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A time of challenge, but let us remember the good times.

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I’ve not posted for a while, for one reason or another. Last post was December and it is now March, so quite a while. Work, personal stuff blah, blah, blah…

So I thought I’d post about our half term trip to Guisborough and running in the Cleveland Hills, the northern most part of the Yorkshire Dales. It might take people’s thoughts away from the current crisis. And maybe encourage people to get out, where they can.

Claire running to Roseberry Topping as we recce the Guisborough Three Tops Race.

Whilst the race, the first in the English Championships for fell running has been cancelled due to the Corona Virus crisis, Claire and I were lucky enough to be able to recce the route in cold but amazing weather.

The recce ended up being 11.49 miles with 2,854 feet of cumulative climb, with amazing views.

STRAVA: https://www.strava.com/activities/3125878284

FLICKR: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLzEYKo

It was a very interesting route to say the least. Starting off with an initial climb through forest (Guisborough Woods) to then follow with steep climbs and descents that sap the legs. Muddy, sloppy, and in definite need of Mudclaw shoes or the like. Up and down, up and down.

But after reaching Highcliff Nab the route then changes to more of a trail route on slabs across to rough tracks, where Rocklite shoes would be a good choice. I myself had worn my new Altra King MT 1.5 Trail Running Shoes - a hybrid, but I must admit that going downhill was a bit treacherous.

Pano photo from Highcliff Nab.

We’d travelled up with Minty for the week staying initially on a local farm, well in the stables as the pitch area was saturated and the VW T6 would have got stuck in the mud.

After the farm we found a lovely little campsite at Great Busby which allowed us to run across what the locals call the “Three Sisters” that sit above the hamlet. A fresh day but we were rewarded by amazing views. Weather wise it was changeable to say the least as Britain was hit by the wettest February on record, as Storm Ciara, Storm Dennis and Storm Jorge, followed in quick succession by smashing the country. We were lucky, very lucky.

In finishing off the adventure we headed to Whitby, staying just outside of the town, where Claire had never been. The highlights? Wandering around Whitby and having a fish and chip lunch at the legendary Magpie, and running to Robin Hood’s Bay.