Highland Trail 2015

[whitestone]

The bothy at Carnmor? It looked rougher than a unloved cowshed When we went climbing there we camped.

[Ian]

Looks like Steve Field might have gone off-trail on the way into Ullapool where the route goes up the hill rather than past the quarry. Easily missed!

Well spotted. Wonder what the adjudicators view on that will be?

I seem to recall the 440 route went the road way, and last year this new bit was introduced

[GregMay]

Official Scratch Update:

Alasdair McClean - two days in the redzone, food no longer works. Getting the train back and eating more.
Chris Alder - scratch at Oykel Bridge .

I do feel like the grim reaper some days.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I do feel like the grim reaper some days.

I don't think people actually think it's your fault Greg ... well, not many

[GregMay]

Maybe he has, or maybe his spot is off and he's making stealth progress (is that allowed?)

Totally legal yep, he'll have to produce a GPS trace, same as a few other riders who've been noted.

[Chew]

I do feel like the grim reaper some days

Can we have another icon added to the tracker?

[Zippy]

I do feel like the grim reaper some days

Can we have another icon added to the tracker?

Yes, that would be quite good - showing how far round people get before the course kills them off!

Based on this, I think I'd want to tour it before I raced it - you know like a practice lap of an XC course, but a bit more involved.

This has/is great armchair viewing considering it's bits of text, the odd photo and dots on a map moving round.

[GregMay]

You think this is interesting...wait until the Divide starts.

[Chew]

Is anyone planning on meeting any of the finishers?

(trying not to temp fate by mentioning names)

[Zippy]

Anyone know what the latest on what the Pips are doing? They're at Muir of Ord right now, and clearly aren't doing the course anymore, heading into Inverness?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Glad to see Steve Large out of Ullapool and rolling again, hopefully well fuelled and rested.

[atk]

Anyone know what the latest on what the Pips are doing? They're at Muir of Ord right now, and clearly aren't doing the course anymore, heading into Inverness?

From STW...

Quick update - They are going to Contin, then onto Fort A. From there to Fort Bill where tehy are going to pick up the bottom section of The HT550 trail back to Tyndrum.

It was a case of Rich making an execuitive decision after pussing up the hill - they would have been out on their timings for Bothys and shopes. Minipips is not broken as earlier reported.

[whitestone]

Tom (Rowntree) has now less than 50 miles to the finish. Mike Toyn in second place is a mere 86 miles behind! That's a sixth of the entire route.

[GregMay]

Official Scratch for Mark McPhillips with totally screwed back,knees,legs everything

[GregMay]

Scratch Update:

Bryan Singleton - Arm injury ... can't hold bars.

[Chew]

Glad to see Steve Large out of Ullapool and rolling again, hopefully well fuelled and rested.

Plenty of people to hunt down and pass

[GregMay]

Scratch Update:

Bert Platzer - no reason given.

[Bearbonesnorm]

How many scratch's have there been so far? Feels like nearly half the field.

[GregMay]

I've not counted. We normally get around 30% of the field finishing max.

I was expecting different as people are doing well, but looks like it's all kicking off today.

[ScotRoutes]

I should drive up with my van and pick up the scratchers

[Chew]

How many scratch's have there been so far? Feels like nearly half the field.

16

Todays the point where people are going to start to feel it and need to commit through Fisherfield. Also the weather looks like heavy showers all day which is going to push a few people over the edge.

[whitestone]

Looks like bad weather's on the way - http://www.raintoday.co.uk/ & http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2649169 that will be hard to cope with after four days out on the course when you are tired, sore, etc.

[ianfitz]

Fisherfield also comes at that 2/3 point which always seems to me in any event is often the physiological crux.Not close enough to 'feel' the finish but plenty of fatigue and/or general suffering has already occured and theres still planty more to go through!

simplistic but ' i feel this bad and still have nearly the same again to do' can be quite a hard conversation to have with yourself

[whitestone]

Where's Chris Alder going?

Ignore me - just noticed that he'd scratched further up the thread.

[AlasdairMc]

Glad to see Steve Large out of Ullapool and rolling again, hopefully well fuelled and rested.

I chatted with Steve this morning on the Ullapool to Garve road. He's aiming for six days and looking forward to overtaking a lot of people. Meanwhile I'm now on the train to Inverness, not as broken as I was earlier but feeling worn out anyway.