Highland Trail 550

Tyndrum to Bonnar Bridge in a day is outstanding. Good to see Andy Toop, Iona Evans and Brian Dawson are getting on well. The site is strangely compelling to watch…………I’d love to do the route without limit of time as a tour. Hope the midges aren’t too bad. I went out for a spin north of Glasgow yesterday evening and was well and truly descended upon when I stopped for a couple of mins to take a call from a mate. 😯

Wow, some crazy mileages going on as usual.

I can only imagine the pain of getting going again today, it’s bucketing rain up here 🙁

Rider Gareth Clutton officially scratched last night at Lagan.

it’s not nice weather here (NE Scotland) for sure. ugh.

Going to be grim if you are using a bivi rather than tent in that weather today

Oh deear, Phil Clarke looks to be off route, last showing 55 mins ago. How often do they refresh? Is it every hour?

So do they all get given some sort of tracker prior to the start? How often does it update their position?

Back on track two mins ago 🙂

r8jimbob88 – Member

So do they all get given some sort of tracker prior to the start? How often does it update their position?

They are using spot trackers, some will be riders own some will be hired.

The track leaders map can be set to refresh every 3mins. The trackers themselves will send an update every 2.5, 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes depending upon the exact service plan they are using and what they have it set to.

Sending an update doesn’t mean receiving one though. 😉

That’s odd, Phil’s at Bonar Bridge? Is that on the route?

Ah cool. Can’t believe some of the guys were riding until 1:30am and were up and off again for 5:30am?!

Wow! Phil Simcock is beyond Oykel Bridge already 😯

Some of these people clearly need something more difficult.

Dave Kane has officially scratched.

Phil is a machine, seriously impressive.

That’s a shame to hear about Dave and Gareth – I spoke to them last night just before Laggan and then they weren’t behind us.

Nik Kinloch and I are currently refuelling in Cannich.

Matt Slater snapped his rear mech after 6 miles, tried to carry on singlespeed but after another mechanical has turned back to Kinlochleven.

Michael Cleveland has had 4 punctures and after suffering in the rain is recovering in Fort Augustus unsure if he will continue.

The weather is pretty unpleasant up here at the moment. These guys are supermen (and woman 🙂 )

Looks like Phil S is right at the northernmost point now.
WAY ahead of everyone else!

past N most point heading S. In current weather I’d be doing the same 🙂

Update from Ed Proctor:

This is Ed Procter, I’ve scratched from the HT 550

I decided to pull this morning, I was riding at the time with Ian Barrington in Contin and that’s were I finished.

This is one of the first times I’ve done one of these races and I’m so under prepared. Mentally, physically and what I’m capable of, it’s been a massive learning experience!

Yesterday ranks as one of my hardest in the saddle, just over 120miles in 17 hours, getting to a bothy at just after 2am. I think I did too much! The thought of 5 days more did not compute

I hope the rest of the race goes well and I’ll be following it avidly.

I have a few other people who are “having a hard time” but not yet officially scratched, I’ll update in the morning.

Ride on kids, remember – I told you it was hard, really hard.

HT2013 Part 1[/url]

HT2013 Part 2[/url]

I’m still in. 🙂

I’m still in.

Marvellous 🙂

Seems to be at least five folk off course at Contin now, heading for Dingwall?

One of them is Markus Stitz, I’ve done some riding with Markus and know what he’s capable of in terms of long hours in the saddle, wonder what’s happened…

Agree, the site is very compulsive viewing!

Wish this event had existed three years ago when I was doing one or two bikepacking trips a year, and pre-herniated disc of course 🙁 Having said that I doubt I ever averaged more than 60km a day with the bikepacking gear, spent more time sniffing out bothies and fried breakfasts than I did pedalling!

Missed the start 🙁

Was up last week wild camping around Glenelg and Raasay, only got about 12 midge bites, and 1 tick bite, however the tent was crawling with ticks and Mrs Acehtn got ticked loads.
Talking with outdoorsy shop staff in Fort William and they reckoned ticks will be real bad this year……

Weather was ace last Monday/Tuesday got heatstroke, it’s worsened all week, Saturday morning was brilliant, the forecast from there on didn’t look good so we headed back home.
From the piccys in this thread some are really in the no pain no gain camp 🙂 some really minimal equipped bikes.

Will be following this thread with interest, my wild guess, about 4 1/2 days for contenders to get round ?
Good luck to all still going !

If Markus lives in Edinburgh he’s just made it in time for supper.

Markus does indeed live in Edinburgh. He’s a good lad. Tell him to check his Facebook. 😉

This Philip Simcock fella is absolutely flying. Boggles the mind!

Ha, I’m beginning to understand!

Looks like Phil Clarke has taken a huge wrong turn?

An update from Andy Toop said he’s out with a smashed brake lever 🙁

Looks like he’s missed the top loop out for some reason

No rest for the awesome….

Big Mark M put a shift in last night – thought he might get the heid down at the base of the Northern loop, but he’s more than half way round it.

Phil Clarke seems ensconced in Ullapool..

At oykel bridge hotel for breakfast. Heavy rain, very hard but keeping going. Hotel is a godsend. Spent last might in tent after cycling 16 hours 93 miles. This race is tough as hell and weather not helping!

Once more, I watch and listen to you folks in utter awe at the commitment you show…

COME ON!

Oykel Bridge Hotel is ace. Spent a night there on a multi-day trip, *huge* baths filled by taps the size of an oil pipeline, all-you-can-east buffet, welcoming and used to muddy outdoors folk.. you lucked out nikk!

More people list of people who have scratched over the last 12 hours:

Andy Toop – with a mechanical.
Phil Clarke – wet and knackered.
Stuart Rider – turning for home at Strethpeffer.
Mike Davies – wetter than an otters pocket in traditional local weather.
Phil Fraser-Thomson – exhausted and cold to the bone.

I’ll update more as they come in.The weather is doing what it does best this year it would appear.

And another one – Matt Slater is out

I broke my derailleur and tried to SS to Fort Augustus. I managed to break or bend at least 4 cogs on my cassette, but have made it back to Kinlochleven after crossing “The Bog” twice.

I’m going to see if I can find an open bike shop somewhere close by tomorrow, but am definitely out of the race. Thanks to everyone who helped with this, but especially Alan! Hopefully the hike-a-bike gets easier, but it doesn’t sound like it. What a gorgeous route; but the only thing nicer than the scenery is the people. If you ever have the possibility to get to Scotland, jump on it!

Thanks again, and maybe someday I’ll get this endurance racing thing figured out.

Matt Slater