My second year pulling together the Alternative Carnethy 5 (Alt C5) gave the opportunity to come up with a mix of runs. As Graham Nash said one year “This is one of the best weeks training that you will do” and since he has done a few things recently – he should know.
I decided as a few self-imposed criteria:
• to visit new trods and less frequented bits of the Pentlands, linkable in a single ‘ultra’ run,
• have some runnable sections of flat and un-runnable areas to slow the fasties,
• routes long enough to challenge, but short enough to do before getting too dark,
• to pivot around the Caerketton Doonhiller, with a navigation challenge as a finale, and to not repeat other races or handicap routes,
• Kid friendly….?
Four routes were published early to try and encourage folk to plan their week in advance. This seemed to work with around 20 folk turning up each evening at 7pm.
SpittalMonk – has been done before as a handicap with the inclusion of West Kip (not by me) and seemed a good introduction being mostly runnable all the way with a fabulously long, fast, non-technical descent over Monks Rig to get the week going. Monday night was driech, but 17 people, 3 dogs and a foetus turned up to stretch their legs.
Allermuir Uphill – took a different route than last year to extend it a bit. Someone struggled to leave the carpark, and another confused Capelaw for Allermuir, while another misunderstood “touch the hut. Go back across the burn…”. Big Al destroyed his shoes on the steep climb to the North ridge.
Caerketton Doonhill – was an official race by Mark Johnston with the best fun prize giving. Some folk did it after doing the Allermuir Uphill as a descent route rather than doing the race. Big Al must have hopped down it, while Alex McVey flew to a win.
Tour de Glencorse – was a bit damp and had an element of navigation skills to take the best lines. Turning right on the road after passing the Filter Beds climb was the first challenge for some. On the summit of Bell’s Hill, which is rarely approached from the East, noting that the route required roughly a 90 degree to head South would have helped some. Then, recognising the difference between Logan Cottage and Kirton Hill or farm would also have helped the confused. Thanks to Adam Gamble for bringing Dexter Howard (12) back just as I was hastily launching a search party as the black night fell. Phew.
Mystery Mini Mountain Marathon – a finale intended to introduce people to the spirit of a MM. Attention to detail and a bit of planning (read the map) make a difference on this sort of race, along with retaining your map, paper and pencil to record checkpoints. Navigation skills really help and it was my great hope that the fasties would shed time and their speed advantage by looking for checkpoints in the wrong place. I had set, checked and adjusted the CPs a few times to give and mix of challenges: route choice and CPs order options, runnable and non-runnable sections, obscure trods with some bondoo bashing, and visiting rarely visited bits of a familiar area.
I re-checked a few CPs after El Presidente doubted their presence only to find them in place and not eaten by rogue sheep. Based on this, I anticipated disputes, anger, disappointment and frustration, maybe some fast times, likely some slow times from participants. I encouraged people to come earlier and to be prepared. If the cloud was down it could be tough despite being <7km by direct routes – so I took a flask, biscuits, blanket, down jacket and spare head torches for finding the late and lost.
Thankfully, the weather on Friday was good, but most of what I expected to happen happened. Strava can tell a sorry tale after folk have vented spleen for putting flags in the “wrong” place, when clearly they were using a high dose of luck to find CPs. Thanks to Graham Nash for keeping me company while people came in scratched, heather and gorse eaten. Digby came in needing gin to soothe him and then later, Sean Walker finished searching for North several times and gives me a tough calculation for his time penalties over the 90min limit.
Devil’s Beeftub – coincided as a bonus run to add to the Alt C5. In memory of John Blair Fish, it was a Championship race organised by El Presidente and gave the Alt C5 folk a chance to race 6 days in a week. I am still figuring out how to incorporate this to the Alt C5 score, and helpfully, have had lots of suggestions that I will probably ignore.
SO WHO WON THE ALT C5?
You’ll have to wait. But for those who haven’t started any yet – you still have time to fit some or if you get a wiggle-on – all of them on Sunday 10th September till about 1700 when I’ll take out the MMM flags and in the process, try and get myself a good time.
So, get out there and send me your times. You really should do at least one of them! On Monday I will calculate the final table, then we will sort out prizes.
Cheers all, hope it was fun.
Mark Hartree