35th and final Smuggler's Trod August 2024

This is said to be the final running of this LDWA event as the organisers can't get anybody to take it over. There are two options the long route 26m and the short route 17m. It starts and ends at Robin Hood's Bay and goes west onto moors, into woods and forests. The views of the hills and the sea are special and it is a shame that it will not be held again.

My alarm went off at 4.15 in order to get there, register and be ready for the start at 8.00. When I was there I realised I hadn't researched where the four self clip checkpoints were on the route. I managed to sort this out before the start which was a relief !

The event starts at the Village Hall at Flyingthorpe.

As you can see it was a cloudy at the start. Showers were expected in the early part of the afternoon. The event starts with a steep and fairly long climb out of the village to a bucket drop at the start.

There was a nice view looking south.

A bit more climbing to cross the busy Scarborough Whitby road and on to the moors.

The heather was looking beautiful, but the colours have not come out well on the picture above.

After about 5.5 miles the long and sort routes separate and the long route heads across fields to Maybeck. I made my first navigational error by following the runner in front. My Garmin Fenix does not cope well with long routes and smoothes out the turns which is annoying so I was relying more on OS maps on my phone and it takes longer to get my phone out so the temptation is to leave it as long as possible before doing that.

There was a zig zag path down to Maybeck which was covered in bracken and it was a bit of a fight to get through.

The first food and drink checkpoint at Maybeck was lovely and they had vegan cakes and biscuits hidden away :-)

Then into the woods around Maybeck. Some of the paths here were lovely and smooth with boardwalks but other sections were covered with tree roots which had to be taken carefully. I made another navigational error but I and another runner were called back by other runners. We came to the Hermitage.

and came out of the woods at Littlebeck. Then it was through fields and up to the moors. A fairly rough ascent to get to the highest point.

Then into High Moors where there were suddenly signs indicating which was to go.

Another checkpoint and onto a narrow lovely path downhill.

Unfortunately this deteriorated into another path which was covered in bracken. I made my third navigational error. The only positive is that I came across this lovely bridge which I had to cross twice as I backtracked !

Back on track I managed to find a new way of falling over. I was running Saucony shoes which have elastic, tieless laces. There is a nice little pocket into which the length that is left after tightening the laces. The trouble is that heather and bracken tends to pull this out of the pocket. I hadn't noticed this and with my other foot I managed to stand on this, break the elastic and go flying. Luckily I crashed onto grass and heather so there was no damage this time. Although until I got to the next checkpoint my shoe felt that was about to come off my foot.

I then struggled to find the path on Shooting House Rigg. This seems to happen regularly at this point. After much tramping through heather I got back on track.

Found my way off the moor and onto the next checkpoint at the Grove checkpoint where I was able to take a few minutes to make a repair to my shoe. It wasn't perfect but it was much better.

The checkpoint were about to make me a jam sandwich with vegan spread (which was very kind) when I spotted malt loaf with vegan spread.

The sun had come out now (the only rain we had had were two fine drizzle showers).

A lovely descent down to Oxbank Wood followed by almost a 3 mile ascent to the radio mast above Ravenscar. There were some good views from the moors.

At the checkpoint next to the mast, the person offered to make me a humous and lettuce wrap which was lovely ! LDWA checkpoints are something special.

Then a lovely downhill descent towards the Cinder Track with views of Robin Hood's Bay in the difference. This felt like we were nearly there.

On to the Cinder Track

To the Middlewood Farm checkpoint. 

Here you are directed down to the bottom of Robin Hood's Bay which is followed by a steep climb back up the Main Street. There are views back towards Ravenscar from the top.

Back to the Village Hall and a main course of vegetable stew and peaches to follow (this event only cost fifteen pounds to enter...). I also chatted to some running friends and it was lovely to have some people to chat to before, during and after the event.

I collected my badge and certificate and made my way back to the free car park for the drive home. I will miss this event, I hope it does come back at some point in the future.