Cracking Stuff!
Got my eye on two riders that I know: Steve Field who looks like a Friday finisher and Scott Lindsay who may make it tonight but more likely tomorrow at a more comfortable time!
On topic: that's the Fisherfield loch/river crossing in the background earlier today....
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Fraser is nearly in.
Been up An Teallach Colin?
Pretty sure Fraser is done.
[quote=boxelder ]Been up An Teallach Colin?
Not mine. Spotted it on Twitter earlier and just thought I'd share.
Inspirational. Truly inspirational.
I may even go out for a pre breakfast ride tomorrow to start training for next year.
Unless it's raining, of looks like raining, or I fail to get up at 5:30am, or anyone is within 100miles of the finish. In which case I'll just sit at my PC hitting refresh.
Did a longer loop in the dark and rain tonight, in a small gesture of solidarity with those striving for home tonight 🙂
[quote=molgrips ]Did a longer loop in the dark and rain tonight, in a small gesture of solidarity with those striving for home tonight I was going to do that to but we've not had rain for over a week 😥
Hehehe.. 🙂
[u]Overnight Finishers:[/u]
Alan Goldsmith
Lars Henning
Andy Laycock
Ian Barrington
Phil F-Thomson
Scott Lindsay
Bryan Singlton
Please Note:
TRACKLEADERS WILL BE DOWN
From about 9am - as they need to change servers.
You won't be able to follow dots.
Go do some work.
IanB is in, happy for him as this is his third attempt at finishing I think.
molgrips. It is IanB's second attempt. ISTR he finished third in the HT440 which was the first time it was run
Ah yes it was a shorter event wans't it.
It is IanB's second attempt.
He started in 2014 too, but didn't finish - I think due to cankles.
Wee mention for my mate Steve Field who should be finishing shortly.
It was his Silver Wedding Anniversary yesterday! His second attempt at HT550 after last year he bugged out due to the twin perils of mechanicals and isolation. He only twigged how many people were following the event after he got back home and saw the twitter and STW thread, among others! I can certainly imagine Bev his wife saying "If you are going to do the HT over our Wedding Anniversary you'd bloody well better finish it!" 😀
Congratulations not only to those at the pointy end, but everyone that gets round and finishes. It's a hell of an achievement.
TRACKLEADERS WILL BE DOWN
From about 9am - as they need to change servers.
You won't be able to follow dots.
Good job this wasn't yesterday!
If it was yesterday I was going to physically draw some dots to move around and photo them. Happy it didn't work out at the wrong time.
I'm assuming they are getting ready for the load that the TD puts on the servers.
I'm assuming they are getting ready for the load that the TD puts on the servers.
That or STW's frantic F5 bashing yesterday broke them.
Just been reading through this thread while sitting in the real food cafe, having a debrief with various riders coming and going. I had sweaty palms reading it!
What an incredible route and experience. Life changing I think.
Sorry to disappoint but Lee and I were always riding together. I'll explain...
I'd planned to ride right through from Shenaval (yes, I know...) and the plan was going ok until 4am or so when I was too sleepy to continue, I had a timed 1 hour sleep. But had left my damp socks and bibs on. I woke up feeling refreshed but feet and ass were absolutely throbbing. Agony.
I packed up and got on the bike, actually yowling out loud as it was too painful to sit down and too painful to stand up.
About 5 minutes along the route I spotted a rider ahead. It was Lee, also in a bit of a tangle. We'd not met before this but very quickly began a rapidly evolving stream of chatter, banter and discussions. We never discussed it but it was obvious that we would be riding back to tyndrum together.
I can honestly say that for many reasons its the best day I've ever had on a bike.
Finisher Update:
Steve Field
Zbynek Simcik
Kenneth Decker - should be done in 5mins or so!
Well done Karl Booth. All the Marple riders are really proud of this achievement.xx
Well done Ian, amazing ride. I'm watching from home 50/50 envious/no-chance! Cheering on Mark E, looking forward to hearing about it from him when he's finished.
Nice one ianfitz. Best of luck 😉
Many finishers - no scratches. Still some out there.
Greg - any update on Petr Sifta?
Don't worry, maybe you can console yourself with a Shand...
If anything, this brilliant event (and thread) reminded me I can buy a bike, but I can't buy legs.
And it's inspired me to give my 15-year-old Tinbred some TLC and ride it until I'm as fit as I was 15 years ago. 🙂
scotroutes - Member
Greg - any update on Petr Sifta?
Nope.
Brilliant effort from Adrian through yesterday and last night i was hoping i was to old for this sort of thing back to the drawing board most inspiring bike event of the year for me
Apparently Petr scratched a few days ago and didn't tell me. Well done. Helpful.
The tandem's almost back- that'll be quite an achievement
I'm still buzzing. That was the ride of my life. The route is huge and tough as all hell. The weather smiled on us all. I slept out every night, sometimes high in the hills in spectacular scenery. I managed to maintain on 4 hours sleep, devoured food like a man possessed, met and rode with amazing people.
Third attempt, I finished. I have never felt like this in my life. [url= https://leecraigie.com/2016/06/02/utterly-honestly-weirdly-life-changing-ride-on-the-ht_550-535-miles-of-remotest-scotland-in-4-days-5-hours/ ]Lee Cragie describes it as life changing[/url]. I agree.
Now, sauna, cigar, and a beer!
Amazing effort Nick, enjoy the well earned beer.
Looking forward to seeing photos and a blog post or two, did you take the GM5 you took on your recce?
So the tandem finished with two ruined pairs of Giro Terraduros....nearly brand new pairs 😕
Anyway, a few more riders then we're done. Not long now!
Terraduros failing again? I thought that was supposed to have been resolved (though I can't imagine a tougher proving ground). I did the Morvich - Alltbeithe section this morning (in reverse). That's some hard terrain!
[quote=debaser]Amazing effort Nick, enjoy the well earned beer.
Thanks, I have been enjoying the recovery! I have been high as a kite for days!
[quote=debaser]Looking forward to seeing photos and a blog post or two, did you take the GM5 you took on your recce?
I decided not to take my camera. I wanted to simplify my kit as much as possible so i didn't have too much stuff to worry about and carry. I did take a few pics with my mobile phone that I'll post soon!
[quote=GregMay]So the tandem finished with two ruined pairs of Giro Terraduros....nearly brand new pairs
Seems there was a known problem with them http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/clothing/shoes/product/review-giro-terraduro-48935/ that was supposedly fixed. It is awesome the tandem finished however, despite that. That must have been an amazing and tough journey.
[quote=GregMay]Anyway, a few more riders then we're done. Not long now!
Deadline has passed!
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I did some ramblings at http://niksbikingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/highland-trail-2016-indescribable.html
Well done all. 🙂
I can almost imagine what you've gone through, but there's no way I could do it.
Zane is a confirmed scratch - planning to come back, loved it.
Adam finished a few days ago with SPOT failed.
Twitter feed is now quiet - I've got to go race the Tour Divide. Hope it proved somewhat entertaining, and enlightening.
but there's no way I could do it.
Ill finish with this;
BS.
You can do anything you want if you're willing to sacrifice enough to make it happen. Ask yourself, what is making you think you can't do it. The ask yourself which of these you can't overcome. If you're actually honest with yourself, I'm pretty sure you could work out a way to make it happen. Like many others have.
I'll use Nik as an example - failed twice - came back again, finished.
Again- I call you out on this. BS you can't do it. You just need to commit and live the life that lets you get there. Life is too short to limit yourself to what you could do from the place you are now.
GregMay - Member
....Again- I call you out on this. BS you can't do it. You just need to commit and live the life that lets you get there. Life is too short to limit yourself to what you could do from the place you are now.
I've lived that life and I'm pretty well worn out from it, and that's not a complaint, just an observation. 🙂
But now there's a challenge. I'll think it over. I've got a year.. 🙂
Maybe - [i]but there's no way I could do it[/i] in the time would be a better way of putting it.
Big *Chapeau* to all entrants, and especially to those who finished.
Is there a GPX available? Am vaguely tempted to try this but hopping between B&Bs, I'm not a camping kind of person, need to see how feasible it will be
@nbt Have a look on selfsupporteduk.net and follow the HT550 link - there's a GPX link there but it might be the old route that went out to Kinlochleven then east via the Abhainn Rath rather than this year's route by Ben Alder. If you do want this year's route then either ask one of those who've done it or email Alan Goldsmith and ask him.
Just had an enjoyable few minutes with a cuppa revisiting this.
Not long now until this years HT550. Is there a thread for it?
I did search but didn't find...
Haven't seen one - best get to work ...
