March Snow

I remember hearing a phrase, as a kid about the March weather, "It comes in like a loin and goes out like a lamb".  Something has gone badly wrong this year as the early part of the month was very spring like but it has been back to January-like conditions the past ten days, especially the last five days with a  long-forecasted snowfall over the weekend. Up early on Saturday morning for my usual "Cobden Cross, Mellor Church" run. There was a bit of snow around the house but nothing serious. Down to the canal and then the climb up to "The Foxes". The fun really started on this climb.

Track up to Shaw Farm

The actual centimetres of snow fall was  not that much but it had been very windy so the snow had got blow into every "nook and cranny" possible and where better but sheltered bridleways.
There were some massive snow drifts on this climb and being out so early I was first so I had all of this pristine snow to trash through. It was hard work, very slow but great fun. Who says we can get too old to behave like a child! Whipping the phone out to take a few photos also did not help speed matters!

Road by "Three Chimneys", Cobden Cross

Eventually trashed my way to Cobden Cross (327 metres) to get an amazing view of Kinder

Kinder from Cobden Cross, with my snowdrift-filled bridleway on the left

Unfortunately coming over the crest of the hill at Cobden Cross mean I was facing directly into the wind. It was brutal stuff trying to protect myself from the snow flakes that were being driven into my face at a million miles an hour. The snow on the bridleway was so variable in places nothing, while in other places it was deep snow drifts. Trying to progress with my face down and eyes half open I managed to trip over a  small snow drift to get a painfull crash onto the rock hard ground.

Trying to protect my face from the driving snow

I was relieved to get to my left turn to "five ways" where the driving wind swung behind me. I was now at one of the highest points in the local area (about 300 metres) with a 1Km bridleway to the road. This bridle way is quite exposed so a lot of snow had been blow onto it to give some amazing snow formations (and more thrashing through snowdrifts)

Snow being driven by the wind

Got to the road that was in very poor conditions to meet a big tractor that was attempting to clear it a bit. He must have through I was mad to be out in those conditions (maybe I was!). Made my way to Mellor Church (222 metres) to meet a lady and gent out enjoying the conditions. From here I quickly lost height on the long decent down to the River Goyte. I was enjoying the run so much I dragged it out by a couple of miles at the end and even met a couple of runners down by the river.

I was out for about 2.5 hours so far from my fastest run.

Goyt Way back to the Railway Tunnel

When I got home and uploaded my strava plot I had a quick look on the FRA forum to find out the Edale Skyline Fell race had been canceled. Having experienced what I saw that morning I can't say I was suprised. This comment from the dissapointed race organiser sums up the conditions over in Edale

"I heard reports that Jude Jepson and Heather Marshal ran from the start of the route to Win Hill - they took 2 hours to do that! Which leads me to think that no one would have made the cut off at Mam Nic... It's almost a shame that we couldn't have had a Championship race where the ENTIRE field was timed out!"

IanFiz.

In last year Edale Skyline it took me 1:07 to get to Win Hill, Heather won the inaugural "The Trigger" so in a completly different league to me. I would guess 45 to 50 minutes would be a more typical time for sombody of her ability to reach Win Hill.