The West Highland Way Race: some notes on my run and a route description.

Overall: it's one of the most beautiful, friendliest and nicest trail runs I've done. All the locals, with the abundance of hospitality that seems to be the trademark of Scotland, contributed to a great atmosphere and wonderful experience. But the prize must definitely go to my seconds Shel and Dave (Mateer), who, along with my hostess Jules (Juliette) Cassiday, who went far more than 95 miles out of their way to satisfy even my most outlandish desire. The picture of two sexy ladies massaging one each of my legs at a checkpoint will stay with me the rest of my life - if this was to be made a standard feature of the race I'm sure the race would be oversubscribed! If I ever come to Scotland, the Strahaven running club can definitely sign me on as a member.

The official race description. "Essentially the object is simple, you start at Milngavie Railway Station (7miles north of Glasgow) at 2am on June 23rd (2001) and run/jog/walk to Fort William by 1pm on the 24th June, 35 hours to cover 153km (95 miles) including 3543m (11624ft) of ascent." Dario filled in a lot more details on subsequent e-mail correspondance and the web-site on www.westhighlandwayrace.org is a great & informative site.

I found that the most difficult part of the race is definitely getting to the start: it took us quite a while to navigate across Glasgow city to locate the Milngavie Railway Station.

The start was the usual relaxed chaotic atmosphere associated with this type of crazy event. When I went to buy some extra T-shirts for my seconds, the lady told me about the special deal on T-shirts: I knew I should have kept my mouth should when she quoted me 2 for 15, 4 for 20.

The race briefing involved someone apparently quite respected and well-liked mumbling away to the person standing closest to him in a language unknown to me or anyone else who speaks English. Luckily I had brought my babel fish along but somehow it had dislodged itself from my ear. Anyway, nothing really important, only trivia such as you can take a 20 kilometre shortcut at the end and stuff like that.

The run started and I just followed sheepishly (being in Scotland and all that) some guys who seemed to have come out for their very early morning jog but were obviously not at all connected to the race I was intending to do. They took us on a scenic tour around the country-side and local golf courses. A couple of hours later we met up with some runners who were doing the West-Highland Way Race and I decided then that maybe in future I should follow people who know what they are doing.

It was amazingly light - even from very early on in the race. Not being used to the northern European summer days any more, I was astonished at how early day break starts and how long the sun takes to get above the horizon.

I don't remember much about the rest of the race, except that I was extremely impressed by the scenery and the way my seconds sacrificed themselves before, during and after the event. There was an amazing variety of scenery, though the course was not as bad as I had initially expected: a lot of it was eminently joggable.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find my regular energy drinks in Glasgow in the short time I arrived before the event, so I picked up some tins of various local rubbish sports drinks, threw them all together and made the concentration extra strong to ensure I would have the necessary electrolytes. Turns out that the mixture made me very sick so I couldn't stomach anything from km 20 to 65. I had spent hours briefing Shel & Dave on the importance of keeping my energy reserves high and what sandwiches and energy food I would be requiring at which stops. All that fell out of the window since I refused to eat or drink anything they offered me during the first 40 or 50 kays of the run. I must have been driving them crazy - in fact Shel confided in me later that they were about to force-feed me (they had forgotten the necessary implements to kill me) when Shel hit on the idea of offering me pancakes - leftovers from a previous meal and pack "just in case" but something I actually manage to stomach. From there onwards I recovered slowly and gradually went back to normal.

Two other memories that I'll never forget. The main one is arriving at Inverarnan/Beinglas Farm (65 kays into the run) where anything that moved was literally eaten alive by the hordes and hordes of midges. As runners, it was bearable: we only had to endure these monsters for a couple of minutes, but our seconds (and the official) had to wait for ages there, not knowing when we'd arrive (since the last time they saw us was 24 kays before). I still shudder to think what nightmarish time they must have gone through.

The other memorable event was Dave pacing me the last 20 kays from Kinlochleven to the end. I was really low and not very sociable and Dave just kept me going, motivating me and somehow sensing exactly the amount of talking I could take - I have never been paced before and I can't express in words how wonderful that felt to have him there.

The finish was a bit of an anti-climax, as it is in most 100 milers. You're beat, you arrive in the wee hours of the morning so even the officials who've been on duty for the past 24 hours are dozing off and all you want to do is find a mattress on which you know you won't be able to find a comfortable position because of your sore legs. But like any 100 miler, the prize-giving more than makes up for this with the great comraderie, the beautiful blood-earned trophy and the satisfaction of having done it.

Jules was a darling all round and played hostess days before and after the event - and that in the middle of her & Shel moving house! BTW 't was a fun house moving party. What a great people!

A pity it clashes with the other great trail run - the Western States - but, knowing that I can do better, I'll be back some time.

Oh yes - my time was 21:12:48, good for a 6^th overall position out of 38 finishers / about 64 starters.

The West Highland Way Race Course Description

This description is really a summary of the route description details as found in the various race reports on the web. They proved really useful to give me an idea of the type of terrain although, as said, I found the course less hilly and more runnable than expected. E.g. I found Devil's Staircase to be far easier than expected, as the section alongside Loch Lomond (because of its setting, no doubt). The farm track above Crainlarich was indeed rough.

0.0 km Milngavie Railway Station: Start

underpass from the railway station

pedestrian way through sleeping town

after 3 miles track roughens up

first 20 kms is very runnable, easy going

constant slow down to exit and enter fields

road to Drymen

12 miles Beechtree Inn

after about an hour of running, it starts to get light

trees give way to open stretch of good running through moorland

Carbeth

20.2 km Drymen: Checkpoint #1

trail does NOT head into town, dont go left, go north to Balmaha

cross the A811 and go through lovely pine forest

19 miles Conic Hill

first major climb, about 1000 ft

excellent footing, runable steady climb till last kay then walk

sharp descent, including difficult steps, into Balmaha car park

31.6 km/20 miles Balmaha car park

part road, part trail with a couple of small hills

tough trail to Rowardennan

go over Cragie Fort

38 km Sallochy

zigzagged way to Rowardennan

one of the trail sections and a forestry road

43.7 km/27 miles Rowardennan: Checkpoint #2

Hotel car park

Starts as a broad track but narrows to a path

Loch Lomond

most physically tiring section

corkscrews over roots, boulders, streams and bogs

Mud, rocks, streams, generally poor footing--slow

Extremely rough section esp north of Inversnaid

Inversnaid Hoteloasis of civisation

Inaccessible by roadrunner on his/her own for 22 kms

Thick tangle of forest, sharp undulations

65.1 km/40 miles Inverarnan/Beinglas Farm: Checkpoint #3

seconds must walk in about 10 minutes

shortly after leaving Inverarnan, duck under low clearance bridge

emerge from shade, sparse remains of ancient forest

old drovers track, out of forest but still in valley

must cross Falloch Waters

up Glen Falloch, unmarked halfway point at summit

drop down and cross the river Fillan

long bumpy downhill to A82

3-4 protruding rocks everywhere

rough farm track above Crainlarichlikely spot to trip

Crainlarich to Tyndrum (5 miles) is quite hilly

71.7 km Carmyle

A82 layby

Easy stretch to Tyndrum, good footing, little climbing

85.1 km Tyndrum: Checkpoint #4

pub--popular feeding spot

long sweeping downhill to Bridge of Orchy

totally exposed trail

cross Auch Gleann River

fast section but pounding on stony granite track takes toll on legs

96.0 km/60 miles Bridge of Orchy: Checkpoint #5

hotel

short sharp climb then descent into Inveroran after which foul weather/ emergency gear must be carried

go up Mam Carraigh

63 miles down to Victoria Bridge

Rannoch Moor

psychologically tough, desolate, eerie, no sounds, no trees

Goes along old drovers road all the way to Kingshouse

Several kays of gentle uphill

Drop down to Ba Cottage in the middle of the Moor

Lairig Morthe great high pass

Cross the saddle into Glencoe then down to Kingshouse

Fast 2.2 km stretch between Blackrock and Kingshouse

115.5 km Kingshouse: Checkpoint #6 Midnight Cutoff

Pubeat and get warm

Difficult underfoot conditions

Down to Altnafeadh then 900m ascent

Devils Staircase

The weather can change at the drop of a hat

Endless steep switchback path

From the top the trail gets more rugged and broken up

Green Man apparition

Lindavrad

Long jarring descent to sea level

Down some really steep bits then long jeep track down

May be difficult to find WHW shelter at Kinlochleven

129.5 km Kinlochleven: Checkpoint #7

climb out of Kinlochleven

road to can be confusing

can see Ben Nevis; descend into Glen Nevis

through forest and down into Ft William

walk through streets to Leisure Centre

153.0 km Fort William: Finish

General Notes:

last two sections are exposed and are notorious for severe weather

mud not such an issue on the highlands but can be awful in narrow trails through fields, esp where there are cows

Need to cover up all exposed skin when midges are out

Watch for rabbit holes (dont twist your ankle!)

Autan insect spray