The Devil's Burdens Relay has the biggest field of any hill race in Scotland - this year's event had 111 teams of 6 finishing. The sun shone for the start of the race but the temperature remained below 0 centigrade in the shade. Bishop Hill and West Lomond were shrouded in fog during legs 2 and 3.
Carnethy produced 7 teams - two ladies, a mixed team, o40, o50 and two Open teams.
At the end of leg 1 the teams were bunched with Carnegie just in front of Carnethy and Ochils. Oleg Chepelin moved Shettleston up from 5th to 2nd with a fast leg 2, leaving Carnegie still in front and Carnethy 3rd. The 3rd leg was the decider when Jethro Lennox and Tom Owens overtook Carnegie duo Andy Symonds and Andrew Wright . Carnethy 'A' (or 'B' team on the entry sheet!) had a battle with Bellahouston RR for the 3rd place. They had a 2 second lead at the start of leg 4 but Bellahouston's Colin McGill passed Lars Ottemoler who held on to 4th place. The Carnethy ladies 'A' team were 4th.
Photos thanks to Alan Young, Willie Gibson and Ian Nimmo
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Gregor Heron and Bruce Milne on leg 3
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Stewart Whitlie and Simon Peachey
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Olly Stephenson and Tim Darlow ran together on leg 1!
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Jacqui Higgingbottom and Joanne Anderson - Ladies 'A' team
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Lorna Ascroft and Lucy Hailey leave Scotlandwell below
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Adrian Davis and Steven Fallon
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The Carnethy Teams Team 53 - Senior A (4th):
Adam Ward, Angela Mudge / Sam Hesling / Simon Peachey, Stewart Whitlie /Lars Ottermoller
Team 55 - Over 40s (7th - 1st Over 40s):
Andy Spenceley, Bruce Smith / Olly Stevenson / Adrian Davis, Steven Fallon / Paul Ritchie
Team 54 - Senior B (25th):
Jon Ascroft, Cameron Burt / Tim Darlow / Derek Paton, Richard Bush / Shane Bouchier
Team 56 - Over 50s (40th - 3rd Over 50):
Brian Howie, Cameron Scott / Bob Johnson / John Blair-Fish, Keith Burns / Gordon Cameron
Team 57 - Female A (68th - 4th F):
Kate Friend, Angela Gardner / Joan Wilson / Joanne Anderson, Jacqui Higginbottom / Hilary Spenceley
Team 59 - Mixed (75th):
Fiona Lowrie, Ian King / Margaret Forrest / Gregor Heron, Bruce Milne / Jon Ascroft
Team 58 - Female B (92nd):
Karen Meikle, Steph Gilmore / Anne Nimmo / Lorna Ascroft, Lucy Hailey / Debbie Monteith
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Kate Friend (blue hat) coming off East Lomond on leg 1. Angela Gardner is hidden!
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Angela Mudge and Adam Ward were the first pairing for the 'A' team |
Bruce Smith and Andy Spenceley got the o40s off to a great start |
Angela Mudge is in a different league to most of us |
Report from KB on his leg3 run for the o50 team:
Bloody hell! I was selected - - . I was to accompany JBF on the Devil’s third leg. Would my own rehabilitated titanium-reinforced leg deliver the goods? The occasion merited special attention. I turned out in my new Saffron Yellow Innov 330 Mudclaws and not-quite-matching new Carnethy vest. “How do I look?” – I asked Barbel as I left the house. “It’s better I don’t tell you.” - she said, deflating my Bradbury-esque Cream Sponge Para-Litefoot Shoe fantasy.
John was in juggernaut mode as we began the hard-frozen ascent of Bishop Hill. I struggled to hang in. We had invaluable piloting assistance from Gordon Pryde who new a sneaky flanking line to the summit that spreads out the gradient very well. He also knew a clever dog-leg route through tussock and peat hags down to the bealach. It was easier to hang on to John on the descent. Our trusty pilot Gordon P had disappeared into the distance by the time we started the next climb.
Struggling up through the Devil’s eponymous turdy landscape to West Lomond we entered a wintry world of shimmering rimy grass fronds and swirling mist. John pulled ahead again and I struggled. At the summit I was about 15 metres down on him and we regrouped to pick a careful line down the steep north west flank to the gully checkpoint. Two patches of windpacked snowdrift gave us some dodgy but exciting glissading before we hit the gully. On the steep descent my new studs were justifying the last minute purchase the day before (but the saffron yellow uppers were no longer dazzling). Leaving the gully checkpoint to start the long descending traverse to the wood we were impishly pleased to see Davy Duncan and others back-tracking to collect the gully checkpoint they had overshot.
The run to the wood went well, although our descent lines were threatening to separate us by more than was wise, both wondering why the other was picking the poorer line. Through the wood we strode out in a feeble attempt to sprint for the finish, grateful for Nick and Willie’s warning of water-ice on the track ahead. Gordon C was ready and eager to pick up as we hit the changeover after 80 minutes of total entertainment.
A great run in a fabulous frozen winter landscape.
 Keith Burns in his saffron yellow mudclaws |
Angela Mudge and Adam Ward run well as a pair
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Cameron Burt and Jon Ascroft ran leg 1 for the 'B' (or was it 'A'?) team
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Elke Schmidt of Bellahouston Ladies on leg 2
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Bellahouston on leg 2
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Oleg Chepelin (Shettleston) ran the fastest leg 2
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Bob Johnson (Carnethy o50s) on top of the World
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Carnethy leg 3
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Carnegie's Andy Symonds and Andrew Wright will be caught and passed by Shettleston
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Ochils duo climb above Scotlandwell
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Mark Johnston and Matt Williamson (Bellahouston) will finish leg 3 just two seconds behind Carnethy
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Carnegie duo climb up from the Scotlandwell changeover
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Jethro Lennox and Tom Owens set off after the Carnegie boys on leg 3
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Gordon Pryde (Lomonds) should know his way about here!
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Freezing and foggy
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Adrian Davis leaves the summit of West Lomond
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Derek Paton and Richard Bush finish leg 3
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Lars Ottemoller being stalked by Bellahouston's Colin McGill
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Paul Ritchie on leg 4 for the 040s team
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