Highland Trail 2015

[boxelder]

Brilliant experience. Thanks Alan
Also thanks to Fat bike Phil, Ricky C (river crossing up to jersey pockets), Steven, Carl and Javier (whose ankle is giving some real stick). Well done Fraser McBeast - but I'm sure you'd enjoy it more if you occasionally stopped and slept!
For anyone considering next year, go and do Ullapool to Strathcarron or Dornie over a couple of days. Well done obviously too to Tom and Mike Toyn, who nailed it.
No naughty gates though......?

[fatbikephil]

That was unbelievably hard, but the other folk I met made it all worthwhile. The weather has been gruesome and the trails saturated - the fatbike was my correct choice!

So we were all in the Strathcarron hotel having had a near epic over Torridon. Fraser then appears looking totally relaxed, has a cup of tea and heads out into slashing rain saying he's heading for Can ban bothy.... Doing the Glen Licht climb in the dark, and rain, and then deciding not to stop but to keep going...... Well deserved 3rd place and should get the award for hardest man on route.

This weekend I will mostly be eating, and washing the bike!
Glad you made it Andy, I heard it was a bit dark over the devils staircase...

[boxelder]

Great to ride with you 'fat Phil'. The moon was out for most of the staircase and Frasers lights weren't far ahead by the top. I wonder if he holed up for a while in Fort W, hoping we'd stop in Fort A?

[GregMay]

We have Javi, I repeat, we have Javi

[Richpips]

Well done to everyone who has finshed so far. Great to put names to so many faces.

Tom and I had a great time. We made a couple of route decisions that were right for us bearing in mind the conditions. 405 miles on and off route over 7 days.

He reckons he'll be back one day. :)

I am immensely proud of him.

[Richpips]

Markus is back.

[voodoo_simon]

What's the cut off time?

[whitestone]

What's the cut off time?

I think it's eight days for the mass start - basically the half-term week. Not sure about ITTs.

Looks like Enrico Morvillo has finished. There's three on the way out of Kinlochleven, one outside Fort William and plucky Jenny heading down Torridon.

OK, let's play today's edition of "Where's Ilan?"

[Ian]

The 440 cut off was 8 days, but a figure was never set for the 550 (560). In these conditions, it takes as long as it takes!

[GregMay]

Good question, where is Ilan

[fatbikephil]

We have Javi, I repeat, we have Javi

Great to see him finished - I met and rode with him at various points round the route and he was always in high spirits. Even at Loch Carron where he looked to be in a shocking state with wrecked feet and knees, then his freewheel started playing up in Fort Augustus so good he got sorted

[slarge]

So glad people are still finishing. I am sure there will be many tales appearing on the forums over the next days and weeks as the bad memories fade and the good ones are left.

Some mentions:
Enrico -top bloke offering me food on the climb up Fisherfield (I didn't need it), then some stomach settling stuff in Dornie (I did need it). Javi, Rickie, Mike, Steve S, Mark all made good riding buddies for the brief times I was riding with anyone. Everyone else who I briefly met, either before or during the ride, you all made it special. And a fantastic ride from young Tom Seipp, he really has shown some grit and determination not many adults show.

And we have an artist somewhere- did anyone else spot the smiley face in the gravel on the track between Oykel Bridge and Ullapool, and the stick man on the beach of one of the lochs at the top of Fisherfield? Made me smile - someone was enjoying themselves!

[Richpips]

Good to see you Steve.

The smiley face was our doing as well as some other trailside graffiti.

[Javi]

That was tough!
I was doing fine but my ankles (or cankles as Alan said) were swollen like potatoes and leaving Strathcarron hotel on Thursday felt like I mightn't finish. 3 hours later I was enjoying the bad weather in Glenn Affric with 2 extra layers of bin bags and another for my head. Left Fort Augustus in the afternoon with Phil's demoniac Surly fat bike and Rickie Cotter but my rear hub started to slip under torque. It was without doubt the worst part of my race, limping for hours along the canal, officially the easiest part of the route. Rain came and I was unable to keep my body warm at 4km/h. Cold, wet and hungry in bed under trees at around 11pm. Friday did the last 12km to Alpine bikes at Inverlochri in 2 hours, much faster pace! They lent me some tools and I managed to fix the hub, although at some point it looked not possible and again I thought I'd scratch in Fort William. Horrible!

One of the things I loved was when I bumped into someone at feeding spots. I didn't see anyone for hours during the crossing of Bealach horn but once at kylesku we were a few there. I counted 7 at Oykel bridge at some point.
Great to ride with you, Steve. Great company. You looked very strong and had high confidence but the bad luck hit you twice!
I also met Rich and Tom early morning in Ullapool. They were having a great time. Rickie Cotter found my arm warmers in Fisherfield. Steven, from Netherlands, very strong rider as well, fighting with a heavy bike with tri bars. Sharing room at the hotel after Coire lair descent with Alan.
I'll have to do a proper writing...many things to say

[GregMay]

Nice one Javi - you looked quite happy to be finished :)

[Ian]

Big well done to all who've finished
Still 2 group start and 3 ITT riders to come in.

It's been a lot of fun commentating on the race on Twitter with Greg - I've gained a different insight into the race, beyond what I know of the route, in seeing the different strategies taken, and this year, the sheer resilience on display by some folk. First class entertainment.

Looking forward to digesting the various blog reports as and when they get written.

[Wotsits]

We have Javi, I repeat, we have Javi

That's an ace picture!

Total respect to everyone that takes part in this..

[Ian]

Anyone know which rider this is:

That is Charlie Watt, 14th man home, 7 days 4 hours 32 mins(ish).

[Bearbonesnorm]

That is Charlie Watt, 14th man home, 7 days 4 hours 32 mins(ish).

Total respect ... what is it they say about books and covers

[Ian]

That is Charlie Watt, 14th man home, 7 days 4 hours 32 mins(ish).

Total respect ... what is it they say about books and covers

There was a comment by Greg over on Singletrack, in response to a guy saying he'd like to do it and it's an excuse to buy a new bike, along the lines of

It isn't about the bike. It really isn't.

Seeing Charlie on that bike, especially now having finished in what are to be regarded as the worst conditions seen since the event began, is quite an achievement. It also reminds me of the guy in the video The Road from Karakol: https://vimeo.com/69045994

[GregMay]

What Ian said :)

It's 100% about the person.

[Bearbonesnorm]

It's 100% about the person.

Couldn't agree more ... it's something I often have to try and explain to folk I'm coaching

[GregMay]

Yeah. Shiny only gets you so far.

Training, skill and stubborness get you much, much further.

The later is much harder for most people to acquire by monetary means.

[Richpips]

Training

I think we've near doubled our miles this year with the weeks rding.

It's a mental thing (unless you want to be fast)

[Ian]

#HT550 Provisional finish times
1 Tom Rowntree: 4d 11h 19m
2 Mike Toyn: 5d 8h 15m
3 Fraser MacBeath: 5d 17h 38m
4 Andy Williamson: 5d 22h 33m
5 Steve Sloof: 5d 23h 22m
6 Phil Clarke: 6d 3h 50m
7 Alan Goldsmith: 6d 4h 39m
8 Rickie Cotter: 6d 4h 53m (first female)

9 Carl Hutchings: 6d 7h 49 m
10 Javi Simon: 6d 13h 9 m
11 Markus Stitz: 6d 14h7m
12 Enrico Morvillo: 6d 22h 18m (oldest rider)
13 Rob Waller 7d 3h 49m
14 Charlie Watt 7d 4h 32m
15 Rob Partridge 7d 4h 40m
16 Alan Parkinson 7d 7h 52m

ITT:
Stefan Maetens 6d 12h 48m