There’s activity despite this weather. Down in the Lakes the OMM is still on, despite 17 feet of rain yesterday. I know a lot of folk down there right now and I can only wish that The Rage of The Titans fuels their blades for the next couple of days.
Also, on the road North right now is Bobinson. He’s doing the latest West Highland Way-Fast and Light. My own trip is a mighty bookmark in this years activities and Bigbananafeet’s recent successful attempt brought it all back with tales of feet and mishap.
Bobinson is setting off in the worst possible weather, and he should be hitting the very worst of the worst on the most exposed stretch on Rannoch Moor on Saturday.
He knows his stuff and he was bouyant enough yesterday, so I’m confident he’ll prevail. You can watch his progress via a link to a SPoT map on his blog. Hopefully he’ll manage some comms and I’ll feed through the horror/discomfort/victory here as well.
The Trail Forum is coming up to Kinlochleven this weekend as well. I’m looking forward to the tales of that next week. A lot of folk are coming up to the Scottish hills for the first time, and it’s going to be memorable I think.
Me? It’s uncertain where my destiny lies this weekend. I have a backlog of this, some untended that and some other that I haven’t even looked at.
I think to ensure that adventure lies at the end of next week there might be some biting the bullet, knuckling under, taking it on the chin, but hopefully there’ll still be some time for kicking against the pricks.
Good luck bobinson! I hope all goes well!
Aye PTC* I reckon the WHW was the big/high point outdoors wise for me as well this year. I’m hoping I can get my finger out and do some winter stuff this year tho which might come close to topping the WHW.
Oh aye I’ve been thinking about maybe a repeat next year though but running it just to see how fast I can actually do it.
Starring BBF,PTC* and others in (cue big fanfare)……Return of the WHW…Even faster…Even lighter…More explosions…Bigger stunts…
An exciting weekend of action awaits! Websites/blogs bookmarked, RSS feeds subscribed. I’ll hopefully get out myself too. Weather looks like it’s going to make things interesting everywhere. Good luck everybody!
Buoyant? He’ll certainly need all the buoyancy he can get to stay afloat in the oncoming deluge… I had a great day myself struggling against the gale up on the White Mounth plateau. There’s already a decent cover of snow in places. Quite exciting, really.
Good luck bobinson. Bet those skellies could go fast and light!!
He’s been texting. He’s in good fettle and he’s moving fast.
He’s either running away from the weather or running towards the Kingshouse Hotel. I know how he feels, I’ve been in that exact situation as well… :o)
“Quite exciting, really” Absolutely, summer just doesn’t get heart rate up the same way.
Bobinson was up early and moving. He’s a good way across Rannoch, and once he’s done that he’s out of danger and he’s just got to eat the miles.
I can see him having his Sunday lunch at home with the job done.
Thats good progress right enough, and to still be having that attitude after a few days of this weather? Fantastic, I’m a little jealous now.
Good show Bobinson!!
He’s in Tyndrum.
Alright!
It’s bad news.
The snapping sound was Bobinsons Achilles tendon giving up near Tyndrum. He’s on his way home as it can’t be fixed at a pitstop, it’s a factory job.
He was a hero for attempting it in this weather and it’ll interesting hear in detail how he got on.
Good lad.
If the weather in Borrowdale and on the WHW is as bad as it is here in Bergen today then everyone deserves a medal. I’ve only been to the farmers market in the city centre this morning (reindeer sausage and whale meat anyone?) – the wind and rain are biblical out there! Which way is the wind blowing on the WHW?!
Southwesterly, so pretty much right in your face!
Character building stuff!
No shit :o)
Looking out the window at this horrendous weather, I’m very relieved he’s safe.
The missus and I wish him a very speedy recovery.
Bahh rubbish !
Fell doon a deep puddle ! thought I could walk it out
Done the 5/6 miles to Tyndrum whent into The Real Food Cafe !
20 mins later couldnae put wait on left foot !
Pish !!!!!!!
Ah man. I’ll tell you though, if there’s anywhere on Earth I’d want it to go tits up it’s the Real Food Cafe.
Hold on to that emotion, it’s fuel for the next time! :o)
The OMM got cancelled as well. They started pulling the racers back in at lunch time.
That’s a real shame.
My apologies, my comment on ‘character building stuff’ was made without refreshing the page and before I knew that Bobinson had suffered the injury. Bad luck Bobinson.
I woke up this morning to find the top BBC news story is about the OMM being cancelled and stranded runners being rescued
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7691531.stm
Lets hope everybody is accounted for.
It certainly was character building stuff !
March /April is on the cards for revenge I think.
Shame about the OMM
Christ. Look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4aB50qNoz0
Being stuck inside all day doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?
Hell no.
There’s going to be an aftermath from this, the media will crucfy them. The fact that the racers are probably the best equipped and most experienced group of folk it’s possible to assemble, who are apparently “disappointed” at the cancellation will go for nothing. Neither will the fact that the teams are full of mountain rescue folk on a day off.
That video makes me want to draw the curtains and put the kettle on.
Maybe not crucified but the manager of the Honister Slate Mine was calling for the organisers to be shot. I reserve a special brand of hate for people such as he.
What a fanny.
I know folk down there who are organising, filming and racing and comments like his make my knuckles white.
At leat now, all the missing are accounted for safe & well, according to the bbc website
Howdy
I’m just back home from the OMM and we actually managed to complete Day 1, and had the tent up at the mid-camp, along with a few dozen others, before we were told the event was off. We then had to strike camp and hike back over Honister Pass to the Event centre at Borrowdale. (thats the Youtube footage being played everywhere). Didn;t fancy camping in what was turning into a lake though, so we slept in the car. Conditions were wild but we got round the course and back to the start. A lot of the media coverage is nonsense from people who have no idea what a mountain is never mind a hill race.
Thanks for filling us in Del. And well done, that was a good effort to finish Day 1!
The media were always going to make it a major incident. After all, they make the news these days rather than report it. Bastards.
Tough luck Bobinson, hope the ankle heels up swiftly. Del, sounds like an interesting experience!