Big Cheese - Friday Route Recommendation
![Big Cheese - Friday Route Recommendation](/content/images/size/w2000/2021/01/20210124_104654.jpg)
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/image-32.png)
Distance: 25.8km
Elevation Gain: 790m
Type: Trail
Route Link: Strava Link
The Big Cheese is a yearly event organised by the Cheddar Running Club around Cheddar Gorge and the Mendips. The route is almost all trail, with only a short road segment in Charterhouse to link 2 paths together.
Starting in Cheddar, the route doesn't mess about with a 200m climb towards Rowberrow through woodlands
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/20210124_094244.jpg)
From the top there's then a big descend down into Rowberrow, followed by a second long climb up to the marshes.
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/20210124_102125-1.jpg)
To be extra cruel fun the route dips down for a long downhill stretch to the bottom of the marshes, along a fun technical segment, then back up to Beacons Batch for views over the Mendips.
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/20210124_104322-1.jpg)
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/20210124_104554-1.jpg)
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/20210124_104652-2.jpg)
From the beacon it's (almost) all downhill (thank goodness!) with a gradual descent into Charterhouse, then along to the Black Rock trail, before a mini climb up the other side of the Gorge and a long, steep technical descend into Cheddar to finish
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/20210124_113850.jpg)
Full disclosure, last time I attempted this I strongly underestimated the climbing and terrain, we ended up skipping the last climb and instead went back to Cheddar on a shorter route, which ended up being just as gruelling and technical 🤦♂️!
![](https://leave-the-road-and.run/content/images/2021/01/image-33.png)