A Good Friday

Did you see what I did there? - I fire my script writer.

I got up before six, taped up my feet and pretty much that was that. In the car and over to the Storey Arms. When I arrived it was looking like being a scorcher - and it didn't turn out far off that but thankfully the clouds did come across from time to time to give me a bit of shielding from the Sun's damaging UV rays. I was well covered in sun block but you can never have too much protection and I never like an unprotected run - fnah, fnah.

I won't bore you with the detail - I'll stop now then - kidding. Basically it was a good run. Not quite the full 37 miles planned on account that I had to call off the final summit and one just before because I'd taken too long - that and the fact I was bloody knackered. In all I covered 35 miles with some 8,000 feet of ascent and it took me a staggering 9 hours - yes, nine hours.

As a recce for the South Wales Traverse it was a great run. I managed to hone a few points to further optimise my route. I managed to crack Garreg Las. The optimum route is to head along the low path, below the ridge, a little further than we did on the previous attempt. Then at the big boulder at the edge of the path followed by the big dip you turn right and climb right up to the top and pop out right at the summit. The climb isn't even very rocky.

The run off Garreg Las was also spot on. I headed along the ridge a bit further (north) and then gradually turned east, picking up a small trod that took me pretty much most of the way up to Waun Lefrith. Then a bit further on I tested the 'drop off the edge' technique from Fan Hir. Again, it's definitely the right way to go, going back to the 'steps' is not an option.

And finally the climb to Fan Nedd was the only other bit of experimentation. I tried to locate the 'veer right, off the path on the small trod that goes all the way to the summit'. To be honest I'm not sure I picked the correct one but the one I did followed also came out at the summit, but it did join a more solid trod half way along and I suspect that's the one I should have been on but if it was then I reckon my way was slightly more direct. It's the way I will go in the real thing as I know it get me to the summit on time.

And that was pretty much it other than picking off Fan Llia on a perfect direct line for once, avoiding going too far right as I have done on every other occasion.

All in all it was a good run and an even better recce. Even the live location seemed to work - at least it's generated a plot of the route, can't say whether the location came up live as I didn't stop to log onto the internet but I reckon it must have worked.

And now it's time to put my poor, achy breaky feet well and truly up. TV time.