Astonishing Results On Wednesday...

[totalshell]

I and my brother walked the 6 miles up to loch eilde cottage for the two subs on wednesday. ( cottage is a bit grand its a semi derelict , mostly derelict building at the far end of the loch probably used by those that dammed the loch in 1916-18)

the weather was fine until the first riders arrived. refueling first at the fuel tent manned by two wet desert rats..

At that time the winds were approx. 30mph and the rain was HEAVY.

the three observers were huddled in a portable fishing bothy and had two of the easiest sections of the trial to observe. they ran consequteively and were about 40 yards in length total with a rise of 8 -10 feet in total.

from my experince these were certainly on a par with bradford and spen valleys beginners sections. most riders rode to the start took very basic advice form the two spectators ( me and brother) up the middle keep right aim for the left ends card ( they were that simple) and cleaned both sections without looking at them at all ( many didnt even dismount at the start)

i'd seen dougie ride probably 15 of the hardest sections of the trial before wednesday and he was faultless nay imperial.For dougie to drop 1 on the first and 3 on the third is astonishing in fact unbelievable! his son would have dropped less!

i personally didnt see him ride as we started the 2.5 hr walk back to the road! are these results really correct?

we were also at the next group of two sections at the kinlocleven end of loch eilde when the decsion was made to abandon the section due to the weather. the section was rideable but the health and safety of the observers was certainly at risk with the rain coming down like bullets and snow falling only a couple of hundred feet higher up the slope and abandoning the section was in the circumstances the correct decision. At the time half the riders were taking fives for the sections with one or two stalwarts making decent attempts for 3's although the observers reporeted that the sections earlier had been 'cleaned' but since then it was like a sluice had been opened and the section was described by a rider as white water rapids with the severe rockery barely visible.

my brother and i were well equipped with top quality wather proofs and a piece of equipment scorned by 'pro' hill walkers ie a bloody big brolly.. having been out in what must be the worst weather the trial has had in some years it highleighted another area the oirganisers may have to look further at. ensuring that the equipment the observers have is adequate.

on the first of the sections at the 'cottage' the three old hands sat in thier fishermans bothy with rubberised suits and were excellently protected from all the moor could throw at them. the other observers were less well prepared for the weather conditions ( although water proofs and large brollys were evident) Although the decsion to leave the section would and should have been the same the proctection afforded the observers could have been greater and perhaps the club might look at the portable fishermans bothy espectially for those remote sections with little or no cover from trees walls etc is available. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/carp-fishing-shelter...%3A1%7C294%3A50

Edited May 7, 2009 by totalshell

[totalshell]

now having had chance to review the days scores for wednesday a clear pattern emerges of the reason for the scores at loch eilde cottage no.s 1 to 90 were riding at the rear having had thier early days on mon tues.

i left the cottage to route march back to kinlochleven after approx. 100 riders had ridden the section and at this stage it was as described above very rideable with no white water. the rain at this point really started to fall and with a head wind we were soon walking into a toerential rain storm.

after an hour we were at the opposite end of the loch just as the observers were starting to discuss abandoning the section. the section was truely white water at that time and becoming difficult to see the rock climb at all behind the waterfall

if the amount of water in that section at that time was duplicated back at the 'cottage' then when dougie and others ( juan knight, andy cripps, harry L) then they must have faced a similer white water scenario.

the scores of riders no. 1 to approx. 90 refects this . riders at the head of the field 100 + all having very low or zero drop marks contrasting with those in the 50/60/70/80 having 5's and threes.

that the observers remained at thier posts is to there credit the fishing bothy no doubt making it slightly less of an upleasant experience. praise also to the two lads manning the fuelling point 50 yards away on the brow of the hill with no shelter but the refuelling tent it cant have been pleasant.