Your favourite descent
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Ayling | Apr 21 2012, 9:35pm | Let's he honest, a good descent is one of the most enjoyable (if not THE most enjoyable) and thrilling aspects of mountain running. So which is your favourite? For me, a hard call - so many epics to choose from - today's first drop off Tonelegee to the left of L Ouler, Seefingan back towards Corrig, any part of the Sugarloaf race, the whole way back from Mweelrea, the sheep-cropped and almost vertical grass of Knockdhu... or perhaps that spot on Paul Nolan's Fraughan Rock Glen race where you hit the rim of the Lug plateau and the edge of the world appears... Go on - share yours. |
| Colm Hill | Apr 21 2012, 9:53pm | Has to be Fraughan Rock Glen. It goes from flat to vertical and its short tight grass so you can just let rip. Camaderry is pretty dam awesome is well! Rocky and muddy at the top. It starts off flat and then it drops down and only gets steeper. You need nerves to tackle a couple of the steep rock/bog sections. You gotta hold your nerve to take this section at speed as well as reading ahead to maintain the free fall. Then it flattens out and transforms into a man made plastic carpets to help stop errosion. This offer maximum speed as it flattens out. After this flat section, it drops vertically into a grassy slope that gets steeper and steeper as it flicks left and right. This is a section where time can be made back if you have the leg speed. After this grassy slope, you drop through some trees and hit a steep switch backing fire road. You have to hold the speed and attack the corners. You count down through the 8 bends, hammering. Unsure if someone is gaining or if you are putting time into your rivals. When you think your home free, the ground rises every so slightly, but that little kick up forces your body to switch from descending to climbing. Your muscles scream for the pain to stop - but you have 700m of suffering on a slightly dropping fire road, you can see the finish building through the tree's as you cut the distance down. An awesome descent that everyone should hit up at some stage - even if its just for a training run... (That was slightly longer that expected.. sorry) :) |
| Mick Hanney | Apr 21 2012, 9:58pm | The descent from Ben Gorm is class. The last bit in particular has tripped up many a descender and sent them tumbling but that is part of the drama. Its also born witness to some really close finishes in recent years too, where you would need video analysis on the finish line to separate runners. The view as you descend heading down to the Asleagh falls has to be one of the best descending views too. Agree with you Alan about Mweelrea. Another classic descent. |
| Cormac O Ceallaigh | Apr 22 2012, 8:50pm | Lug has to be up there as one of the best. On a sunny day, with dry underfoot conditions, bouncing off the soft dry bog at full speed knowing if you fall you won't get injured. You can throw caution to the wind, open up your stride and become virtually airborn. Roll on this years race up "Log na Coille"!! |
| Niamh O Ceallaigh | Apr 22 2012, 8:59pm | Great thread Alan!! I will have to have a good think about this, but Fraughan Rock certainly comes to mind. The first year the race was run, with the rain, mist and wind was just class. I love the technicality of the old route down Croagh Patrick although I wasn't too appreciative of the slap I got off the rocks there a couple of years ago. Will have to give the matter further thought though. |
| Marty Mc veigh | Apr 22 2012, 9:25pm | Try the Sl Donard race on the 5th May and you will have a new favourite and the record it you can beat 16.42 from top to sea level!! |
| Colm Hill | Apr 22 2012, 10:35pm | I've remembered another one. Camaderry to Miners Village. Straight line! Steep, rocky, heather, burn heather, more steep - adrenaline rush! Coming off Sugarloaf towards the V in the Knockmealdowns is also a thrill seekers drop! |
| Jonathan McCloy | Apr 23 2012, 1:42pm | Downhill is what it's all about! Pain, pain, crappy uphill... followed by pure freedom. Donard Downhill is the only downhill race I know of, are there any in the south? |
| Mick Hanney | Apr 23 2012, 3:39pm | Many moons ago there was a Djouce downhill only race which must have been over in a blur. Its a race you probably couldn't do these days as this hill running lark is getting too popular. |
| Aisling Corkery | Apr 23 2012, 4:56pm | Haven't done many of the championship races apart from Lug,so my favourite has to be Brockagh, just love that fast grassy descent. Djouce is so much fun too, the last two Wicklow Way Trails I've torn down it far too fast and killed my legs for the second half of the race...it's always worth it though :o) |
| warren swords | Apr 24 2012, 12:56pm | Great thread. From a Leinster/Winter league perspective. The descent off Djouce is fantastic. Can really go all out to the river. Last year's Prince William's seat course was great fun, descending through 'the tunnel.' The momentarily blindness caused by going from the bright to the sudden darkness added greatly to it. Annagh Hill goes without saying. The sheer drop. I also like the sheer frenzy of the Sugar Loaf descent. You run it like a rollercoaster, leaning into the corners while in a train of runners. The downhill from the Spinc, Glendalough is also a lot of run. |
| aidan roe | Apr 25 2012, 9:35am | Can't believe Carrauntoohill hasn't got a mention yet. the decent off Caher is sick. Legs were completely trashed at the finish line. Old route off Croagh Patrick is also worth a dishonourable mention. |
| Alan Ayling | Apr 25 2012, 12:37pm | Have to agree with Warren about Annagh Hill - for a proper flat out muck-and-shite descent, "Enduro Falls" is an epic. Keep 'em coming! |
| diarmuid O'Coolmain | Apr 25 2012, 10:55pm | Well we are a bit spoilt for choice for good descents. Of course Mweelrea is a really great and enjoyable descent; whereas I think Ben Gorm and Croagh Patrick are for the masochists. I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Camara Hill (Lug) having fractured a couple of ribs on it,and the rocky descent into Fraughen Rock Glen is great for the mentally deranged. The new(ish) route down Carrauntohill is very good; what I remember of the Galtees from years ago is great. The downhill Djouce race from many years ago was a savagely difficult all-out sprint that left me puking my guts out, thanks to Douglas Barry for choosing the route. But I think my favourite race in the past couple of years was Glasnamullan. From the top of Djouce, a lovely run down to the Wicklow Way, and then a further lovely run on fast ground to the finish. Mind you Scarr is pretty good as well, and Mullaghcleevaun and Sorrel Hill, and Corrig and....... |
| Jonathan McCloy | Apr 26 2012, 1:22pm | I've spent too much time thinking about this and cannot decide on one. Highlights, for all the wrong reasons are; the steep grassy slope of Lurig (first time i ever popped my ankle) the long and varied descent of Donard (tore both quads) Croke Patrick tourist route (scared the bejaysus out of crowds the day before the pilgrimage, scree is fun!) Bearnagh towards Meeelmore (watched goats descend faster than I ever will) Slieve Gallion Anti-clockwise (the route is purposefully clockwise to avoid this uncontrollable descent!) Errigal (...it's Errigal) |
| Tamas Farkas | May 7 2012, 8:35pm | Anyone mentioned Kippure yet? If mud is your thing, a soft, wet Kippure descent on the northern side is awesome! Seefingan also, on the Corrig side. Altogether, that area makes a great training ground! |
| James Clancy | May 8 2012, 1:08pm | Down hill from Camaderry to the upper Glendalough carpark....particularly the final section...free fall!!! |
