As dawn broke we all piled onto coaches to take us from Fort William to Mallaig. We were at the end of a day of travel from our base in Dublin to fort William and then 2 days of hectic packing and repacking of the transition boxes, trying to squeeze in the elusive tube of mushroom paté but being 100gm overweight, and a busy schedule of skills testing, interviews, processions through the town and marking and laminating the large number of maps for the amazing route we were given the day before. For Gary Tompsett, the course designer, this was a life’s work choosing some of the most amazing locations in Scotland over a 500km journey linking the small Isles of Rum and Eigg with the mainland across to Dalwhinnie near the Cairngorms and back to a finsh on the West coast at Fort William.

Unloading the kayak deck!

For the Cycle Super Store assisted teams (Irish AR Ballyfree and Denny) there had been many months of preparation, but finally we had all made it to the start line. Being mainly from an orienteering / running / cycling background we were generally nervous about the audacious kayaking stage from Rum to the mainland – how would we cope with the seas, how bad would the organisers let the weather get before lettign us take shorted “safety” routes? However, safety was paramount in the planning and we would have to trust the organisers’ judgement. 196 competitors together with Race Officials and Media personnel crowded onto the ferry to Rum swamping the small number of bemused-looking tourists. We unloaded the 98 double sea kayaks from the vehicle deck. All shapes were in evidence, smooth and sleek at one extreme end and the race rental plastic “tub“ Necky’s at the other – which would prove faster in the unpredictable Scottish Conditions though? The excitement was building – the start of the prologue was close.

Boogie boards aloft at the start of the Prologue

Two hours later we were off – running in wetsuits carrying fins and boogie boards a kilometre around the coast to dive into the cold sea to swim across the bay. The 700m swim was probably the worst pin relative performance terms in the race for both teams but thankfully we were soon out into our running kit and heading for the hills. Although not as severe as their cousins on Skye, the Rum Cuillin still provide stunning ridge scrambling, especially in the clear skies we were experiencing.
We followed the coast path around past Dibidil bothy, with a short micronavigation stage, to the south of the island, returning over the summits. We took a fast but steady pace, passing many teams in the first few hours before settling into a steady rthym. In the end we returned in a mid-field position about an hour and a half behind the leaders some of whom took a contraversial route choice which was deemed valid after investication by the race Jury. Several other of the top teams were given 2 hour penalties for missing mandatory kit at the end of this stage – Technically, we were ahead of the top US and New Zealand teams at the end of the Prologue – Happy days!

Traversing the Rum Cuillin

Early next morning we were bobbing on the start line in our sea kayaks, our Tricolour flags flapping in the strong northerly breeze, sun beating down on us. The hooter sounded and we were off. We got into a steady pace with the kayaks feeling somewhat unstabel in the following seas but thankfully both Denny boats had Confident sea fareing women in charge and Roisin an dVanessa kept us upright and moving forward at a steady pace.
Our Ballyfree stablemates had an easier time of it in their more stable boats but were only a short distance behind the sleeker and fasted designed Elio boats on arrival at the mainland checkpoint in a sheltered tropical bay with white sand and turquoise water. We were well relieved to have made it through the swell in a force 4 to 5 wind which was to later pick up to a force 6.

Turquoise waters hug the mainland

However, this tranquillity didn’t last long and we were soon out at sea again, straight into the wind. For the team this was demoralisingly slow paddling but eventually we arrived at the roadside where we put the boats on trolleys and ran off down the road toward the inland Loch Morar.
In Loch Morar we were sheltered from the worst of the wind by the mountains and progress was good to the portage over the pass to Target and a micronavigation stage. It was now obvious that we going to be ticht making the deadline of 03:00 at transition 1 but a great team effort and Navigation by Eoin followed by a speedy paddle in the kayaks to Inverie and the Knoydart peninsula allowed us to arrive change and leave Transition 1 with 20 minutes to spare – Tough first day it had been but back on our feet and on dry land we were in good spirits as we knew many teams were still behind us and would not be making that transition cutoff.
An hour later we took a 2 hour stop at an outdoor toilet beside a sadly locked up bothie (cottage) getting some intermittent sleep before waking up shivvering and starting out on the remainder of our 44km hike at dawn.
Our short route would just take us over Ladhar Bheinn, a stunningly placed mountain with views back across to Rum and Eigg, and over the Ben, before dropping to Barrisdale and on to Kinlochhourn to pick up our bikes. The conditions were cool but good, with just a little snow as we descended the stunning north ridge of Ladhar Bheinn.
We now faced a 143km cycle across to Loch Ness via Glen Affric, the scene of the 1999 World Orienteering Championships and fond memories for Heather. After the tough climb out of Kinlochhourn we had undulating road before a fantastic descent. We climbed over a pass in the setting sun, a truly beautiful sight. Our first sleep gremlins attacked, forcing a half hour kip in the forest.
Down in the next valley we were unable to go further due to an irate landowner who had found competitors with “barn frenzy” on his land. So it was chance for another sleep. With the group shelter, survival bag and blanket it was enough to stave off the worst of the cold.

The 20ft jump was completed in a flash

At 4am Gary Tompsett came around to say it was safe to move on. As we topped the next hill, the rain started and would continue for the next 30 hours. However this was not what would get us wet, but the 20ft water jump. To save carrying extra weight we would jump in the nude. This was a bizarre experience: shivering racers, butt naked apart from helmet, bouyancy aid and shoes, on the edge of a cliff willing themselves over. In fact putting on the wet bouyancy aid was by far the worse part.

A sharp intake of breath!

Across the other side of Glen Affric at Badger Falls, the Red Bull Aerial Challenge stretched 100m across the gorge. Revived by 2 cans of the sponsor’s drink we soon successfully completed the challenge. However, no amount of caffeine can keep the sleep gremlins at bay. We climbed back over the moor to a ‘hike a bike’ section around a loch before finding a fantastic gravel descent to Invermoriston on Loch Ness – one set of brake pads worn through. At Invermoriston the café refused to serve competitors – their loss as we all piled into the Post Office in search of food. We later found out that the team in front, Nav-art, had scoffed the last 9 samosas!
Then it was back into the rain for a gruelling and demoralising cycle to Lewiston. The Great Glen Cycle Way was certainly not designed by a cyclist, repeatedly taking you to the top of the hill before dropping you back to the lake shore, then climbing again. On the final descent Alistair had no brakes left and slewed wildly around corners.

Sweet singletrack awaits at Wolftrax MTB Centre

The rain now fell harder and we took the opportunity of shelter to get 3 hours sleep at transition. This tactic meant that, as it would be dark, no one would have swim – instead we would all kayak across Loch Ness. Having enjoyed the fire on the beach on the far side, we picked up our Leki Nordic Walking Poles and click-clacked off down the road.
It was raining steadily and the canyoneering had been cancelled because of the rapidly rising water levels. Whilst Phil checked for the checkpoint, Alistair got 40 winks in a phone box, with Jonathan and Heather sharing the closed café doorway. We laughed watching a team in front as one member on tow weaved wildly side to side as the sleep gremlins took hold. 20 minutes later Heather and Alistair had this off to a tee. So on finding a cow shed we bedded down for an hour under fertiliser sacks before heading out onto the Monadhliath mountains.

Heather Monro of team planetFear

On the way up we found an abandoned 8-wheel buggy with the keys in that shortened our journey by 100m, and produced much amusement – adventure buggy racing! The rivers were swollen, but with a technique Alistair had learnt in New Zealand were not too high to cross, although the course was closed shortly after due to the water levels. Stunning navigation took us straight to a checkpoint in the middle of the remote moonscape of mountains, and out to the other side to the Wolftrax MTB centre. On a high from the last leg we transitioned quickly in the pouring rain, changing worn-out brake pads.
The first leg was along the red route at the MTB, complete with jumps and banked turns. Then off out over to Loch Laggan where we left the bikes, continuing on foot to Binneinn Shuas. Here we climbed steeply to near the top and in the wind and rain completed the ascent by prussik, then descended the other side on 3 abseils: 65, 85 and 50m. We were all extremely tired at this point but the cold forced us on, though Jonathan’s knee became painful and required strapping. Right now the future looked bleak.

Biting cold conditions between the prussik and abseil on Binneinn Shuas

Stumbling down the path we reached the bikes and wearily headed for Dalwhinnie. Sleep at the checkpoint was precluded by the swarms of midges. A seemingly never-ending leg through the woods of Loch Ericht took us to Dalwhinnie where we pitched the tent for a much-needed kip. Thus far, we’d travelled for 36 hours with only 1 hour of sleep.
Fully refreshed by pub food in Dalwhinnie we launched the kayaks and began our journey west towards Fort William on the OPS (outrageous portage stage). We were carrying sleeping bags for this leg to reward ourselves with a good warm sleep. We paddled the length of Loch Ericht in the setting sun, riding the waves on the now eastern winds. At the end, our 15km portage along the road began – with a sleep stop in the middle.

Today was Jonathan’s birthday and he received his monster badge on the dark moor at midnight. A surprise meeting with his wife and son raised spirits and we headed on west. Launching the boats in Loch Ba the remarkable journey continued west across Rannoch Moor, but soon we were pulling the boats out to start the 2km bog haul. There was much bog snorkelling as we dragged the boats from peat hag to peat hag. Due to Jonathan’s knee, Phil made sterling work of dragging the heavy kayak on his own with occasional help for the really deep bits. This was so outrageously daft it has become a highlight of the trip.
Soon we were dragging the boats out again, completing the journey from the A9 to A82. We had missed the cut-off here and took to the bikes following the West Highland Way via Kinlochleven to Glen Nevis, finally arriving here at 9:30pm. The final leg over the Ben remained, however the weather was dubious, Jonathan’s knee a huge worry and navigation at night down the CMD arete concerning... so we took the penalties and headed home down the valley to Fort William and the finish line.

Team planetFear entertain the crowd: l-r Phil Scarf, Alistair Morris, Heather Monro, Jonathon Emberton

This truly was an journey of epic proportions, pushing us all to our limits in many ways. We are proud to have completed what has been described as one of the hardest AR World Championship courses to date, especially after the extremely tough first kayaking stage. We wish to thank our sponsors planetFear for their support in making this journey a reality.