ARENIG FAWR FELL RACE - DESCRIPTION
Registration and car park: SH 830393
The race is 6.7 miles long with 1900ft ascent, some of it steep. The start
is at 340m, the summit of Arenig Fawr is at 854m. There is a one mile walk to the start from the car park, in an easterly direction along
a minor road. There are no facilities of any kind but there are plenty of bushes. The race visits two subsidiary tops in addition
to the summit of Arenig Fawr and finishes at the disused Arenig quarry near the car park. The first mile is along
a track that takes you past the scenic Llyn Arenig Fawr (headcount at the dam). A path then leads up a grassy ridge,
which becomes progressively steeper and rockier. As the path rises, a panorama of Llyn Arenig Fawr, lying in the shadow of
some impressive rocky buttresses, comes into prominence. Soon after crossing two fences the ground levels off and the route
turns N in the direction of the first checkpoint, a lonely cairn by a small pond, at spot height 697m. The route then turns
SW and picks up an old fence that leads to the summit. From the summit the route is followed in the reverse direction for
300m and then veers NW along the crest of a ridge. Check point 3 is at a cairn standing at the highest point on the ridge
(790m). A steep rocky descent follows, offering spectacular views of the surrounding lowlands and revealing an interesting
profile of Arenig Fach on the right. Halfway down the ground becomes grassy and should suit fast descenders. Checkpoint number
4 is on a small rocky outcrop (425m). From there the route turns 90 degrees to the right and follows an old wall to reach
a grassy quarry track; this leads to the finish after three quarters of a mile of fast running.
The entire course is marked.
NEXT RACE: Date to be confirmed
CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR A MAP OF THE RACE ROUTE
