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So its the Puffer in the next few weeks.
Long range weather forecast looks like its going to be a 'mild' one - i.e 2-4 degrees and probably wet/raining.
I was going to be a pair, but my pair partner pulled out last week so looks like im now a solo (this isnt a thread asking for a pair partner)
Anyone local and ridden the course lately, is it snowy there just now?
Regular 'what the course is like' updates as we get to the race weekend would be good
I've an entry but I've also had a bad flu for 2 weeks and can barely do more than walk without hacking a lung or spewing(and that's an improvement ....at it's worst I couldn't even stand ) so it's unlikely we will waste the fuel heading up.
@Epicyclo is the local (as in has ridden home and built a different bike mid race local)
But he hasn't been on here in months.
But he hasn’t been on here in months.
Akshully....
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/lift-to-the-puffer-from-down-south/#post-12665690
Two of my team mates rode the course this morning. Fire roads are sheet ice, lots of snow in the rock garden at the top, the trails around Bill and the lung busting climbs. However, lots of areas are snow and ice free.
One was riding spikers the other wasn't. Spikers 100% at the moment.
The bloke allegedly selling a slot on the Classifieds has gone off radar, so probably not.
Akshully….
Ah good thought he had abandoned ship.
@beamers cheers for the update. Ive got my ice spikers at the ready!
Its to be warm on Wednesday - 9 degree warm - so probably take a lot of that away. Once we get into the week before, it'll become clearer i suppose.
Conditions this morning. Not Contin, the woods just South of Inverness and a slighter lower elevation:
Nice!
I went snowboarding up Glencoe yesterday and Glencoe and Glenshee have reported quite a bit more snow overnight.
Long range forecast has brought mid week top temp down to 5 degrees, then probably sleet for rest next week.
Looks like those spikers will be needed after all.
Just started slowly to get the motor loaded up ready for the trip so not to have mad panic next weekend
Doing it for the second time, as a quad. Cannae wait 👍
Looks like spikers still the order of the day according to the course update on the Puffer FB forum.
Latest update from the course this afternoon.
Spikers not required (currently).
Hardly any ice on the fire road climb and only a couple of patches elsewhere which can be avoided.
@beamers Thanks for that.
Weather forecast from today (Strathpeffer). Ice unlikely, but note the possibility of sleet on the Saturday morning...
Does lack of ice make it better or worse there ? I've have thought whilst a frost may have bits that are slippery, overall it may help with maintaining effort/speed ?
I think it's much easier / more pleasant when the temp is below -5C. You just layer up a bit and everything stays dry and clean.
It can get bloody muddy when it's a bit warmer. They are updating the course all the time though, so it might not be as muddy as it was a few years ago when we had a mild/wet one.
i prefer it with some snow on the ground and the firetracks ice/hard. The snow on the track is great for 'smoothing it out' on some of the rougher stuff which makes it more pleasant and faster (each lap is around 11km and about 350m of ascent)
If the firetrack is wet, it can be really draggy. But yes, if a frost comes down, some of the more stoney parts can be a bit slippy.
As to the course, its going to be muddy. The worst bits (IMHO) will be the bit coming to the end - where they removed the View Rock descent (which was awesome lap ending) and replaced it with a bit of muddy/rooty woods then through a soft, very muddy, very wet section prone to big puddles and can be a slog.
Given the rain leading up to the event, it'll be wet, and with rain/sleet Friday night/Saturday. It'll be wet. But with something like 147 solos, 127 pairs and 131 quads riding it, the route will get 'bedded in' quickly.
My first Puffer was the snowy one in 2018 (I think it was that year).
A couple of hours in and the snow had filled in all of the rough bits and the course was running really well. The consistent sub zero temperatures made the conditions the same throughout the race. Very little bike cleaning required.
I rode the course later that year and couldn't believe how rough it was with the absence of snow!
This year might be bit like this:
As to the course, its going to be muddy. The worst bits (IMHO) will be the bit coming to the end – where they removed the View Rock descent (which was awesome lap ending) and replaced it with a bit of muddy/rooty woods then through a soft, very muddy, very wet section prone to big puddles and can be a slog.
Or "the Somme" as it was referred to in our team that year.
Properly muddy the first couple of years it was rerouted. I used to like the old descent at the end - control cramping as you get up that last kicker through the wall and free-wheel all the way back to the transition.
It's definitely best below zero. 3 to 4 degrees is the worst - it's wet and your kit gets wet, making it harder to stay warm. The mud also slows you right down. Sub zero and no snow means you stay dry and the course speeds up.
The last descent always has me divided. It's so wild it's fun, but the rest of the course is trail centre and you're reasonably dry and comfy. That all goes on the last descent, covering you in filth and making you cold. The old descent was better for pairs and solos.
We'll be there in a quad - I'm trying to fundraise a bit for Glencoe MRT. It's ten years almost to the day since my old race partner Chris was killed in an avalanche in Glencoe and at the time we raised £20k for them doing the Puffer. Unfortunately one of my team has a lurgy so we'll see how we do.
I used to like the old descent at the end
you know that bit right before you join the track about 100m from the dibbing station... i got that very wrong and planted my chin the wince fromt he watchers was great. got up grinned and carried on but two laps later my neck said no.
Still waiting to find out if my mum's birthday celebrations are happening 21 Jan. She's worried about a rail strike.)
If not I'm thinking of heading north with an assortment of toys* and seeing if there are any last minute withdrawals I can take( will need to be solo as I'm hideously unfit)
* skis, board, bike, ice axes
Theres already a raft of withdrawers on the Strathpuffer Facebook Forum. Im sure youd find a place!
Other than that, Glencoe are getting heavy snow just now (Glenshee not so much) if i wasnt Puffering, i'd be Boarding/Skiing there this weekend
@Epicyclo is the local (as in has ridden home and built a different bike mid race local)
But he hasn’t been on here in months.
Been off the bike suffering from leg problems for most of year, then compounded by injuring the knee in that leg. Found that riding my singlespeed on steep hills exacerbated the problem so reverted to running (a speedy shuffling style).
Found I could run the course twice no problem without stopping and got a wee bit excited that maybe I could manage the 'Puffer on a bike after all.
Those who know me will be astonished that I made a sensible decision and built up a lovely light titanium bike with gears (Rohloff),
At the last minute I found myself unable to countenance such a descent into degeneracy and decided that I'd prefer to punt around the 'Puffer on a grossly heavy singlespeed fatbike with drum brakes and excessive mudguards.
The race started well. Grabbed my bike and started running up the hill pushing the bike because it was faster than trying to weave through the throng of spectators. Jumped on after about 200 metres when the mob thinned out. I was feeling very pleased with myself for actually overtaking people on the course and hopeful for a decent result.
All was ok until after the Loch na Crann section when the knee on my knackered leg started to twinge in an eye-watering fashion.
"Pain? I can handle that," I whimpered quietly to myself. By a stroke of good luck I had a working leg on the other side.
Unfortunately excessive use of that sent my heartrate into overdrive (also might be something to do with my AF) and much of the lap was spent doubled up over the bike gasping.
Fortunately I'm good at multi-tasking and discovered I could walk and gasp at the same time.
The irony was that I was on a deliberately slow lap so I could keep an eye on my young friend, a lad of only 54 who (also on a ss fatbike) had a TIA 2 weeks ago. He ended up keeping an eye on me.
And that was my 'Puffer. One effing lap, a very embarrassing result, which means that I'll have to do it again next year to make up for it.
The only consolation? I was 11th in the SS class. We won't mention there were only 11 riding. 🙂
Oh, and to heap the embarrassment on I actually got a nice trophy for being oldest rider so I had to climb on to the podium (kind of difficult with a dodgy knee) and be an object of curiousity for the multitude.
Excellent stuff. I gave you a shout at the start and recognised the normal bike 😀.
It was a testing year; properly grim conditions for all. We had a pretty inspirational team with 4 lads (2 of them 12, others 14) putting together 19 laps! Kids these days eh!
As usual, great atmosphere and absolutely fantastic event. Here’s to Puffer 2024!
Watched the chaos unfold from afar and must say I was ok with not being there this year wi the the mud
Robbie Mitchell though….. what a ride metronomic - just what you’d expect from a time trailer .