Who is the weekend aimed at?

This is aimed at runners who have some experience of moving on technical terrain and are comfortable with heights. You should be comfortable on your feet for 4-5 hours, and able to run around 10-15km on road and / or trails. We won’t be running fast, and there will be lots of stops included. The routes take us to some of the most beautiful parts of the National Park.

Aim

This is pitched as an introduction to skyrunning. There will be steep and exposed sections that are sustained. Think of this course as being able to move fast and light over technical terrain, rather than running to a set pace or speed. The pace will be social and, as the secret to mountain running is to walk the uphills, we will do the same. There will be sustained and exposed sections of technical scrambling at Grade 1. If in doubt, contact David before booking. You will leave the weekend with the confidence to go alone into the mountains as well as connecting with like-minded people.

Route planning and navigation tips will be included as well as what equipment to take.

Itinerary

All distances and details are approximate and subject to change due to group experience and weather conditions.

• Friday 6-10km shake out run from Betws-y-Coed

• Saturday 16km, 1200m ascent. The classic Snowdon horseshoe from the PYG Hotel. This includes Crib Goch, Garnedd Ugain, Snowdon and Y Lliwedd.

• Sunday 5km, 600m ascent. The iconic and classic route up Tryfan, via the North Ridge and returning via the Heather Terrace.

What is included?

• 3 fully guided runs by a qualified and insured Mountain Leader

• Instruction and running tips to meet your needs.

What is not included?

• Travel, accommodation and food. 

• Equipment

Board and Accommodation

Participants need to arrange their own accommodation. We recommend using the Betws Y Coed area as a base as it has a range of food / drinking / cafe / kit shop options, although any base within the northern reaches of the park will work well. David is able to provide some recommendations if you need.

Kit

This is the minimum for the Saturday and Sunday Runs. The Friday run we recommend a hydration vest and some spare layers. We will run regardless of the weather, although high level routes may be swapped for something more sheltered. The exact routes will be decided based upon the experience of those attending, so examples are given for illustration purposes only.

Essential:

• Trail shoes with good grip, minimum 3mm lugs

• Waterproof jacket and trousers with taped seams

• Spare base layer 

• Mobile phone 

• Enough food and drink to last the day. Aim for 200-300 calories an hour plus at least 1 litre of water. It may be possible to top up using mountain streams enroute.

• Foil Blanket or Bivy Bag

• Basic First Aid Kit

• Head torch and spare batteries

• Hat / Buff and gloves

Recommended / optional / weather dependent

• An insulated layer / jacket

• Leggings / full leg cover

• Poles

Once purchased, a questionnaire will be sent to you.