The Mickleden Straddle 12˝ miles  1900’ climb
Category BL    6th February 2000

It was a cold day with the sun occasionally trying to get through as the wind blew grey clouds across the sky. It was something of a decision as to whether to wear shorts and tee shirt or and tracksters and cagoule – shorts would be better for the long climb up to the ridge but thereafter the cold wind could cause chilling , most runners choosing tracksters. There was a good turn out of ten Glossopdale runners, all but three being vets.

After a fast start through the conifer plantation and down across the stream, the field opened out as runners tackled the four and half kilometer, often stony climb up along Mickleden Edge to the ridge, the wind beginning to bite as the climb wound on. The route here alternating from stony stream bed to sometimes waterlogged, sticky black mud as it approached the top. The views from the ridge, when one took a brief second to look, were fantastic, the clouds had cleared a little to let the sun through and before us lay the Derwent Valley with Howden Reservoir just beneath us and views to Bleaklow to the west and the Edale Valley to the south west. The path was stone flagged for roughly half way down to Howden Reservoir and then became a hard stony track along the reservoir’s eastern edge before it took a sharp left and uphill through a small plantation to long grass, tussocky and waterlogged in places as it made its way back up to the ridge. After negotiating the initial boggy patches, the descent became easier save for the jarring effects of running on the stony sections. Apart from this, the only remaining source of irritation was the final short, steep rise from the stream to the gradual incline to the finish.

It was a great day for Glossopdale with Andy Trigg running a terrific race to finish first in 1:26:40, just less than a minute in front of second place man Dave Watson of Holmfirth Harriers. Alan Kirk finished 4th and Dale Gartley took the MV40 prize finishing 5th overall. Simon Entwistle put in a good run to finish 13th, just a couple of minutes behind Adi Jones in 11th position. Glossopdale had five runners in the first fifteen and won the team vets prize. There were 135 finishers, 10 of these were Glossopdale and all finished in the first fifty. Great stuff, lets keep it up.

Glossopdale Runners

Brian Shelmerdine     February 2000

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