Paddy Buckley 2010?

After a year of getting used to a baby boy and too much work, next year is going to be the one to 'finish off' the classic three 24 hour rounds. So far I have enjoyed the Bob Graham (2006) and the Ramsay (2008) - more so for the training rather than the runs themselves. Perverse perhaps, but there is always such an air of expectation around the actual attempts. The excuse to go running into the big hills at night is always such a draw to me, so Paddy Buckley's round is quite an attractive prospect. Plus it would be nice to explore parts of Wales that I haven't been to since I was a teenager. Also despite good races this year, results are just good race results and nothing more. So next year I want to have a bit more of an adventure.

Last week as part of a trip to in-laws who live near Aberysthwyth I decided to do my first reccy to have a look-see and get my training kick started. The leg from Aberglaslyn to Pont Caegors seemed suitably short with a scheduled (to a sub-24h schedule) time of 3.46. Almost from the off I got lost in the woods above Aberglaslyn following a marked footpath which unfortunately didn't go to where I wanted to go. Next time I should just stick to the stream and head towards to left of the ridge past the old buildings. So I was seriously hacked off with the whole enterprise before I had even begun! Once I was back on the route to Bryn Banog I calmed down and jogged the easy ground - the grass was short, the bogs shallow and the tussocks small. From the top of Moel Hebog I encountered the first of a couple of very steep grassy downhills. Lethal in my worn out fell shoes and my dodgy ankle, but useful information all the same. And I began to enjoy myself.

The rest of the run was straight forward and fun - always following well defined paths or trods on easy running terrain with the only tricky bit Y Gyrn which was coated in thick heather and just seemed a bit pointless and a mere pimple to boot.

Towards the end of the leg the ridge after Mynydd Drws y Coed got decidedly slippery with a bit of scrambling, not helped by the torrential downpour which had just passed overhead. Cautiously edging down some slabs I heard some clattering above and a rucksac descended towards me on parcel string. An older walker followed the bag and seemed relieved to have got back to easier ground. Did he have the parcel string in his bag by chance, or was it in his normal hill walking kit to help him out of such a predicament?

Coming off Y Garn was a mild disaster as I got the line completely wrong. I had tried to stick to the marked paths, but would have been better off heading straight towards the forest and pick up some roads in there. Still, by the time I reached the road only 3h20 had elapsed so under schedule and a couple of chances to save even more time.