UKH

Hello everyone,

I was hoping someone might be able to furnish me with some advice or point me in the right direction for some particularly hilly runs in North Wales (or anywhere really, my base is in Warwickshire), ideally around the 50km+ distance, that are doable in February.

I've spent every winter since 2003 in the French Alps, so I'm not very clued-up with regards to persistent snow and everything in the UK over winter. Circumstances mean that this year I'm coming back to the UK for a while, so I'm looking for things to do to stay fit.

Any advice is most gratefully received, and the best bit of information will be rewarded with your very own joke.

In reply to Pete Houghton:

Now, I refuse to believe that no-one has been outside in Wales in February. Let's widen the net to include everywhere else in the British Isles, but the closer to Warwickshire the better.

Ready? Go!

In reply to Pete Houghton:

how hilly?

The anglesey coastal path is a good option.. very hilly around holyhead.

Likewise North Wales Coastal Path?

In reply to Pete Houghton:

What about the Offas Dyke path, picks up a few "summits" en route

In reply to IainRUK:

The hillier the better, really, I can't help but feel a little cheated with anything less than 1000m of ascent per 20km.

I'm all coasted out after a race down in Dorset last month, so I hadn't even considered coastal paths. To be honest, I think I'd rather swap the mountains here (leaving for a bit of injury recovery so I won't be tempted to go skiing too early) for some slightly smaller ones back in the UK, so I'm kind of leaning towards more inland options. But I'll do some reading on your suggestions, they might fit the bill after all. Thanks for the idea.

In reply to JamButty:

Great suggestion, cheers. Have you done the route yourself? Are there any slightly spikier bits along the length of it that I should concentrate on? I'll give it a proper look when I've got all my maps in the UK to hand.

In reply to Pete Houghton:

North Wales coastal path is inland... the anglesey coastal path is very coastal, but the NW path skirts the edge of the carneddau so can be k's from the coast in places.

In reply to Pete Houghton:

You need this trail in your life, it's brilliant and there's a guidebook -

http://www.cambrianway.org.uk/route.htm

In reply to Steve Perry:

That's exactly the kind of vegetable I need for my soup. Well done, sir. How are the Rhinogs in February? I've not spent any time there since I was around seven years old, and only then in the summer...

You win today's joke:

A squirrel is sat chomping on his nuts in a pine tree. Suddenly, the tree starts shaking violently, and he looks down to see an elephant climbing up into the lower branches.
"Oi!" the squirrel cries, indignant. "What are you doing?!"
"Ah, hello." the elephant calls back to him. "I'm climbing up into this tree so that I can eat some pears."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" shrieks the squirrel, hopping up and down. "This is a pine tree, not a pear tree!"
"Oh I know," replies the elephant. "I brought my own pears."

In reply to Pete Houghton:

The Rhinogs in February could be wet, snowy or neither. Generally very runnable terrain if you can pick out the paths amongst the heather. There isn't a very obvious ridge/link between the two Rhinogs though.

A couple of options could be:

Conwy>Conwy Mountain>Sychnant>Drum>Foel Fras>Foel Grach>Garnedd Uchaf>Drosgl>Wnion>Aber>Roman Rd>Sychnant>Conwy Mountain>Conwy.

Dolwyddelan>Moel Penamnen up the Cwm>Manod Mawr>Llan Ffestiniog>Old railway to Blaenau>Tanygrisiau>Cwmorthin>Moelwyns>Cnicht>Crimea>Roman Bridge>Dolwyddelan.

Beddgelert Forest with Snowdon if suitable conditions.

Marin Trail (25km) with extra loops in the Gwydyr Forest or over to Llyn Elsi on the other side of the A5 from Betws.

Some of the MTB trails at Coed Y Brenin near Dolgellau.

There are plenty of options in Southern Snowdonia too with Cadair Idris or the Arans and a little further South again is the Pumlumon (Nant Y Moch Reservoir) range - plenty of circuits I could make up around those which should be fine in February.

In reply to Thickhead:
That's absolutely smashing, cheers for the suggestions. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thanks for the weather advice too, I guess that's something I'll just have to keep an eye on over the next few weeks. I've decided to bring a hold bag as well now, and I'm bringing all of my winter running gear, so maybe snow won't be as much of a problem as I was originally thinking.

Many of the places you listed seem familiar from old '90s family holidays to north Wales, and I've got a chest full of vintage OS maps of the area back in the UK from when my folks did all of their DofE and outdoor education stuff there in the '80s, so when I get back I'll get the maps out and refresh my memory.

Right, I think that's Wales sorted, does anyone want to try the same for the Peak District? Possibly a south-to-north (or vice versa) route linking as many of the most interesting bits as possible?
If one were to do the bottom end of the Pennine Way, is there a logical continuation to do heading south?

In reply to Pete Houghton:

You could look up the route for the Excalibur marathon in the Clwyds for a mapped out option? About 6000' I think. Or follow the ridge/Offa's Dyke linearly till you get fed up and work out the logistics of an end to end.

In reply to Pete Houghton:
The peak? Edale Sky line...
Or use the train.. Leave the car at Dore.. Train to Chinley or edale and run back. I did 20 miles the other week, edale to dore..

In reply to Pete Houghton:

What about the Meirionnydd Round bit long at 75 miles and 25,000 feet but covering some stunning areas

topic on the FRA site http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?4384-Meirionnydd-Round

And just one look at this page will drive you to do it http://www.mudandroutes.com/archives/34882