sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:14 am As mentioned in the 2021 Reflections, Annie Le should be starting a winter HT550 today, here's the link to her fundraising.

https://localgiving.org/fundraising/Ann ... dTrail550/

I thought I'd seen mention of a tracker but can't find it at the moment, but I'll add it if I do.

Blimey thats keen. She was telling me in May that she wouldn't be back! Looking mild and damp this week sadly....

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:57 am

sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:14 am As mentioned in the 2021 Reflections, Annie Le should be starting a winter HT550 today, here's the link to her fundraising.

https://localgiving.org/fundraising/Ann ... dTrail550/

I thought I'd seen mention of a tracker but can't find it at the moment, but I'll add it if I do.

Blimey thats keen. She was telling me in May that she wouldn't be back! Looking mild and damp this week sadly....

Bluebird day in Inverness at the moment.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:58 am

sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:14 am As mentioned in the 2021 Reflections, Annie Le should be starting a winter HT550 today, here's the link to her fundraising.

It's not winter

Meteorologically: Yes it is.
Astronomically: No it isn’t.

Hmm, I happened to be chatting to Alan G on Friday and he thought that someone else (I won't say who) was was hinting at attempting a winter HT.

Our thought was that getting "good" conditions was nigh on impossible as there's too much elevation difference - if it was wintry low down then it would be near impossible at higher elevations and if it was ridable for the higher bits then it would be unlikely to be winter low down. It could happen of course, similar to the Scottish Haute Route (Ft William to Braemar), just occasionally all the bits fall into place.

When Andy and I had a go we had hoped for nice crisp snowy conditions for much of the route. To me that would be the perfect winter experience but it would take off the scale good luck to get that I reckon.

Huw's Instagram seems to suggest he's tracking her in the van, if he is following her around then her attempt wouldn't count as a completion?

The rules on the HT550 website don't mention media or being followed any more. I thought the old website was a copy of the TD rules where they specifically mention it.

Also, Dave, yours and Andy's wouldn't have counted either, there's no 'we' in ITT

I thought the HT rules were the basic ITT ones, the TDR has a couple of changes, from memory:

You can use motorised transport to and from the route to get your bike fixed/medical emergencies (have to rejoin at the same place)
No media, followers/sag wagon. Trail fairies are allowed but no begging!

At a guess Annie will be heading to Melgarve or Blackburn bothies. Possibly the former as an early start would get her over to Fort Augustus just after the shop opens.

Dave - another point is that much of the low level parts of the route are on the west coast, a lot different climate wise from the central highlands. Still, could be possible: cool to cold spell to chill the ground, some snow fall followed by a blocking high over Norway to pull in really cold easterlies from Siberia to keep everything crisp. A bit like ideal winter climbing conditions really.

sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:37 pm
Also, Dave, yours and Andy's wouldn't have counted either, there's no 'we' in ITT

There was plenty of yellow snow.

Bob, the rules say motorised travel at all.

Not wanting to divert this thread too much, but for trail magic, I still maintain it's not allowed. It says ONLY commercial services, it's quite clear. This has come in from through hiking in the USA, and given the TD shares some of the route with the walking trial, and I'm guessing there's a crossover of participants, then I can see why. Also, far more people tour the GDMBR than race the TD so for them there are no rules.

I turned down the offer of a jelly baby on the HT550 for this reason.

I read an interesting article about cheating in sport, it says people will do what they can justify to themselves. Whether that's borrowing bike parts from a stranger or taking PEDs they rationalize why it's ok and don't see it as breaking the rules. That's up to them as there's no governing body but it doesn't set a good example for the next generation of competitors.

Dave Barter wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:11 pm

sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:37 pm
Also, Dave, yours and Andy's wouldn't have counted either, there's no 'we' in ITT

There was plenty of yellow snow.

very good


As long as Huw doesn't meet up with Annie it's all within the rules, and maybe he's there to satisfy his own demons - after all he was ambulanced out a couple of years ago......
But let's give a little bit of leeway - let this be a "how well can she do" rather than a " how can we DQ her" thread....

That was never my intention, she's more than capable of doing it. And Huw's proved his ethical standards when he re-rode the Cairngorm Loop when his first record ride included a minor diversion off route.

I was just disappointed that he 'might' be following round. Even if they don't meet up just knowing help is near(ish) helps. Heading into the northern loop totally alone in winter is a daunting prospect, that's what makes it so hard. It's because it's so hard that's it would be such an achievement.

From Huws insta

I'll be on the road this week keeping track of wherever she's been blown to and you can keep an eye too at the trackleaders link in my profile

I don't think that means he's following her round?

Which was my original question as I wasn't sure quite what he was saying he was doing.

It's certainly some ambiguous wording

A winter HT might have been a goer at the end of Feb this year as there was a rapid melt and then some serious freeze thaw so you may have got a mix of dryish trails and frozen snow...
Cairngorms loop would be a better prospect in late winter on 'spring' snow - imagine cruising through the long strath from Bynack more to Glen Derry on a wide field of hard snow *sigh*

At least there won't be anyone in the bothies!

sean_iow wrote: ↑Mon Dec 13, 2021 9:47 pm Bob, the rules say motorised travel at all.

I think you are missing a "no" in there

The base ITT rules and those for the HT (which is where the 7 bit is from) state:

7. No travel by any motorised means during your ride.

For the TDR (only):

4a. In the event of a serious mechanical that renders a bike unrideable, a rider may hitchhike[3] by motor vehicle in ANY direction to repair the problem. The location of the incident must be well-documented by SPOT tracker or other GPS logger. A rider may also receive assistance returning back to the exact location of breakdown to begin forward progress. Again, the entire incident, from breakdown to return to the trail must be well-documented by GPS.

I assume this is because of the huge distances in the States.

Quite a few ITTs have slight variations on the basic set.

Anyway, looks like Annie has stopped at Melgarve. Tomorrow looks damp, Wednesday is showery then fine for a good few days. General strategy of aiming for bothies? There's generally enough of them on or just off route.

Given the time of year bothies would be a good call. Chance to get warmed up, dry kit and recover before the next day. It's going to be tough enough without putting up a shelter at the end of the day and packing it away wet in the morning.

Has she dropped her tracker on the climb beyond Invermoriston? Just checked back in and she's not gone far.

boxelder wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 4:35 pm Has she dropped her tracker on the climb beyond Invermoriston? Just checked back in and she's not gone far.

She seemed to have a long stop in FA, a couple of hours at least. The tracker hasn't pinged for over an hour so I suspect she's moving. At a guess she's heading for Corrimony bothy. Looking at the rain radar there's a lot of rain further north.

Possible she's stopped at the Cupboard of Eldor

At risk of going back to ethics rather than discussing the action, comment from Huw on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXeDHU4MiFB/
(Can't copy the text I'm afraid)

I saw Huw's explanation on Instagram, and Annie still looks fresh.

The weather would need to be bad to stay at Corriminy, well the store end I slept in. Karl, Lars and Slarge were already asleep in the 'posh' end when I got there. It was dry though, which was more than can be said for what it was like outside at the time.

Always enjoy following the HT550 threads and so many of the place names have a certain feel to them, but this

Possible she's stopped at the Cupboard of Eldor

sounds like a place in a CS Lewis book. Please tell me it's a local provisions store.

https://www.facebook.com/thecupboardofeldor/

Just checked, and it's no longer on Air BnB

A place to stay, that's even better.