Big Cheese - Friday Route Recommendation

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

From the top there's then a big descend down into Rowberrow, followed by a second long climb up to the marshes.

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.

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

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 🤦‍♂️!