Hebridean Challenge - Day 4

Thursday: yes – an early start! Got Linda ready on her bike – her turn to do the swoopy road back to Tarbert, then tag Heather for hill run over peaks north of Tarbert, who was then to tag Linda again for (another!) road bike up to Abhainn Suidhe castle.

Meanwhile, P and G had a lazy morning (!) getting ready for their mt bike through the hills of North Harris. We’d decided on a tactical dumping of the big hill running time trial in order to save peoples’ legs so we could still get all required points (150) by end of Day 5 and not be hours behind all the other teams today. The dumped time trial was the peaks north of Abhainn Suidhe and south of Loch Resort (Ceartabhal, Tiroga Mor etc.) which I think Iona ended up doing on her own in Team 70% last year.

Meanwhile, I was dropped back at my boat at top of West Loch Tarbet for a timed race (set off as our road bikes came into the checkpoint) to Abhainn Suidhe. The idea was that either road bike or kayak tagged the time trial hill runner at Abhainn Suidhe (only about 4 teams put up time trial hill runner but all kayaks and road bikes still did their race legs). Some of the slower kayakers had fast road bikers in their teams and vice versa so I was left chatting on start line with James, Callum, Anthony until Linda stormed in and set me off – at least having slower kayakers ahead meant we had someone to chase but after catching two people it was then a long hard slog up the Loch – beautiful and very calm again but monotonous. It’s quite nice to be able to see where you’re going from the start but it doesn’t half make it seem slow as the land around changes only every so slightly as you slog your guts out and the bum starts screaming in pain (didn’t seem to get my seat pad right this year or maybe my bum is less padded than in the past!). Also – it was much the same view we had enjoyed day before on cruise back from Taransay!! Finally the inlet to Abhainn Suidhe appeared, Anthony cruised past me and I slogged it out to the line trying to catch the slowest of the solo paddlers. Head down so hard I almost missed seeing the castle! Very welcome rest, chat to Linda – her bum sore too from all the road biking. She had brilliant idea of asking Woody and the other safety boat crew if they would give a few of the bikers a lift back to Tarbert (they were now meant to cruise back on road bikes, having finished race leg). Of course they said yes and loaded up bikes and bikers for a wild ride back to checkpoint M32 (inlet north of Tarbet where Abhainn Suidhe road joins main road up centre of Harris). We kayakers of course still had to slog along on another “cruise” – effectively same one as yesterday, back to same checkpoint where buses were waiting and mt bikers setting off on the mt bike time trial. Again I struggled – convinced I was going to fall asleep and fall in!

Finally made it to the bus, saw Pyro cycling up side of Loch to start of mt bike time trial and Gordon went off a bit later. Then drive with H and L up to next checkpoint – end of mt bike time trial to await our two triallers. Nice place to stop at top of Loch Seaforth and a good long break to get fed and changed for my new activity (splitting road bike time trial with Heather) – Pyro to do kayak leg later in day. Gordon won the battle of the time triallers and came in looking suitable muddy and knackered. Pyro soon after also looking knackered – for a while I thought I might have to jump back into kayak later to keep Pyro alive but he rallied (as youngsters do!!). Heather off on road bike after a slight hiatus with screw falling out of cleat on her shoe – rapid change of footwear (Nonie to Heather and Pyro to Nonie – similar sized feet in a Heb team is a big advantage!!). Chased H up the road in the bus and she seemed to be going well. Stopped in our allotted layby and I got ready on side of road to take over on same bike as she leapt off. Worked well and I got my head down and chased the Friends of Ghengis biker ahead. A few hills heading north then turned west and started to blast along the red road towards Berneray and Uig. Kept catching FoG biker on the hills then he would get away from me on the downhills – most odd and frustrating. Finally settled in behind him (not allowed to draft on time trial so I just sat close enough to get some shelter from the (inevitable and ubiquitous) head wind). Finally got past him after Berneray turn-off and left him behind after he’d drafted me for a bit. So good to change activities and feel I could really push at something – and completely different sitting position so even my bum was fine! Feeling really strong and came screaming in to check point M37 to carry on up the side road to Hotel Scaliscro at end of which Gordon was meant to be waiting to be tagged – to realise Gordon and Heather were leaping around beside the van, not ready!! They had all been asleep or chatting. Meandered along yellow road until Gordon caught me up on his bike, then speeded down to end, saw G set off on his hill run and pushed his bike back out along out to van, while riding mine (one controlled crash when I realised I couldn’t reach brake one-handed and decided that ending up in a heap on the sphagnum with bikes on top of me was safest option).

Drive round to await Gordon coming off his hill run – decided to split this section with L doing a road bike bit in middle to relieve G’s tired legs. Waited and waited. Checked and checked that we were in right place. An hour went by – very pleasant, sunny, beautiful spot, but we’d thought Gordon would be much less than an hour. An hour and half – Heather saw movement at top of hill (Gordon?) but then nothing more for ten minutes. Then Robin from One.Tel came marching across the bog below us from completely the wrong direction (?) shouting at someone on her mobile phone to fetch the bus in to meet her (we thought mobiles weren’t allowed!). Then more movement of sheep and Gordon appeared – very knackered, had got lost, set off too fast after I woke him up from his slumbers and never quite got himself orientated! Jumped in bus while Linda linked G’s running legs with (another!) road bike up to final check point just south of Gt Bernera. Drove bus on to Gt Bernera realising that we were now going to be late for Pyro and his portage out of sea into fresh water loch at old Norse Mill just east of Breacleit. Realised how slow our brains were becoming with exhaustion and lack of sleep – 3 of us had been sitting waiting for Gordon for an hour and half while we could easily have driven up to Gt Bernera (or biked) and dropped someone off to help with portage. Drove up leaving Linda and Gordon at last check point, H dropped me off to run across moor and just miss Pyro and his portage by about 5 minutes. He had (gallantly) yomped across moor in his full canoe gear and wet suit booties to stop the clock as we weren’t there to help with portage. I raced after him, missed again (he was now on his way back to kayak) and finally caught up with him to help with mini-portages in middle of paddle down Loch nan Geadraisean. One.Tel doing similar manoeuvres – this was where Matt their paddler managed to “swim” while trying to get back in boat after a shallow bit (he too had had to yomp along moor in canoe kit!). Final portage across into Loch Breacleit to find H waiting for swim and L also arrived on bike to help. Sprint around the Loch while H swam and Pyro supported – to help at northern end with final portage and run up to community hall and finish. G in from last leg of run. Good finish and good fun despite some rather rocky organisation in final hour or two!

Final night of planning with cotton wool for brains and slightly frayed nerves and tempers. Very good food again – even left out Clouttie dumpling for breakfast. Crash.

Go to Day 5.