[Closed] The 2017 Highland Trail 550

quite interested. loved the HT550 book 🙂

Starting to get nervous 😯

Considering my bike is in bits ATM, I think I need to sort it out ASAP (See the thread about Hope brakes and Shimano shifters), hopefully tonight I'll get the frame tape fixed. Once it's back together a couple of shake down rides then the JennRide next weekend to finalise things.

After that I'll take things easy and get the train to work then travel up Friday and see you in the campsite or pub 😆

I'm very lucky Bob in that 18 bikes are sorting my bike for me.

I left it, and a very long list of jobs, with them and am picking it up after the weekend.

Kit is mainly decided on. Although the weather forecast a bit further on will decide if a few items come along or not.

Similar regarding kit - I've got the core stuff sorted, will take up several options and decide on Friday what makes the cut.

Frame is now taped. 😀 New Hope brakes are on but not adjusted and the hoses are loose and will probably need a bit of shortening.

Will be dot watching hoping to do the Northern Loop in September so i will be on the start line next year if accepted .
Good luck guys and gals

Did the northern loop over the[url= http://bobwightman.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/a-recce-of-northern-loop-of-highland.html ] BH weekend[/url] Rich. A couple of really tough sections but eased by quite a bit of road (I don't include the Drumbeg road in the easy stuff!). It's really, really dry at the moment, there's a shot on Lars Henning's route notes that shows [url= http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/highland-trail-550/ ]the hidden meadow in Glen Golly[/url] during last year's dry run - the left hand channel of the river is currently dry!

No doubt you'll get to have a word with Alan next weekend.

Will be watching with interest as now on my 'to do' list...

I'll be spouting the usual commentary on the Twitter feed here: [url= https://twitter.com/ht_550?lang=en-gb ]https://twitter.com/ht_550?lang=en-gb[/url]

Probably less than normal as I'll be on Jura running the fell race then wandering about in a camper looking for signal with a 6 week old who constantly demands boob.

We're heading up this Thursday, starting on Friday.

Tom has unfinished business.

[img] [/img]

Oh no! More sleepless nights...

When is the start so I can bank up some sleep. 🙂

When is the start

Saturday, May 27th, 2017 - 09:00

[url= http://trackleaders.com/highland17 ]http://trackleaders.com/highland17[/url]

Edit as rich pipped me.

See what I did there...

Good luck all doing it this year. I really? want to have a go in the future. Looks epic :).

Hi Rich, hope to see you and Tom back in Tyndrum after a successful trip.

Hi Rich, hope to see you and Tom back in Tyndrum after a successful trip.

Yep Bob, fingers crossed. Hopefully see you for a pint on Friday. 🙂

I'm excited, but like others I don't have a working bike yet. Luckily something went bang this week so I know it needs replaced, otherwise I'd be up North and likely scratched if it happened on the trail.

Hopefully I'll be all set by next weekend. I'd hoped to get out riding this weekend but given bike issues I've taken it easy.

sorry to bother you richpips, i wondered if you were still selling that 9spd mech and if you were fixed on the price please?

Yep, excited! LL200 was my shakedown ride and that successfully broke my bike so I can join the "riders with no bike gang". Awaiting a new shock from chain reaction next week.

I'm taking it easy for the next couple of weeks, and hoping the fitness is there after the last 6 months of training!

Had a shakedown ride today in the Dales, a pleasant 80Km. It's very, very dry - even the bits that are normally bog are dry 😀 Fitness must be there as I got a fair few PBs and some Strava top tens on climbs at the end of the ride 😉

Think I need a new chainring though, there's a bit of a grinding noise and it's the only part of the drive train I didn't replace. Possibly a new saddle as well though it's a bit short notice to get one broken in in time.

I started a thread a while back about possibly replacing my Shimano XT brakes - I went for broke (brake?) and got some Hope X2s. Much better. In addition the hoses run better for when you attach a bar harness, the Shimanos exit the lever at an angle away from the bar so a harness forces them out of line.

Roll on the JennRide next weekend.

good luck all - and esp. you Ian PV as at least I know you 🙂

Tom and Rich will be setting off tomorrow morning. Just for those wanting to get their do****cher practice in before the main start. I guess there will be more sleeping than in the main event but more fun guessing the Instagram meal picture at the usual stops. Will Tom get to eat pies at The Pie Shop?

Hmmm, might do this as a 2 week bimble in June. Cant be much more gnarly than Swinley....surely? 😉

It would be great as a two week Bimble. I look forward to riding it like that at some point in the future.

There's a lovely guide to riding it like that here - http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/highland-trail-550/

Ok the guess was wrong. 91 miles since 6ish this morning and still going.

😀

Me and Mrs TJ will be out there walking some parts of the route in fisherfield. Free jelly babies for any of you we see. Good luck all

Another ITT rider off today - Mark Armitage [url= http://trackleaders.com/highland17i.php?name=Mark_Armitage ]http://trackleaders.com/highland17i.php?name=Mark_Armitage[/url]

After a short diversion to Square Wheels for more brake pads and a wait for the Spar to reopen to stock up on cake and porcine products Tom and Rich put in a few more miles last night.
They have made a start this morning already - hopefully the weather holds for them. Tom so wants to get back to see the main start.He will be the one who is setting the alarm.
As they go into uncharted territory I know he will appreciate support from fellow do****chers. They are checking Twitter feeds @richpips where they can.

Mark Armitage has scratched:

"crashed out yesterday around Ben Alder, physically broken a bit, will mend, mentally broken about not finishing (again)"

Mainly a bump since riders (including myself) will be heading up to Tyndrum tomorrow in readiness for Saturday morning.

Minipips and his dad are still going strong on their ITT, they are approaching the Torridon descent as I type this.

The first 5Km or so of the group start will be neutralised and where the route leaves the West Highland Way there'll be a few minutes' pause to pay tribute to Mike Hall.

Good luck to everyone. Hope the weather holds. Looking forward to dot watching this.

I really must object to the Minipips effort. I've already been do****ching for a week and the main event hasn't even started yet. I'm guessing, with less than 30 miles to go, Minipis and dad are going for it tonight. Good luck to both, and to all setting off tomorrow

When I spoke to them at elevenes they were going for the finish tonight but Tom has a split rim which is slowing them down. They aren't carrying a lot of lumens so it is going to be a crossed finger job. Looking at the spot they are still going for it. Tom wants to get back to do the tribute to Mike so I think they will ride as much as they can and walk the rest where they can't see. Expect them in Tyndrum tonight or early tomorrow.

They have just finished it. Just in time to ride the start tomorrow. Then the challenge of getting 2 bikes back to the Peaks on a Bank holiday weekend.

Cracking effort! Congratulations to both

Absolutely brilliant !!!

Well done to Rich and Tom. An inspiration.

I shall be touching my collar in memory of Mike.

Have a great ride all... weather looks as kind as possible for The Highlands.

Well all those that set off in warm sunshine this morning will now be soaked. Poured down since late afternoon with some lightning thrown in as well. Tomorrow looks drier.

http://trackleaders.com/highland17f.php

My mate Pete G is out there at the moment. Just had this update from his wife:

Pete got his pizza (yey!) and is sounding very chirpy and energetic, so is going to press on a bit further this evening.  

The morning was quite tough going for many of them due to heat & humidity, so the rain this afternoon was a relief (it has rained since Laggan). 

Well done Pete, keep it up 😉 

So has Neil stopped for sleep yet .... moving time 1 day 1 hr ... is that right?? Or do you think will he stop at the next check point?

Any news of Rich Rothwell? He doesn't seem to have moved since last night. Hope he's ok.

Warm (18c) and very muggy in Contin/Garve/Ullapool today. Not the most pleasant cycling conditions but at least not the blazing temperatures we've had. Last nights rain has cleared through so river levels will all be negligible.

Neil seems to be ripping it out, 275 miles in less than as day and a half: he's already in Drumbeg. Amazing.

Neil seems to be ripping it out, 275 miles in less than as day and a half: he's already in Drumbeg. Amazing.

Wow the mileage is crazy!!!

Attempted the route last week and managed just over 400 miles before dropping out - absolutely brutal!! Never seen so much hike-a-bike

Total respect to Tom & Rich for completing - i followed their tyre tracks for 6 days

Rich - i hope you manage to get back with the bikes when the trains are back on

Watching the top boys on the trackers is so impressive - the pace and distance they are pushing is something out of this world

That course is more brutal than anything i have attempted before - it destroyed me! 🙁

The pace the leaders are setting I'd awesome, Neil is at Eilean Donan already and about to head to kintail. My mate Pete is doing well and might make it back to Oykel Bridge to complete the northern loop tonight if all goes well

Attempted the route last week and managed just over 400 miles before dropping out - absolutely brutal!! Never seen so much hike-a-bike

Total respect to Tom & Rich for completing - i followed their tyre tracks for 6 days

Rich - i hope you manage to get back with the bikes when the trains are back on

Thanks, fluked getting back home yesterday.

Come back and have another go eh. 😉

Well done Rich and Minipips. An amazing effort for a 12 year old. 😀

My mate Pete has jst crossed the river at Fisherfield. He's doing well against the target he' set himself

Meanwhile Neil Beltchenko is bearing down on Tyndrum at speed. He should be there in time to get an evening meal. Chapeau sir, chapeau!

I cannot comprehend 550 miles over that ground in less than 3.5 days. Did he sleep at all?

I cannot comprehend 550 miles over that ground in less than 3.5 days. Did he sleep at all?

Total stopped time 8 hours 10 minutes. 😯

Dear God! 😮

Yea I looked at that just after he finished, crazy considering where they are riding, that's proper endurance stuff right there!

Re: stopping at checkpoints - they're just virtual. There is nothing and no-one out there as support.

Quite a race going on for 3rd place. So much for going to bed.

That was brilliant!

Finished with Jenny Graham in 5 days 2 hrs 37. Last day was 31 hours long. A bit tired!

I loved it too. 5 days, 21hrs, 23mins, with an epic battle with the weather and my rear wheel crossing Rannoch Moor.

Time for bed.

Double post in my tired state

Having been out camping with DofE groups this weekend, it seems Highland 550 still goes on.

I met a Richard at Innerwick, John at Black woods of Rannoch, and I think another John (nicely home machined alloy bar bag holder!) at Bridge of Gaur. In addition, I saw three other bike packing riders on route from a distance, one in Black Woods and two at Ericht/Alder Bothy area.

We ll done to anyone who completed it - we were wlking thru the some of the same terrain. got some pics of some of the riders - around sheneval on tuesday morning and on the next big climb in the afternoon and the following morning - we camped halfway up following morning. Saw I think whitestone off here.

I'll sort them in morning

I think this guy is an STWer
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4241/35044396101_7cd33d6f73_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4241/35044396101_7cd33d6f73_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/VoKG2T ]IMG_0429[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr
and surely this guy on the oddball bike
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4255/34330302994_0aae3eb34b_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4255/34330302994_0aae3eb34b_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/UiDM2L ]IMG_0451[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

Yes, I spoke to you on the climb up Gleann na Muice Beag just before the bad weather hit.

I got to just below the Easan Dorcha bothy that night then did a 31hr stint to the finish. The two riders above finished in just under five days - the oddball bike is a Jones BTW.

I have more pics of you if you want them whitestone. Sent you a pm

The Jones rider is probably htrider (on Bearbones at least) as I recognise the colour