediately Keri James (front), Mark Bryant, Andy Mullet, Toffer (partly hidden), John Conservative estimates put the started drawing up plans. My Aggleton, Hugh Aggleton, Molehill distance at 120 miles which first dilemma was road bike or and resourceful Rod ‘The Rally’ skies and rising tempera- would make for a very tough mountain bike for the cycling Jones as co-driver for the van tureswhich were to become a day out. Applying my usual legs, as I was aware of some and the confirmation that Kay feature of the whole weekend, reductionist logic I said ‘Why pretty steep climbs and maybe Lucas would also be joining in making things pleasurable and not do it over 2 days and then the potential to use off-road the fun just weeks after suffer- difficult in equal measure. We we can have some fun as well?’. routes. I floated the idea on the ing a stroke. Having followed made Pete’s Eats bang on 8 FRA forum and got a pretty events with interest on the o’clock opening time which was clear answer. Road bikes it was forum, Chris and Kath Smales to be the only time we were on Discounts then! The idea generated a fair from Todmorden (Chris and schedule for the rest of the day. bit of interest on the forum and Joliver Jim) planned to join us After the mandatory full-fry, we The shops listed below from it we were very lucky to have confirmed that they for some of the running and the biked-up and set off on the find a willing driver for the sup- Saturday night festivities. short leg to Ynys Ettws for the will give WFRA members a port vehicle, Andy Mullet (The discount on purchases. This As most of the Adventurers traverse of Snowdon. This all Original Boy Wonder) and an took a lot longer than planned may not be on all items (eg enthusiastic organiser for the were from South Wales, we met sale items). Discount is nor- at the Nant Ddu on Friday and we lost one of the crew as dark Mid-Wales section, they thrashed on, bit well mally 10% unless indicated Matthew Hand (Molehill). evening to load up the van, otherwise. Remember to have the weigh-in and depart between the teeth, all the way to show your WFRA member- After a bit of tinkering, a do- for our first overnight stop Pen Y Pass. The ascent from ship card. able schedule was drawn up which was to be the cottage Ynys Ettws is steep but peaceful ATHLETES FEET which saw us starting at Pete’s owned by Andy Mullet’s family with non of the crowds that Eats in Llanberis for the full fry infest the popular routes but it Rhuddlan st in an idyllic setting just outside BLACKS breakfast on Saturday July 1 , Tremadoc. took us a long time. After a bit finishing with a black tie dinner of fun on the pinnacles, we Betws y Coed and Saturday dawned to clear blue Llandudno in the Nant Ddu, just outside continued on page 2 CONWY OUTDOOR Merthyr Tydfil, on the Sunday SHOP evening. Just so that everyone ANNUAL Conwy was clear about the nature of COTSWOLD the event, I decided that the Betws y Coed ‘competitive’ element would be GENERAL JOE BROWN SHOPS based on weight. The person Llanberis and who gained the most (or lost the MEETING Capel Curig least) weight would be the win- The second PETE BLAND SPORTS ner! Welsh Fell Runners Association AGM Kendal Now we had a plan, we just RUN AND BECOME needed more participants. A will take place on Cardiff round-robin email to MDC soon SUNDAY 5th NOVEMBER RUNNING BEAR collected John Aggleton and his AFTER THE Altrincham son Hugh, Douglas Adlam and FRONTIER Keri James giving a total of 9 CLWYDIAN HILLS RACE Llandudno willing (and deranged) partici- IN CILCAIN VILLAGE HALL ULTIMATE OUTDOORS pants. Even better, John, Any nominations or items for inclusion on the Agenda Betws y Coed, Skipton, Douglas and Keri would be must be notified to the Secretary by 8th October. Keswick and Lancaster supported by their long suffer- The meeting will commence as soon as possible If there are other retailers ing families which took a lot of after the race and will follow the members would like to be pressure off the main support WFRA included please contact any vehicle. The final pieces of the CHAMPIONSHIPS PRESENTATIONS Committee member. jigsaw fell into place with the co-option of the redoubtable 2 CYMDEITHAS RHEDWYR MYNYDD CYMRU AWST 2006 AUGUST WELSH FELL RUNNERS ASSOCIATION Clwydian Hills Summer Trots Hot on the Hills Martin Cortvriend This series of 3 challenging events that require little in the races on Wednesday evenings way of extra help avoiding road was held for the second year crossings, gates etc as much as this summer in the rolling possible. Nonetheless we still Clwydian Hills. Warm evenings need assistance and we’re very were a feature of the end of June grateful to all those who volun- and the whole of July and a fair teered (or were press ganged) number of bare-chested (male) into helping. Looking ahead to runners were spotted. The num- next year we shall be creating a ber of participants was up by special award for those who over 50% - 230 entries as have completed 7 Summer Trots opposed to 150 last year. The (this will also include those who first race at The Druid Inn in have assisted with marshalling, Llanferres took place on timekeeping, playing bagpipes Midsummer’s Day – very etc which therefore guarantees Competitors at the start of The Druid appropriately! Although run one for me and John!) from a different venue this still climbs up and around the hill A Gentlemans Fell Running, Cycling and Epicurean fort of Foel Fenlli. Another climb up a hill fort was to Moel continued from page 1 Adventure was too much trouble for the owners as we crammed into Gaer which figured in the sec- made the summit in good shape out the last of our flagging spir- their tiny dining room for a cel- ond race, Hotfoot up Famau, and set off down Bwlch Main to its especially with the realisa- ebratory meal and drink. Moley using the same course as last Bethania in Nant Gwynant. It tion that we were so far behind even got his balls back, but year. Finally the last race in the was hot and muggy by now and schedule that we would miss that’s another story! series at Llangynhafal utilised a dip in Aber Glaslyn was most our evening meal if we set off the same paths as previously welcome before saddling up for on the remaining 25 mile The following morning but this year in a different con- a quick blast to Beddgelert and cycling leg to our overnight dawned hot and sultry again figuration – we felt it appropri- then more time wasting at the stop at Llangurig. Faced with an but it was a refreshed and eager ate to change the race name to ice-cream shop. inevitable mutiny, I bowed to group who made their way to The Brown Green Grass of The long cycle from the obvious and everyone piled the Hafren forest car park which Home to reflect the parched Beddgelert to Barmouth was, into the vehicles for a relieved had been our target for the pre- brown conditions and the route for me, one of the highpoints of drive over the tough but beauti- ceding day and was the location change. In fact using the same the trip. The weather was beau- ful back roads to Plynlimon and for our out-and-back assault on climbs and descents in various tiful and the back road to on to Llangurig. Plynlimon. This is a middling- different combinations we can tedious way of tackling this Harlech quite delightful as we Molehill had done some excel- potentially come up with a dif- uninspiring summit and the pedalled under the shade of the lent homework for us as the ferent route each year for the lower reaches proved even trees and took in the views.