The end of May bank holiday marks the time for the annual LDWA 100 miler....this year, the Speyside 100!
We arrived to the start around 10.30 on Saturday at the Boat of Garten Community Hall (thank you Tricia for the lift!). This meant plenty of time for registering, chatting, packing and re-packing bags, making my mind up about things, changing my mind about things, triple checking the kit list, packing my bag again, and some more general faffing.
My Mum and Dad and Auntie (on holiday in the area) also came down, so that was super to see them, before they headed off on their own walk with Tricia.
We set off on the 12:00 start, with bagpipes playing, off on a 100 mile adventure around the Speyside area. Despite spending a lot of time in Scotland since meeting Andrew 12 years ago, I don't know this area at all, so it was a great opportunity to explore somewhere new.
Andrew, Alan and I ran together for the first few sections. These were mostly along good quality cycle trails, stopping first at Nethy Bridge, and then on to Grantown-on-Spey. From here, we headed along the Dava Way for a short section, past Castle Grant (after which Grantown-on-Spey gets it's name) to do a loop around to cross over the River Spey to CP3 at Cromdale.
The next section was one of the big climb sections, up over the Cromdale Hills. Although tough, I loved this part, the weather was fantastic and the views were so beautiful (unlike when we recced it a few weeks back, when the only view was clouds). The 1 km uphill bog didn't even seem so bad as last time (green radioactive looking bog still there!), but nonetheless, the bogs were nice and full from a storm earlier in the week.
Vertical bog completed, we reached the highest point on the route (1910 feet), took in the views, and then began the nice long descent to CP4 at Ballacorach. From a quick stop at CP4 (delicious marmite and butter sandwich!) it was off along the side of the River Avon valley to CP5 at Tomintoul.
At CP5 was the first Kit Check. This was a random check, and your item was picked by pulling a ping-pong ball with different kit items written on them out of a box. Mine was "first aid kit" which I was delighted about, as a) as my number one item of use, it's always at the top of my bag, thus easy to locate, and b) I was 33 miles in, and hadn't need to use it yet.
Inside the CP I met Sammy (my cousin) who was also doing the event, so it was good to catch up over some pizza. It was also the moment that I learnt of an as yet undiscovered culinary technique (demonstrated by Dr Rob) of cooling down a hot bowl of cheese and tomato pasta by adding orange squash.
From here, we retraced a bit of the route out of the CP, before starting the climb up to Carn Daimh. The sun was starting to drop, and the air felt cool and still, and as the sunlight hit the trees it seemed to send sparkles through the early evening.
The summit of Carn Daimh was a lovely moment.
From here, it was a nice downhill on an excellent trail all the way down past the Glenlivit Distillery (the air permeated with the smell of malt, along with a disturbing increase in number of midges).
Just as we came into the CP at Glenlivit (for some delicious soup!) the sun was starting to set, filling the sky with a kaleidoscope of colours and clouds.We got out our headtorches ready for darkness to fall at some point on the next part, and then set off with Dr Rob on the next section, which was mostly along lanes and some forest tracks. Almost made it to the next CP at Recletich Farm before we needed torches - it was almost 11pm, I couldn't get used to how late it stayed light! This was half way, so celebrated with a half way croissant and a strawberry yoghurt in a barn, and very nice it was too.
The next section took us through Glen Harnes, and then the Glach-en-Ronak Pass. Alan and I had a slight navigational mishap (but an LDWA 100 is not complete without some "bonus miles"!). Back on track, we continued on. I realised on this section, that it really wasn't seeming that dark at all, despite it being after midnight. I think it was only completely dark for 2 or 3 hours, and even then there seemed always to be an orange glow on the horizon.
We arrived at the next CP at 56 miles in Dufftown, which is known as the "Whiskey Capital of the World" and has eight distilleries in the town - so what a great place to end up on a Saturday night! This was the "Breakfast Checkpoint" where we had access to our bags transported from the start, a foot care section complete with foot baths and bubble bath (really!!), and breakfast. Alan went for the full Scottish (haggis included), and I opted for an egg, a hash brown, and a piece of toast. I changed my shoes and socks and my top (it was Saturday night after all, got to make an effort) and felt instantly restored to something like what might pass as normal (in the very loosest sense).
We set off towards Aberlour, past the impressive Balvenie Castle, which was looking suitably shadowy and mysterious in the darkness. We then ticked off a couple more distilleries (Glenfiddich and Balvenie), before picking up the Speyside Way again to reach Aberlour.
Then it was along some more miles of the Speyside Way (which was following the track of the old Strathspey railway line at this point), past another four distilleries (I was starting to loose track, but remember Knockando because it has the best name, and is also pink), to the next CP at one of the old railway stations at Tamdhu, the sun rising along the way.
The next section was also similar, reaching Advie (seeing Dimi along the way!).
On leaving Advie, I knew the next part would be difficult, having recced it. It started with a long hill up through Knockfrink Woods, before dropping down to what was probably only actually a couple of miles through farmland, but which felt like at least 500, maybe more. The farmer has rerouted the Speyside Way around their land, following what I think is the top of an old wall, so the path is made of random rocks and stones at jaunty angles, interspersed with grass, and holes, and booby-trapped holes covered in thin layer of grass and moss. To make this even more exciting and perilous, each time (which will be frequent) you lurch off a rock at an awkward angle, you will end up disturbingly close to the barbed wire fence which encloses the narrow path on each side. After my encounter with barbed wire and A+E earlier this year, I have developed very strong negative views on barbed wire (but I'll save that for another blog - something to look forward to!!). Just in case there was anyone left who had not lost the will by this point, and was still managing to hold together some form of composure, the farmer had kindly added in chain stiles every so many meters. If you didn't open these quite wide enough, you would crack a knee cap on the solid metal on entering, and/or get smacked on the back of the leg on leaving these evil inventions. To make this even worse, many of them were broken, so they were completely pointless at keeping out any animals (of which there were none, anyway), and the one which the escaped cow destroyed on the recce was still broken. By the time (considerably later) that I arrived at the farm, navigated about 20 gates the farmer had installed to get across a tiny bit of land near the farm yard, climbed another great lump of a hill to the top of a forest, remembered the track down the other side of the forest was made of spiteful sharp rocks, re-joined the railway line and gone along a never ending mile of this to the CP at Cromdale, I was feeling all out of enthusiasm. But, as had happened all through the event, the marshals were incredibly kind and upbeat, and had my water bottle filled up and a snack in hand in a jiffy, and with some encouraging words I was off on my way again, to tackle the last three parts of the route.
The next part was 3.7 miles back to Grantown-on-Spey, lots of this through forest. I was getting a few, not what I would say were hallucinations, but more thinking I was seeing things moving in the periphery of my vision by that point, but when I looked directly, there was nothing there. I was on my own for this section, but it wasn't lonely or frightening, more that I just felt at one with the forest, and that things were happening all around, and I was just floating through it and being part of it. All a bit "woo"! It was a nice peaceful feeling. I did get a bit confused about the route quite a few times on that part, so being "woo" isn't totally helpful for being on the ball for successful navigation through small forest tracks.
Then it was another 7 miles along the railway line on the Speyside Way, which just really dragged and seemed to take forever to get anywhere. Luckily, my Mum and Dad and Auntie were at the CP, and it was run by Dave and Meriam and their team, so it was huge fun and a great laugh, and really cheered me up! There was even a monk there!
From here, it was about 10km back to the finish at the Boat of Garten, mostly on tracks through the Abernethy Forest (a Caledonian pine forest). This forest, like so many along the route, is just magical. The colours are so vibrant, everything just "pops".
I saw my Mum, Dad and Auntie again who were walking to the Osprey Centre, which was another big boost. It had been raining for a few hours by then, and about 2 miles before the end it got a lot harder, so it was a rain soaked run in to the finish! Such a good surprise to see Jennifer with Rosie, Kyle and Lucy at the end of the long road in to the finish, and for the pacing to the end, and the fabulous sign!!
At the end - a hot shower, clean clothes, macaroni cheese and a few cups of sweet tea, chatting and catch ups.
Only three blisters, one midge bite and a sore shoulder. No falling over and no tick bites. So all in all, not too much damage!
I don't think the LDWA 100 gets enough recognition for quite what an impressive event the organisers put on. It's a huge event, up to 500 entrants, and is run ENTIRELY by volunteers. The route is designed to show off the local area (different each year), and covers 100 different miles. It has 14 different checkpoints, plus a start and finish HQ location - and at each of these you could (actually, are encouraged) to eat your body weight in any number of delicious items of food, hydrate with a huge variety of drinks, and generally have a bit of time out and sort yourself out for the next section. Every single marshal at each CP is just amazing - being there for hours and hours, looking after every single person, chatting, cheering everyone up, and encouraging them on. It has 3 different start times, so as to be able to include all paces, and has a cut off of 48 hours. Tracking, medical support, transport for your half time bag, even a foot spa at half way! All this for £120. When you think of the hundreds, or even sometimes thousands, of pounds that some ultras cost nowadays, it's really remarkable. I would absolutely and unreservedly recommend it, and it's one of my top favourite events each year. Thank you North of Scotland LDWA and each marshal for a truly fantastic event! And congratulations to all participants! I absolutely loved it, and the memories are happily stored in my memory bank, to be replayed over again when in need of a smile.
