Stretton Hills (2)

• Race Date/Time: Saturday, 5 March 2022 11:00 am
• Race Status: Date TBA
• Race Organiser: Jim Tinnion
• Race Registration Location: Church Stretton School, SY6 6EX
• Race Entry Type: Pre-register Only
• Race Entry Fee (£'s): £10 pre-entry (much preferred) or on the day if entries are left
• Race Total Ascent (metres): 635m
• Race Distance (km): 9.2kn
• Race Category: AS

Notes:

Entries via SI Entries online greatly preferred, it may be possible to enter on the day if we have not reached the entry limit.

CAR PARKING:
Please car share if at all possible. Parking will be provided in Church Stretton School.

REGISTRATION:
Registration will be in the Mercia gazebo outside the school - please don't turn up to register until 10:00, and do allow sufficient time to get to the start which will be by the gate into the Rectory Field, adjacent to the Scout Hut

ADDITIONAL INFO AND RULES:
See document below.

ROUTE:
The race has a navigational element, similar to the Longmynd Valleys race, and a reccie will help... Some brief route notes are given below.

Start to CP1 (Summit of Yearlet) - the start will be in Rectory Field (so ignore the map which was for the champs race a year or two back). Run up the field to the gate right in the top right corner then follow the flagged path through Rectory Wood down steps to reach the gate just below the small reservoir in Townbrook Valley. Either go on up Townbrook Valley and then cross the stream after the first side valley at the end of the taped section (avoiding the wet flush in the side valley bottom) to climb steeply south west to reach the cairn at the summit of Yearlet, or go straight on across the footbridge and follow the trail ("The Green Path") steeply uphill, then more runnably to the pass between Ashlet and Yearlet. Then take a diagonal line trending up and right to reach the top of Yearlet.

CP1 to CP2 (footbridge by top car park in Cardingmill Valley) - descend steeply north west from CP1 to the saddle. Make your way round to the Burway Road without losing height, cross the road carefully, then find a line through the knolls to descend towards CP2. The checkpoint will now be in the car parking area which is not currently in use.

CP2 to CP3 (CMV car park to south east top of Haddon Hill) - Either go across the car park and start your climb at the small spur behind the metal bench (brutal), or head up the valley or the ridge to the right to reach the corner of the golf course fence and follow a clear grassy trail up from there (much further). Or do something in between the two (likely to feature the worst bits of both options). The checkpoint is at SO 4377 9535 (point 467m, the south east summit) and will be marshalled on the day.

CP3 to CP4 (Haddon Hill SE Top to Jonathan's Rock) - pick up one of the three paths heading north west to pass between or around the Out of Bounds areas. STAY ON THE PATHS or the heather cut AND DO NOT RUN ACROSS THE WET FLUSH (boggy) areas. Join the main path and head north east past an area of boggy springs (out of bounds), then choose a line around or across Jonathan's Hollow and to the rock (this is just below the edge of the plateau with a great view of the next part of the route). NB: descending right down from Haddon into the Batch and climbing back up is a legit route, just really unnecessarily hard in the course setter's view.

CP4 to CP5 (Jonathan's Rock to Top Car Park in The Batch) - any line you like as long as you avoid the out of bounds. If using the main path down the valley bottom (which is in bounds throughout), beware of the two wooden footbridges which can be extremely slippery if wet / frosty. Do not run across the grass in front of the cottages by the checkpoint.

CP5 to FINISH (Batch Valley to Cwmdale) - cross the stream and climb steeply up just to the left of the cottage. Turn left and follow the trail along the hillside immediately above the fenceline. Mind the barbed wire in the fence on your left and the gorse (everywhere). A brief steep drop into Cwmdale leads to the finishing straight. The finish will be on the grass to the left of the farm track just above the cattle grid.