Highland trail 550!!

[Matt]

Steve I have enjoyed watching the dots and routing for you and Ian.

I'm sure nobody is more disappointed then either of you that you weren't able to finish but to even have a go at such a distance over that terrain is something I can't even comprehend.

Epic riding and well done (Hope the bodies recover soon)

[Chew]

Andrew's just crossed the A82 so just an hour or two to the finish, and fingers crossed Tom & Steve will later today for an impressing sub 5 day time. Then a big gap back to the rest.

Iona on the limit of getting a sub 8 day time. Riding at your limit for 4 days is hard. Doing the same for 8 days is nails

[jay91]

Hope Iona finshes in the 8days will be brilliant

[ton]

is the fella in 3rd place riding singlespeed?
if he is, that is amazing.

[slarge]

Andy H was single speeding, and Tom in 3rd is singlespeed and rigid! Nutter.....

[Ian]

Day 2 was 230km, 19 hours riding to get to Achfary where I slept in a stable. The last 20km were an absolute bitch of hike a bike and bog trotting in the dark, with only a joystick on medium for lighting (and the really low cloud meant you couldn't see more than 10metres anyway).

Fair play Steve, good effort going through there at night. I stopped part way up Glen Golly and decided to do the rest in the daylight, though it was midnight when I stopped, so it would have been daylight again before emerged the other side
I saw the stable just outside Achfary. Looked like a good spot. (Makes note for next year).

Real shame you didn't make it. You were riding much stronger than me, for sure.

[jameso]

Amazing performances again this year .. whether finished or not. In those conditions just being out there going well for a couple of days must be quite something. Look fwd to reading a few trip reports (that hopefully won't put me off Scotland for good!)

[deejayen]

It's good to see Iona has reached Ullapool already. Last night she seemed to have settled by Cam Loch, so I didn't expect she'd reach Ullapool until tonight.

Is the section after Ullapool really tough? I've seen mention of wading through chest-high rivers at Fisherfield, for example.

[ScotRoutes]

The river crossing past Shenavall bothy is the one "permitted detour" on the route, such is the potential for disaster. However, all the other competitors currently riding have managed to cross it so (sudden thunderstorms and flooding notwithstanding) I'd imagine Iona will manage it too. It's territory that is familiar to her so she'll know what to expect. There's then a great deal of hike-a-bike until getting close to Fionn Loch before a decent bit of track, then road into Poolewe. The Tollie path follows and that seems to have been a bit of a nightmare. At least it's then road round to Torridon.

[deejayen]

Thanks very much for the info. It's been difficult to imagine parts of the route from my armchair! I know the roads in the area, but not the off-road..

[ton]

any idea how many riders are still out there?
and when are they expected to finish.

[ScotRoutes]

Judging by the Trackleaders site, we should get another two finishers tonight, with Keith and Alan likely tomorrow morning. That leaves 4 riders still competing. Alasdair hopes to finish tomorrow and is pretty much on track to do so. Rich should finish on Saturday. Markus is getting close to being behind the 8-day schedule and Iona already is (probably too far to make it up now). If they all finish though, that'll be 12 from 36 starters.

[Chew]

Garys nearly finished
David is dropping down Devils Staircase and should be back before last orders
Kevin is just leaving Kilnlochleven, so a few hours behind David
Alan's full of cold so has stopped for an early night, with a planned early start to finish in under 6 days
Alastair is on the Bike-a-hike between Dornie and Glen Affric. Expect him to call it a day at Camban and finish by this time tomorrow
Richard is on the climb from Torridon, about half a day behind Alastair. Maybe sub 7 days
Markus is on the climb after Poolwe, but then the long streach of road to Torridon. YHA tonight and a sub 8 day finish
Iona is at the river crossing at Sealga (roll your shorts up). Not sure she'll hit the 8 day classification cut off

[Ian]

I doubt David will be back before last orders. Further up the Ski station climb than you'd think, and it's a real drag back up from Bridge of Orchy...

Good for Gary though - pleased he's nearly finished.

Alasdair will be doing well to get from Camban to Tyndrum by last orders tomorrow. It's still 100 miles and tough going. Took me 18 hours with a 5am start. However, I'll be chuffed to see him finish :)

[slarge]

Gary's finished! Well done that man!

[Zippy]

It's been good watching this and watching the dots. Proper tough stuff, maybe in a couple of years time if all is good...!

[Ian]

Alan G on his way up the last climb now. Long drag up some stone track, then last bit of hike a bike under the railway bridge then downhill to Tyndrum.

[Ian]

And Alan is finished
5 days 22 hours 59 mins.

Hope there's still some birthday cake left at the Cafe.

[Alpinum]

Stellar performance of Alan "Chief Sadist" Goldsmith (Ian)
His cold is another fine example how much can go wrong. There's not just back problems, knee and tendon inflammation, but also coughs and colds, stomach bugs (mind those streams surrounded by sheep), blisters, sore bum etc. I consider the risk of crashes rather high aswell, being on the bike for so long, growing weaker and less aware.
Last year I got sunburnt...
Now that's just the physical part. Mental and mechanical issues seem just as likely and mostly have a bigger impact as the mind can be strong enough to push you through pain (which on some occasions actually is quite stupid). A mechanical can stop you for good. A mental hiccup too.
Of course there are some things that'll help see your bike through and keep on top of the mind game. Unfortunately those two don't always go hand in hand.

Inspiring to see folks still out there. Rinding alone for long and many days... keep it up!

[ton]

I hope those that are still out riding, all manage to get in before the time limit is up.

[Chew]

I hope those that are still out riding, all manage to get in before the time limit is up.

Depends on what Alans view of the cut-off would be. 2x the fastest time?

Iona & Markus seem to be too far behind now. Still hard as nails for finishing as many others havent

Rich has 2 (long) days left and hopefully can finish in under 8 days

[ton]

you realise just how hard this is.....I have ridden with Rich on a couple of times, and he is far far faster and able to ride further than I ever could.
for him to be out so much longer than the leaders, it must be such a hard event to do.
proper respect to em all, seriously.

[Alpinum]

One of the best single tracks of the HTR for Iona now. Constant speed with only a pedal stroke every 100th meter, undulating but slowly loosing height, technically dead easy and full of flow, without being boring. Yet, well sized and rounded rocks waiting to eat you and your bike should you not be paying attention. Closer to Poolewe there will most probably be some boggy bits and formidable puddles. The very last one being a cow dung bog.
I hope she won't try to hit that one with speed.

Step by step...

[touch]

I hope those that are still out riding, all manage to get in before the time limit is up.

Depends on what Alans view of the cut-off would be. 2x the fastest time?

Iona & Markus seem to be too far behind now. Still hard as nails for finishing as many others havent

Rich has 2 (long) days left and hopefully can finish in under 8 days

If the last one was 430 miles and the cut-off time was 8 days, extending the distance to 560 miles gives an equivalent cut-off time at 10 days, 11 hours.

[Blackhound]

I did wonder if AG might add a bit of time for a ladies time, maybe 10 days which is 1.25 the time of the current (mens?) target time. I think Iona is the first woman to attempt it.

I previously asked about the time not increasing and Scotroutes says that Alan had pointed out that because everybody did the old route in 6 days then 8 days would be sufficient for the new longer course.