Ben Nevis Ultra

Last weekend we attempted the Ben Nevis ultra.We knew from our recce's of the route that there was no chance that we could complete the whole course without being timed out.There had been some criticism on face book that the cut offs were too severe. Most races have cut offs based on the likelihood of a runner reaching the next checkpoint before that checkpoint's cut off, which is based on the time taken to reach the following checkpoint before its cut off and so on until the end The idea being that if you keep within the cut offs you have a realistic chance of reaching the end before the race closes. Obviously the runners at the back of the field run slower especially late in the race so most races have increasingly generous cut offs at the later checkpoints .Hopefully this means that race marshals can close a checkpoint at the cut off time and get home rather than having to wait an indeterminate number of hours for stragglers to come in. The Ben Nevis Ultra was the other way round in that the cut offs were stricter later on. For example the Nevis Range closed at 5.30 leaving only  31/2 hours to reach Glen Nevis before the cut off. Climbing Carn Mor Dearg, traversing the arrete and climbing and descending Ben Nevis in 31/2 hours would be really difficult for me with fresh legs but after 50 miles through hills and bogs- not a chance.
However the organizer did arrange an early start for the slower runners.
We drove to Kinlochleven on Friday and registered . We slept in the car for a few hours and got the 3 am bus for the early start at 5 am . The first part of the route was on a good track ( the Corrieyairack Pass) so knowing what was ahead I was determined to cover the ground as fast as I could .The Pass is gorgeous but is marred by some horrendous electricity pylons.
 Beyond the first checkpoint at the Melgarve bothy the bog began. It was every bit as bad as I remembered from my recces, although this time I didn't see any fish swimming along the path. However at one point I was in green mush up to the tops of my hips. I was worried I might loose my shoes in the ooze but managed to keep them on. Knowing the route definitely helped and I  to kept my place until the fast guys from the 6 o clock start  started to overtake me. One runner said ( referring to the bog) "This wasn't in the route description." Indeed although there was lots about the Carn Mor Dearg arrete in the description and route videos but nothing about the bog. Helen says that a rubber ring and snorkel should have been included in the list of mandatory equipment!
By the time I got to  the Braeroy support point I was tired- the bogs having taken their toll. However I was revived by some food and a mug of tea , Helen and our friend Sharon arrived soon afterwards. Sharon is an awesome runner and was off like a shot. I went on slowly and Helen soon caught me up. We ran the next section together; a swampy climb past some beautiful waterfalls. It was raining and not that warm. I started to experience  problems with breathing. My breath was making a whistling sound and I felt as if I was trying  to inhale through a tiny hole. Helen went ahead as she was getting  cold and I struggled on .From Inverlair I walked quite a lot but even so was struggling to breath properly. I was overtaken by quite a lot of runners. I considered dropping out at Corriechoile believing that I had no chance of reaching Nevis Range before the cut off. However the lovely ladies at the checkpoint said that it was only 12 km and that I had loads of time. I carried on slowly and was again overtaken by more runners. Gradually my chest improved and I was able to speed up a little. I reached Nevis range with quarter of an hour to spare. By now the rain had cleared away and it was a beautiful evening.I asked if it was O.K. to continue ( even though I had no chance of reaching Glen Nevis by 9pm) They said it was fine as long as I left by 5.30. So on I went . I was very emotional as my goal at the start of the race was to do the arrete and  the Ben if I possibly could but until then I had thought it an impossibility.

Above is the view of Carn Mor Dearg ( on the left) the arrete and the Ben as I climbed the familiar path up the Allt a Mhuilinn valley. Needless to say I didn't sketch this at the time! I painted it this week from a photo I took on my phone.
 The climb up Carn Mor Dearg starts boggy but soon improves. I thought that I was the last to leave the checkpoint before the cut off but soon I saw 4 or 5 runners on the hill behind me.I was very slow on the climb and was overtaken by the others however I did enjoy it , the views over the valley with Loch Eil shining  in the sun were spectacular. On the summit were two marshals who were bravely coping with the elements  ( it was now cold and windy) I thanked them for being there for me and continued down to the arrete as darkness fell.  Being stiff and a bit wobbly on my feet I crossed the arrete with care. The rocks were wet and greasy but it was still great fun.It was now completely dark. I managed to overtake a group of runners . I was glad that I had inadvertently packed an extra top in my rucksack which I was now wearing.There were marshals on the ridge watching out for us and recording our numbers. The climb to the summit of Ben Nevis took much longer than normal but finally I was at the top which was misty . I saw a light over to my left which I guessed was the marshals but I could only see the summit cairn when I was standing right next to it. The two cheerful ladies at the top seemed impressed when I whipped out my compass and a detailed map of the summit plateau  in order to take a bearing. Even though I know the Ben well it would be a shame to go wrong in the mist and darkness . It is a long way down off the Ben at any time but after 55 miles  and in the pitch black it took a while . I passed some more runners going even more slowly than me
.Finally nearly 3 hours after the cut off time (!) I arrived at Glen Nevis . There were still another 10 runners on the mountain behind me. Although I had failed to reach the end of the race I still felt that I had achieved a lot. Crossing the arrete and climbing the Ben were definitely the highlights  of the race.As I said at the start it was curious that the organisers had arranged the cut offs so that the marshals had to wait for 3-4 hours after the cut off for the last runners to arrive.
I could have understood it if the cut offs were designed to keep people from having to cross the arrete and  climb the Ben in the dark, but this wasn't the case . Instead we were prevented from doing the ( relatively) easy last section . However I was extremely grateful that I was able to do the mountain section and the marshals were still waiting for me to arrange transport back to Kinlochleven.

The majority of the runners were timed out in the race although  the cut off at the finish was relaxed so that more could get a finishers medal. It was a great race which I thoroughly enjoyed apart from my breathing problems in the middle. Hopefully the organizers will change the cut offs next time so that it wont become a race for the elite runners only.
Donald Campbell was first in an incredible 12.20.53,
Casper Kars Sijpesteijin was second in 12.39.17.
The first lady was Mira Rae from Nepal who was 5th overall and came home in 14.24.08
 Second lady was Andrea Huser from Switzerland who did 14.49.45
40 people out of 114 starters were given finisher medals although the last home arrived in Kinlochleven  2 hours and 45 minutes after the original race finish at midnight. Rarely can coming last and hours beyond the cut off be such a tremendous achievement!

Trip to Knoydart

Last Friday I had an enjoyable trip to Knoydart . Knoydart is not an island but is only accessible by a long hike from Kinlochhourn or a 45 minute boat trip. In the past when roads were almost universally bad on the west coast, Knoydart would have been no more remote than anywhere else. In fact the sheltered bay where the village of Inverie is situated would make it a safe haven for ships. According to Cameron MacNeish in his Munro book there is an etching from the 19th century showing 40 -50 trading ships in Barrisdale Bay on the north side of the peninsular. Nowadays Knoydart mainly attracts tourists, walkers, fishermen and deerstalkers but there is still some farming. Getting there is a bit of an adventure.
On Friday I went from Mallaig. The weather had been extremely wet so I packed extra clothes and waterproofs. However by good fortune once out of Mallaig harbour the clouds cleared and it was a delightful day. Half way there the ferry stopped so we could watch a minke whale. Minkes weigh 4-5 tonnes and can be up to 10 metres long . It was exciting to see it periodically surfacing about 50 yards from the boat but then it reappeared no more than 15 feet away! I was on the phone at the time to my Dad as it was his birthday and I almost dropped my mobile. Its broad back was so close I felt I could have reached out and touched it; you could see every detail of its blow hole and dorsal fin. It is the biggest animal I have ever seen and that was the closest I have ever been to one.

 The good weather continued and my day outside went smoothly so I was finished well before the ferry returned . The clients offered to take me back in their speed boat. This turned out to be much more of an exhilarating ride than expected. We were travelling into the wind and as our speed increased the little boat started to hit the waves hard, bouncing us out of our seats. I began to worry that the samples that I had spent the last few hours collecting might disappear over the side.Also the wind was increasing and rain started to lash our faces. I was quite glad that at the start I had on a whim accepted the offered life jacket! However I needn't have worried as the helmsman decreased the speed and steered closer to the shore where the water was calmer .  In no time we where in Mallaig slightly breathless and completely soaked by the now torrential rain and the spray.

The above picture is of the same stretch of water but from a photo taken on a calm day on the way back from the Isle of Canna.

Ring O Fire Race

For the past three years we have really enjoyed running the Ring O Fire( a race that circumnavigates the Island of Anglesey in Wales in three days). This time we decided to help marshal instead.
 On Friday we arrived at the Breakwater Park at 9am  and met up with the race directors James and  Quentin and the other marshals. It was a beautiful day though rather hot for the runners.  Our first checkpoint was Alaw Bridge which was quite hectic as the runners were close together .After a break  we went to Wylfa power Station .At this stage the distance was starting to tell on some of the runners and unfortunately one lady was timed out . Our next task was to retrieve the honesty book and flag from along the route . So we followed the last runner out and had an enjoyable jog along the coast - this is one of my favourite parts of the route with dramatic cliffs and ruins. However by the time we got back to our car it was after 11pm.
We slept at the Amlwch Leisure Centre and were woken as always by the voice of Johnny Cash singing the  Ring O Fire at 4.30 am. Again we were at the first check point of the day at Llgwy Beach. When we arrived it was still cold and we were treated to a beautiful sunrise over the sea(see picture below)The cafe there opened early and provided some amazing food - bacon baps , quiches and various other savoury bites, all free of charge to the runners. Once the final competitor had gone through and we had cleared up we had some time to spare so we explored the nearby ruins of a settlement from the time of the Romans. By now it was very warm and sunny and we had a tranquil time wandering through the green fields with the blue sea in the distance.

Sketch of the little cafe at Llgwy Bay

Sunrise over the sea at Llgwy ( from a photograph)

Next up was the checkpoint at The Sea Zoo We had a bit of a wait until the first runners came so we sat in the sun and drank cups of tea in the cafe.

Pencil sketch of the Welsh mainland from the Sea Zoo

The first runners coming through seemed remarkably fresh considering the heat but then they still had a long way to go. We had to leave at 4.30 to go to Newborough Forest the last check point of the day. The past 3 years have taught me that by the time they get to Newborough foret I am exhausted and struggling to run the last leg. Sandy's Bistro in Rhosneigir had provided a delicious lentil soup for the runners which seemed to go down very well.There was also a good selection of other sweet and savoury foods.Finally we went to Aberffraw to help serve pasta and ratatouille . The last runners came in just before 2am

At 4.30 the music was on again and the jumble of bodies lying on the floor of the little village hall groggily assembled in to a  motley crowd of runners. Nobody looked good at this stage as competitor and  marshals alike were suffering from sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion. After two glorious days of sunshine the rain was now lashing down. The first check point was at Sandy's Bistro where hot drinks and bacon baps were provided. We missed the next c.p. and went straight to Trearddur  Bay. By now most of the runners were familiar to us and we tried to encourage the as best we could.It was still raining and the puddles in the car park got deeper and coalesced until the checkpoint tent was virtually an island!

Lastly we returned to the Breakwater Park where it had all started three days before. I found it quite emotional seeing the runners come in as it brought back memories of my finishes. We had seen these runners suffer over the weekend, we had fed them and refilled their water bottles.Heard about their woes and mishaps and had consoled and encouraged them Now it  was great to see them finally triumph . It is a very tough race but with a wonderful atmosphere.

Sunday night was party night for the marshals we were treated to a slap up meal and free drinks at Sandy's Bistro . We really enjoyed marshaling and made some good friends .I feel that Bing and Quentin do an amazing job organising the Ring O Fire which is getting better and better every year.

The first man home  was Simon Sikora in a cumulative  time of 23 hours 15minutes and 4 seconds. He was an hour and 23 minutes ahead of the next  runner!

Sally Ford was the first Lady and 5th overall in a time of 26 hours 37 minutes  and 6 seconds

There were 51 finishers out of 87 starters.

 Roll on next September !

CMD Arrete before work

I've had a few good days in the mountains recently.
 Last week I had a day off but was on call during the evening. I spent most of the day getting to work taking in a few hills on the way. The weather was very good and  I had great views throughout. I went  from the Nevis Range up Aonach Mor .From the summit I went south  towards Aonach Beag , dropped down the steep path to the valley then climbed  Carn Mor Dearg . From there a delightfully airy arrete leads on to Ben Nevis itself . The great thing about the arrete is that there is plenty of exposure but no real danger . In good weather one can hop from rock to rock and feel like a real mountaineer, if it is wet or  windy one can take one of the little side paths avoiding any scrambling.
 Once on  the slope of Ben Nevis itself there is a steep rocky climb to the summit.It is good to stop and catch ones breath and take in the amazing view of row upon row of mountains with no sign of civilization - looking towards the south east there are no roads or buildings visible.
In contrast once over the lip of the plateau  any sense of mountain seclusion and wilderness is sadly wiped out by the crowds of people .It always seems that come rain or shine every man,woman, child  and their dog are on the top of Ben Nevis and that the streets of Fort William must be empty. Of course it is really good that so many people make the effort to climb Britain's highest mountain, but it is always a shock after enjoying hours of isolation.
I'm not a great fan of the tourist path . The panorama is spectacular, (if it is clear) Loch Linnhe , Loch Eil shining like mirrors to the west. However one has to spend a lot of time dodging people coming up or slowly descending. It always seems to take an inordinate amount of time to get down, but it is the biggest descent in Britain - from the highest peak down to just above sea level.
Once in the glen it was only a short trot to the office where I had a quick shower and changed. I had a busy evening/ night  at work but my 6 hour commute was great !

Looking back along the Carn Mor Dearg Arrete (painted  from a photo)

Back Home

Back at home and I seem to have bought the good weather with me. Here is a sketch I did from woodland a mile or so from our house. There was enough of a breeze to keep the midges away. The view is looking towards Aonach Mor which looked magnificent in the late afternoon sunshine.

Here's a picture I've just finished. It is from a photo taken on one of my runs to work showing early morning cloud drifting across Meall an t-Suidhe. I took the photo from Inverlochy and I'm afraid I cheated by missing out a lamp post.

Yesterday I did the sketch below from the Commando Memorial. The grey Corries and Aonach Mor were obscured by cloud so I turned round and painted the view to the west.

view

Sketch of view from the Commando memorial watercolour plus some  coloured pencil

Visit to Essex

I'm just back from a visit to Essex to see my parents.
The journey down was a bit different because the train service was canceled due to lack of staff. In place was a minibus which  took me to first to Roy Bridge then Tulloch station then back towards Glasgow ( so I passed my front door for a second time after about half an hour of travelling ) Despite this the driver got me to Glasgow quicker than the train would have done. During all that time I was the only passenger!
From Glasgow I took the overnight bus to London . After a coffee I took the tube all the way out to Epping. My plan was to run to my parents house about thirty miles East of there using the Essex Way footpath and then the St Peter's Way footpath. Unfortunately I was suffering from a flare up of the anterior tibialis tendonitis that started on my West Highland Way race attempt. I enjoyed running through the woodland and  on the footpaths but was forced to walk more and more as the pain and swelling in my leg increased
.I stopped for a while at the ancient Greensted Church. It is the only wooden Saxon church still standing. It was constructed about 1060 replacing an earlier building. The wooden walls are made from grooved vertically placed oak logs .Originally they would have been hammered into the ground but the bottoms have rotted so they are now on a brick plinth. Even so it is very impressive to think of the generations of people who have worshipped, been baptised , married or had funerals there all the way back to the 11th century. I sat in the quiet cool dark church and sketched some of the roof timbers .

From there I walked to Chipping Ongar  and then threw in the towel. I took a bus to Chelmsford then phoned for a lift from my Dad. I was disappointed not to do the run but there was no point in hurting my leg further .

My niece Olivia was staying with my parents as well so it was good to catch up.We spent a lot of time in the garden talking and drinking tea. On the Friday we went to London as my niece was going back to Derbyshire.After we had seen her on the train we went to Dulwich Gallery which had an exhibition of John Singer Sargent's watercolours. This was quite exciting or me as I have admired his watercolours for a long time. It was really good to 'see them in the flesh' and try to work out his technique. It was interesting to see that he used quite a lot of bodycolour for accents and used varied washes and negative shapes very effectively.
As my running was curtailed I was able to do more reading and sketching than is normal . I picked up Alain De Botton's " Status Anxiety" in a charity shop and  found it very readable. I have also been reading  "Tools of Titans" by Tim Ferriss which is a beast of a book filled with inspiration.
I did manage a few slow jogs to some of my favourite haunts at Beeleigh and Purleigh.

West Highland Way Race

Two weeks ago  the West Highland Way Race took place. On the Friday night.the station car park at Milngavie was jam packed with cars and motorhomes. It was great to meet up with old friends from the West Highland Way family. At 1am  we set through Mugdock Park on the way to Fort William.
 My training has not gone well over the last few months. After the Highland Fling race, I didn't recover and at one point was struggling to run at all.I cut my mileage drastically which helped but as a consequence I didn't do the long runs necessary to get fit for the W.H.W. race. I seriously considered withdrawing  my entry but after a lot of soul searching I decided to give it a try . I was prepared to be slow as long as I got there. Unfortunately to add to my training woes I developed a mild cold a few days before the race - just a runny nose and catarrh, it didn't seem to develop into anything so I decided to start and see how far I could get.
The forecast was fairly grim but actually the weather in the morning was perfect- not too hot nor too cold and with enough of a breeze to keep most of the midges away.The view from Conic Hill was understated and cloudy . I really enjoyed the run along Loch Lomond. I love the views and the varied terrain and I was running quite well.I was much slower than my normal pace but I felt ok despite my cold. This was the first year that I had raced on the low route- the recently upgraded lochside path which is far more scenic than the higher track.
At Beinglas I met Helen at the checkpoint and took on food and drink. I always find the next section past Falls of Falloch quite tough, the track always seems relentless. Beyond Bogle Glen the switchback through the forest never gets any less hilly .I know the forest but there always seems to be one more hill than one expects (or hopes for)
By Auchertyre Farm I was feeling a bit tired. From then on my pace dropped and people started to pass me. My lack off fitness was starting to show and my quads were really sore .At Bridge of Orchy  I was pretty much done in, I took forever to climb the hill behind the hotel and was really pleased to see Murdo at the top and to take a jelly baby. The weather was now as promised, very windy cold with violent squally showers. Murdo must have been frozen standing up there for hour after hour.
My cold which I thought  had dissipated now started to make itself felt , I started to cough up some quite revolting sputum and my throat felt raw. Across Rannoch Moor what had been sporadic showers became a continuous  downpour.I was passed by quite a few people running at an impressive speed up the long climb up onto the Moor. I was only managing a survival shuffle. I did manage to catch one runner who was struggling with the cold, he said that his mate had gone ahead to get some extra clothing. I lingered at the ski centre putting on more clothing and trying to force down more food . Helen ran with me from then on. I tried to keep the pace going but it was very slow especially the climb up The Devil's Staircase. I didn't get much faster on the descent into Kinlochleven my quads made it too painful to run  and I now had a shooting pain in my left shin which turned out to be anteror tibialis tendonitis. On the steepest sections I resorted to walking backwards.
At Kinlochleven the Leisure Centre was warm and dry . Silke the race doctor approached me and said I didn't look too good.I asked her to look at my shin  which she and the physiotherapist strapped up. I was pleased to manage to eat some mashed potato, but then felt very ill . Not sure whether I was going to have diarrhoea or vomit I managed to stagger to the loo ( where fortunately I had neither.) After some time I felt a bit better and after another cup of tea decided to get going. The  climb out of Kinlochleven was painfully slow. I was coughing more and more and felt dreadful.I knew I had plenty of time to get through to Fort William but gradually it began to dawn on me that carrying on might risk damaging my long term health.. So sadly I decided to retire . I think it was the right decision . Other runners said that conditions up on the Lairig Mor were savage with very high winds and heavy rain. I feel it would have been irresponsible to go there in the state I was in.

The prize giving was as emotional and  uplifting as ever. We were all blown away by the new course record set by Rob Sinclair of 13 hours 41 minutes. We had thought that Paul Giblin's successive lowering of the course record to 14 hours 21 minutes was incredible, (Mind you many thought  Jez Bragg's record unbeatable). I really cannot conceive how anybody could run that fast over that terrain;what a tremendous achievement! We also heard lots of other stories of endurance and fortitude. I was very disappointed to pull out but I'm happy that I made the right decision. After a few days suffering from the cold I recovered quite well.  I feel that it might have been very different if I had continued.