psling wrote:

Mariner wrote:
Just had a look on OS as I remember the area below that path as featureless bolder strewn nothingness but there is a path shown on the other side of the river which will take him to the end of Loch Ossian and then at the other end is the SYH and the station. Very steep descent though to the river.

Well, it looks like he's made the track that leads down to Corrour Shooting Lodge and like ianfitz suggests, bailing out to the station?

Bobs at the station now.

Wotsits wrote:Anybody know where Stu Cowp might be going?

Hope he's not bailed..

He had said his fitness wasn’t where he wanted it.

The track down to Loch Ossian that Bob took is longer than shown on the OS map - and much of it was recently upgraded for a hydro scheme.

ianfitz wrote:

Wotsits wrote:Anybody know where Stu Cowp might be going?

Hope he's not bailed..

He had said his fitness wasn’t where he wanted it.

His dot definitely looks like he's heading back in

Go Javi!

Looks like Justin Atkinsons Spot hasn't updated for over 7hr now, he could be up near the front with the leaders..

Only recently found out that we use the same local bike shop..

Karl, Stu and Bob all non confirmed scratches. By which I mean that Greg (grim reaper) May hasn’t called them yet.

Cow, mechanical, heatstroke sound to be the causes.

Cow?

Pull the udder one, sounds like bullsh1t.

boxelder wrote:Cow?

Pull the udder one, sounds like bullsh1t.

From Twitter he was rammed off his bike by said cow. Includes a picture

Ok I'm a scratch (obviously )

Had no power from the start. Began to struggle after Bridge of Balgie then after Loch Rannoch began to vomit. By Ben Alder I needed a lie down in the bothy.

Got going on the single track climb then dinged my rim on a water bar so the tyre wouldn't hold air fitted an inner tube which blew a few water bars later.

Decided to scratch as there was no way I could do the route justice

I can confirm Dave's assessment of the way out! I was walking alongside Loch Ossian when Phill Clarke (htrider) rolled up! He gave me an inner tube so I could get to the station.

Struck lucky here and got a bed for the night Now waiting for a train

Hope they let you on the train. I had a long exchange of emails with Scotrail about just turning up at Corrour without a ticket and a bike and they gave long explainations why I couldnt.
I got the train down from FW to Tyndrum last year and the grumpy guard made me hang my bike by the back wheel.

boxelder wrote:Cow?

Pull the udder one, sounds like bullsh1t.

Some one tweeted him back to ask if he has bull bars on his bike.

To soon??

No bull sh*t....it was a cow.

Charged at me and knocked me off my bike. I crawled up with the b*stard stood over me. Screamed and jumped over a wire fence. Absolutely sh*t myself. Picked up some dead wood and threw it at them until they went back in the field where they should have been.

After that a collected my bike which now has a broken garmin and bent brake lever. Tried pedalling but couldn't. Got to a down hill road section and couldn't even place my leg on the pedal, never mind pedal

I'm having steak for tea tonight!

CONFIRMED SCRATCHES 27/5/18: Stu Cowperthwaite, mechanical; Karl Booth, cow attack (!); Bob Wightman, heat; Alan Sheldon; Justin Atkinson; Shona and Rich all unknown reasons. [Scythe emoji]

Confirmed by G tweeted by me.

Karl wrote:I'm having steak for tea tonight!

Is that an example of having the last laugh! Glad you can make light of it - but sounds really scary and that it could have been a lot worse. A crap way to exit the HT.

Howard wrote:

Karl wrote:I'm having steak for tea tonight!

Is that an example of having the last laugh! Glad you can make light of it - but sounds really scary and that it could have been a lot worse. A crap way to exit the HT.

Definately having the last laugh. Not many times I've been really scared but lay on the floor with the cow standing over me was one of them.

Always next year!

Karl wrote:
Definately having the last laugh. Not many times I've been really scared but lay on the floor with the cow standing over me was one of them.

Always next year!

All you have to do is say "moooove". They understand that type of language...

Cr@p way to have to scratch though. Having said that, it'll bring you a certain notoriety!

Karl wrote:No bull sh*t....it was a cow.

Charged at me and knocked me off my bike. I crawled up with the b*stard stood over me. Screamed and jumped over a wire fence. Absolutely sh*t myself. Picked up some dead wood and threw it at them until they went back in the field where they should have been.

After that a collected my bike which now has a broken garmin and bent brake lever. Tried pedalling but couldn't. Got to a down hill road section and couldn't even place my leg on the pedal, never mind pedal

I'm having steak for tea tonight!

Karl, firstly glad you are ok. But that is a legendary scratch that should rightfully go down in history. Don’t forget to eat that steak wearing Doc Martins and a leather jacket.

Glad you got a train OK Bob! Hadn't twigged you'd exited by that route
Was interesting to see everybodies lines through (not very) boggy bit before Ben Alder - some people seem to aim for the worst bits! My mate Rob who was leading a Dof E group spoke to Michelle Dulieu - her pedal had fallen apart so she was struggling to ride anything other than smooth terrain. She was hopefully going to get sorted at Lagan wolftrax and I guess she did given her track.

Looks like carnage out there, guess the heat is doing for a few folk (it was 25 degrees as I exited Ben Alder area earlier.)

Karl as per Dave B you get the prize for the best scratch excuse! Will be having roast beef too tonight

Cheers Phil, i owe you one for that inner tube. Couldn't quite believe that I knew the one cyclist I met on my escape route

Spoke to Stu C on the train, a lot of HT550 bikes on there, the heat was causing him problems as well.

I think Karl will be dining out on that story for a while

Upto date scratch list:

https://twitter.com/ht_550/status/10007 ... 42592?s=21

No bother Bob although you looked like a bottle of whisky would have been more welcome
Huw Olivers Spot hasn't updated for an hour - always a worry when its somewhere like the Northern loop (by a river crossing)....
Philip FT seems to have stopped moving as well

Javi has applied the afterburners and put in a big gap

Huw has moved but looks like he spent 3 hours stationary below the bealach horn - a tale to tell there no doubt. Phil FT has also jumped back to his previous position so must just have a lazy spot tracker.
Javi is nearly 3 hours ahead of where he was this time last year