So a little back story and intro...
It's been a while since I have written a blog about anything other than plant based meal prep for my day to day life, as I haven't done many events over the last 12 months if any and I haven't written a memorable blog since my 70 mile hike last Oct for charity.
I would normally go to Wales for a week in June to pay my respects to my Mum where we spread her ashes in Snowdonia and I would usually do a Wales based charity challenge in her memory while there. I was unable this year due to the lockdown in Wales sadly.
I did manage to do my own run 10k every day in June challenge to raise vital funds for the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team though, but injured my knee by the end so I have hardly ran since as I was resting and recovering.
Thankfully the time had finally come for a little adventure in Wales, as Covid-19 has relinquished it's grip a little and Wales finally opened it's borders again to it's arch rivals the English!
I've been a trail runner for a number of years after finally realising roads just don't cut it with regards to adventure, scenery, atmosphere and a sense of oneness with nature and I am often on the lookout for good trail running adventures.
I was previously booked in for a trail running weekend in March 2020 and another in June 2020, but the Covid-19 bus came along and pushed the fun bus right over the cliff, never to be seen again, a bit like the Swallow Falls miners bridge!
Now finally the Welsh borders are open again and holiday makers allowed back into Wales and more importantly, running in groups reinstated. This allowed me to make a revised booking with the amazing coaching and trail running holiday company Focused Performance who out of Crosby, Merseyside.
The coaching company is owned and led by Geoff Brierley who I first met several years ago via a Facebook running forum, when he was advertising his participation in a free running talk at the expo for the Liverpool Rock'n'Roll marathon weekend.
Over the years as a fellow runner I have struck up a decent friendship with Geoff and he is a good alround bloke and always willing to help and offer useful advice and often always free. I finally managed to get on a running weekend with his company last year and had a great time, so I was really chuffed when I managed to get myself a place on a 3 night Snowdonia trail running and nav event in Beddgelert in North Wales.
My only concern was transport as I don't drive and this is what retricts my ability to get to Wales on a regular basis for the best trail running. Thankfully the ever helpful Geoff offered me a lift there with him, but the problem was I couldn't get a lift back as Geoff was staying all week.
Geoff ever the salesman joked 'unless you do the other event too and stay all week'. I was intrigued and asked 'what event, is it in the same place?' in which the response was 'Yes! We have a 3 night weekday event followed by a 2 night weekend event.'
My brain ticked over, my excitement grew and I chanced, 'I don't suppose if I booked both events that you could get me there and back then?' As always the accommodating Geoff made some adjustments to the logistics of his outbound and return journeys and I was booked for a full 7 days with at least 5 days of trail running in and around Beddgelert in Snowdonia with Geoff and his team.
The events were beginners events but I was going purely to be in Wales and to be able to run, and as the events were also going to include some navigation basics I was keen to refresh my memory after my previous adventure up a cloud covered Carnedds at midnight 18hrs into a 50 mile Snowdon ultra with GB Ultras a few years back!
Day One - Arrival day
Geoff got me there safely and nice and early before all the other guests, which was a bonus as I suffer social Anxiety and it gave me time to settle in first and relax ready for the impending arrival of the guests around tea time.
Geoff and the private chef Carl who he hired for the event went about getting things ready and I relaxed and enjoyed the village of Beddgelert until teatime.
The guests arrived around teatime and were all welcomed by Geoff and his team, which now included Fiona and we were offered plentiful drinks including a welcome glass of prosecco as is the norm for Geoff's events.
The basic Covid-19 guidelines were explained and also posted around the property to ensure everyones safety and to ease everyones mind as we settled in for the week.
The property itself was called Plas Colwyn and it is an exclusive 9 bedroomed residence in a central location within 20 metres of the famous Beddgelert bridge.
After everyone had settled in it was time to sit down for the two course evening meal and a chance to try out the excellent menu we had pre ordered from pre arrival and all prepared by our private chef Carl.
Everyone seemed very happy with their choices as we keenly scanned everyone else's meals as they came out promptly and people mutually agreed that the meals looked nice, tasty and were indeed lovely etc etc..
More alcohol in the way of red and white wine to accompany the meal were offered (I was starting to sense a pattern) ,as well as soft drinks and hot drinks and everyone seemed to relax well into their new environment as we looked forward to the adventures ahead.
After the meal Geoff offered a brief intro into what the runs would be like the next day and answered any questions and queries to ensure everyone was happy.
An evening of chill, more wine, tea and coffee and a pub visit (definitely sensing a pattern now) for those who wished ensued as the relaxed evening flowed by and guests got to know each other better and soon after it was time for bed at the end of day one...
Day Two begins - Breakfast followed by a running master class.
The first morning in our exclusive property was upon us and I have to say the accommodation was spot on, luxurious, spacious, quiet, ideally located and was just right in every way. Nothing was out of bounds and we could wander in and out without feeling like we were imposing in the day to day running of the property.
As said previously we were within 20 metres of the main bridge over the river that is central to the village with it's shops, cafes and multiple walk and run routes and we were surrounded by glorious mountain and hillside scenery.
I had already clocked a nearby mountain that I had every intention of getting up at some point and
I regularly sat with my morning or afternoon coffee looking at it and wondering how the hell you get up it, as it was a little steep and imposing!
Everybody appeared bit by bit ready for their breakfasts and there were many little chats between the guests as they wondered exactly what lay ahead, especially the little details that Geoff deliberately left out the night before when describing the runs, so as to add a little mystery of course.
There were many types of runners and with various running experiences but a lot with little trail running or mountain trail running experience, so chats were interesting as peoples previous run experiences and or running achievements came out one by one.
I think a lot of people worry that they are in the company of far faster runners and they might be left at the back, but as Geoff explained several times reassuringly, no one is ever left behind, which is why there are always more than one run leader so everyone is safe and comfortable.
The dining room where we had all our meals was spacious and had great views out the window, and handily the large central table opened out even more if necessary to give all the guests adequate space. There was also decent space around the outside for our hosts to bring us our delicious meals throughout the day. We even had the added extra of a decent sized wine fridge, and it was well used by us believe me.
Once we had all enjoyed our excellent breakfasts yet again cooked by our private chef Carl, we moved into the lounge for one of Geoff's famous 'Master classes!'
Geoff's master classes are usually the time to learn something educational about running, but also another chance for Geoff to squeeze his 'unique' jokes in. It's also a time for people who know Geoff to throw in embarrassing snippets about Geoff as a way of subtle revenge!
Todays master class was all about how to run slow to run fast, and although I'd heard it before, it was useful and I could see a genuine interest around the room and many questions were asked and answered to help clarify the subject.
With breakfast out of the way it was time for our first run...
Day Two - Morning activity - A run in Beddgelert forest (5.3 miles - 2hrs 15mins)
Once we were all ready we got into several cars and were driven to Beddgelert forest several miles down the road.
The weather was cloudy and a little misty as it was mid morning but the temperature was ideal for running.
Once we were all ready we had the statuatory warm up after Geoff explained why we should warm up and we did what would soon become the regular 'Tour De La Car Parc' as we followed Geoff and his 'bum bag aka Las Vegas fanny pack' around the car park in circles (a bumbag that would indeed one day do it's own Tour De La Car Parc later in the week!) much to the amusement of anyone else parking their cars or getting ready for their days activities.
Once into the forest and over some rail tracks we were lucky to see one of the Welsh Highland Railway trains transporting some materials as I think they were doing maintenance along the line.
A little further down the trail Geoff stopped us, got us all together and we started a bit of navigation training to learn how to find out where we are on a map by identifying surrounding features or remembering those we passed. Everybody seemed to be taking it all in and doing well and confidence started to slowly grow within the group.
We carried on further and had another little lesson on surrounding features in the forest and on the map, and then progressed onto a nice little misty lake which was on the map.
We progresssed on further and had several other little stops to regroup along the way and to learn more nav tips and we had little goes if wished, to lead the group briefly down the road.
The route took us through some great yet misty scenery as it winded it's way back towards Beddgelert, as we were actually at this point running back through the surrounding countryside of Beddgelert to our property, just in time for pre lunch refreshments which were waiting for us as we all arrived safely back.
Everyone seemed chuffed with the run and very relaxed and comfortable about the overall pace and many were chuffed to have learned some basic navigation skills along the way.
After refreshments and a little time to cool off, lunch was on the table in the dining room ready to go.
Yet again a top class lunch was served with many smiley faces of people happy with their lunch choice for that day.
After lunch and teas and coffees etc it was time for a little chill time for food to settle before getting prepped again ready for the afternoon for those who wished to go out again.
You can see this mornings run on my 'Relive' video below with lots of pictures via the link.
Relive is a great app to have for recording memories of your runs. Once you have recorded your run it uploads and creates a video for you : https://www.relive.cc/view/vQvyDQ5GVKq
The afternoons adventure awaited us...
Day Two - Afternoon activity - A riverside run/walk along the Aberglaslyn pass (3 miles - 1hr 25min)
The afternoon was a little cloudy and still a little misty with a little bit of drizzle if I recall correctly and we were going on a delightful route/trail/path/Geoff adventure route alongside the river and down the Aberglaslyn Pass.
This would be a shorter route than the morning to give us some decent recovery ready for a bigger day the next day.
It was a great route, starting out from the village, past a riverside church, alongside the Welsh Highland Railway for a while and down some interesting and varied running surfaces, which were ideal training for upcoming trail runners to be fair.
The riverside path eventually turns into an adventurous very close to riverside path, as you start to hop stone to stone, rock to rock and hop and hope! It was all safe of course, it's amazing how much your mind can make you doubt yourself, and the experience you gain from events like this is crucial to further confidence in oneself and your capabilities.
The route went on and the river tumbled on and some great camera shots were to be had for those who chose to take them. I took loads, I haven't shared them all in this blog as I have posted the daily photo albums on my personal Facebook profile and on my 'Plant Based Gru' Facebook page, please like and follow my page if you can.
Further down the route we had spots were you had hand holds or iron loops you could grab hold of if you weren't too confident moving around big boulders or rock faces and the variety and challenge of the route was great.
At one point Geoff found a little cave and someone volunteered him to have a look. Geoff donned his trusty headtorch out of his trusty bumbag and off he went closely followed by a few other brave souls. I decided to wait and carry on taking pictures of the river, being pretty confident Geoff wasn't going to get anywhere fast.
I wasn't wrong , within a few minutes they were back and we carried on down the riverbank eventually coming out at a road bridge.
The road bridge was our turnround point and a chance to tryout our route again in reverse and now with a litle more experience and confidence on how to tackle the terrain and conditions underfoot.
We were eventually back at our accommodation again and again refreshments were ready for us out the back of the property which has ample grounds and benches to sit around for guests. As always all the refreshments had been prompty prepared and laid out by Chef Carl, as Geoff has the foresight and attention to detail to radio ahead to Chef prior to our return when we are 10-15 minutes away, so it is all ready for us.
Geoff led us through a little cooldown routine to ensure our muscles were in the condition they needed to be post run and he explained the importance of it all
Now was shower and change time, as people used the opportunity to get out of damp or muddy clothes and get a hot shower and chill for a bit before another two course evening meal.
As always tea and coffee was on offer pre sit down for the meal, or as we sat down, and wine was again on offer ready for the meal.
Everyone seemed happy with their meal choices again and evening meals were two courses too, so a good chance to get some nutritious and healthy food down us ready for the following day.
I stuck to the same starter and main course every night as I liked my choice and I'm plant based so although I had less choice, I still had choices.
The meal went by, the wine flowed and Geoff and Fiona attended to our every need and request and as we chilled post meal Geoff asked us about the day and how did everyone like it and if anyone had any concerns or questions. No one had concerns, everyone seemed happy and many used the opportunity to ask a wealth of questions in general all linked to what we had done or came across on our day.
It was good to start to hear about other peoples running achievements or running preferences regarding roads and trails etc and especially good to here people clearly very positive about a new discovery of good and decent trail running.
I have a fair amount of experience and I greatly enjoyed the chance to engage with other guests throughout the evenings about running and especially trail runing as it is my favourite pastime. As I mentioned earlier I suffer with Anxiety and especially in social environments, so once people engage me in conversation, especially about something I have experience of, it is very comforting and enjoyable for me.
Geoff took those who wished off to the local pub, literally 50 metres away, and the rest of us chatted and chilled with our teas, coffees and glasses of wine. I was for the moment sticking to coffee as I don't really drink anymore, especially if running the next day.
We eventaully peeled off and went off to bed, including those who had been to the pub as they don't stay open late.
You can see the afternoons route below on my 'Relive' video with some photo's taken during the day along the route: https://www.relive.cc/view/vmqXo9E1Ro6
The next days adventure awaited us..
Day Three begins - Breakfast followed by a survival kit and nav kit advice talk.
It was now Wednesday morning and the first morning where we had had a full day of run and walks prior. By now guests had truly settled in and the routine was established, but a relaxed one at that.
There was no rush for morning showers or getting ready and morning brews were always available as there was always a host around. Breakfast was a reasonable 8.30am on most mornings which was good and there was no manic rush to get it eaten and out.
As usual Geoff would sit with all after we had finished breakfast and give us a little brief on the days activities, but never giving enough away to spoil the excitement. Questions were answered if anyone had any about the runs that lay ahead, and as always Geoff would explain that there was always flexibility based on weather and how everyone was feeling.
After breakfast we moved into the spacious lounge (my picture doesn't do it justice, I couldn't get it all in) were we sat and awaited our morning talk. We were treated today by a special guest who in todays case was the husband of one of the run leaders, I won't use names for privacy purposes.
Our special guest was infact among other things a qualified mountain leader and his talk was on what we should consider taking with us when out and about in the mountains and trails etc.
It was an interesting talk and he showed us examples of what should be in our back packs and showed us examples of survival blankets, blizzard jackets and various other bags that would help keep us alive until rescue was possible.
We were advised to take things like whistles, glow sticks, (starting to sound like a rave) back up batt packs for phones, and GPS units of some sort if on longer days or out on the mountains etc. Also money for emergencies, hat, gloves, buff, sun lotion, waterproofs etc etc, all the things that could save your life in one way or another if you get into trouble.
Obviously we were advised to take maps and other examples of things that you can take in addition like a separate A4 printed section of the area you are going to run/walk in with your proposed route marked and laminated to protect it from the weather so you don't always have to get the big map out. Various compasses were also shown.
It was a really helpful talk and one I feel was important for people to consider when out on longer adventures, especially in the mountains where access for rescue is more hindered and can take multiple hours, you need to have gear with you to keep you alive once you are stuck and injured or lost.
Once the talk was over it was tme to get our stuff together for our morning outing...
Day Three - Morning activity - A run/walk up Mynydd Sygyn and down to Llyn Dinas (4.6 miles - 2hrs 38mins)
Now this morning activity was perhaps going to be one of our most challenging as it was mostly going up Mynydd Sygyn which was the mountain I had been eyeing up from our property every day.
Geoff had already mentioned that the first 1.8 miles is uphill but that we would take the pace steady and have plenty of stops, especially as we would be doing more nav training on route. By this point I think most were comfortable that we would have a challenge ahead, but doable and no one was going to be running off ahead or leaving anyone behind.
The drive to the start of the route was less than 2 miles from our property and was along the Aberglaslyn pass and then into a National Trust car park at the bottom of Mynydd Sygyn. Once out of the cars it was the usual much needed warm up around the car park providing the entertainment for the other people in the car park, which was now becoming the norm for us.
Once warmed up we set off up the path, it was fairly steep to start through the first wooded area but only in very small sections and it would level out so we mostly walked those sections. It would be pointless running ahead unless you had really good cardio fitness, but you would have to stop for more rests, whereas walking at a good pace you could coninue on.
I took loads of photo's on the way up and spent time at the back of the pack so I could stop and take pictures and then catch up. Sometimes I was at the front and would go ahead and take pictures too.
It was all swings and roundabouts for me, I was there just to be in Wales and appreciate it's scenery and get a good run or walk in and I certainly did that. I was not there to run off up the hills trying to achieve PB's.
We had a pleasant climb of the route and stopped occasionally to keep the group together and for good photo op's etc and we obviously stopped for nav tests.
We stopped at a good viewpoint (see previous picture) and did a 'where are we?' test to confirm everyone had a good understanding of how to find ourselves on a map while following a route. We had already done on the previous day how to line up the map and compass etc to orientate the map.
We had been put in two's so everyone could help each other out and not feel on the spot and we were always still together as a group, so it never felt like you were out on a test.
Everyone did well, we all knew where we were and we continued on up the fairly straight route up Mynydd Sygyn.
Further up again Geoff highlighted the importance of noting features we cross like streams, or through walls etc and Geoff used the stop as an opportunity to delve into his goodie bag full of sweets and treats and offer everyone what ever they wanted.
Geoff seemed quite intent to promote his 'limited edition' yoghurt coated Skittles which he was sure would go down well. By the take up rate of the sweety treat I think we all know why it was a limited edition.
Off we went even higher up the route and the views behind and ahead were indeed tremendous and I'm used to good views, but these were truly worthy of many many many photo's.
Once further up we stopped for another nav lesson, and after asking everyone to indicate on the map where they were we then went onto how to take a bearing to get from A to B.
This was taken in well by the group and we took a bearing to the top of our route which we could see and followed it to even more tremendous views over to the Snowdon range and over towards Llyn Dinas too.
After a bit of a rest and a fair few photo's we now had a descent ahead of us down to Llyn Dinas which was a lake below us, this was going to be a fun descent and rather rapid as it has stoney sections, a few short flatter sections and then some fairly steep but well laid rock steps down directly to lakeside and Llyn Dinas.
I have slightly iffy knees and descents are not really my friend anymore but once Geoff said 'you can run ahead if you want, go for it!' that was my cue to throw caution to the wind and have a bit of serious fun down the testing route lay before me down to the lake.
There was a Mother and Daughter couple in our group who were also comfortable with running ahead when possible and down hill when possible to let their legs fly and again this was an opportunity for them to do so. I got on really well with them and they had done some serious stuff running wise and distance wise, which in itself showed by their abilities out here.
I really enjoyed my chats with them throughout my stay and especially when asked for advice about certain running related topics and even my plant based diet etc.
I set off down the hillside/mountainside and ran ahead fairly closely followed by them, firstly the daughter and then the mother. I stopped occasionally and snapped a pic of the scenery ahead and would wait to see them and then continue on. I was cautious that they may trip and fall due to a competitive spirit trying to catch up, which is why I stopped for the pics and a sneaky breather of course, but we all arrived safely at the bottom without any incidents.
Once all the group were back together we had a bit of a chill by the lakeside to admire the views etc and Geoff also gave a bit of advice about foot placement etc when running downhill and down rocky steps etc. This was an important bit of advice, because at the end of the day the only reason I got down that path to the lake before everyone else, was my confidence level of my foot placement and my experience in doing so, gravity did the rest.
After a chill we set off back along a fairly flat route that took us back along the river to Beddgelert and our accommodation. We had a few stops along the way and a few more bits of advice from Geoff about how to read and follow the on route signage correctly and what to look for if in doubt etc.
If by magic we were shortly back at base and sat out front of our accomadation Plas Colwyn, with refreshments laid out and the sun in our faces. All with a cracking view of the Beddgelert bridge, the river and Mynydd Sygyn which was no longer an imposing mountain, as we had indeed just conquered it in style!
Lunch was now ready and we tottered in and sat down and chatted about how much we enjoyed that mornings adventure and how much we had learned about maps, nav, the terrain and indeed our abilites.
The chat continued as we were served by Geoff and Fiona and as we enjoyed our various lunch selections. They were really well balanced nutritional lunches I would say, and the healthiness of them truly helped our recovery during the events to get us through more than one run a day.
Geoff sat down with us after we had finished our lunch and we discussed the afternoon options. After a suggestion from one of the guests about 'The Ugly House' we decided that a visit was in order with refreshments of course as it would be rude not to support the local tourist economy as it reopens for the late season.
You can see the mornings route on my 'Relive' video below which includes the route and some photo's taken during the activity: https://www.relive.cc/view/vXOdBpW14kq
So off we went to digest our lunch , chill and get changed and await our afternoon trip...
Day Three - Afternoon activity - Trip to the Ugly House for refreshment and Betws y Coed
Day Four - Morning activity - An adventurous lakeside, hillside and forest run near Rhyd Ddu - 3 miles - 1hr26mins.
It was now our last day in Beddgelert with Geoff and his team and a sense of sadness appeared at the breakfast table, although we were still looking forward to our final run this morning. We all knew it was a shortish one so nothing to worry about, and we would all be back for an early lunch.
Geoff obviously does scouting work on his run routes in the area, picking out the best bits and tailoring them to his needs for the week. When I first arrived with Geoff I had the benefit of seeing the preparation involved and even when we first got to Beddgelert he was off out in the drizzle doing a last bit of route checking etc.
It would soon become apparent that when Geoff 'tailors' his routes, he does so with a dastardly grin on his face and a Geoff chuckle, contemplating the 'fun' to be had ahead!
After breakfast we were all keen to go, so after a little brief from Geoff about the run and the route we hopped into a couple of cars and headed off to Rhyd Ddu and promptly parked up in the car park alongside the station.
Warm ups were done and we set off alongside some of Llyn y Gadar and started up the nearby mountainside towards some forest.
It was a fairly steady climb up the mountainside with quite mixed and varied terrain and good practice. The fact there were sheep on this land and around the path usually means it is quite barren and intermittant narrow and worn path was common.
Some of the route was literally an 8-10 inch wide worn trough, something I was used to running in back home, so it was fairly easy for me to place my feet in or around the trough and avoid mud and water when necessary.
Once a little way up the lower mountainside we started across the landscape towards the forestry area. Before we got there was Geoff''s adventure number 1, a mountainside waterfall and stream crossing!
It was only a small one but one that required careful negotiation and navigation if you wanted to remain fairly dry footed and upright.
Geoff helped many of us across with a outreached hand and ensured everyone was safe. I at this point had already moved down stream and jumped over and reappeared behind Geoff. The benefit of waterproof Hoka trail running shoes was a very big advantage and well used throughout the trip.
Once all together again it was off into the forrest for some cracking forest trails and some undulating terrain so we could let loose a little with our legs.
We did stop at various points to do a little nav refreshment but as I write this blog my memory is blurring a little so I won't attempt to recall the detail.
After a nice long descent down the forest fire road we knew it was all downhill from here and it was obviously going to be a piece of cake from here on. How wrong were we!
Geoff stopped us at a turn in the track and I'm pretty sure he did a 'Where are we?' on the map test. Geoff had two options here, from this point it was a trail entrance next to us which he hadn't tried yet, or a several mile loop back towards the cars. Obviously the general consensus was the shorter route, because obviously it would be easier right?!
We tentively looked into the entrance of the trail which was inbetween overgrown trees and I in particular pondered what lay ahead as it looked decent enough but like it hadn't been used for a while. Being the adventurous and waterproof booted person I was I volunteered to go first and test the trail, or find out where you would sink and where you wouldn't!
Part way down the narrow path turned into a stream literally and there was a several year old tree growing right in the middle of the path. I shouted back 'No! not this way folks!' All I heard next was 'Les says no!' as it passed down the line to Geoff further back and a rather funny response from Geoff of 'What do you mean Les says no?'
The concensus seemed to be to carry on so I moved on and went around the trees in the path obstacles by veering off the path and back on again. Within no time I could actually see a clearing through the trees so knew we were infact only ever within a couple of hundred metres of the edge of the forestry.
The fun didn't stop there, we regrouped and Geoff took the lead as we all decided this was rather fun. Geoff and myself got our maps out and pinpointed where we were and where the alleged paths where once and decided to go with continueing on our route which was at all points actually the route we intended to follow on the map, just not that visible underfoot.
At this point we could see in the distance the route we had taken from the cars up along the mountainside, the stream crossing, the forest, the lake we had set off from and we could literally see where the cars were parked, so we were always safe, it was merely rather damp underfoot.
We continued on the old map route and discovered why people obviously don't come down here anymore as the underfoot conditions were quite interesting. When you looked down at the wet and damp brown path and assumed it was normal solid soil that was your first mistake. A preemptive casual foot placement was required at all times and I was having flashbacks of Lord of the Rings scenes when they try and negotiate a swamp with lost souls lying within the bodies of water!
We did a bit of log traversing when it seemed safer than the actual floor and next up was a nice green open feld with long bog grass and mossy sections. All was not what it seemed as everystep still had a 50/50 chance of very wet feet, and I stood behind Geoff as he negotiated a dry path. It was rather funny watching him and hearing him shout 'Don't follow me, don't follow me!' rapidly folowed by 'Arrgh!'
The route was propmtly determined by Geoff and we commited on it as we followed in a line across the field and down towards the lake. Geoffs comments of 'don't stand still!' made me even more sure I was in a Lords of the Rings film and was about to be sucked down into the bog of doom.
After a lot of laughs and giggles and shouts and screams, a few trips or falls along the way in the grass, we all safely arrived at a new lakeside path which it appears may have been put in to avoid all the fun we had just had.
We carried on alongside the lake and back towards the cars with a few photo stops along the way, including at a slate podium which we deemed perfect for photo's of each other and memories of our last day.
Upon returning to our cars our cooldowns were done and it was back to base in Beddgelert for our final lunch together and then pack and depart.
You can find our route on the 'Relive' video here, not many photo's as I was too busy staying on my feet and it was misty mostly : https://www.relive.cc/view/v7O9y2r91QO
Final lunch, pack, say our farewells and depart..
Our final lunch together was a fun filled remebrance of the adventure we had just had and how much fun we had had. No one was bothered about the soaked feet as you would expect in Wales on a trail running weekend.
We had been asked to try and pack the night before and pre run this morning so we were mostly ready to go after lunch.
Geoff sat with us briefly during and after lunch for feedback and people were asking about upcoming holidays etc as this one was truly a success. The property itself was exceptional and truly made the break a comfortable one.
After lunch we all slowly said our goodbyes and one by one left to go to our cars and go home. I was obviously there for the rest of the week as I was booked on the weekend adventure too so I was in no rush and very very happy I had more fun to come. I was sad to see everyone go, but keen to see who the new arrivals would be the following day.
I in the meantime had plans for this afternoon as I was planning on going up Snowdon via the Watkins path and down the South ridge (separate blog post on my other blog 'Mountains For My Mind' to follow) and on Fri afternoon pre new guest arrival I was planning on re doing a selection of this weeks run routes to keep myself busy while the property was cleaned fully between guests.
Final conclusions
Overall I truly and highly enjoyed my 3 night break with Focused Performance on one of their Trail running and navigation events in Snowdonia and I particularly enjoyed the luxury accommodation, and it's location could not have been better.
The amount of people who walked past and looked at the front of the building and admired it was staggering, I felt privileged to be staying there and it's ammenities were exceptional. Great wifi too throughout for uploading photo's and videos throughout your break.
Geoff as a running coach and leader is exceptional and his attention to detail is admirable, his team of run leaders are all socialable and fun and attentive to your needs, and the private chef in this case Carl was exceptional too and the menu and food presentation was extremely good, not what you would expect on a typical break.
If you get the chance, then book onto one of Geoff events and if you have been before then try another in a different location or accommodation as there are many available.
I may be biased as I know Geoff via the events and this was my second, but I am a good judge of character and also a natural cynic, but even I could not fault this break or this company and I was truly looking forward to the rest of the week with them, as I was staying for the next event from Friday evening onward to the Sunday morning, please check out my following blog post for that too.
If you want to check out Focused Performance then try their website below, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. There is also a 'New' Focused Performance Experience Club Facebook group for people to share their experiences on the holidays and to carry on getting to know their new friends.
The best kind of feedback is happy feedback and previous guests sharing many happy memories are an ideal source.
https://focusedperformance.co.uk/
I love this account of our time together Les! It was a genuine pleasure to have you join me for the whole week and I'm glad that the team and I were able to make your stay memorable for all the right reasons.
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