Highland Trail 550 2015

Just over 2 weeks to go!

Who from these parts will be lining up in Tyndrum on Saturday 23 May?

Any other nutters out there?

Any other nutters out there?

Nope, not me. It’s graft enough following the trackers.

I’ve no interest in taking part (repeats to convince myself)

TBF, my self confidence with my fitness will always stop doing anything so daft as turning up at the start line.

Apart from maybe with a bag of chips and cheering on those taking part. Although I wouldn’t be sharing my chips.

I keep thinking about organising a stw trip to do this. in a leisurely pootling/drinking style…… 😀

We’d spend 8 cumulative days alone in the pub, not sure i’d guess that sort of a pass out from the domestic authorities.

Me.

I think I’m ready’ish. Not going to be on the podium at the end but hoping to get round in a reasonable time.

Just hope it goes better than last time[/url]

Much as I like the idea of it, I think about the state I was in after 16 hours on the Strathpuffer and the thought of being like that on my own, halfway up a mountain, a hundred miles from anywhere in atrocious weather just fills me with horror.

Maybe one day…

Gosh, that’s come around quickly!

Please keep this thread bumped. 🙂

Excellent blog post Dave – highly amusing!

Hope you get to experience the other delights that the second half of the trail has to offer this year. Will look forward to reading what you make of them.

Excellent blog post Dave – highly amusing!

+1

It’s this sort of crazy sh*t that makes it strangely appealling.

We’ll be there, though we are setting off a day before everyone else. Maybe on a tandem if it’s finshed in time. Not on CX bikes though.

(yes I have put on a bit of weight since last years race) 🙂

Kinda feel bad I am not making an attempt this year, but I couldn’t face another failed attempt 3 years in a row. I plan to be up at the start to see everyone off, and may set up a photo ambush somewhere further up the route if I can drive there faster than people can cycle!

I seem to have selective amnesia and have forgotten all the pain and frustration and exhaustion, and am convincing myself that I should do another attempt next year. Can’t see what could possibly go wrong…

Anyway, best of luck to all this years cyclists. Hope the weather get out of the rut it is in at the moment. I am going to do Torridon this weekend, which is like 1/70th of the route or something!

I did a blog post a few weeks back on my learnings so far from my two failed attempts http://niksbikingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/highland-fail-440-550.html

As with Nik I’ll be at the start. As with last year, I am the point of contact if you scratch, so I’ll keep updating this thread with info.

For those interested, this is the Twitter account that will be associated to the Highland Trail.

Tweets by HT_550

I’ll try to keep it up to date during the race with what riders are up to – but will mainly be using it to announce finishing times and scratches.

If you’re racing, feel free to send a mention at the account and I’ll take note of it.

I’ll be there, hoping to at least pip team Pips.
Rhino hide butt skin graft had mixed results………

Ride singlespeed to avoid butt problems – you’ll spend most of the climbs either standing up or pusing – saves a lot of wear on the nether regions!

pusing

Pushing or puking – probably both for me.

I signed up back in November and have spent the last six months pondering my kit list, spec’ing up my bike and getting as many miles in as I can.

I’ve gone for a fully rigid set up on my old Indy Fab, 3 x 9 for durability, 36 spoke wheels for strength and Ikon EXO tyres for speed. I don’t want to wear a rucksack so have fitted rear rack with small panniers and handlebar harness. I’ve also chosen bivvy bag + tarp and a jet boil for coffee and porridge.

I still haven’t fixed on my tactics, my intention was to try and get in about 96 miles a day and have a decent rest each night but I have been reading some of the race accounts from last year and it seems that most of the guys that finished last year packed in a lot more miles each day without so much rest. Perhaps that’s the way to go!

My biggest niggle is taking on enough calories so that I don’t burn out, particularly in the North section- any tips are welcome?

Good luck to all those doing it. Hope the weather is kind to you 8)

The race accounts were (mostly) from the front guys so unless you are aiming for sub five days then I’d stick with whatever strategy you feel will work for you. Over the course of five or more days on something like this, you will get weak and tired so it’s a case of managing that. It seems like the northern loop forces everyone to be away from restocking points for at least one night – there doesn’t seem to be much between Contin and Kylescu apart from the Oykel Bridge Hotel.

Does your intended strategy put you at restocking points during opening hours? No good looking at 96 miles per day if it gets you to the shops an hour after they’ve closed or in the middle of the night. It seems that most put in a good few more miles on day one to ensure that they get to the pizza place at Invermoriston(?) before that shuts. I presume you are using dried, cook-in-the-bag, food either bought or home made? Cuts down on washing up and means you only have to boil water. Unless you are allergic to nuts look at those for trail food as they’ve a high calorie density – I take marzipan on endurance challenges like this: it doesn’t spill everywhere and you can just take a bite out of the block as and when you feel like it and put it back in your pocket or bike bag. Have a variety of foods and snacks as your tastes/preferences will change over the course of the route.

After all that, it’s good luck to you, I hope you have a good ride.

I’m in again. I hope to go faster this year than last and build on my 50% finishing rate after 2013 didn’t work for me.

I wrote a blog: https://alasdairmc.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/highland-trail-550-2014-attempt-first-post/ which covers my ride from start to end, kit list etc. It’s a bit hard to navigate as I never got around to putting in a proper index page, so good luck with that!

This year, I’m thinking about ditching the stove and aiming to ride longer as I’m taking lights. However, last year I got around in 7 days, 4hrs and that was with around seven hours of rest per night.

Supplies wise, there is nothing except hotels between Contin and Drumbeg, but I went past Contin on day 2 and it was the morning of day 4 when I hit Drumbeg. There was a shop at Rosehall but it’s now shut.

I’ve changed my bike – this year I’m taking my Stooge as it’s a lot comfier than my El Mar and this is very important if you’re on it for 80hrs in a week. Expect photos and a blog at the end.

In all, I’m really looking forward to it – the HTR is a bloody difficult ride but like Nikk I’ve forgotten all the pain and hardship and remember only how absolutely amazing an experience it was and will be.

EDIT: I didn’t make it to the pizza place on day 1, but I did get over the Corrieyairack. This is very important – you really should do this day 1 as it made such a huge difference to the race for me to not have to do that first thing in the morning.

I’m signed up. Did a quick trail reccy with a couple nights camping this week. Weather was atrocious – had to turn back a couple kilometers before the big Fisherfield river crossing, as one of the wee burns was a raging river. Really hoping the weather turns spring- or even summer-like before the race, instead of the winter weather Scotland still seems to be having.

As with @hisalar I’m not sure about my food planning yet – definitely not stuffing enough calories into myself, which resulted in cold and slowness.

Looking forward to the race!

Ride bike. When you get tired, ride more. That’s pretty much my advice.

Just. Keep. Riding.

Food will come.

EDIT: I didn’t make it to the pizza place on day 1, but I did get over the Corrieyairack. This is very important – you really should do this day 1 as it made such a huge difference to the race for me to not have to do that first thing in the morning.

If you are not taking a stove, I’d aim to get to Fort A when they are open for a hot meal. If you can’t get there in time for pizza, aim to get there in time for breakfast.

I missed that completely last year – got there very early in the morning so it was Cannich where I got my food. The stove question is undecided at the moment based on current weather…

Isn’t there a chippy in Fort Augustus open till 11pm?

Unsure if it’s 11 but definitely open until 10. I stopped about ten minutes short when I realised I’d missed it, finding a lovely bivi spot just before rejoining the road.

I got to the campsite at 9.50am and ended up in the bar. Pint of lager and 5 bags of crisps for tea

Foodstops are at fort Augustus before 10pm. Pizza or chippy. Then Contin or Cannich slightly off route, then oykel bridge hotel and kylesku hotel, and drumbeg stores. Then Lochinver and. Ullapool. There aren’t loads, but there are some food stocking up places, but hitting them at opening times is crucial. I wouldn’t bother with a stove – it’s a load of space taken up and weight. Just eat loads, and then eat some more. And ride loads, and then ride some more. And drink loads, then drink some more. Then put some sudacrem on your sore bits, sleep for 3 hours and repeat.

Isn’t there a chippy in Fort Augustus open till 11pm?

It closes at 10pm.

Ride singlespeed to avoid butt problems – you’ll spend most of the climbs either standing up or pushing – saves a lot of wear on the nether regions!

That’s the best justification for riding singlespeed that I’ve ever heard… despite being a little tongue in cheek, it actually makes perfect sense!

This is totally my kind of adventure.. it’s on my to do list, but sadly I’m a couple of years away from having the time to ride it, and train for it. Good luck to those who are riding!

There’s the Overscaig House Hotel too – just before the most northerly loop.

Shop at Invercassley/Rosehall?

Rosehall shop is shut I believe. There was a sign up saying that last summer would be their last and the website is down.

The last minute bike panic has begun – I’m on a bearing replacement mission – have just ordered new bearings for the rear hub and am rebuilding the front wheel onto a reconditioned dynamo.

Would be completely gutted if I didn’t make it round due to a mechanical.

BBC Weather monthly outlook:

Monday 25 May—Monday 8 June
Drier and warmer to start meteorological summer?
This period of the forecast takes us into June – and there is significant uncertainty by this stage. But various computer models are vaguely hinting that pressure may start to rise from the south, which would lead to increasingly dry conditions with rain increasingly becoming confined to northern parts of the British Isles.
😐

Similar forecast last year, it was grim right up to the start and then was perfect almost all the way through. Day 2 was a bit rubbish but the rest of the time it was sunshine and rainbows.

Inspirational stuff just watched this, good luck to all those brave enough to attempt!

Trackleaders trail tracker is ready to roll: http://trackleaders.com/highland15

Good blog Al! Fun to read it all, get your full story. Funny how we caught up and overtook each other so much during the race! Like playing leepfrog over 300 miles. Much respect to you for finishing that one… yes you looked like hell at the start, I didn’t think you’d make 5.6 miles, never mind about 560!

I was up North last weekend. Friday and Saturday was amazing weather… 15 degrees, no wind, full on sun, dry. Did the Torridon section of the HTR route. I am not a very technical rider at all, and it felt mostly above what I enjoy or am able to ride TBH, a lot of (mostly) walking. Amazing views:

(full size here)

It took a lump out a fellow rider though:

Another rider in the other group of mountain bikers got a deep cut to his head. That descent is not to be messed with… Riding with friends on a days ride, ok you can take some risks. By yourself some days in to a race, tired and maybe dark / not optimal weather? It is very tough. I’d guess I’d probably walk most of it in the race.

Sunday and Monday were not good weather. We headed to Applecross. Top of the Belach Na Ba was horizontal driving rain (felt like sleet) on Sunday. This was at the bottom of the climb:

Today was just a strong cold 40mph wind at the top, dangerous conditions TBH. Hope the weather calms down the next couple of weeks for you folks.