1. Training - I knocked f*** out of myself since last November, starting from a pretty reasonable level. However training advice for a race involving 5/6 14-16 hour days over totally hardcore terrain is thin on the ground. The advice I found was mainly aimed at club stage racers. Still 5-7 hour rides on road and mountainbike at full gas should hone my endurance and stamina to a level plenty capable of the aforementioned? Yes and no. The problem I had was that the 'easy' pace I rode off at on day 1 wasn't easy enough. Overtaking the entire field should have been a clue.... Also I did tons of hill climbing but this just meant I stomped up the first 5 climbs of the route far too fast, whilst thinking I was cruising. Plus by the Sunday lunchtime my carefully toned quads just ended up being so much dead weight... See point 2. What I missed was lots of long 12-15 hour rides to learn a good easy pace that would last the distance.
2. Pace. Don't overtake the whole field on the first climb, including all of the race favourites. Even if I was capable of maintaining this pace for the whole event (some hope) its still a bad idea. In my defense my pace felt like a nice steady tempo which I would use on every climb and I didn't know who anybody was so didn't know I'd blasted past Phil Simcock on the climb out of Loch Tulla until we got to Fort Augustus (98 miles in 10 hours) and he told me I'd lead the race for 40 miles. Gulp..... If I 'd stopped for some proper food (see point 3) at KLL it would have made all the difference. In any event backing off would have meant I'd have finished yesterday. Keith Bremner also made it to F.A on Saturday but took 3 hours longer than me. He finished yesterday in 8th place - bloody well done!
3. Food. You don't need to carry 4 days of food in Scotland. There will always be a shop open, or a pub / hotel or something. I was paranoid about missing open shops on the northern loop, hence the 4 days of grub. If it looks like your gonna miss something you alter your pace so you don't. I reckon 1 full days food, some extra odds and ends and maybe emergency rations for say 1 more day which you top up if you use them. Also a constant diet of cereal bars, porridge oat bars, chocolate and horrible fecking gels don't work for more than 5 hours. I had a constant upset stomach from about Saturday lunchtime onwards until I got some decent scran in Contin which made me feel immediately better. For next year I'm going to really look into what food to take and eat.
4. Gear. I got this spot on. Fook bivvy bags and race kit, this is Scotland. I had all the right kit for surviving the miserable drookit day Sunday turned into (15 hours of rain, 130 miles) and was able to don full waterproofs and gaitors to keep me dry and to keep the resulting mud and filth out of my kit. Plus having a tent meant I could have got out of the rain and midges and still operated well the next day, had I not blown my legs up on day 1. On my feet I had goretex boots, seal skin socks and merino wool inner socks. Despite numerous dunkings on the flooded track over to Contin past Orrin Res my feet were warm and dry
5. Bike. Anything goes as long as your comfortable on it. It doesn't have to be bling as long as it all works. Its going to be totally wrecked by the end so don't worry about renewing everything before the race. My Kramp was nigh on perfect despite weighing in at 30lbs less kit. Where I went wrong was several changes to grips / bar ends etc. prior to the day. I should have spent much more time on this over long distances and probably just stuck with my extra thick super star grips. Instead I ended up with a pair of ergo grips which were utterly horrible. After day one they felt like 2 ill shaped blocks of wood and my hands were in agony. My left pinky is still numb. One thing I didn't have with me was spare brake pads. After I'd bailed and got back home I discovered the horrible noises coming from my front brake were due to the pads being down to the metal, despite being only a quarter worn before the start. 130 miles of gritty water will do that..
6. Attitude. However good you think you might be, its always worth taking it canny on your first race so you can prove how good you are (or not as the case may be). If things are going well you can always up the pace later on - you have 5-7 days to do this.... That said I'm glad I quit when I did as if I'd have pushed on I would have had a truly miserable experience which might have seriously affected my desire to try this again or in fact go anywhere near a bike again.
7. Planning. I thought I'd planned this thing to death but I got it completely wrong and in such a totally obvious way - I underestimated how long it would take (durr!) sections I thought would be easy - Strathglass to Contin being the worst case of this - took ages and knackered me mentally and physically as a result. I think you should work out a schedule then add a day to it as with point 6, if things go well you can up the pace later on in the race.
8. Why? Dunno really - I was looking for a challenge and this fitted the bill. Plus I would bag a large number of trails that have been on my to do list for several years. I like the low key organisation and the whole informal format. My plan was to do it once only and then look to other things but having failed dismally I'm very likely to try again next year as what I learned in the 210 miles of the route I did should immediately mean I'm better prepared already. We'll see, what I'm really looking forward to this summer is just doing some normal bikepacking and touring where I set my own route, pace and schedule with no need to stick to anything prescribed. I fully intend to do the norther bit and the Fisherfield and torridon sections this summer, midges or not.
9. Etiquette. Work out what the favourites look like before the race and don't burn past them on the first climb....
This was taken in ullapool on Monday morning after I'd jacked it. A minute later, eventual winner Phil Simcock rolled into town having done the whole northern loop in less than a day. His eventual finish time was 4 days, 1 hr 45mins. Bloody hell....
The ride.....
For completeness I feel I need to describe my ride, such as it was.
The start was very relaxed with lots of people milling around with varying amounts of kit. A few seemed quite lightly loaded but others had more than me so I was quite happy. There was even another Krampus there so I didn't feel too self conscious amongst all the xc exotica much in evidence. 9am and we were off. I was trying to keep the pace down but its hard to do this in a group of people all with the same aim in mind. I just about managed it until soon after Bridge of Orchy when I settled into a fast cruise. Passing everybody was a warning I failed to heed. As noted above on the climb up over Rannoch Moor I blazed past the (eventual) leaders feeling strong and fit. The push of the devils staircase was a chore in the sun but it passed eventually and I made short work of the descent. I had loads of food on board so didn't feel the need to stop in Kinlochleven and blasted straight through.
I was still convinced that there was a bunch ahead so I had no inkling that I was in the lead at this point. This continued up the big climb out of KLL and past the two lochs on the way through to the Abhain Rath. It was warm and sunny so I took off shoes and socks, paddled carefully across and then sat in the sun eating some food and waiting for my feet to dry. Phil Simcock appeared at this point and shook my hand. His name rang a bell but I really had no idea who he was....
Feet drying on the Abhain Rath
The next section is a rough path with many burn crossings and a fair bit of off and on riding / pushing. I'd done this in 2003 whence it had been very wet so today it was straightforward thanks to the dry spring we've had. Finally it ended at Loch Treig Lodge. The bridge over the river now had handrails - far cry from when I was here last the deck seeming very narrow with nothing to restrain you from falling into the river below....
Selfie on the bridge by Loch Treig Lodge. Feeling good at this point! I was nibbling as I rode but my stomach was not feeling very good. I'd packed oatcakes, a couple of bananas, loads of fruisli bars and nuts and raisins. Nothing seemed to satisfy and I was starting to feel the first inklings of doom. A stiff headwind didn't help and this was looking like it would be with us all the way north. Then on the climb away from Loch Treig it happened. Suddenly my legs felt like lead and nothing was working. Past Loch Ossian it wasn't much better given the wind and on the long descent down strath ossian, it was a solid pedal. I had a couple of energy gels but these just seemed to make my stomach hurt more and provided no noticeable energy. Then it was the corrieairyack. I'd last done this in 1998 with a sore back and had failed to get up it. Today I actually managed to ride the whole lot (20-34!) and I felt I was recovering again.
Selfie on the top of the Corrieairyack, not feeling so good.....The descent took a while and the 3 climbs were a shock, I'd no memory of these on previous visits. Finally I reached Fort Augustus and I was utterly knackered - I'd got there in 10 hours in third place. Phil S was there and that's when I realised what I'd done - i.e. lead the race. I felt one hell of a fool and confessed to Phil about my ineptitude. Reading his write up later where he mentions my high pace and the need to push on to keep up was extremely embarrassing but maybe I made a small contribution to his eventual amazing finish time..... I wandered round the shop buying some food and wondering what to do, all confidence in myself gone. Eventually I figured that I should stop in the campsite, even though it was just coming up to 8, have an early night and then try again tomorrow.
Pitched up.
I'd several dried meals with me and so prepared and ate one. Looking back this was not nearly enough - I should have had two! Finally I turned in but sleep took a while. 5am saw me awake and cooking porridge for breakfast. I exited the tent to a very grey but dry morning. A few other tents had appeared around me with bikes next to them and for the first time I felt a bit of the community spirit that makes these things what they are. I chatted to Keith Bremner in the loos who had just made it here late the previous night. I told him of my mad dash and he was helpful - "no worries just take it easy today and you'll be fine".
So off I went into the gathering gloom. Heading along the road to Invermoriston the rain started. It would continue for the next 15 hours..... Nothing for it but to don waterproofs and keep going. But on the climb up to Loch Ma Stack the next inkling of doom struck. My legs were dead and I had no energy. But on I went at least knowing what this next section would be like after my April recce.
The track after the ruin was seriously wet. Any hope of staying dry disappeared but there was nothing else for it and at least I was warm. Then it was the big track, the sign I'd seen in April (3 miles not Km....) and some easy pedaling. Next mistake - should have called in at the cafe in Cannich or at least the shop. But on I pedaled the rain now continuous.
Fuck. I'd been riding on the back road down strath glass for ages. Where the hell was the turn off? Eventually I checked the GPS only to see I'd pedaled some 3 miles past it. Fuck fuck this was not good enough. I turned round and hammered back the way I'd come shouting and cursing. Then another monster climb and my head was mince. I was hating this and in a foul mood, exactly the wrong place to be. Worse; when the climb ended the track started to deteriorate into a muddy mess with countless major puddles. It got worse with a couple of seriously steep climbs. I should have been roosting up these but everyone was a grind and the rain was relentless and in my face. On one particularly big puddle the water went over the top of my boots. I had waterproof socks on but this still wasn't good.
On the track of 1000 puddles. I'm not smiling, I'm grimacing....
Then it happened. The thought. "I don't want to be here, I want to stop" I kept going. Eventually the track improved. Past the dam it was tarmac but every little climb was a labour and I cursed them. No good, no good at all, given what was coming. Eventually I got into Contin and cowered in the rain eating some better food and drinking coffee. Leaving I felt much better but the penny still didn't drop - I needed to eat a lot and rest a lot and then I'd be fine. I could of but it was like my brain was stuck in a rut. It didn't occur to me to head into a pub or hotel as I was so wet I reckoned they wouldn't serve me. Onwards and upwards I went. For a while the clouds receded and it even dried up for a bit. This lifted my sprirts but still the penny didn't drop as I rode past the Inchbae Lodge hotel advertising coffee and food. Up strath Rannoch the rain returned and on I went my spirit broken. Finally on the road to Ullapool past Croik Church I lost it all. I was broken, wrecked and done with this. The hours of prep and all the chat with friends about this thing were forgotten, I wanted out. The thought of the wasteland of the northern loop with no shops or facilities made an impenetrable barrier I could never hope to cross.
I reached the top of the mid loop and didn't even stop. I just turned left instead of right, thinking I'd head for Ullapool, recover a bit and then maybe do the rest of the route as a tour. Crucial lesson:- when your knackered and pissed off, your decision making abilities go totally out of the window.
I plodded through the next section, cursed my way over the sodden path to Loch Damph and down the long valley to Ullapool, at least with a tailwind. I ate fish and chips sat in the next door pub feeling thoroughly pissed off. I was also starving. After I pitched the tent in the Loch Broom campsite I ate another of my dried meals and anything else appetising in my bags. At least I could get a shower and actually slept very well.
The next morning I took my time getting up and eating more food. I headed into the town, found a cafe on the harbour front and set to into another breakfast - the full fry up. Any thoughts of continuing on route had gone, I just wanted out. Unfortunately this would involve a long road schlep to Inverness at least. As I was finishing up a guy on a bike appeared - Phil Simcock no less. I went out to greet him but he was in one big hurry and the queue in my cafe too long so we exchanged brief greetings and off he went.
And off I went - back up the road all the way back to Contin. From there the reverse of the route I'd done in April to Inverness. There wasn't a train due for 2 hours and I couldn't be arsed waiting so just rode on out and up NCN7. I was now much recovered and the magnitude of my blunders were writ large in my mind. I finally reached Aviemore to be greeted by my mate Rob. Iona his partner was still out on the trail. Turns out I'd just missed her as she started up Strath Rannoch and I was heading back the way. We talked about the route and what I'd done. Rob said the fateful words - "If you've managed to ride so far today, why didn't you continue?" Good question.
The next day I managed to get on a train to Pitlochry and then pedaled the 40 miles west to Tyndrum. I didn't hang around; just chucked the bike in the car and headed home, tail firmly between my legs. That said I was in good company. Out of 37 odd starters only 12 finished and I made it further than most. Phil Simcock finished first in 4 days 1hr and 43 minutes.....
I penned this several months after the Highland Trail and after I'd done a couple of long rides and the Cairngorms Loop. Immediately after scratching and returning home I wrote the 'How not to" bit on the Bearbones forum and got a fairly sympathetic response. My mistakes were obvious looking back but biggest of them all was quitting. If I'd just stopped at a hotel for the night, ate lots and rested, I'd have been able to continue. The rain on the Sunday lasted all that day and night but Monday was much drier and Tuesday to Friday dry and sunny. Iona finished on the Monday, first and only female entrant and finisher. She was rightly scathing of my failure (but in a good way!) but this has motivated me to get in for it again next year. I know what I need to do, and what not to do so all being well I'll be in a much stronger position.
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