Jon Ascroft completed the Paddy Buckley Round on Thursday morning in a time of 23 hours 34 minutes.
With only one static support point. An incredible achievement, well done Jon.
The opportunity to do the Paddy Buckley round last week was too good to miss – a week’s holiday in Snowdonia, settled weather, and the wife in an agreeable mood. But it did mean running solo with minimal support, as my kids are only so forgiving. I’d reccied a couple of legs last year, and was encouraged by Matt D’s article in last winter’s Journal. I checked out over a few more sections I was uncertain about on the Monday and Tuesday, and deliberated over my choice of chewy bars.
I started at Ogwen at 9am, principally for a family compatible drop-off. This allowed me to do the unfamiliar but straightforward Carneddau, then the squelchy and heather bashing stretch after Moel Siabod whilst fresh. The route choice through the thick vegetation and hillocks wasn’t obvious, and I was concerned about squandering energy, but the occasional studded footprint encouraged me (were they Willie’s or Helen’s from their reccy a few days earlier?).
I got to Nantmoor car park at 6pm, perfectly timed to share super-noodles with my supporters, and swapped for a bigger running sac laden with kit and food for the night. 20 minutes into the next leg, I seriously considered jettisoning much of it as it was a real burden. Deciding to dump stuff at the next road crossing, I persevered, and magically the sac got more bearable as I got through my water. The sky stayed clear, and I lasted until 9pm before getting the head-torch out.
When I got to Pont Cae’r Gors at 10.30pm I was upbeat, still an hour ahead of my 23h30 schedule, and decided I better keep the extra layers and food just in case I did need it. I collected my stash of water and bars and pottered on up the unreccied leg over Snowdon. Most of the route was straightforward in the dark, though I often thought I’d reached a top, only to set off again and find it was further ahead. Round Snowdon’s summit and Crib Y Ddysgl some mist was swirling, but below 3000ft was still and clear. Time flew whilst I concentrated on the map and pondered my schedule timings. I carelessly overshot the col before Moel Cynghorion and started heading down to the Snowdon Ranger hostel, but corrected after some cussing. The following hills had just entertained the last British Champs counter, but there were barely any prints to show for it.
I crossed through silent Llanberis at 3.30am. I’d been telling myself that I would have cracked it by this point, and the last leg would be powered by euphoria (as I had found on the BG). But my body didn’t play along. I picked up my second water stash which upped the rucksack weight again. Then climbing up through Dinorwic quarry my energy levels suddenly deserted me and it was a trial getting up to Elidir Fach. The boulders on Elidir Fawr went on for ages, and my legs started to protest on the descents. The muscles were I guess now bored of stabilising my weight. But the sky started to glow and the final few climbs were nibbled slowly away. By Glyder Fawr I was soaking up gentle orange sunshine, and fabulous mountain views. I slowed right down on Glyder Fach, anxious not to stumble between the huge rock flakes that make up the summit. I gingerly descended and then climbed up and over Tryfan, using my arms where possible to relieve the legs. The spare hour I’d had on my schedule had been used up, but I felt no time pressure, and I rolled into Ogwen at 8.34am relaxed, content, and ready for a cuppa and some company.
Jon Ascroft