Will check with the shop first but was planning to spade out a line on the singltrack. A small section of at least.
Gonna be some hard work ahead 😐
that would be fantastic, i might do that on sunday... make the most of my last day off school this holidays...
Good work fella's.. keep up the info. I hope its all going to be ok for getting there Friday...
Hi Alex just as well we put aside those tires as we sold out later.Going in on Monday to clear some of the single track,so let us know how you got on.FC clearing fire road up to top of puffer.Things looking up
cullen-bay - Member
Xan, that app is lying...and Alek, walking back from steve's old place is the best way...
No it is not.
This morning @ 6am it was between -10 & -12 here in the Dumfries area
but it wasnt only -5 here!
Cheers mate on the tyres front. Spot on. I'll call in to the shop with cash on Saturday and give them an outing 
Let the work begin.........Cullen, your more than welcome to join us. Just bring a spade and yourself 🙂
are you going out on sunday?
Hoping to go out both days..........
take a flask,going to be a bit nippy
http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/14days.asp
looks better for the competitors , but worse for orgnisers perhaps
Wouldn't trust Metcheck - they currently say I have temps of +3C when the thermometer at my back door is reading -14C and every other news site is telling us about the coldest night of the year...
Every other forecast seems to be saying freezing until the Puffer and then only a bit cold (ie around freezing) after that.
trust me im not - im packing enough warm stuff to be michelin man !
Was up the Puffer today and speaking to the guy driving the catapillar plough. He has cleared the first 1km of fireroad from the Torachilty carpark up to the first turn off the fireroad onto the first little stretch of singletrack that cuts the fireroad corner off. He said he is clearing the fireroad out to the farm first then will be clearing up to the saw mill. The snow has been taken right back to the hardcore in places on the fireroad, but there are some big sections that are like glass underneath!!
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The rest of the fireroad climb is badly rutted at the minute due to some tracked vehicle going up it, and its frozen solid, feels like riding over a cattle grid constantly. but this should be ok once the plough has been up it.
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Got to the top of the fireroad climb and up to the singletrack which is no better than it was. Still un-ridable on this side of the hill.
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Not long to go now 😀
Chipbutty, see next time you're up there. Could you just lie down and do rolypolys all along the singletrack. That should sort it! 😉
PS: Snowing hard again in Moray!!
Ill go up and do some of them tomorrow for you Jo ;).
Hopefully see ya next weekend
Mick
You're bound to pass me at some point. Just make sure I'm not frozen solid as you go. And can anyone who knows me that goes past also remember that although I can be irrational and talk sh*te most of the time, it's also a sign of advanced hypothermia....
hah! Alek- il see you in the shop tomorrow, and arrange sunday's clearing then.
A mate and myself will be heading (cycling) from the shop around 10.30am tomorrow for a rekkie on the course to cut out any tree fell we find! Spades at the ready 🙂
........if any one else fancies a spin.
Course update,lower half now ridable (carpark up to veiw rock ,down decent to car park).Upper fire road cleared next week hopefully.Worst thing that can happen now is a thaw,turn every thing to ice
Niterider, can you clarify please? If you were to ride the course you can do up to the first lochan (mostly fireroad) then it's snowy up to the bridge of thighs and singletrack onwards throughout until view rock and then it's clear/rideable back down to the start?
Great effort to get the course ready guys!
Looking forward to the race - fingers crossed that wind or thaw doesn't undo your hard work.
Good job guys a little flirt of snow through the event would be perfect to stop it turning to ice. I'm just saying that cause I can't get ice tyres. Might do the home Made jobs just incase.
Not going , dont really know where it is cepting up north somewhere
but find myself returning to this thread every day just to see what the course is like
more pics please .
yes jojo thats right, but the second half of fireroad will be cleared next week hopefully.
il be up on sunday, i'll try and take pics then trout...
P.s, im surprised you haven't asked a strathpuffer competitor to test lights for you in the past...
yes jojo thats right, but the second half of fireroad will be cleared next week hopefully.
And the singletrack will be taken care of by the hundreds of people walking over it for a few laps and then will be rideable.... *crosses fingers* 🙂
Hi jo, you head up from carpark as normal,turn right ono the single track. follow the singletrack for a few hundred metres to a junction,turn right at junction instead of straight on(don`t rejoin fireroad).follow up hill to veiw rock,desend to carpark......simples Fireroad above that not cleared and same for top of course
Anyone know how the campsite will be for camping? Will it be possible to pitch a tent if the course is okay? And how are the approach roads to Contin from Inverness.I've just bought a Cube Ltd Race especially for the Puffer due to me rigid Muddy Fox frame snapping before Christmas, and I'm desperate top try it.
Its great to see you guys working to make sure the event goes ahead!!
Is there any firmer info about the parking/camping arrangements yet if we are not going to be on the firetrack like last year??
I've not seen the roads from Inverness to Contin since Sunday last week, but they were easily passable then. The roads local to me (further east on the Moray Coast are passable but have slush during the day and frozen slush at night. Highland Council are better at gritting and clearing the roads than Moray council, so I reckon that the roads to get to the race site will remain clear and driveable unless there's a sudden fresh dump.
Getting onto the campsite? Well that's another matter!
The roads are absolutely fine! getting camped should be fine also, but advice is to bring a shovel just in case...
AFAIA......we have removed all tree fell from the course 🙂 Cheers Chris, good work.
Most of the lower sections are easily do-able and serious fun. And I don't just mean the downs.
We are meeting at the shop tomorrow, heading off at 11am for a group ride and general clear to the top section. All welcome.
Bring a folding spade if you have one. No worries if you don't. Feet + tyres also work!
This has the making of an absolute classic 😀 but a nervous week of weather watching lies ahead.
The lower half of the course is hardpacked snow, and actually amazing fun to ride! I suppose il come out at 11, but there will also be a shop ride at 4 that il be on, i know a few others are coming on that, anyone can come along.
Fantastic, many thanks to everyone up there! I've been cycling on the frozen snowy beach here, not much similarity to those pics!
Metcheck (I know, I know) says a thaw next week & snowing through the event, then freeze again. So, that might be quite like last year after all.
Then again with the ice exposed by the ploughs maybe it's 2008 all over again!
Cheers, al.
metguess are currently forecasting the opposite of metoffice.gov.uk...
Alek,
Some of the pics from this afternoon. Maybe we'll get some cycling done tomorrow! See you themorn.
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Tremedous.........what a great day that was 😀
Bring on tomorrow. Will you be back in time Pitto?
Tyres changed and looking super 'narrow' 😐
Are you guys needing more hands for tomorrow? Can pop along to the shop at 11am but only have a crappy plastic spade.
Certainly Doug. Tomorrow will involve a ride and some work though.
Bring your steed (leave the spade unless it fits in a camel-bak. You'll need both hands on the bars where we're going)
Cheers. See you tomorrow.
Awesome effort chaps!!
Can you sweep off the snow from some of the rocky bits so I can have fun on them?.... 😉
The weather site "XC Weather" is showing cold and no precipitation for the next week with a continuing high pressure advancing from the North East. If that's true, it's going to be amazing.
I'm REALLY looking forward to this!
What an amazing winter.
Guys hats off man, great effort I bloody wish i could get up to lend a hand, honestly dudes you're all ****ing top blokes with the effort to make sure we all have an event to remember 😉
heading up to the trails...
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Digging down from the viewpoint.
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Looking back...
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What the view [u]should[/u] look like behind a mountain bike racecourse.
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Time out. [img] 
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the is how deep the snow was today... [img] 
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In action
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Looking back at where you will be climbing. [img] 
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More lovely easily ridable trail. [img] 
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A before shot of a section of trail... [img] 
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And of course the after shot... [img] 
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There you go!
Are you not digging out any passing places 😉
Hahah, we actually did!
Nice photos cullen,back is killing me.good nights sleep and back out tomorrow.Think the worst bit was having to keep locating the track.
worst bit was deffinately relocating the track! and actually, my back is hurting me quite a lot as well. If schools out tomorrow, il try and get up digging. Or i'll stay at home and eat pringles, whichever seems like it will be more fun tomorrow.
Guys - this is heroic.
Hard work today eh!? I'll get my photos up later on but am totally knackered now! Will let you all know about tomorrow.
For all of you people that are going to be doing the race, good luck! I'm totally envious, it's going to be EPIC! The descents are silly fun.
Top work... Not that I'm doing the race myself, from where i'm sat it looks like obvious lunacy, but huge respect for the work you've put in, hope it all pays off
Great day Doug.What the photos don`t show is that it never got above -7 allday.Car was showing -9 when I got home
Good Job Guys
That was me who came past on the single-speed 29er and took helm of a shovel for a very short time.
Last half of the puffer is running nice.
Fingers crossed for good news tomorrow
Massive thanks to all of you guys for your hard work
I'm really looking forward to what promises to be an epic event.
Cheers
It didnt seem cold when we were shoveling... only when we dropped into the cool of the shade.
the photo's dont do the depth of the snow justice either... 🙂
Cheers Kbrembo ,was starting to flag on that up hill digging 😆
"Can you sweep off the snow from some of the rocky bits so I can have fun on them?.... 😉 "
See the winky in the text above, that means I was kidding!!!!
Jeez guys, that is truly inspirationally amazing and crazy!!!! I can't believe you've dug all that. Yesterday morning we dug out the caravan we're hoping to use at the weekend from under a foot or so of snow and just that was knackering enough.
I can't put into words how impressed I am.
i wish you had phoned me the day i would have came out to help. rather sitting on my fat arse. good job lads
I agree with Jojo - good effort there chaps!
if more clearing is needed why not get folk to bring shovels along on friday? We could be there from lunchtime onwards.
Still - I shall be at the back so hopefully the other competitors will have packed it all down by the time I get there
Indeed, Jeremy. It wil5 be the perfect warm up for a chilly night's camping. 😉
Hats off to you guys. Back breaking work that I bet. Hope the weather stays on our side
you guys are crazy great work though - whip round (bucket at sign on?) at the event to get these guys a pint or 2 ? after tonights ride in deep snow i was having nightmares about doing 24 hours in it on SS - was nearly ready to stick my gears on ! seeing these photos has put me at ease lol
Fantastic work guys, really hope it all goes ahead. I did it last year and had a great time.
Why not make it a rule every rider has to carry a spade with them for at least the first three laps?
Excellent day out lads..........
Hard work for sure but rather rewarding all the same. Don't think I've ever been so warm in -7deg before. The sweat was pouring down my back! And testing the descent's was awesome fun.
Plenty of work still ahead, so if there's any volunteers out there get in touch via this thread and someone will let you know the plan so you can meet up.
Lets keep it going 😀 I'm excited already..........
Amazing guys! Definitely a good idea about the beer money bucket.
Trail-rat: what gearing? I've dropped to 32x20 from usual 32x16 and it's great in snow.
Cheers, al.
Or a coca cola and haribo bucket for the underage volunteers! 🙁
32:16 tonight - i dont have many options on my light bike only got widebase sprockets in 16 and 18...... i might set my 29er up with 32:22
if its hard pack like those photos after been cleared then 32:16/18 be fine .
Absolute heroes - Fantastic work fellas.
An update on the Strathpuffer site:
[b]" We've had a lap of the course today (Sun 10th) and there's a lot of walking! we could shorten the course (less walking but Quicker laps maybe) or leave it as normal.......decisions, decisions!
Anyway, its looking good either way, all the forest access roads are clear. "[/b]
Good shout on the beer bucket. Good work guys.
2nd (3rd?) trail_rat's beer bucket idea - some stirling work going on there!
hope it's all OK to go ahead 🙂
Aready knew,doing a shortened course tomorrow to get an idea of a lap time.Don`t laugh Alex or cullen.
yeah, we all knew that... hah!
been drawn back again now that our snow is melting
cool pics and great work on the digging .
just hope it doesnt get filled in again theres the pesimist in me surfacing.
Good idea cullen-bay about one of my lights doing it .
If anyone wants to give my new prototype a sound thrashing around drop me a mail . and I will whack it in the post .
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there is a baby trout doing it I believe so this one is a daddy trout .
2400 lumens but it can be 400 lumens or 700 lumens too
Trout I will demo the light!
EDIT: I think YGM, im not sure if your visible e-mail will work!
Here's a few photos from today's fun.
Testing out the descent:
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Testing it out again:
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It was pretty tricky to ride:
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Lots of stamping:
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And shovelling:
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This is what the climbs were left like at the end:
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cullen-bay - Member
Trout I will!
Good idea - he'll talk about it for years - can't shut him up - couldn't get a better advert 🙂
But the lad may be too fast for the light and outrun your shiny electron lumen thingies so make sure they're all polished up and slippery.
Alek, I don't think I'll manage tomorrow morning, I might manage to get along in the afternoon but am not sure at the moment. I will be up for Tuesday if you guys are still about.
Good idea - he'll talk about it for years - can't shut him up - couldn't get a better advertBut the lad may be too fast for the light and outrun your shiny electron lumen thingies so make sure they're all polished up and slippery.
:lol:Ha Ha Sounds good to me.
Cullen I got your mail and will pop it in the post tomorrow or tuesday .
Love the pics wish we had it that deep down here in the dales.
Awesome. We should send up our school children who are off school to come and help dig!
So what are people's thoughts on reducing the lap length or not?
Personally I'd rather keep the full proper lap and accept that there's going to be a lot of hike a bike, at least at first.