The Final Run Out

Our final night out for the trip also provided us with some of the coldest conditions.  We headed out in clear weather with the sun already dipping behind the mountains.  We were heading out into the same valley to that of previous nights, and our aim was to be in before sunset, intending to conduct some final checks of kit and equipment and to give Gavin Campbell, our accompanying cameraman-director, another opportunity to capture some of our training and experiences on film; although one could argue we were more of a hindrance than a help in his quest for the ultimate shot!

The ski out went well, helped by the fact that much of the route had now been ‘piste bashed’ for a cross-country route making the going relatively easy.  In no time we were back at our familiar camp location with the tent up and stove on.  The other essential activity which we had to conduct during this outing was to eat the remaining 8 main meals we had yet to try – an undertaking in itself!  But these final taste tests would inform the final meal selection which we would eat on the expedition.

The meals which needed to be eaten (or tasted at least) were, Savoury Minced Lamb, Chicken Korma, Chicken Jalfrezi, and Fish and Potato with Parsley Sauce for dinner and for breakfast, believe or not, Kung Po Chicken with Noodles, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Savoury Mince and Rice…….of which 3 made the final list….. Spag Bol, Fish and Potato and finally Kung Po Chicken.  Time will now decide if we were right in our food selection!

As we did some final checking of kit the temperature started to fall very quickly to around minus 20, which although is warmer than we expected to experience on the trip, still felt cold.  However we had Gavin’s presence to keep us occupied, as he attempted to conduct in depth interviews and we behaved as we normally do! Gavin subsequently said that he managed to obtain some excellent footage, but that only about 5% of it is ‘broadcastable.’

The remainder of the time was spent skiing up and down the valley providing some ‘b-roll’ for Gavin (and we don’t know what it is either!) and just ensuring that we were familiar and confident in our kit choices.  In all a very successful trip out which re-enforced a number of the lessons from the previous outings.

Gavin - our intrepid cameraman

Easy pulling along a freshly groomed piste

Matt deciding on what to listen to

Jules working to get the pulk up a steep incline

In the sleeping bag on a cold night

Matt about to get in his sleeping bag

Waiting for artistic direction from Gavin

What it is all about!

The Immersion Suit

This afternoon was one we had been dreading – the test of the new Brenig immersion suit.  This big yellow human shaped bag is designed to be put on over your clothes allowing you to get into the water and swim across open stretches.  The temperature down at our chosen test lake hovered just below -10 and it was an experience!

However, the suit did exactly what it says on the tin – it allowed us to go for a swim…….now looking forward to using it in anger next year.

Getting ready.....

It was as cold as it looks!

Matt trying to swim - on his back

Adopting the position - if only because it was the only one we could adopt!

Yep its cold water

Jules dressed to go for a swim

Jules demonstrating the arm waving motion

The real question is why?

And this doesnt answer the question!

Administration Rehearsals – Training for Monotony

After a morning of packing kit and equipment into 2 sleds we, accompanied by a cameraman director (Gavin Campbell freelancing on this project for BFBS), headed into the relative wilderness, and higher altitude for our next night out.  The aim of this short trip was to rehearse what we would do at the end of the day and at the start of each morning, and would involve us going through the monotony of stopping often, putting up the tent, putting kit into the tent to the point of getting the stove ready to go – and then reversing the process and getting the kit packed away.  The difficulty we faced was using training pulks did not exactly replicate what we would be doing but its the start of the process.

As expected Matt called ‘prep to move’ ahead of the discussed time, and as the snow had been falling heavily all day we were unable to get our wagon up the hill to where we had hoped to start.  But as there was a good covering off snow it allowed us to haul the sleds up and out of the resort and onto local tracks leading to the valley we intended to train in. 

We hauled for over 3 hours, in places through knee-deep snow, until we found a suitable area to set-up camp.  Before setting up the tents we attempted to compact about a metre of powder snow to give us a firm base.  Then the fun started, the tent which we had brought out for Gavin to use, proved to be complex, which given we were attempting to put up in virtual blizzard and being filmed, made us look somewhat comical.  But then came our tent, which we had up in less than 3 minutes, 5 minutes later the stove was on, and Jules settled in ready to cook.  The evening’s delights were Mild Beef Curry, Beef and Ale Stew and Beef and Potato Hotpot.  As before the routine was 2 mouthfuls each before rotating the meals to ensure we got to taste, and subsequently rate (out of 10) each one – Beef and Ale Stew = 7, Mild Beef Curry = 7, Beef and Potato Hotpot = 6.  For dessert it was Chocolate and Orange Rice Pudding (scored 7) and Rice Pudding with Fruit (scored 7).  After a hot drink it was to bed for 9pm!!  There isn’t much to do out there after nightfall.

In the morning we were up at first light, ate breakfast and melted snow for our water bottles for the day ahead.  The temperature was hovering at minus 16 and the sky was clear.  We could see the sun on some distant mountains but we would not experience any of the sunshine until in made its way into the deep valley, which would not be for some hours. 

After breaking camp we continued up the valley.  We had chosen this particular valley as it was a perfect area for us to haul the sleds, get used to the boots, skis and allowing us to rehearse our daily administration – tent up, stove on, kit in and then the reverse.  We spent the day shuttling up and down the valley doing exactly this, fine-tuning our drills, which also enabled the cameraman director to get some good footage of us.

By around 4pm we had achieved all we could in the day and so we headed back to Courchevel before nightfall.  The trek back was easier going then the day before as we re-used our tracks through the snow.  All in all another successful night out, experimenting with clothing and equipment and getting used to hauling in the boots and skis, more food tasted, and a 2-man routine established for setting up camp.

Training in the Alps - the onset of snow

Matt discussing Arctic footwear

Waiting for the cameraman!

Atmospheric shots

Sorting kit

The long haul into the training valley

Snow!

Jules being filmed cooking dinner and nearly setting the tent on fire!

Breakfast in the open.....

to allow Gavin Campbell to film

Training in Courchevel - Sunday 28 November

The long sloe drag to the hut.

-10 and still sweating.

Taking in the view.

The view from the hut.

Playing with cameras.

Cooking dinner.

Fresh snow in the morning.

Breakfast.

Training in Courchevel - Sunday 28 November - Jules

We set off mid-afternoon heading for a small stone hut positioned directly opposite the apartment but on the other side of the valley.  The hut was to be our abode for the night.  It was our first run-out with the majority of the equipment.  As we were only heading out for one night we managed to limit ourselves to a day-sack each and a small pulk between us but still we had skis, poles, snow-shoes, sleeping systems, stoves, cameras, mugs and bowls; most of which we were yet to use.  We skied, rather precariously, down a track to the bottom of the valley before removing the skis and starting the climb up the other side to the hut.  Fortunately I think our recent dragging of tyres paid-off as, although breathing hard from altitude, we were making steady progress, taking it in turns to haul the pulk.  The temperature was already around -6 but the drag up was enough to get us sweating.

Once at the hut, various layers of warm kit went on, and welcome beer was cracked open (who said we had to be dry!).  The hut was cold, outside was marginally colder.  Matt very kindly assigned me the task of sweeping out the hut while he quickly set up the tripod and camera to start capturing our first experience of the training trip and the relative cold.  We stood and took in the view before sparking up the stove to tryout some of the meals.  The menu was 2 meals to share, Chicken Chaussuer and Chicken Tikka with Custard and apple and berrys and custard for desert – a few spoonfuls each before swopping and then when finished they assigned a score out of 10.  It was 8 (possibly a 9) for the Chaussuer and 7 for the Tikka, both surprisingly good and filling.  After another beer and a quick spin on the snowshoes it was time to test the sleeping bags.  It was now -10, still some 20 to 30 degrees warmer than the temperatures we will endure on the way to the pole.

The sleeping bags proved to be very hot, which was reassuring.  Mid-way through the night I awoke, far to warm and had to undo the zips, as well as remove my hat.  In the morning on speaking to Matt he confessed he had done the same, but had completely stripped off.

The trip back to the apartment was interestingly as we had to negotiate fairly steep slopes with the pulk.  Matt was hauling and I was steadying it from behind using a tail trace to stop it from running Matt down.  Once the long haul back up the other side of the valley was complete we were soon back to the apartment sorting the equipment out and getting ready for a short run, followed by a snowshoeing session up a down-hill slope.

A good easy run out with the kit.  The temperatures still do not compare to what we will have to endure when the expeditions starts, but simple drills training on our equipment, for example the stoves, will pay dividends later.

West Highland Way - The December 2009 Attempt

The following was written following our first attempt to run the West Highland Way (North to South) in Dec 09.  What will be interesting is how our next attempt pans out in a few weeks time!

Back in November 2009, I decided that I needed to kick start our training for the expedition.  So with 3 weeks notice, our somewhat ambitious plan was to complete the route of the West Highland Way in under 30hrs, although I was privately hoping that we would complete the 96 miles in about 26 hours.  We decided to to run the route north to south, as it was felt that it would be easier to get home from Glasgow rather than from Fort William especially given the inevitable sore legs which would be crammed into a mini-bus.  Although the plan envisaged the 3 man running team moving through a series of checkpoints along the route, the checkpoints being administered by our support team who would ensure that we had sufficient food and water.  However, as should have been expected, the execution of the plan was somewhat different.

Leg 1 Fort William to Kinlochleven – 14miles (Ascent 735m / Descent 737m).  

The team started running in darkness with the initial part of the route along a road, although it was not long before we began an inevitable climb.  As the sun started to rise, it became clear just how much snow there was on the hills around us.  The route was clearly marked, but more worryingly we all found it difficult to keep our running speed down, although the Garmin GPS 405 training watches (kindly loaned to us by Garmin)  helped to ensure that we were able to gauge our speed accurately and slow down.  We passed just 2 walkers on this first leg, buy more importantly the weather remained dry although very cold.  Arriving at Kinlochleven, the support team had expertly set up a mini café, with seats, hot food and drinks.  We quickly attempted to eat and administer our feet, before the inevitable call was made to start running again.  

Leg 2 Kinlochleven to Kingshouse – 9miles (Ascent 423m / Descent 659m).  

The route out of Kinlochleven is a steep climb along a fire track past a water station to the start of the path which leads to Glencoe and the Devils Staircase.  We made good time along the fire track, although once we started on the footpath we were slowed down by the conditions underfoot, with snow, slush and ice preventing any real speed.  The route was clearly marked but the weather conditions made it hard going.  Once on the Devils Staircase, we had Kinghouse in view and we made good progress in expectation of (and very much needed as we were all cold) hot food.  However, and for very good reasons, the support team had moved the location of the RV a mile further up the route, which caused a drop in morale and the requirement for us to walk from Kingshouse to the new RV.  The RV was at the start of the short climb up to Rannoch Moor, the leg which was filling us with most dread given its notorious and frequently changing weather.  The support team had plenty of hot (in fact too hot) drinks and food ready for us, although i was less interested in eating and more interested in getting started again.  A quick change of running tops and after 15 mins we started again.

Leg 3 Kingshouse to Inveroran – 10miles (Ascent 336m / Descent 270m).  

The route across Rannoch Moor was the one, which at the start that filled us with most dread.  However, although the weather started to change and we started to experience intermittent snow, sleet and then finally rain, we made very good time across the moor.  We arrived at Inveroran to find that the support team had just woken up from some sleep, so the planned food stop was quickly scrapped in favour of a larger meal (of fish and chips) at Tyndrum.  We changed tops again to warmer running jackets and got the head torches ready.  The weather was also starting to deteriorate rapidly with snow falling in greeting amounts. 

Leg 4 Inveroran to Tyndrum – 11 miles (Ascent 358m / Descent 418m).  

Head torches were on from the start, and although we followed the road to Bridge of Orchy, the weather conditions were deteriorating quickly.  The path from Bridge of Orchy to Tyndrum follows an old military road along the route of an disused railway.  We made good progress, although we were all head down as the snow was being blown directly into our faces.  Head torches were in use throughout the leg, and although the weather conditions were against us we made good progress, despite a number of navigation mistakes.  On arrival at Tyndrum we quickly made our way down to the main road in search of the legendary fish and chip shop (which Jules had been talking about from the start of journey) where the support team were waiting.  The fish and chip shop was due to shut but the support team had talked them into staying open while we quickly ate some large and very impressive sized portions of food (although again I was struggling to eat and just wanted to get on with the run).  On leaving the café, Tony decided that he would not continue as he was struggling focusing on things; a stirling effort given his pace over the past leg where he was at the front for the duration.  This left Jules and I to quickly sort ourselves out before we set off again.

Leg 5 Tyndrum to Crianlarich – 6 miles (Ascent 248m / Descent 263m).  

The maps were out very quickly, as the route out from Tyndrum in the dark took some finding, although we were not lost we didn't necessarily know where the route was or where we were in relation to the route.  However once on the route we started to make good time.  However, the weather was continuing to deteriorate and after about 40 minutes, at another map check (where Jules was told where he was by the old lady who lived in the house we had stopped outside) we decided that the we would not continue and called for the support team to pick us up as we made our way to the main road.  The decision was not taken lightly but was made for a number of very good reasons, not least due to deteriorating weather.

Afterthoughts

It was clear afterwards that we needed to do a number of longer runs to prepare ourselves physically and mentally to complete the route.  None of this comes as any surprise and merely reinforces past experience.  Yet, having made the decision to attempt the route only 3 weeks before the start of the trip, I feel that we performed well given the obvious constraints.