I set a goal this year to attempt to complete all 9 Scottish
Long Classics (info below)
Distance ranges from 14 miles to 20.5 miles with climb from
3737 to 7874 feet.
Scottish Long Classics 2018
|
||||
Race
|
Date
|
Distance in miles
|
Climb in feet
|
Ran it?
|
Stuc a'Chroin
|
05 May
|
13.7
|
4921
|
aye
|
Isle Of Jura Fell Race
|
26 May
|
17.4
|
7776
|
aye
|
Trotternish Ridge
|
02 June
|
16
|
6562
|
aye
|
Arrochar Alps
|
30 June
|
15.5
|
7874
|
aye*
|
Ben Rinnes
|
28 July
|
14
|
4987
|
aye
|
Glenshee 9
|
5 August
|
20.5
|
5250
|
aye
|
Ochil 2000s
|
18 August
|
19.4
|
3937
| aye |
Two Breweries
|
22 September
|
18.6
|
4921
|
|
Pentland Skyline
|
14 October
|
16.5
|
6200
|
|
*See Arrochar report
Stuc a’ Chroin
Third
running of this race and the climb up Beinn Each is just as brutal as I
remember – almost matched by the final climb out of Glen Ample. This year’s
race took a new route (due to forestry operations) on a long gradual forest
path – a slog on the way out – but allowed for some ‘overhauling’ on the return
route. A slight improvement on previous runs.
Isle of Jura
Always a
treat to run this (well..perhaps ‘treat’ is the wrong word) – it’s hard as hell and the feet take a real
beating on the way round. The final road section proving particularly painful –
with a Morton’s Neuroma in tow (or more precisely between the toes!).
The day before the race, after
leaving my road shoes at the 3 Arched Bridge for the final road section, I was
hitching my way back to Craighouse and was fortunate to get a lift very
quickly. Even more fortunate to discover that it was Bobby Shields and his wife
who had stopped. Bobby was an outstanding runner in the late 1950s to the early
80s and won the first Jura race in 1973 – when it was called ‘The Bens of Jura
Fell Race’ and has run Ben Nevis in 1h:31mins – A real pleasure to chat to them
both.
The run
itself was tough in what must have been around 27 degrees – with nowhere to
hide. Major dehydration by the finish but a pleasure to replace lost fluid in
the Jura Hotel bar!
My third run
here and my third ‘never again’…the jury will be out until January when the
entry for 2019 opens!
Trotternish Ridge
It’s a fair
old trek to Portree but for a 6 hour romp around the hills – not bad value.
I camped
overnight and after a decent fill of potatoes for breakfast, I was ready to go.
Post registration, runners are bussed to Flodigarry for the start.
A slog up
through the Quaraing and it soon becomes apparent that the weather will be a
major factor in completing the race – 16 miles, 6500 feet of climb and it is 28
degrees.
It proves a
really tough run, and part way up Hartaval, I catch up with running buddy Greig
College who has serious cramp issues. We manage to get off the hill and onto
the final road section. Much grunting, accompanied by a few expletives we
eventually finish. A fairly brutal day out!
Arrochar Alps
My first
time on entering this race – probably one of the most frightening race profiles
out there!
The race
entry is small at just over 40? (34 made it round the course) – Possibly due to
the severity of the ascents and descents. Completing it looks like hard work
but with no cut off times mentioned – I feel I should make it round - even
though I pitched my tent at around 12.00 midnight! Amidst a midge-fest.
It is another
baking hot day with temps around 28 – 30 degrees and pretty much no shade
anywhere on the 15.5 mile route.
Registration
done and off to the start line – pre race briefing and mention is now made of a
cut off time on Ben Vorlich and 2.5 hour cut off on the top of the second hill
Ben Vane. Surprised to say the least - as
this info (according to SHR advice to Race Organisers) is supposed to be made
clear at the point of advertising the race. I have no way of telling the time -
However, onwards….
It’s a long
undulating run to the base of Ben Vorlich and then a brutal 2000 + foot climb
to the top. I ask the marshal at the top if I have made the cut off – 10 minutes
under he says – ‘anyway, I am stopping nobody today – If you are having a good
day and look reasonably fit…carry on…’ Good attitude on such a clement day!
The descent
to the Sloy Dam feels vertical at points and it is tough to pick a route and
avoid ending up becoming a human boulder and rolling at great speed towards the
water.
I chat to
some hikers before clawing my way up the grass walls that make up the ascent to
the top of Ben Vane. This is an unpleasant slog – more so in the heat of the
day. I can see the sweeper below me and am aware that I am the tail end of
those who have made it this far.
I reach the
second peak – unaware of the time and am informed that I have not made the cut
off time. There are two other runners who are in the same position – one is ill
with dehydration and the other has no intention of continuing. I do and I
explain this to the marshals. The sweepers arrive and inform the marshals that
that they have no issue with my progress and are happy for me to continue with
them. Marshals agree and suggest that I ask for a time when I finish. We take
some pics and carry on.
 |
| Top of second peak - Ben Vane ( Tks - Graham Kelly) |
 |
| Second peak - Ben Vane - heading for third ( Tks - Graham Kelly) |
A wild,
rapid descent from Ben Vane and I am at the base of Ben Ime. Yet another slog
through heather and tussocks. From the top of Ben Ime to the base of Ben
Narnain is a good downhill and I manage to overhaul another runner. I think
that if I am in front of a runner who has made the checkpoint – surely I would
be given a time at the end. He gives up and I am once again at the tail end of
those who are still going.
Up and over
Ben Narnain and down some of the worst downhill terrain that there is.
Boulders, dry river beds, concrete slabs, lose rock and huge drops to manage.
Around 14
miles in, half way down the final descent, I can see a couple of walkers coming
up the hill. As I near, the lad seems to pass out and crashes face and shoulder
first onto the rocks.
I run down
to help. He rolls over and is really unwell. His partner knows of no illness
that would cause his convulsions. Other than reassure him (though I am uncertain
he can hear me) that help is on its way – as I knew the sweepers were some way
behind me – there is little I can do.
Suddenly, it is silent and he appears to
stop breathing. A surreal moment. All I have is CPR training that I attended
(through Jo Cunliffe) and decide to apply this.
10 or so
compressions on and he comes round – unaware of where he is. His partner and I
get him comfortable and wait on the sweepers arriving. They arrive and after
some discussion, I am wrestling my way down the final awkward section of hill
and on to the forest path at the bottom of Ben Narnain. A mile or so later I am
over the finish line and the timekeeper at the end logs my finish time on his laptop.
Not a
typical hill run by any description – I find out later that the lad’s partner
took him to hospital. Hoping he is fully recovered.
On checking the
race results, I discovered that I was not given a finish time – though I was
recorded by the timekeeper.
Ben Rinnes Hill Race
My first running of this race
featuring an overnight camp at Aberlour in order to make the early start up in
Dufftown.
It is part of the Dufftown Highland
Games and starts with a circuit of the games track before and after the hill
section.
It’s a good climb up to the golf
course where the track then suddenly heads off onto a wilder route up to Little
Conval. This leads to a good descent to the base of Meikle Conval which in turn
is followed by a good descent to the road crossing below Round Hill.
There’s a stony climb up to the
lower section of Ben Rinnes and this soon turns to a bouldery scramble up to
the summit. It is a wild day up on top with sleet and hail whistling in
horizontally from the north.
 |
| Marshals on top of Ben Rinnes |
The homeward leg is a straightforward
return on the outward route and after speed hiking up both Convals, there is a
long downhill back to the sports ground. Quite a cheer from 5000 spectators! A
long way up the country for a run – but probably the most runnable of the nine
runs included.
Both male and female records were
broken this year
Record (M): 1:53:47 - Eoin
Lennon, Carnethy
Record (F) 2:18:12 - Jill Stephen, HBT
Glenshee 9
Another first time run on this
route.
On a quiet Sunday morning – this is
just over 2 hours away, starting at the Glenshee Ski Centre.
132 runners gather in the ski centre
car park and are soon off on the long schlep up to Creag Leacach. It is steep
in places but much is slight in gradient. The biggest challenge is on the final route
to the summit (and down again) as this is strewn with boulders – big ones,
small ones, ones that shift unexpectedly and some that grab your foot, causing
dented knees, gashed and bruised hands and partial fingernail removal (single
stumble of first descent!)
 |
| The hill with the aggressive boulders |
All 9 peaks have the same boulder
coated summits and all have the same potential to injure.
Once up on the tops, there isn’t any
one big killer hill but many smaller hills with many descents over moorland or
rocky terrain which really chew up the calories.
A diet of buttered, salty potatoes
and chunks of palm sugar help keep the energy flowing – though not as fully as
I could have coped with. Energy was certainly low, heading up
Carn Aosda – the biggy once the checkpoint has been reached. Cut off at 3.5 hours just below munro number 6, Carn an Tuirc. Once over this, you
are falsely lured by the sight of the chairlift at the top of the The Cairnwell
– however – the route boomerangs out to Carn a Gheoidh. After 7
munros, this looks like an impossible cairn to reach. Feet ache on the way to
the summit and worsen on the way back to the Cairnwell.
Gravelly dust is
creating friction between sock and sole. Grunting ensues and continues for the
800ft final drop to the finish line at the ski centre.
Good to get cheered over the finish line by David Nightingale
from Gala Harriers!
Over 200 signed up for this one but
only 132 turned up on the day – with 109 finishers.
Andy Fallas just pipping Eion Lennon
for first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment