Afternoon Trail Run

Straight lumpy road run... it's been a while!

Lantern Pike outing with Dad and Ziggy🐶

First Pennine outing of 2026

Back to speedwork - 8 x 800m efforts

Fantastic loop with a surprising amount of climb, the last section climbing out of Rowarth to Matley Moor Farm via Higher Harthill Farm really adding up the elevation. An interesting pretty eventful run with regards to underfoot conditions, in fact probably the worst underfoot conditions I've ever known in all the 10 and a bit years I've been running these hills. Patchy frozen ground constituting a hardly visible slush, often with water standing or running over the top. Worse still, there were patches where there was hardly anything so microspikes wouldn't have been ideal for the whole. Absolutely lethal, I had to be REALLY on the ball at times to make sure I didn’t slide and become a cropper! Worst conditions on the tops of Mellor Moor and Matley Moor / Blackshaw, better close to tree cover where the ground had better thawed, such as down at Roman Lakes. A proper test of balance and focus at times. Aside from that, a good outing and rain not as persistent as expected, although feeling bitter when exposed to the wind (Triggerers... my thoughts are with you today in those conditions - severe enough for me being lower down today.. that was quite enough thrills!). In leggings again so freedome of movement in the legs sometimes constrained, but moved well and soon got warmed up on the climb from Batemill to Castle Edge. The field sections were fine, but very difficult in the ice on the top bridleway. Thankfully the ice mostly subsided on the way down the other side into the woods and along the Strawberry Fields bridleway, a fun descent. Flatter faster running for a time, before getting into the climbing again up Old Hall Lane. Nice change going via the back path off Knowle Road rather than straight up to the farm, leads into a good climb to Mellor Church through the fields. A bit more sketchy ground going down into Mill Brow on the valley fields, with patches of ice. This continued all the way to Smithy Lane, and then thankfully the bridleway was not so bad with the ice in patches and mostly avoidable. Into the headwind up Chatterton Lane and then down Hollinsmoor Road, good section to get the legs really moving though. Nice and sheltered for a time down in Rowarth, via the pig farm and ford which led me into the last climb of the day to Higher Hartcliff Farm and then Matley Moor Farm on the pleasant footpath through the fields. More sketchiness on the bridleway between Matley Moor and the shay, watching the footing on the descent to Little Hayfield, thinking I'd have better luck going that way rather than Lantern Pike. Relief to be close to home and still in one piece for the final stretch, taking it steady on the drop to the reservoir where there was another ice sheet. A good unexpectedly testing day out, in a grand route.

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James Stubbs

Utterly sketchy Mellor and Rowarth meander

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Afternoon Trail Run

Straight lumpy road run... it's been a while!

Lantern Pike outing with Dad and Ziggy🐶

First Pennine outing of 2026

Back to speedwork - 8 x 800m efforts

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