The plan was a 2-3 hour run + navigation on Black Hill from Crowden with an early morning start today. Early for me means being on the hill to see the sunrise. I woke eager, before the alarm, and my bag was packed already. Breakfast consumed, coffee drunk and I'm off. Oh, a bit of drizzle. Well that's probably going to mean sunrise won't be glorious but what the heck. I jump in the car and drive over to Crowden.
On the road round to the other side of Bleaklow things take a turn for the worse. Cloud base is low. Very low. It's still pitch black so I can't see how low while I drive, but it's raining properly by the time I park up at the south west end of Woodhead Reservoir to contemplate alternative routes. I'm dressed for moving at speed. I'm not averse to rain or wind, but...yes, there's a but, it really is chucking it down outside of the tin box. Not great for heading up on to Black Hill alone in the dawn gloom.
Map out, I decide that just going home isn't an option...I'll head down the Longdendale trail. It should be reasonably sheltered. The wind is coming from the west so it's on my back as I keep a steady pace going east. Each step I take has me thinking the return leg is going to be tough. In the short tree sheltered sections on the trail I can see the wind whipping rain horizontally across the trail. Nice. I'm properly soggy after about a kilometre. I'm aiming to do 5km as an absolute minimum. The thought of 2.5km with wind and rain in my face is daunting but it's good to challenge yourself, train for times when there's no option but to push through the gloom and horrendous conditions.
Something draws me further down the trail. Maybe it's the wind just pushing me. It's not a very difficult run going east, just wet and blustery. I'm practicing my drinking - with some electrolyte tab in my water bladder today and even though I'm not thirsty or planning to be out long it's good to keep sipping regularly to get used to it.
I reach Woodhead station, pass a long since derelict platform and push up to the car park to take a breather. Settling my lungs ready for the return. Oh boy, this is going to be fun. I have 3.4km (yes, every 0.1km was counted today!) to get back to the car. There's no other option...it's an out and back run.
To say it was difficult might be over playing the run back west. On the scale of difficultness there are many many more tough situations I could be in. I was after all only running along a pretty much flat trail. It did not however feel like that. Three times I had to stop and walk to catch my breath. At one point my face felt like I was sky diving with my cheeks being pushed around in the wind! There was a section of about 500m where I swear I was running sideways to make forwards progress. All good training I think to myself.
I wanted to stop and take a photograph but my gloves were soaking. I was not going to take them off voluntarily as my hands were surprisingly cosy despite water wringing out if I clenched a fist. I settled for a couple of photos taken from the car at the end. None of which do the conditions any justice whatsoever!!
I continued to push myself to run and keep a decent pace. Good practice for my lungs and building up determination to keep going. I have to admit to watching the clock towards the end...I needed to know just how many more metres I was going to be suffering. My face was taking a really blasting of the hard stinging rain and now all my clothes were totally soaked through.
Obviously I made it back. I feel good for forcing myself out but a little frustrated that my planned Black Hill navigation session has been postponed. It was the right decision though. By the time I was driving back towards Glossop cloud base was only about 50m above the Woodhead main road. 3 hours alone in claggy wetness would not have been fun.
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| this really doesn't show just how bad the weather felt! by the time I'd got back to the car I couldn't even face getting out again to take a photo, the rain really was lashing down. |
I didn't see a single person the whole time I was out, just one lonely hare dashing across the path and a few birds.
