I decided to run a circular loop from Cleeve Hill south and east around to Seven Springs and then back along the Cotswold Way. And does Seven Springs actually have seven springs? They're not marked on the map. I digress. I set off steadily in cool conditions. It wasn't cold but it would have gone that way if I'd stopped for any length of time.
It wasn't a bad outward route although there were one or two occasions where the foot path wasn't obvious and I needed a bit of dilly dallying to pick it back up again. Then, with 1-2km to go to my turn around point I suddenly found myself running on the Cotswold Way! Hang on, I'm not there yet!
I carried on running because I was certain I knew where I was on the map and where I was wasn't where the Cotswold Way was - crinkey, the a lot of w's. Then once I got to my turn point is all became clear. They've gone and re-routed a small section between Seven Springs and Dowdeswell Reservoir.
So, not wanting to re-trace my steps I carried on along my planned route and picked up the CW after the re-routed section and from there it all became easy. Except it didn't as no sooner was I back running on the CW I bolloxed it up going past the reservoir. While admiring said reservoir - as any good reservoir spotter - I missed the obvious left turn before the woodland zone and followed the path along side the spill way, so hypnotised was I by the mass scrawl of graffiti, and ended up following a muddy path through the woods. I knew I'd gone wrong but couldn't be arsed to back track so I just piled through the forest back to the proper path. Now from there, it really did become easy - except I was beginning to tire but I made it back in one piece.
In all I covered just over 25k with 625m of ascent. With the navigation and the mud it was surprisingly hard work. Not sure how fit I'm going to be for tomorrow's Neuadd Res, Pen-y-fan, Cribyn, Fan-y-big loop starting and finishing at the Blaen-y-Glyn car park. At least with that route there are one or two escape routes to shorten it a little...
It wasn't a bad outward route although there were one or two occasions where the foot path wasn't obvious and I needed a bit of dilly dallying to pick it back up again. Then, with 1-2km to go to my turn around point I suddenly found myself running on the Cotswold Way! Hang on, I'm not there yet!
I carried on running because I was certain I knew where I was on the map and where I was wasn't where the Cotswold Way was - crinkey, the a lot of w's. Then once I got to my turn point is all became clear. They've gone and re-routed a small section between Seven Springs and Dowdeswell Reservoir.
So, not wanting to re-trace my steps I carried on along my planned route and picked up the CW after the re-routed section and from there it all became easy. Except it didn't as no sooner was I back running on the CW I bolloxed it up going past the reservoir. While admiring said reservoir - as any good reservoir spotter - I missed the obvious left turn before the woodland zone and followed the path along side the spill way, so hypnotised was I by the mass scrawl of graffiti, and ended up following a muddy path through the woods. I knew I'd gone wrong but couldn't be arsed to back track so I just piled through the forest back to the proper path. Now from there, it really did become easy - except I was beginning to tire but I made it back in one piece.
In all I covered just over 25k with 625m of ascent. With the navigation and the mud it was surprisingly hard work. Not sure how fit I'm going to be for tomorrow's Neuadd Res, Pen-y-fan, Cribyn, Fan-y-big loop starting and finishing at the Blaen-y-Glyn car park. At least with that route there are one or two escape routes to shorten it a little...
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