Off-road anyone?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 6:06PM In several issues of ACE I have celebrated the virtues of off-road events without referring exclusively to well-established cross country and multi-terrain races. Don’t forget that we have the wonderful Brecon Beacons on our doorstep where many events take place for cycling, walking, fell running and orienteering. It doesn’t matter that some events are untimed; it’s a chance to experience the great outdoors in all weathers, learn new skills and improve fitness. The five events below have been mentioned before in issues of ACE, but I just wanted to remind you about them. Give one or two of them a go, if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed.
Caerphilly Summits Challenge: 3 July 2010
Organized by the Long Distance Walkers Association, this is becoming quite popular with Les Croupiers runners. You can choose from 11, 21 and 31 miles and you can tell from the name where the routes generally go. I would recommend the 21 miles rather than the longest course. This year the start was from Machen.
Talybont Trial: 9 October 2010
Like the Sleepwalker Marathon, this route starts from Talybont-on-Usk, only this time in daylight! The full course is 20 miles with 4,500 feet of ascent. There’s a shorter 10 mile option. Although not an especially demanding route, at least physically, in poor weather the navigation can be quite demanding. Don’t attempt this one if your navigation skills need brushing up. The Chartists’ Cave can be quite hard to find when the mist is down.
Be fast. Be safe.
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