Training Log Archive: Frostbite

Grey Mare's Tail, Loch Skeen, White Combe, Firthope Rig, Rotten Bottom, Saddle Yoke, down to the Moffat Water and back to the car park along the south side of the valley.

I was only intending to go very slowly, just jogging some of the downhills, but when I got up on top it was very windy, wet and cold. I had to keep moving in order to stay warm enough. After coming down off Saddle Yoke I had intended to climb up the hills on the south side of the valley but opted to stay low and hope for the best getting through the forest. The weather was actually quite pleasant down at valley level. The forest was horrible in places, similar to all the green bits of Dalbeattie but on the side of a massive steep hill. It got better when I could get down to the river and "run" along beside it.

The valleys round here are very impressive but once you get up above the cliffs on the valley sides the hilltops are fairly dull and featureless, and I didn't have much visibility after I climbed up from Loch Skeen.

Scottish Champs M50, Dalbeattie. I wasn't really feeling at my best and this was a rough tough forest with some challenging navigation. I didn't lose as much time as most people it would seem but I still lost quite a lot and by the end I was just staggering around. I was also really struggling to read the map, a combination of persistent rain, heavy cloud and some very dark and scary forest making it much harder than usual. I couldn't see the paths at all and at one point headed for a line of crags thinking they were a major track.

#6 dithered in the circle along with a crowd of others. Apparently this was in the wrong place but I couldn't see enough detail to tell. At least I was the first of the crowd to find it. My line through the gorse wasn't what I intended either. 1 minute.

#7 hit the fence to the right of the crossing point, 30 seconds.

#8 started too far left and corrected, then was standing on the actual knoll and couldn't see the control. Went away and came back and it was right down at the level of the marsh. Mapping not quite right. 1:30.

#13,got near it but couldn't read the map at all. Took a guess and guessed right, 45 seconds.

#14 went straight to the gap between the hills and couldn't see a knoll. It was slightly up onto the western Hill rather than right in the saddle as mapped. 30 seconds.

#16, this is the one where I headed for the line of crags resulting in a bit if a banana and not the best line to the control. 1 minute.

#17, didn't see the path either on the map or the ground, tried to go straightish and ended up in the edge of the large open area. Cut my losses and headed for the road. 2 minutes.

#19 got confused by the paths in the middle of the leg, but OK into the control. Caught by Jase at this point and I think I confused him too.

#20, straight into the circle, nothing made sense. Many people milling about. Walked in circles until I found it. It definitely wasn't right but nothing was around there. 2 minutes, which was not bad for that control. Others lost a lot more including Jase who passed me again at #21.

So, very slow and many mistakes, and really just trying to survive at the end, and I ended up 4th M50. Some people took yonks. Jon 70, Ben 75, Alan 78, me 82. Jase was fastest m45 with 69.

Edit: #5 has been removed from the splits. That means James Laird has overtaken me. I now want #20 removed so I can overtake him back again. We can carry on until there is no course left.

C • Sounds familiar 3

Meanwood and Hollies. All wrong. Need to go to sleep.

Seven Arches. A struggle all the way but not bad speed.

Slow at first then faster