Highland Trail 550 - 2018

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whitestone
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by whitestone »

Now home.

When I was attempting to fix my mechanical on the Ben Alder single track I was passed by the two Italians who weren't happy and less than complimentary about the hike-a-bike along Loch Ericht. I thought it best not to mention that it's the easiest such bit :roll:

Looks like Javi intends getting the Ledmore traverse out of the way tonight.
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ianfitz
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by ianfitz »

Image
ScotRoutes
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by ScotRoutes »

I thought it was about time the Scottish weather made it's presence more felt during the HTR. I wasn't expecting it to be quite like this though.

27C forecast for Fort Augustus today. Maybe riding at night and having a siesta will be the survival strategy.
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by fatbikephil »

whitestone wrote:Now home.

When I was attempting to fix my mechanical on the Ben Alder single track I was passed by the two Italians who weren't happy and less than complimentary about the hike-a-bike along Loch Ericht. I thought it best not to mention that it's the easiest such bit :roll:

Looks like Javi intends getting the Ledmore traverse out of the way tonight.
Bob, just checked my other inner tube and its got a nice big cut in it, probably due to rubbing against something in my bag, just as well you got the other one :lol:

I think that foreign riders aren't used to seeing paths that aren't paths (if you get me). When I rode it on sunday I would say its nearly the driest its ever been.
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ZeroDarkBivi
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by ZeroDarkBivi »

Astonished by the number of scratches when conditions are so 'good'.

Karl, Bob - TINAT next weekend then? Bound to be some spare places going...
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Asposium »

htrider wrote:...riders aren't used to seeing paths that aren't paths...
So the bearbones events are good training for us. :-bd
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whitestone
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by whitestone »

I take it you rode back via Ben Alder and Culra rather than Loch Garry then Phil? That's the third time I've done the lochside trail to Benalder Cottage and it was by far the driest with just a couple of trenches of indeterminate depth. Even the last bit down to the bridge was ridable without risking sinking.

I was riding with Sean for the section along Loch Lyon and we were aiming for puddles in order to cool ourselves down!

Apart from Karl "bovine" Booth and Stu Cowperthwaite (mechanical) I think everyone else has scratched because of the heat. Sarah Caylor has done the Tour Divide but she said she was struggling to keep her head up and was just plodding along and it was becoming unpleasant.
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Bearlegged
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Bearlegged »

Please can someone explain what it means when a rider's dot is transparent?
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whitestone
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by whitestone »

Landslide wrote:Please can someone explain what it means when a rider's dot is transparent?
It means that their SPOT hasn't transmitted their position for a while, I think it's thirty minutes
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Bearlegged
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Bearlegged »

Ta.
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Mart
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Mart »

Weird - trackleaders shows Javi doubling back to Kinlochewe.
Lee plodding on and now closing the gap
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ScotRoutes
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by ScotRoutes »

Mart wrote:Weird - trackleaders shows Javi doubling back to Kinlochewe.
Lee plodding on and now closing the gap
Left something at the Whistlestop?
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by fatbikephil »

Mart wrote:Weird - trackleaders shows Javi doubling back to Kinlochewe.
Lee plodding on and now closing the gap
Hmm - forgot something? Given the high drop out due to the heat riding at night does seem like a good idea. Who'd have thought that would be a problem in Scotland :shock:

Bob - yeah I went back over the Bealach dhu (why wouldn't you :mrgreen: ) cos I knew my mate Rob was in the vicinity and wanted to try and meet up.
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by AlasdairMc »

The pace of the whole pack this year is astonishing. I remember in 2015 sharing Suileaig bothy with Alan G and Phil C on the 3rd night, but now it seems that most of the pack has hit Ullapool and Fisherfield by then.

Phil Fraser-Thomson looks to be staying in the porch of Larachantivore, a day ahead of me when I used it last year!
boxelder
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by boxelder »

Looks like Javi rested/slept at Linlochewe and will push for a finish now? When did Lee or Alex rest?
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Howard »

Doesn’t look like Alex rested at all overnight!! It’s so hot up here that maybe he’ll stop fur a couple of hours during the day. Surely he can’t ride nonstop to the end?
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by touch »

boxelder wrote:Looks like Javi rested/slept at Linlochewe and will push for a finish now? When did Lee or Alex rest?
Javi has an issue to do with the sliding dropouts on his singlespeed. He has it zip tied together just now but i don't think he's expecting it to last until tyndrum.

I'm sitting outside strathcarron hotel and pretty sure I'm going to scratch. I'm just not enjoying riding today.
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by ScotRoutes »

29c recorded in Achnasheen and Fort William yesterday, widely 28c.. Same forecast today. Possibility of thunderstorms from later tomorrow.
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by whitestone »

touch wrote:
boxelder wrote:Looks like Javi rested/slept at Linlochewe and will push for a finish now? When did Lee or Alex rest?
Javi has an issue to do with the sliding dropouts on his singlespeed. He has it zip tied together just now but i don't think he's expecting it to last until tyndrum.

I'm sitting outside strathcarron hotel and pretty sure I'm going to scratch. I'm just not enjoying riding today.
Fraser, take an hour or so, have breakfast, then make your decision.
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boxelder
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by boxelder »

Such a shame for Javi, he looked ‘on it’. Alex resting now at the bothy?
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by slarge »

Yes, don't scratch yet, give yourself to think and feed yourself. Then get back on the bike. Remember it is just riding a bike.

Javi, keep going fella, just try a bit less power, but it looks this morning like you are riding with Lee.
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Mart
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Mart »

boxelder wrote:Alex resting now at the bothy?
For just 1 hour :shock:
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Dave Barter
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Dave Barter »

Our Mike has done a backtrack and gone off route, I hope all is OK?
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Mart
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by Mart »

Dave Barter wrote:Our Mike has done a backtrack and gone off route, I hope all is OK?
Bugger - Now coming down the Dundonnell Rd. Noticed he'd stopped for a bit on the descent coming down the last hump
Hope its not him scratching, doing so well up to that point
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whitestone
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Re: Highland Trail 550 - 2018

Post by whitestone »

Mart wrote:
Dave Barter wrote:Our Mike has done a backtrack and gone off route, I hope all is OK?
Bugger - Now coming down the Dundonnell Rd. Noticed he'd stopped for a bit on the descent coming down the last hump
Hope its not him scratching, doing so well up to that point
Looks like a scratch http://trackleaders.com/highland18i.php ... ike_Clarke :sad: Like you say, doing well up to that point. That road is uphill all the way to the bend near the loch so definitely not something you'd do by accident, also he'd followed the route up the bottom half of Corrie Hallie in towards Fisherfield then turned round.

From a post on STW:

Javi is having tracker problems, since it fell off his bike and got damaged…. He lost the nut from his rear axle just before Kinlochewe. Carried on with a proper trailside bodge of DT RWS cable tied to frame, to stop the axle falling out. Hopefully he has managed to sort a more secure fix now!
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