Llangollen Round Challenge 2025 – a fabulous walk in stunning scenery
Cassa Townsend
I turned 50 this year, and fulfilled a promise I made to myself in 2022 – the last time the ‘Llangollen Round’ Challenge Walk was held, it being a once-every-three-years event. I’d had to pull out of the Challenge that year due to having Covid, so I had I told myself then: “2025 – that’s the year!”
After a late-winter/early-Spring of having a flu-to-end-all-viruses, and a slight circulatory complication when walking longer distances (look up “Disney Rash” on the interweb…) I eventually began training in earnest the day after my big birthday (I am an April Fool – I was cutting it a bit fine for a 2-day, 35 mile walk at the end of May!) Those early warm days of April turned out to be the beginning of something very special – we will be talking about these sunny, dry months of spring and summer ‘25 for many a soggy season to come, I’m certain. The wind came though, even if the rain didn’t – still photos can never do justice to the blustery experience of being on any hill summit on most days in the UK – I’m surprised I haven’t lost any of my four caps to the blasts I have faced up there.
The Peak District peaks beckoned near to home (Mam Tor, Losehill, several of the gritstone edges) as well as my usual local urban park-and-woodland trotting routes (lucky Sheffielder..) Round routes from Cynwyd to Carrog, Corwen and back were great training too. Getting closer to the hills that we would be ascending (and descending) during the Challenge was a thrill – seeing the summit of Moel Fferna up close for the first time in my adult life was exciting (I saved the actual summit for the Challenge weekend itself.) Despite much of the surrounding moorland being burnt-and-blackened from the big fire in late March, it was nevertheless a moment of excitement for what was to come. A chat with a couple of local lads at Liberty Hall on my return route revealed to me the extent of the fire damage, which was largely out-of-sight heading south eastwards, and their views about the probable cause – possibly a different topic, for a different kind of article, another time!
My friend and walking companion (Grahame) is two years into retirement, and way ahead of me in training. We had some hot days in the hills, where I forgot to eat and drink as much as I should and was wearily slow. I discovered knee-length compression socks – beautifully effective at keeping the blood moving in the lower legs – and when the weekend came, we were ready (as ready as I would ever be!)
We tackled the 17 miles on the Saturday with relative ease. The weather not being as warm as in previous weeks (thankfully!) we completed the Llangollen to Ponderosa section by a reasonable 4pm (from a 7.30am start.) Fantastic to be walking in amongst the landscapes that I had mostly admired from afar – when driving west on the A5, or just looking up at, instead of down upon, Castell Dinas Bran. Crossing the Pontcysllte aqueduct early on was a highlight. Journeying on foot above the striking limestone escarpments of Eglwyseg and on to World’s End took me back to childhood picnics – great views of the Horseshoe Pass that my Dad would gleefully drive us along when we were younger, reminiscing about geography field trips to this area in his youth (and later, as a geography teacher.)
The second day was more difficult, of course – on tired legs, the hillstart from Ponderosa to ascend the first of the Llantysilio summits, Moel y Faen, was a bit of a challenge. The highest (and windiest) was next – Moel y Gamelin. Over the lower Moel y Gaer and up onto the final peak in this section, Moel Morfydd, with its attractive stone outcrop and trig marker, exhilarating strong gusty winds and sunshine breaking through the cloud – we could see the rain in the South coming down in slanting grey lines, but it didn’t reach us. This was my favourite section of the entire walk – if I am allowed just one, which is difficult to choose. Something about the bleak moorland, and the sheer up-and-down-ness of the row of peaks here seems to epitomise the Challenge – of course the landscape is varied, but it is beautiful all of the way around. Then on to a wonderfully stocked refreshment stop at the Grouse Inn, Carrog, which was extremely welcome – however, more hilly ascent was to come straight after crossing the A5, so no beer this time (unlike most other visits to the Grouse!)
I was slow – all day. Still, we did it, 10 hours and 17 miles later staggering back into the Ysgol Dinas Bran to collect our medals and certificates, with an amazing sense of accomplishment at completing this Challenge that just a few months earlier had really felt unachievable.
It’s only right to mention the fundraising efforts of all walkers (and runners!) who collectively raised over £150,000 for Cancer Research UK. There was great camaraderie and spirit of fellowship amongst all on the route, including the happy chat and the generous helpings of flapjacks, crackers, cheese, homemade cakes, buns, bars and fruit at provided by friendly volunteers at all of the snack stations. We learned afterwards that the fastest time was 6 hours 36 minutes, the youngest walker to complete the full route was 15, the oldest to complete at least some sections was 90! And the final mention must go to Matt Jones from Wrexham, aka ‘Fridge Freezer Man’ who overtook us towards the end of day two, on his SECOND circuit of the 35 mile Challenge Walk that weekend, all whilst carrying a 90lb fridge freezer on his back – to raise funds for Hope House hospice in memory of his late wife, Vicky. Seeing him straining under that weight, yet marching on forwards determinedly – that really did help spur us on to the end too, I can tell you!