Ben Nevis Race Sat 2nd Sept

Drove up to Fort William for the Ben Nevis race, 10 miles and 4400 feet of ascent/descent. Weather pretty horrible, low cloud, heavy showers and windy. Pleasant surprise once through Glencoe where it changed and the cloud got progressively higher as the day went on. By the time the race started the odd bit of blue sky, cloud level from 3000 feet and very little breeze.

The Lochaber Pipe Band led the 380 runners round Laggan park to the start and a couple of minutes before 2:00 we were off for a lap round the park and then up the road to Achintee.

From here the race route follows the Pony Track which most hillwalkers use. There are a variety of short cut options as it winds its way up the Glen Nevis side of Meall an t-Suidhe (Melantee) and around into the Red Burn gully. Here the Pony Track contours round towards the half way lochan between Melantee and the Ben and this is where the race route leaves the maintined Track and cuts directly up and across to the halfway point at the Red Burn and about 2300'. This section took 53 mins about 1 minute behind schedule.

After the Red Burn its a sharp left turn and straight up the maze of "paths" through the scree covered slopes, more direct and much steeper than the zig-zag route of the Pony Track. The terrain changes from grass and mud to a landscape of rock and stone. The route levels out at a bit at 3500' and becomes less steep but the stones hurt your feet more as you try to pick up the pace, jog walked to the top in another 52 mins, lost another 5 mins on this section so no point in going for a fast descent.

As you approach the top the cloud adds to the eerie mood as you pass unseen 2000' drops off the North face. You hand in your numbered tag and turn, gloves on to protect the hands in case of a fall, and try to run downhill as the rocks bite the soles of your feet for the first mile or so. As the descent route steepens again the rocks become smaller and you can let the brakes off as this scree now cushions your feet and provides an escape route when rapid impingement on a large rock seems the only other option.

Once you reach half way point at the Red Burn the route is slightly different than on the way up, you have to face the 800' green wall of death, a steep grassy, muddy slope with more than just a few hidden rocks to keep you from bumsliding too quickly. Main aim here is to fall over only when its the quicker option and you really want to.

After the gwod its back on to the Pony Track, downhill and runnable with a few route choices. Not so steep now and gravity doesn't help so much. Although man made to minimise erosion you are tired and care needs to be taken with the large drops off the side, rocks, boulders and also the moving targets called hillwalkers.

After the Pony Track its on to the road at Achintee where the legs turn to jelly as it undulates along for a mile or so towards Laggan Park and the dreaded lap round the track. Descent time about 55 mins, 4 mins behind schedule, overall 10 mins behind schedule finishing in 2 hrs 40.