Highland Trail Race

[NewRetroTom]

My ramblings and photos from the event are here:
http://newretrotom.blogspot.fr/2014/06/highland-trail-550.html

[richpips]

Nice write up Tom.

Interesting about the dynamo. I thought that would be the case with the low speeds, so didn't take mine.

[AlasdairMc]

That's a great write-up there Tom. There's a real urgency in there, matched with your speed. Quite scary to think you hit Kylesku a day ahead of me, then Camban two days ahead. Either way, your foot photo and description of creaking tendons is exactly how mine were and still are!

[NewRetroTom]

Re the dynamo - doing it again I would still take the dynamo, but would add a small aa battery powered USB power source. This would tide me over the days where there aren't enough fast sections to keep the GPS charged. From what I've heard on routes with more rolling terrain and less hike-a-bike like the Tour Divide there wouldn't be a problem keeping things charged from the dynamo.

[wunnspeed]

Using my Grenzstein Trophy experience, I took the dyno to charge power cells which seem, in my case, to work better than direct charging. Also, if I blow up a power cell, it's 20 bucks down the drain instead of hundreds.

I actually think that Tom is the Cancellera of endurance racing.... I'm still trying to fathom how the front runners got through Ft. Augustus before I was out of the peat bog. That fact just blows my mind! Something funny to me was that I rode down the Devils Staircase not knowing that's what it was. From all the build-up, I'd expected something more or less unridable. At least I rode something. :-)

[htrider]

Excellent account and well done mate
Phil C

[kbrembo]

Great write up! Well done

My ankles were the same when I finished but my shoes played a part!

I had to use cable ties but hey ho...got round to the finish line.

Beware off Mavic Alpine XL Shoes!

[AlanG]

Here are the finishing times for this year's HT550 (days:hours:minutes)

1. Phil Simcock 4:1:43
2. Andrew Hutcheson 4:8:42
3. Tom Rowntree 4:11:45
4. Steve Heading 4:13:50
5. Gary Tompsett 5:13:10
6. David Buckden 5:15:00
7. Keith Bremner 5:18:34
8. Alan Goldsmith 5:23:06
9. Alasdair McLean 7:4:15
10. Richard Seipp 7:11:18
11. Markus Stitz 7:15:06
12. Iona Evans 9:12:40 (1st woman)

Next year's group start will be on Saturday 23rd May (my birthday!).

[GregMay]

Someone wants more cake don't they...

[NewRetroTom]

I'm disappointed that Alan has decided to keep the race the same distance next year and only because less than a third of the starters finished.

I thought it was going to keep increasing by 110 miles every year: 440, 550, 660.

Maybe Alan's saving the 660 for his 60th birthday as we had the 550 for his 50th!

[AlasdairMc]

Well Tom, if you're so intent on upping the distance, you could do the top loop twice? ;-)

Think about it - you get to do that wonderful climb past the powerstation again, then the big climb up to the Bealach Horn, then push your bike down the peat hags, then back up the other side. If you're not enjoying that too much, there's the 'undulating' road to Lochinver, and then the absolutely wonderful hike a bike back to the Oykel Bridge road. I was a big fan of that actually - nothing beats pushing your bike down a hill...

I think I'll stick with the 550...

Admittedly, the top loop was good, with some great descents and some proper wilderness riding. Perhaps not good enough to ride twice in one race, but it was still enjoyable.

[GregMay]

The obvious way is to reverse the top loop though..for varietys sake

[AlasdairMc]

Oh no - what have I started?!?

Reversing the whole route though - I'm trying to picture whether that would be a good thing or not...

[ScotRoutes]

I actually considered doing the whole thing in reverse this year. I reckoned that was the only way I'd get to meet up with any of the other racers

[IanB]

I think there's some merit in running both the 440 and 550 routes as two options. The 440 route is a touch more accessible for some people I imagine, while the 550 sits up there as the biggie. You'd possibly get some overlap between the fast 550 riders and the slower 440 riders.

As for reversing the northern loop - the Bealach Horn ascent followed by burning your brake pads to nothing back down to An Dubh-loch, then crawling back up through the peat hags...

[vistaed]

I think there is scope for heading out East for a quick loop round the Cairngorms before coming back to ride over Corrieyairack pass.

[IanB]

Here's my write up: http://ianbarrington.com/2014/06/09/highland-trail-race-550/

Also includes a few stills from the video, which is currently uploading to Vimeo as I type...

[IanB]

Video now online here: https://vimeo.com/97765701

Enjoy!

[PorridgeHobit]

Some great reports; if only I'd known everybody was feeling the same way as me through Glen Canisp... Just as well I did scratch or I might have died as my frame gave way on one of the faster descents! Can't believe I'm already relishing the prospect of another crack next year.

[AlasdairMc]

Can't believe I'm already relishing the prospect of another crack next year.

Me too actually. I thought that as soon as I'd hit the finish I'd be done on this race, but for some reason I keep finding myself thinking back to it and how amazing it all was, ignoring all the hours of struggle. It's just masochism...