Vanessa Cooper continues her 2015 challenge to run a ‘long run’ every month raising money for Cave Rescue and Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue by completing the Half Tour of Bradwell.
Copyright: sportsunday.co.uk
Vanessa writes:
“The Half Tour of Bradwell is a small (half of course) version of the Long Tour of Bradwell (located off the Hope Valley road in the High Peak). At 16 miles and with 3000ft of ascent the Half Tour is still hard work. They are both in support of a local charity and the Long Tour is part of the Run Further championships (there are some impressive times recorded). Being an area I lived in when I worked in Sheffield (the race travels close to my old house and over many of my favourite paths) it is a point in the running calendar I now look forward to every year.
Up until the very morning of the race I was still undecided as to which distance I was going to do, the Long Tour being just within my ability (probably) and the Half Tour being a bit of a fun jaunt out. The searing heat and option of full cooked breakfast at the hotel sealed my decision to run the Half Tour (it started 30 minutes later than the Long Tour). The race start is in Bradwell itself and the registration is an uncomplicated affair. With only 85ish starters for the Half Tour it was also quite pleasant, however it is run under FRA rules and full kit regulations are in place irrespective of the blazing sunshine and local knowledge (as the organisers reminded us the day before).
At 9.30am the temperature was about 19C with no wind. The race quickly moves out of Bradwell and around the Hope cement works (an iconic part of the Hope Valley), after about a mile the route then climbs at various inclines for about 2 miles. The climb starts on a sheltered rocky track and then heads out onto an exposed Limestone Bridleway which heads West on a ridge above Hope and Castleton.
After a mile of exposed Bridleway the path then turns off onto a lovely grassy path which drops down towards Peveril Castle and into Castleton. The grassy path gives way to steep Limestone before hitting Castleton but the paths were very dry so unlike previous years this was just a blur. The first pit stop was in Castleton and then the route goes straight through the town (where you have to avoid a few doddering hazards and coaches, a bit like Skipton High Street) and up a tarmac track which heads towards the Mam Tor ridge. The road goes on for what feels like ages but is only about a mile. Both routes then head up through a narrow gully towards the ridge, after a few hundred steep metres the routes separate. The Long Tour heads up and over the ridge to Edale and Kinder Scout, where as the Half heads up the side of the ridge towards Lose Hill.
The views at this point start to become just lovely on a sunny day. This part was too steep to run and my only company on the climb were about 50 flies all of whom wanted to land on either my sweaty hair or face. from here the route starts to get a bit busy with various tourists but they all seemed to have some awareness about them. After 15 minutes of climbing the ridge was reached the path headed up to Lose Hill summit, the Long Tour also met the Half Tour again at this point and I could see the Leaders of the Long Tour making their way up to the ridge from Edale. I was sort of glad I had stuck with the shorter route. On the top I posed for the photographer and also took a couple of shots of my own. Psychologically the worst climbs are over at this point (even though there was still 1400ft of climbing left) and off Lose Hill summit there is a fabulous mile or so descent on very dry ground down towards Hope, one of the best bits of the route if you like downhill.
Copyright: Vanessa Cooper
Another feed station and a bit of road out of Hope and through Aston. In Aston there is an almost hidden footpath which starts the ascent up onto Thornhill Scars (the side of Win Hill). The route swings round Win Hill and you get a great view of Ladybower Dam and the valley whilst running on a nice soft peaty path sheltered from any wind, then into woods above Ladybower. All of this is either flat or downhill. Some path improvement works have been performed in the woods so whilst still natural peat the path is good and flat, especially when dry and is a wonderful running surface.
The path drops out of the woods, briefly past the Ladybower Dam and joins the Thornhill trail (which used to be an old railway). On a hot day this is a hot section – sheltered from the wind and flat but the 2 miles of Thornhill trail are broken up by another feed station. Long before this point I’d realised that there was no way I was going to hit my highly optimistic time and here I realised that I wouldn’t even manage a marginal personal best. I accepted the depressing failure by realising that whilst very hot I felt fine and had no heat related fatigue or illness unlike others on the run.
Along the Thornhill trail the Long Tour splits off from the Half for a final time and it heads off towards Bamford, Stanage and Burbage. For the next two miles I enjoyed being completely on my own. From the Thornhill Trail the path travels through the Hope Garden Centre and into Shatton. Shatton is an unfortunately named well to do hamlet. The path now becomes a little vague, not physically but to navigate. It travels out of Shatton on a tarmac track which turns into a gravel track and then heads up through a farm. Then across two fields with dubious signage and a hidden gate. Here I did my good deed for the day and assisted a lady with cramp who was lost. Then there is a steep gravel track downhill to the finish, which I sprinted, although it was never going to get me my course pb.
At the end I was pleased that I wasn’t sore or tired but I decided that whilst I could have probably gone for another 10 miles opting for another 16 miles/3000ft would have been optimistic. Amazingly there was only one major (hospitalised) casualty from the heat and that was quite early on in the Long Tour, and there was plenty of water, tea and soup at the end for recovery.
Whilst it is a long way from Skipton the sun always shines in the Peak District and both of the routes are lovely with much to recommend them. Unfortunately there are no medals, t-shirts or certificates but we’ve all got loads of them. I will be training for the Long Tour next year and will take my Skipton vest along (I made the t-shirt in the picture for fundraising I’m doing all year).”
If you would like to sponsor Vanessa then you can find out more about the organisations she’s supporting, and make a donation, here: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/vanessamrt