On familiar ground

Sheffield is a wonderful city. Just ask Ketam Batu. Staying in a hotel in the centre of town. The hotel is not great. Might post some pictures of it some other time. Sheffield is supposedly built on 7 hills, a few more than Rome. If you have never seen seriously steep roads with houses either side of it, come to Sheffield. The city centre happens to be one of the lowest places in town. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the macho) it is also where I started my run.

Now the following route description will not make any sense if you have never been there but here goes... Up along West Street past the Engineering Faculty, wow so many new pubs, even the old Lloyds Bank is now a pub, turning right at the HSBC bank opposite the Supertram stop near the Union. Now the climbing starts. Past the Arts Tower on the left (it has lifts with no doors, really!) to the traffic lights with Crookesmoor Road with the second hand shop at the corner which is still there. Left onto Crookesmoor Road which continues climbing. Past no. 353 where I used to stay, past the steep roads on the right, one of which goes past the Law Department until just before the junction with Crookes Road.

Turn right up the supersteep Roslin Road which luckily is only around 50m long. Onto Crookes Road past Tapton Hall on the left. Look at the new extension to house more students. The gradient eases along the side of Tapton Hall but steepens again past the Old Grindstone pub. Steep all the way up Lydgate Lane till the top of the hill. By this point I had been running uphill for 17 minutes with a good view of Sheffield to my back (I didn't turn round to look). Down past the Crosspool junction round the back of Fulwood to Ranmoor Hall. Right down Encliffe Vale Road, past a few halls (I hear Sorby Hall is going to be demolished) and the modern Endcliffe Vale Flats on the left. Last bit of downhill down Bronco Bank to the Hunters Bar roundabout. Finally back to the city centre along Eccleshall Road which is thankfully flat. By this point I don't think I could take any more uphills or down.

Got changed and showered. Went out for dinner at a Italian place established in 1968. Looks like they haven't changed the menu or the chef since 1968 too but that's another story... Nice to be back. Despite haven't not lived there for over 8 years, I still say going "back" to Sheffield rather than going to Sheffield.


Look closely at the altitude gain - nearly 200m up in the first 17 minutes!

Location 53°N 1°W