Stretton Sunday Run - 20/03/2011

The little side valley off Ashes leading to Pole Cottage

After the night runs this week I needed to get out in the daylight, so waking early on Sunday morning was the ideal opportunity to get over to Church Stretton and just run for the pure joy of being in the hills.

Despite the effort on the BG recce, I soon was feeling strong again and yomped up through the Rectory Wood and to the top of Burway Hill. It was raining and there was a bit of wind, but I could see blue sky and thought it'd improve as I went round.

I decided to go up Yearlet, but took the traversing path from the top of Townbrook and then doubled back from the Ashlet Col so I could run all the way to the top. From there I descended the way most runners in the Valleys race comes up. It takes a good few of minutes to go down - you can see why in ascent this hill is so tough at the end of the Valleys...

I ran on up Ashes Hollow toying with the idea of going up the ramp to Barrister's Plain, but in the end I decided to head on up Ashes and then take the side valley towards Pole Cottage. I'd not been this way before but there's a lovely grassy path and some beautiful little waterfalls on the way up. The weather had improved by now and I shed the windproof and ran in my thermal up this idyllic little valley.

Looking back down the side valley - the ridge opposite is Long Synalds

I came out on the road and headed on up to the summit of Pole Bank.

I descended by Calf Ridge (not the rocky Cow Ridge). This has a very steep but grassy buttress which makes for good sport and lands you right at the junction of the Mott's Road and Lightspout paths in Cardingmill Valley. I returned to the car by the ramp path and the Rectory Wood to avoid the road.

Route map as it appears in the Trails app on my iPhone

The altitude (blue) and speed (red) trace from the iPhone

 I did 8.0 miles and about 2,150' of ascent in 01:48 today. The week's total is 36.4 miles and 9,450' of ascent; my four week running total is 115.4 miles and 29,270'.