Ultra_Tales_Issue_13

EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSenough a narrow walkable track revealed itself. Icalled the other runners who were across thestream fighting vegetation and they joined me. Welost the path several times on the slow hike and hita few boggy sections but finally surmounted thishill that could have so readily been a peakand descended to the checkpoint.I filled my bone-dry bladder and bottles and thentook charge of several packs of Clif shots. My storeof dry food was no longer working. Energy wasdepleted and in the hottest part of the day mymouth was too parched to chew on bread or bars.So, with twenty miles to go, I adapted my nutritionplan in favour of quick release sugar. I couldn’t seehow else I had any hope of ascending the mountainthat stood in my way.The reputation of Fan Gy’s western scarp hadpreceded it. Maps don’t lie. Crammed contour lines.This was a very steep prospect! The initial clamberbought back memories of my navigational errors onthe Black Mountains in April. No footpaths to speakof. Only the keenest, or craziest, hikers would tacklethis challenging ascent surely! My legs werescreaming and this was a far cry from ultra-running.I would attempt to climb 50 short steps, then rest,with hands on knees and curse. Walk, scream,repeat! That was the new method.The fact the final 100m was covered on hands andknees was affirmation enough. In fact following theform of those ahead of me by adopting a scrambleover the last ascent I couldn’t help but wonder ifthis would have been a more efficient way to tacklesome of the earlier climbs we had encountered. Fora short brief spell the pain in the legs subsided, thefatigue was stymied and I actually started enjoyingmyself.Five peaks down. Five peaks to go!Peak 6. Fan Nedd at 663m. Arrival time 14:54I had several navigational tactics in mind for FanNedd. Bearing west off the summit was not one ofthem as I made contact with the red road far earlierthan expected and put a few hundred metres ontomy route. My first navigational error of the daywhich I attributed to the exhaustion of the climbjust undertaken. On a positive I could just make outPen-y-Fan on the hazy horizon. It was gettingcloser.I was keen to get back onto softer ground anddeviated right on a small path that followed a farmwall to the foot of Fan Nedd. An unexpected bogfound me waist deep in muck and stinking of morethan just sweat! An unfortunate stench thatlingered on the air for quite some time. Severalother runners were following the ridge line to thenorthern cairn. I chose a direct bearing across themountainside via sheep tracks. The path repeatedlypetered out into more overgrown tufts but my legswere grateful for the slighter gradient. By thesummit I had made ground on several otherrunners. The descent was swift and steep. I wasgrateful for an emergency checkpoint that hadbeen set up by Mountain Rescue offering water. Mysupplies were nearly exhausted!Peak 7. Fan Frynych at 629m. Arrival time 16:11"The Romans built terrible roads", I kept tellingmyself as my tight muscles struggled on the rubblestrewn track that wound north west on Sarn Helen.Perhaps 2000 years of torrential Welsh climate wasmore cause for the protrusions that jutted out andrepeatedly caught the sides and souls of my feet.This was not good terrain for MudClaws and I feltseveral pangs of pain.We were back on the short course now and I passeda number of walkers who showered outencouragement and respect. Fan Frynych was ameans to end. The legs were tired and the “walk,scream, repeat” technique I mastered on Fan Gy wasagain called for. But I knew once over the summit itwas downhill all the way to Storey Arms and thenthe home leg over Pen-y-Fan and her smallersiblings.The view from the summit of Fan Frynych waswelcoming. Corn Du and Pen-y-Fan stood lofty overthe valley a short distance away. Clouds werebuilding around the peaks. Was the fair weather wehad been gifted all day about to becomeinclement? The forecasts had hinted at showers.This could be refreshing but also bring thetemperature down rapidly just as the sun was179 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://