Strathpuffer 2010 and all this snow

bedmaker ygm

Guess what? snowing again

There has never been a more apt time to say MAN THE **** UP than now.

wow thats harsh

Is it? It's the Puffer – it would be shit if the conditions weren't horrendous. I dont consider the Puffer to be a race, it's more an adventure than anything else.

>There has never been a more apt time to say MAN THE **** UP than now.
Give it a rest hero> You're getting very dull.

How about you give it a rest?

I know its the puffer,and I wil be out every day next week preparing the course,the event centre,taping the course as I do every year and staying behind for the clear up. O by the way also doing the race,so instead of teling me to mtfu, why dont you come and help out.You can contact me at the local bike shop with your offer of help

NR – I'll see if I can get up on either the thursday night or early on the friday if that's any good to you.

would be great we wil need all the help we can get this year

Just been round the section from the farm road (start of 2008 'Puffer), down View Rock. The snow has compacted – it seems firmer/crunchier than 2 days ago. I was walking, but I think it was 80% rideable.

There's been a few tree falls so the trail fairies are going to need all the help they can get. (We shifted what we could without tools)

I'll try again with the bike in a couple of days – only snag is fresh snow is falling now 🙂

Just worked out who you are NR. CHeers for all the hard work you guys do behind the scenes. Sorry if I was being cheeky earlier, I didn't realise the extent of the problems the ice caused in '08. My dad's going to be on the team of medics you've got in this year, he can get his ice axe and crampons out for rescues… Will also see if any of we Moray riders can help out.

Thanks Jojo ,the pace you go at should help thaw the course,would like to say sorry to Suronded by idiots "sorry mate shouldnt of gone of on one" 😳

No worries Niterider. I know how hard events are to organise the rest of the year. Hats off to you all for having the audacity to try and run an event there at that time of year. It'll be my 4th one this year.

Also, is there anything that would make your lives easier? Apart from a huge assed thaw..

Niterider, do i know you? i probably do… im the saturday boy in squarewheels… so i've probably made tea for you at some point.

epicyclo- from the start of the 08 puffer down view rock is actually all ridable exept for the first little climb…

Yes young padowan you know me and the tea better be good on saturday

hmmm… Andy? Il talk to you tomorrow if your in the shop about teams for the puffer….

wrong person young padowan

no, i looked at your e-mail in your profile, i suppose it could still be one of the others, but ben never calls me young padowan, and i know you have a history of MTB forums…. unless its callum…?

Just like to say NR- thanks for putting on the best events of my last 2 years- Puffer 09 and the Dawn Raid. Wonderful organisation, good trails, excellent racing.

I'd love to see you go back to Golspie, that was by far the best race course I could imagine.

Curse the internet.What do you mean history?Dont like the sound of that

hah! its not healthy "niterider", thats why i used "history" like in the movies 🙂

d'you know if there will be work happening on the course this week, i cant help next week, im in school….

No plans for a return to Golspie Im afraid Superstar,but the pufferlight should be a go if the snow melts

Ah, that's a pity.

Hopefully we'll get pufferlite done this year. Hope this year's puffer is a success.

Edit: is calum up for a ride tomorrow?

I'm merely a social rider, yet ths Puffer thread is fascinating. One of the guys at work keeps on going on about it and reading this thread it sounds like it'll be out of this world! Good luck to all those going for it (and the organisers) – you'll look back and hopefully say 'I did that'.

Thanks all for continuing updates and efforts. If I could muck in, I would. Is there much tidy-up done on the Sunday? We're going home on the Monday so could help on Sunday afternoon (after a bit of sleep!).

mcwyc: That's it really isn't it? "Because it's there" kind of thing. I read a book before last year's I can recommend to anyone called "We Cannot Fail" by Geoff Powter – it's stories of mountaineering single-minded madness. Good therapy =).

I spent an hour riding round the local park tonight with 32×20 and the Schwalbe Snow Studs, very confidence inspiring and defo the right gearing although not that much snow here just now. Got an 18 on there too, just in case.

18t and 20t cogs[/url]

Got home and cracked open the huge tub of Torq energy stuff. Put the new number plate on the new bike carrier. It's all coming together!

Cheers, al.

niterider, i thought you were always awash with the help? seeing as i was oh, two minutes late to be competing, both me and t can be available if you're needing it. let me know and i'll give you a bell the next couple of days

Hi swiss long time no see,you bringing your enduro up for its annual 1/2 lap of the puffer before it packs uplol.

ho de ho de ho! no disguising your identity now eh? no my unreliable spec chariot will not be making an appearance this year as i missed the entry (two minute!) window so sadly there'll be no repeat of that or the i headered a tree/covered the course in chunder/ have a saddle made of spikes shenanigans that've characterized all my previous attempts.

i would've stuck to the tried and tested scott approach. i've even got another one. i didn't consider another make, um, what's their name, begins with a g or something but i think they're only good for road bikes… mr 'my bmi is normal' above described it as a 'carbon race bike'
which i found very faltering as he's obviously too young to recognise the too fat/old/slow trinity that sees me clutching at the straws that is the belief that somehow the bike will make the man. or not.

anyway, i'm off out on the bike. i can't get out of the habit of this puffer training!

like i say me and t can be up late thursday early friday, weather dependent, if you're needing us

Dont say anything bad against giant swiss. Ours haven't broken, your spesh has! As for my bmi… il have you know its actually on the too low side of normal. I suppose someone has to balance it out…. 😯 🙂

Well all I can say is that I really hope it goes ahead! Even if it turns into a bit of a long walk (but still with the occasional riding section, hopefully!)

I'd love to help out in some way, if I was't 370 miles away I'd be there like a shot!

From now until the race date I shall be praying that the roads stay passable 😕

due to injury i can't ride 🙁

so there's a solo place up for grabs. i mailed the guys using the address from the site yesterday but haven't heard anything. does anyone know of an alternative contact?

We've got a 1202Mile round trip (according to Google) to get there Gulp! 😕
We're leaving early on the friday morning too
LWB transit with snow chains at the ready

fingers crossed! we all really want to make it

cheeeesekate, i may be interested in that solo place. could you hold onto it for me until tonight, and il confirm if i can/cant take it. thanks!

cheers cullen-bay. i just thought there was a waiting list, so had to let the organizers sort it…..but i'll wait to hear from either you or them 🙂

http://photos-by-martin.digimig.co.uk/c1800364.html

some pics from new years day around a little bit of the course and up to the viewpoint.The descent down from the viewpoint was amazing.bonty mud X 1.8 on the rear and a racing ralph up front and it goes up and over anything! the last fast blast down to the carpark in contin was a bit sketch (as the long straight tyre marks-to-slide-out will show if you take a wee walk up the track lol)
anyone going around it today? i need to do more snow riding. didnt get out yesterday.

i would be heading out today, would have joined you, but my knee and tailbone are wrecked from sledging, resting up.

SNow coming thick and fast in Moray, assuming it's doing the same further west…
Yikes it's going to be interesting!

do you know what the catsback is like? quite fancy a push/ride up and a seat down descent off it. would be quite a nice angle to keep a nice amount of speed up without pedalling.