Edinburgh Fitness Challenge 1: Arthur's Seat,(Direct route) Length, Short: Difficulty:9

Challenge 1:
Length, short: 1k
Difficulty: 9/10
Time approx:15mins
Incine 145m
Max Height: 225m
Start position: Monument at Holland house entrance to Holyrood Park
End Position: Top of Arthur's Seat
Terrain: Rocky path
Items needed: Shoes

This is a short run but is super intensive and almost just a constant uphill, with a very steep gradient of 14%.   It can be completed in under 15 minutes and you are rewarded with amazing views all over Edinburgh.

The start position is at the Monument at the Holland House / Pollock halls  entrance to Holyrood park. From there you aim directly to the top of Arthurs seat.  You quickly cross the Queens Park road and go off into the hill, The first point is the valley at the end of the Crags, here is where you can see north to the park and West where you have come from.  Here you then look at the mountain right in front of you and you aim for the zigzag rocky path that is the most direct route.

The path is made up of random rocks, which are uneven and irregular, be careful where you step, although generally they are all securely in place, it can be easy to twist an ankle if not paying attention. 

This will have your heart rate racing and even when you slow down to a walking pace your heart rate will still remain high.  If you are able do do it all in a jog pace, you are truly super human.

This route may get busy later on in the day and there may be children with adults clambering up so be careful not to bosh some child off the path and have them fall down the hill.  

The path then levels out for a moment as you run more around the top of the hill then you have a left turn and it is a slog back up hill again.  once you reach the top of that path you then come over the horizon and from there you are then able to see the final end spot. but you have to do a little down hill, try and run this, the ground is smooth and grassy (watch out if it is wet) and try and keep up your speed as you tackle the last incline which is almost just total rock and thus almost no official path has been eroded into it.  This is almost a scramble.  Get to the top and touch the Cairn.

And that is it.

But

The downhill is far trickier.  This is not part of the challenge as I would classify it as too dangerous to try and race it.  And it is also very possible to get lost as you will see in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0jUyJ875s0

Challenge:

1 point awarded for ever 15 seconds faster than 14m:30s

1 point deducted for ever 15seconds slower.

1 point awarded for ever kg heavier than 90kg

1 point deducted for ever kg less than 90kg