Merrick is a 2765' Corbett in Galloway Forrest Park, on the way out the race loops round a few lesser hills, Eschoncan, Bennan, and Benyellary with a run down the Neive of the Spit before joining the hill walkers path for the the short climb up to Merrick.
The return route continues round via the Rig of the Gloon, past Helen's Stone, over the Rig of Loch Enoch, along the Buchan Ridge to Buchan Hill and a last descent by one of the Black Gairy's, sounds very nice but with conditions wet and muddy underfoot a good test with the winner in 1 hr 25 mins, some 5 minutes outside his record set last year.
This was my 5th try at this race and my fourth race in this years SHR Championship which will get me a mug!
The race starts and finishes close to Bruce's Stone in Glentrool and took a slightly longer route than usual on the way out between Bennan and Benyellary, keeping behind the newly repaired dry stane dyke which gave welcome shelter from the wind. Both the tops of Benyellary and Merrick were in mist but with the route marked with hundreds of taped canes it was difficult to go wrong although one or two at the front did manage the odd detour.
Coming off Merrick via the Rig of the Gloon and views of hills and lochs all round made it difficult to concentrate as you dropped out the mist.
Finished in 2 hrs 9 mins for 67th place out of 84 finishers. A few pictures in the Galleria which don't do justice to what is a beautiful forrest in the South of Scotland, home to one of the 7Stanes Mountain Bike Trails.
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