Baddinsgill Round 2018

One of those ‘just around the corner’ races that is hard to resist – though some serious rain on arrival drew in some second thoughts.

It’s as low key as they come – parking in the sawmill and registration in a pop-up tent on Baddingsill Farm’s village green. Pay your fiver, put on your shoes, safety briefing (which included a detailed description of the route – but far too much to absorb on a Sunday morning) and off.

A steep start takes runner (33 starters) up on to Faw Mount with good running to Mount Maw to Grain Heads and on to The Mount. I manage to pass a couple of runners along the ridge and another on the descent in to Deer Hope.

Faw Mount - centre-right - leading to Mount Maw (head anti-clockwise from there)

A lady runner was consumed, waist deep, in the Badlands at the base of Wether Law – rescued by her fellow runners – onward she sped – and with others (sometimes we are just sheep - too foolish to consider availing ourselves with a compass and map) head blindly to the massive cairn on top of the aptly named, East Cairn hill.

Route

Part way on the trip, I notice a lack of ‘claw’ marks in the drier peat and decide to head off and over the hill – an easier fence line route missed by many (though the map shows the route passing the cairn!) It’s all heather-louping to catch up and get to the Cauldstane Slap (Slap, as I discovered - a gap, a breach or hole (in a wall). Haribos from the marshals at the slap and onward into the oncoming, horizontal rain on the run to West Cairn Hill and on to Wolf Craigs.

There’s a long mushy drag through the morass to the top of Byrehope Mount – where a marshal stands in bright yellow rain armour, buffeted by the elements. ‘Straight down the hill to the final marshal on your left’ he says – The red rag is waved and I take full advantage of the descent – though would have taken more had I not suspected another incline before the end!

The run finishes at the end of a wood on the Thieves Road. Fortunately, it was still there!

Top job by the supporters and organisers in testing conditions. Definitely one to try again.

Results Here

I found out later (As I did not make the pub (shameful) afterwards, that I had missed out on picking up a prize as 2^nd MV50. Note to self…go to the pub!