This year’s ROC mountain marathon was in the Lowther Hills with the event centre near Durisdeer. What a lovely part of the world to explore, with the added jeopardy of being shot at by grouse hunters if you strayed into the out of bounds areas. We had sunshine on the first day with a beautiful evening at the overnight camp. Trying to get my 14 year old daughter up and going on the Sunday morning with the rain pelting down was interesting and we were last pair to start at 08:59! However the cloud base was high and it wasn’t too bad a day for navigation at all. A fair few Carnethies were competing, Eoin Lennon & Iain Whiteside won the B course with John & Chris Busby 4th. Morag & Graham McIntyre were first mixed vets in the short score and also got overall British Championship prizes. My daughter got the Kevin the Teenager award for Best Strop in a Bog but perked up after being force fed chocolate buttons.
Results here: http://www.rocmountainmarathon.com/results/2019-results/
Nicola Dunn
Archives for September 2019
2 Breweries 2019
The Two Breweries is one of the oldest hill races in Scotland and this year is one of the SHR Champs Race so loads of fast folk turned up. Having never won an SHR series mug I needed this race plus one more to earn one so we all gathered on the lawn in front of the courtyard gates at Traquair House brewery with the simple challenge of heading over the hills to finish at the Broughton Ales brewery about 30km away.
While it felt quite cool at the start, but by 2km into the race I had to strip off to a vest and ran the rest carrying 2 long sleeve tops in my back along with the necessary full metal jacket. The route follows hill tracks then sections of open heather, a bit of bog, mud and steep up and down with some short bits on tarmac and a very steep finishing climb. Don’t be fooled, while not the biggest hills or longest run, it is an arduous race and incredible to me that it has been done in 2:33:57 by John Taylor in 1991 and 2:53:56 by Angela Mudge in 2000. I managed sub 4hrs in 2014 but was a long time behind this only narrowly getting through the various cut-offs yesterday. More hill running training needed me-thinks.
Given what were pretty good conditions, if a little wet underfoot here and there, the records were safe by around 15 and 18 mins for the boys and girls. Lots of Carnethy folk walked around grinning with V40 and V50 prize boxes of Traquair beers – so well done to them all. Shettlestone had crates of beers suggesting they did better. Full 2019 results are here. Thankfully there were plenty of free bottles going so even I got a beer, possibly for the special ‘Slowest 5’3’’ 52 years old Male with beard’ category. Go me.
Mark Hartree
Alt C5 final race report
Tour de Glencorse
A great turnout for the first AltC5 with 31 running the TdeG. Some great feedback on a cracking runnable route with finding the optimal line to hack through the bracken up Bells Hill a talking point. A pre-brief to turn 90 degree left at the top seemed to prevent folk heading too far north. The descent to Logan Cottage saw variation and places changed before the traverse above Glencorse. Some got back as the light faded but all were accounted for.
Allermuir uphill
Nice warm up to the hut, then you were meant to take the steepest slope direct. Some went diagonally left so we will tighten the description next time! 30 folk did this blast. Some fast, some less so. A great wee work out.
Caerketton Dooonhill
Some followed Allermuir with the Doonhill to recce the route, or get a night off, while others waited for the actual race. 44 Carnethies hurled themselves down the hill with feet burning by the bottom.
Bonaly
30 folk did this one. You start off steeply, then more runnable to the top of Capelaw. Then it is a blast down to a wee climb to near the top of Harbour Hill. For the second time, someone elected to run on to Threpmuir and require a search plan to form when she did not finish. The rest of us hurtled down Scalextric and through the woods by various routes, to a steaming and sweaty finish at the carpark, narrowly avoiding the various dog walkers.
MMM
John Busby set the challenge this year above Boghall for the 24 folk who had a go. The six checkpoints gave a digit that combined to a grid reference of CP7 which was a tent ‘just off a path’. I ran with Denise Tracey who was unsure about navigating successfully. Some brief planning (wrongly) said end up high so you could go from CP6 to any location quickly. Unfortunately, the ‘path’ was 300m from the start so those doing a circuit of the CPs ended next to the tent. Our cunning plan meant a much slower time and a stinging penalty. All great fun though.
Winners
You were all winners!!! Cringe!!! Just running 5 races in a week is enough. Do the Comrie Relay the Sunday before and the Beeftub the Saturday after and you will be a bit weary and is an idea for next year. Jeff Roberts came up from York to do them in one go. Like me, I guess he missed a beer at the excellent prize doo as he was away. Good lad though.
The handicapping needs some work still to spread the prizes about, but hats off to you fast folk and well done everyone that joined in. Suggestions of favourite routes next year always welcome.
Mark Hartree
Alternative Carnethy 5 results
After a great deal of deliberation, or to put it another way, we forgot – the Alt C5 results are now here! On the page – http://carnethy.com/carnethy-organised-races/altc5/
Cairn William Hill Race
When things don’t go to plan sometimes interesting things happen and in this case it was that I found myself driving 3 hours to run a little hill race up in Aberdeenshire at the weekend…
Whilst John and Graham were enjoying through their Swiss Peaks adventure the other week I was out at the UTMR stage race, which after 2 stages was cancelled due to heavy rain and snow. Waiting for a bus to transfer us on to our accommodation I got chatting to Chris, who organises a hill race in Aberdeenshire that I’d never heard of called the Cairn William.
So on Saturday I made the journey to Monymusk to join in the fun with 49 others. The race route heads up 2 local hills over a distance of 11k and 400m ascent and at the pre-race briefing Chris promised a variety of terrain and he wasn’t wrong!
A section on road helped the field spread out, then followed some tracks, a climb through a section of forest then out onto the first hill which was a welcome relief for me! But then the descent, which was less welcome, through trackless heather where other runners bounded past me and onto a nice runnable MTB route up to the summit of Cairn William itself. Fortunately, I encountered no mountain bikers on my way up. Unfortunately, the knee-deep heather returned on the descent and I stumbled down to the overgrown forest below and back out onto the track and on to the finish.
My main achievement was not picking up a tick along the way as Chris had warned us that he had acquired 3 whilst out course-marking, but there were plenty of prizes for category winners including some rather tasty-looking local honey…. Alas, none for me though, so I might just have to return next year to try my luck again…
Chris Henty
Salomon Skyline Weekend
Is it worth the money? 100 quid plus extra for a T Shirt. You do get a medal though, and a bean feast meal, an after party and you might be able to scrounge a few freebies from the many stalls selling bling bling running kit.
If you haven’t done a European Race, this is probably as close as it gets in Scotland. Multiple races range from 1km (vertical) to 5, 10 and 18km trail races, to the more arduous 27, 50 and 52km races involving 2700-4800m ascent over some of Scotland’s finest and most technically demanding hills.
Quite a few Carnethy folk were about for the longer races despite detours and late arrivals due to an accident near Crianlarich. Someone won, I got a great PW with the worst cramps, but the real stars of the weekend were the weather and the hills. Since climbing regularly in Scotland since 1987 I have rarely seen better and more stunning views on the Saturday for the Ring of Steall Race. Friday’s Ben Nevis Ultra had it great as well with crystal clear air and cobalt skies on both days, with a cooling breeze and nae midges. Sunday’s Glencoe Skyline was a bit more murky but just added to the atmosphere with a sublime cloudscape on the Aonach Eagach to match the amazing landscape.
These races are superbly organised and supported with little flags to follow. You are tracked, filmed, photographed and can be interviewed. You get to run with folk from all over the world who come to Scotland to get a real mountain challenge with fewer prepared trails and wilder routes than further south. I heard a complaint of a lack of water stations on the Ultra Route which kind-of made me laugh given the number of burns crossed, but for the money, someone should have carried water, food and a table to the top of the Ben shouldn’t they! If you like a £10 entry and tea and cake, these are not for you although the shorter trail races might be worth a look since they are cracking routes. If you can spare >£130 to get a medal and a T shirt and want some challenging race routes, the longer races are worth building up to. Beware missing the cut-offs though as if you are too slow, you are stopped and returned to the race HQ. For more info, chat to some of the following who were about at the weekend. Sorry if I missed anyone:
Carnethy Ring of Steall racers spotted:
Andy Fallas, Rob Owen, Nick Williamson, Alex Coakley, Alex Kinninmonth, Richard Delf, Paula Morillo Lobaton, Mark Hartree, Andy Gravett, Pete MacDonald
Carnethy Glencoe Skyline racers spotted:
Andy Lamont, Lucas Lefevre
If you want to know more, you can look here and search on Facebook for some stunning video footage and race info and the results – http://www.skylinescotland.com/
Mark Hartree
Equinox Run 2019
The first Equinox Run in 2013 was one of the first social runs I did with Carnethy and it quickly became my favourite. It is a simple idea that Jim Hardie (our soon to be erstwhile President) came up with. Eat, drink and run from Carlops to Hillend up and over the tops on the East side of the Pentland Hills. In that first year the stops involved seasonal food and local drink with various special guests along the way (see old reports for more details). Over the years despite being a fan favourite the run has come and gone. Last year it was rescued at the last minute thanks to Mike lynch.
At dinner after the Romanno Bridge handicap I mentioned to Nikki Dunn that it would a shame if the Equinox run didn’t happen this year. And of course the best way to make sure something happens is to do it yourself. So on the drive back to Edinburgh Nikki and I started planning. Unfortunately, later that night she remembered that she was busy camping on the Equinox weekend. Another offer of help from Mary Lye (or was that heavy guilt tripping on my part) was quickly retracted after she remembered it was one of her children’s birthday that weekend. What is it with people and having plans!?! I guess it was going to be up to me.
The great thing about taking over a tradition is that you can change it to suit your tastes. Always a fan of a theme I decided on “A celebration of Great Britain’s return to glory via the never ending slow motion car crash that is Brexit”. I sent out a few emails looking for takers. With rather short notice I was a bit concerned we wouldn’t get a quorum (not sure what the minimum number would be). But instead of worrying I put my mind to coming up with drink ideas.
In the end we had 8 runners, a glorious sunny day (another tradition), good food (mostly home baked by various runners), some strong drink, and great company.
The stops included:
The Steading (not a real stop but you may as well have a drink before the drinking starts while you wait for the bus): 1 pint Hoppopotamus and I didn’t keep track of others but I think there was a pint, maybe a half, a juice and an Erdinger Zero % beer.
The Alan Ramsay in Carlops: 3 1/2 pints of Stewarts Session IPA, 1 pint of Stella, 1 pint of Edinburgh Gold and 3 coffees (no food)
Paties Hill: Gin and Tonic with Lime (India) and Marmite Cake (thanks to Mike Lynch)
Green Law: Pimms (The Aristocracy) and Mackerel Paté Wraps (not sure if I should thank Neil Burnett for these but Rachel did ask for the recipe)
East Kip: Sangria (Gibraltar) and Chili cheek flapjacks (thanks to Rachel Normand)
Carnethy: Buckfast (our favourite colony…Scotland) and Greggs Sausage Rolls and Tunnocks Tea Cakes (thanks to Thomas Wright)
Flotterstone: 3 1/2 pints of Stewarts Radical Road, 1/2 pint of Peroni, 2 Cokes, 1 Diet Coke and 1 J20 (poor service in a rural pub) and Ginger bread (thanks to Aisling Allum, she also brought Bailey’s but left before we could drink it)
Castle Law Summit: Rum Swizzle (Bermuda) and Anzac Biscuits (thanks to Chris Lucas).
Allermuir Summit: Berry Liqueur (in honour of Jim’s Mum and the first Equinox Run) and Oat Cakes (thanks to me)
Most people ran quicker and drank less than previous years. We finished in daylight after about 13 miles, 3500 feet of climb, and 5 and a half hours on the hill.
I can’t think of a better way to end the summer. Save the date: Sept 19, 2020.
Sean Walker
Photos by Mike Lynch and Sean Walker
Haute Route Pyrenees
Just arrived at the Mediterranean after 33 days (inc. 4.5 rest days) hiking the 500 mile Haute Route Pyrenees with my brother Rob. Guidebook time is 44 days. Amazing journey physically, mentally and emotionally, and so cathartic after events earlier in the year. Last chemo session was 5 months ago, for long periods I wasn’t sure I’d survive let alone do stuff like this ever again, and I’m so grateful to everyone that’s helped along the way. The NHS should prescribe this to all cancer survivors! Coincidentally it’s exactly one year to the day that I cycled here on the Raid Pyrenees, starting and finishing in almost exactly the same places, with so much happening in-between. Weather rather Scottish today. Time for some food. Carpe diem y’all, and hope to see you in the hills very soon.
Olly Stephenson