TNH on Hoka’s: up the incline

It’s not unusual for the Thursday Night Hill to end up in Dinorwic Quarry. We often start in Llanberis, and given that we are hill training, you can then choose between the hills on the southwestern or northeastern side of the valley. If you choose the latter, you almost inevitably end up in the quarry. And there is plenty of vertical to increase your fitness on. A lot of that is in the form of inclines.

The place is riddled with them. But there is one special one. I am convinced it is by quite some margin the biggest. And it has been repurposed by the power station situated in the quarry now. There is some electrical infrastructure that runs all the way down. I have never run on it. I had never even walked on it.

This week there was another demonstration event, so that meant we were again starting in llanberis. The demonstration was for Hoka Speedgoat 7. It made me feel an old-timer! I remembered the promo event for the Speedgoat 6. 

I got to the shop and got my pair of shoes. They were comfortable! And it was busy. It took a while before we left. And from the shop we headed for the zigzags. At some point we turned right to go a bit deeper into the quarry and went up some inclines. Then Dyfed, who organises all of it, shouted to the front they should wait. 

We waited, as we regularly do, because we don't all run at the same speed, but then we went off to the left. To the big incline! I got my camera out.

Getting onto the incline

Most of it is fine for running on. But at some point it changes steepness, and there most decided to walk. And in places, the original incline probably had wooden bridges, which are not there anymore, and then you have to go around, over beautiful slate steps.

The incline changes angle

Up some slate steps

Lovely views

I really enjoyed it! And then we headed for the view point on a spoil heap, and then for the little road out of the quarry. I was glad, as I know that there was a stream there, and I had only a rather small amount of water with me. I was getting thirsty!

From there we went back to Llanberis over public footpaths. And back in the shop there were the usual drinks, nibbles and a raffle. It was a nice night! And the first time in all these years I was on the big incline…