2nd go in 2 years at this tough Mountain race. Small field of 27 runners, all male, set out at 12 noon on a damp and cloudy day on Arran for the 7 checkpoint, 12 mile 5500' circuit of Glen Rosa. Information at the start was for zero visibility on the Goatfell summits.
Starting and finishing behind Brodick Castle the route takes in Beinn Chliabhain (??), Cir Mhor (Keyr Vore), North Goatfell & Goatfell with the pinnacled Stacach ridge to catch the unwary between the 2 Goatfell summits.
Cloud down to about 1500' so there would be poor visibility on all 4 summits, the leading runner after checkpoint 1 missing the markers for the descent into Coire Daingean instead carrying out a traverse of the spectacular and dangerous A Chir ridge.
The race starts with a nice easy run from Brodick Castle into Glen Rosa and as the view up the Glen opens up to the Saddle at the far end the route goes left up to checkpoint 1 at the top of Beinn Chliabhain, various route options here, and what was good last year wasn't so good this year, too many ferns and much softer going underfoot, lost time and expend too much energy so instead of going for a time it was a beat the cutoffs survival run.
CP1 was difficult to spot in the cloud along the rocky ridge but tag safely handed to the marshall and it was a quick scramble along to the steeep flagged descent into Coire Daingean, the only part of the course to be marked. Tip toe down what feels like a vertical drop - i'm sure its not - and traverse round into the Coire. From here the route contours below A Chir over heather, rocks, hidden streams and bogs, no real path just good luck if you pick up a sheep track or 2. Trick is to stay as high as possible to minimise the re-ascent when you reach Fionn Choire and not use too much energy over the rough ground.
In Fionn Choire its a steady plod to the steps cut in the corrie headwall and up into the clouds as you pick up the ridge path to the top of Cir Mhor, too dangerous for the direct route to the Saddle its back to the steps down into Fionn Coire and another ankle trashing, pathless contour, this time under Cir Mhor round to the Saddle, first part on good! sheep tracks then just good ol heather n bog.
From the Saddle its a nice 1500' or so slog up North Goatfell to the confusing ridge that is the Stacach. The runner 5 mins in front of me eventually finishing 15 minutes behind after, in his words, an epic Stacach traverse. The Stacach was bad enough last year in brilliant sunshine, but in thick cloud a tiring runner needs full concentration to work out a way through this maze covered in rocky pinnacles and cliffs. The path which finally leads you out is like something out of LOR, hidden and sneaky.
Climbed up Goatfell blind, the summit marshalls, only visible in the last few yards, have kindly put a few flags at the start of the descent back down to Brodick Castle without which who knows.
This is a difficult descent at the best of times but after 4 hours of hard effort and concentration all I can say is ouch and the rocky "tourist" path was a good excuse to take it slow. As the TP reaches the forrest the race route splits from the man made path and thankfully goes over softer ground to pick up some forrest tracks back down to Brodick Castle.
Finished in just under 4 hours 20, 22nd place with 2 DNF.
No comments:
Post a Comment