Glencoe and Aviemore

What a weekend! Absolute scorcher! Great for the tan, nae so good for hard running!! 

We headed over to Aviemore on Thursday night at parked up at loch Morlich which was great and a fine spot. Friday we did Meall a Bhuachaille via the Green Loch. I've done the hill race here a couple of times but never ascended this way before which was great and very scenic with the Green Loch. No idea why I didn't take a photo of the Loch, probably the hoards of people there which was the only down side. It was more like the Med than Aviemore!

No pics of MAB either, it was just a quick up and down and then hit the road over to Glencoe..

Sat morning sunrise

Waking up to Loch Achtriochtan underneath AE on one side and Aonach Dubh on the other in blazing sunshine is surely the perfect start to a mountain goers dream day! I'd been waiting for a west coast hit for months and this was the perfect forecast although slightly hotter than I'd like but this wasn't a race just training and mountain loving!

We were here for Aonach Eagach ridge, A ridge I've done several times in both directions since the late 90's. Every time has been an experience. It's exposed, it's loose, it can be very dangerous and must be respected and great care must be taken traversing it. 

I have also raced over the ridge during the Glencoe Skyline. I don't remember saying to myself though that it is exposed, loose, dangerous and care must be taken! Nope, instead I ran across it as fast as I could while feeling hungry, thirsty and extremely fatigued! Looking back it's a crazy thing to do. It's not until you take your time over it and realise actually how dodgy it is. One slip and you're off!

This is what I was thinking this time that the more I concentrated on foot placements on some of the bits the clumsier I got and did have a couple of trips. 

I was unlucky enough to witness a serious accident here in 2004 when a woman fell down a gully near the start going East to West. We watched the rescue as we couldn't get past the bottleneck of people that had gathered.

Back in 2004

We decided to go West to East this time which is the same direction as the race and the faint path up to Sgorr nam Fiannaidh is right across the road from where I was parked so straight into an 800mtr climb! Ouch! 

Once onto the ridge we ran as much as possible and just took our time on the scrambles. Most folk were going East to West so it actually worked out better than having to overtake folk going the same way apart from when we got to the Pinnacles. A group of 4 or 5 guys were very slow and we had to wait for them to come across before we could cross. We were in no rush so it was fine and they were clearly shaky so we didn't want to hurry them. 

Like any other scramble I've done it never seems long enough and you just want more and more and for the climbing not to stop. It's great fun pulling up on the climbs with hands and feet. It's much better than running!

It was a great run and the views were unreal in every direction. 

We dropped back down to the road and ran back a long the trail that follows the road back to Loch Achtriochtan. 

After any Glencoe adventure it's always capped off with a night in the Clachaig Inn which we did of course and had a few drinks.

Back to Aviemore on the Sunday and up to Fiacaill Ridge for my back to back run. Another scorcher in very very hot conditions. We looped back down via Cairn Lochan to the Ski center. 

I love Fiacaill, easily accessible, a great short scramble but with amazing views and positions.

Loch Morlich and Meal a Bhuachaille at the back

Cairn Lochan

Awesome weekend with 3 days running, good food, good company and good laughs!  

 

Glencoe Skyline (52km/4750mtrs) 30th/180 overall, 2nd MV45

This was A-race number 2 for me this year. Tromso was the main event for me but Glencoe was important as I was keen to bag the full route after having to settle for the poor weather route last year (32km/2700mtrs) due to high wind.

The Buchaille and Curved Ridge the day before

I was preying for good weather or at least no wind and it was looking good with Ben Nevis Ultra and ROS both getting blue bird days on the Friday and Saturday. However Sunday the weather deteriorated and although not particularly windy it was wet and dull which isn't a bat thing for a long run.. Well maybe not for Curved ridge!

Not even 7am..

I started steadily but was very aware not to push too hard, there was a lot of climbing ahead! I picked off quite a few folk between Kinlochleven and the A82. Legs felt fresh and strong on the path up towards Curved Ridge.

Glad to get to Curved Ridge and find it reasonably dry and managed to blast up with no big delays queuing. Love this scramble, nothing too tricky but there's some nice exposed bits that give you a nice "out there" feeling. However it does feel less stressy racing it, there are other folk in front and behind, climbers are tethered to the crag doing safety and watching you, a false sense of security, you are there to get up as fast as possible, you are in a race after all!

I got an unexpected surprise half way up when I heard a friendly, jovial voice - "alright Ayron?" Looking up at Charles Sprosan of Mountainrun.com and RO of the Lakes Sky races doing safety! Priceless!

Curved ridge

Up onto the summit of the Buchaille, poles out and I was off picking off a couple of folk here and there. The ground is very loose here with some good solid running scattered in between.
The decent into Lairig Gartain was fast and flowing and then back to a slog once I started the climb up to Etive Beag the 2nd big climb then back to flowy running down into Lairig Eilde.

There was plenty water in the burns so I started with only 500ml MF RAW to keep weight down then just filled as I needed but this is the last place to get water for a while so I filled up here. Throughout the whole race I probably used 1.5ltrs Mountain Fuel RAW in 3 pre powdered flasks. I used the same plain water flask on my other side and probably had the same 1.5ltrs. I also used MF jellies every 45 mins/1 hour plus NAKD bars and some home made cocoa/nut balls.

The weather turned nasty near Bidean nam Bian with some rain squalls and the wind picked up but thankfully didn't last. Once I got Stob Coire nan Lochan done and back to nam Bian I was starting to get hungry and legs were tiring. The descent back down to the A82 and aid station was hard going, the lower path was wet and like glass and I took 2 bad falls here.

I briefly stopped at the aid station and took a potato and a handful of sugary sweets and I was off.

Aonach Eagach awaits from just after the road aid station

The climb from the road up onto AE was brutal and the start of my low time! I really struggled on this after the pounding descending off of the south side of the road to go straight into another huge climb! By the time I was onto the ridge and running again I was very weak and realised I'd stopped eating. I had to slow and get calories in. This isn't a great place to feel bad, especially on the Crazy pinnacles where you have to be sure footed!! I was super careful not to slip/trip on this section. I wanted to stop so badly but I wanted to get past the techy bits and then stop and sit and eat.. I took a Jelly and a full NAKD bar, loads of water and slowly got going again and then I came back to life with a bang and managed to make good time.

Anoch Eagach ridge

As I was starting to get going I was passed by a lady but I managed to catch her up and pass her before I realised it was Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn who I know through Rob Sinclair. Only 2 days earlier she finished 3rd at the Ben Nevis Ultra and was now running GS and going very well considering! Great to see another friendly face on route!

I had absolutely no idea how I was doing as my watch had died after 8.5 hours but I just  kept chipping away trying to keep pace up and actually made some good time between AE and Kinlochleven. Katie and I swapped leads a couple of times but she eventually took me in the last couple of kms descending back down into Kinlochleven.

I was very very surprised and very happy to finish under 10 hours in 9hrs 39mins and placed 30th/140 finishers from 180 and 2nd MV45!

Katie and myself 

Awsome day out in the hills and glad to bag the full route this year. I did Ring of Steall in 2017 and managed 2nd MV40 so maybe I'll tick the trio and do Ben Nevis ultra next year gunning for 2nd MV45 or I might just bin the Glencoe races altogether as the prices are becoming ridiculous! I'll see.