Not for the faint-hearted!

I fancied a bit of a run in the hills. Moel Eilio is only 2,382 feet, how tough can that be? Its only 500 feet higher than Moel Famau, and the scenery must be splendid! On Saturday 14 May I met Chris and Paul D at John's house, bags in the boot and off to Llanberis. Register (eventually - after being wrongly directed by the web-site) and got ready, walked/jogged to the start up the hill. Fairly uncomplicated start "Ready, set, go" she shouts, so we go.

Long steady climb for about 40 minutes up to sumit of Eilio, bit cold climbing up in the brisk north-westerly, but OK. Now for the rest of the race. Stupedous views as we make our way along the ridge over Foel Gron, and un-named Moel and Foel Goch before dropping down steeply to the track from Snowdon Ranger Station. Last climb is the long ridge up to Moel Cynghorion, about a mile and 750 feet, the summit of Snowdon less than two miles away covered in cloud but visibility here is good. Left over the stile, "down there" says the marshal. Down there? All I can see is a void. Finally realise it is a slope not sheer drop. You know its steep when the contour lines on the map don't have a gap between them. It flattens out and you scramble across a stream and up a bank to the track. The finish is a mile or so down the track. I say down, but it being Wales there is "up" mixed with the "down". And it's raining by now. But I finished.

Jog back to the car, change, pint in the pub and off to Pete's Eats for sausage, chips and beans and the biggest mug of tea you ever saw and all is well in the world. Chris had finished in 40th, John was 42nd and won the V60, Paul was 55th and I was 72nd.

An excellent run but tough. Luckily the weather was good for running. Did I enjoy the day? Yes. Did I enjoy the run? Surprisingly, yes I did. Would I do it again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes, but not to the faint-hearted or if the weather was poor.

Posted by Rob

ps. The statistics. 73 finishers (I wasn't last!) 48 of whom run for Eryri. 15 unattached, 4 Buckley, 2 from Mercia and 1 each from several other clubs.