Jura
Saturday 27/05/06
Isle of Jura fell race - 16+miles / 8440 feet
12th place - 4hrs 13mins 12secs
The usual gorillas in the mist action at the first three checks followed by a crap choice off Aonach Bheinn (too far left in boulders) left me well down at the start. Climbed well on Beinn a Chaolais to get in with a decent group including Mark Shaw, Jack Holt and others. Chris U was pulling away at this point, should have tried to get up to him here. Foolishly kept overtaking Mr Shaw (a Jureach) on the climbs only to make a series of blunders on the summits to find myself behind him again. Meanwhile Jack stuck to Mark as if attached by bungee. The route off Beinn Shiantaidh was superb though, hardly any toomfoolery in the monster boulders. I'd stashed some shoes, water and jelly babies at 3 arch bridge on the morning of the race and made the decision to stop and change. WRONG. Jack passed me, made a wise observation about what a bad idea it was, and I never caught him. Then again he'd saved that much energy drafting behind his navigator he probably ran the road as quick as Holmesy did. Anyway I ended up taking 45-06 off my previous best. One year the weather will be on my side and I will get under four hours.
The decision to travel up earlier made the trip much more enjoyable this year, here are some of the 100+ pictures I took during the week. Fast becoming my favourite race and place in the country, I can understand why Mike Rose held it so dear and why the Tod / Achilli folk made such a great effort to carry on organising it.
Results
SHR report and pictures
Isle of Jura fell race - 16+miles / 8440 feet
12th place - 4hrs 13mins 12secs
The usual gorillas in the mist action at the first three checks followed by a crap choice off Aonach Bheinn (too far left in boulders) left me well down at the start. Climbed well on Beinn a Chaolais to get in with a decent group including Mark Shaw, Jack Holt and others. Chris U was pulling away at this point, should have tried to get up to him here. Foolishly kept overtaking Mr Shaw (a Jureach) on the climbs only to make a series of blunders on the summits to find myself behind him again. Meanwhile Jack stuck to Mark as if attached by bungee. The route off Beinn Shiantaidh was superb though, hardly any toomfoolery in the monster boulders. I'd stashed some shoes, water and jelly babies at 3 arch bridge on the morning of the race and made the decision to stop and change. WRONG. Jack passed me, made a wise observation about what a bad idea it was, and I never caught him. Then again he'd saved that much energy drafting behind his navigator he probably ran the road as quick as Holmesy did. Anyway I ended up taking 45-06 off my previous best. One year the weather will be on my side and I will get under four hours.
The decision to travel up earlier made the trip much more enjoyable this year, here are some of the 100+ pictures I took during the week. Fast becoming my favourite race and place in the country, I can understand why Mike Rose held it so dear and why the Tod / Achilli folk made such a great effort to carry on organising it.
Results
SHR report and pictures
posted by DW at 9:09 pm
