Saturday
22 July 2017 saw a fine turn out of trailers descend upon Cecilia Forest.
Weather
predictions by yr.no were a tad off on this lovely day,
and a thick, dark bank of cloud greeted us as we arrived. While conditions
lower down the mountain were perfect for running, the top was...a little
different.
The
route started out with few kilometres of nice smooth running (not usually a
trait of TMT runs).
Consequently the Fasties led by Gregg Smith, swept by Tim Belairs and ably assisted by local trail legend the CEO, quickly disappeared into the distance and were only seen again by the Mediums and the Slower Groups at the end, relaxing and rehydrating in the parking lot. After following the set route up Cecilia Ridge and around De Villiers Dam the fast group decided to omit the out and back to Belle Ombre, due to the damp conditions on the Back Table, instead following the planned decent, with some variations, facilitating a smooth speedy run back to Cecilia parking lot. The result was an excellent time of 1h37 min for the 11.4kms covered.
The
Mediums led by the usual committee, encountered some friendly mountain bike
traffic on the cycle track which unfortunately halted progress on the fastest
section of the run. Following the set route, the Mediums made their way up
the Bridle path with a mixture of canter and banter, after which they picked up
the pace, heading on to Cecilia Waterfall for a breather in some of the most
beautiful scenery on the Mountain.
The
route up Cecilia Ridge saw the Mediums employing various techniques of 2x4 and
4x4, leading to some exhilarating experiences for all. Upon reaching the Back
Table a quick pow-wow resulted in those who were time strapped splitting off in
a homeward bound group, omitting the De Villiers Dam Loop. The balance of the
Mediums continued as planned around the De Villiers dam, getting a bit lost on
the other side of the dam and then dropping to the water’s edge to reach the
cement track again (let’s blame the misty conditions). Following the set route
home the Mediums opted for a more direct approach, sticking to Spilhaus Ravine
Stairs back to Cecilia Parking area. Their final distance covered 11.5km in
2h50min.
The Slower group led by Nora Miller proceeded to explore the Forest towards Constantia Nek, working their way to the top of Spilhaus Ravine and on to Cecilia Waterfall for a lovely group photo. (See our Facebook Page) From here they made their way back to the Cecilia parking. Resulting in 8km covered in 2hrs.
A big welcome back to Judy Philips on her return to TMT, following her injury a few months ago.
Run
Report: Theo Smith
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