NAV4: JRP
What an adventure, what a laugh
Our race plan was to 'make good decisions' race well and ... have a laugh! Ok, some moments weren't so funny but overall a happy and fun team completed five days racing around wonderful North Western Scotland based out of Inverness.
My team-mates were Eddie Winthrope, Alli Holland and Paul Taylor. I'd raced with Eddie in ITERA Wales in 2014, but both Alli and Paul were new to the NAV4 madness. It was Paul's first Expedition AR, and Alli's first for twelve years. Between us there was a lot of experience of Exped AR and a high degree of competency in all disciplines.
'Why NAV4: JRP?' Well this was tagged Joe's Retirement Party and I wanted to go out on a high. The route did not disappoint, neither my team-mates. Nick-named 'The Beast' due to his powerful Kayak wrangling, Paul was particularly impressive meshing into an experienced team and learning quickly.
Alli - 'Mini-Beast' probably has the best power to weight ratio of anyone in the race; just a shame she's only five stone piss wet through. Eddie, master technician, strategist and facilitator. I had three very good carers.
'Stage O'
Just a quick 5km trek around Dunrobin Castle prior to the kayak stage. Alli manages to fall over her own feet just metres after the start line, Eddie hurdles clear of her and we all fall about laughing.
'Close the two gates behind you' says Course planner Tom as well head off last up the road. Gate one was OK, but Gate two needed a complete re-hang and was a three person job.
Stage One - Paddle
Last into transition, but then all Ok really. No dramas. Paddled well, good technique from everyone, good lines and reading of the tidal water and so we made up many places. Transitioned calmly (had to tidy up other teams litter ...) and onto the Bikes.
All drafting well and taking turns on the front, we'd planned to drop CP1 and CP2 take the two 1 hour penalties, by using the road. The complex navigation and off-road route wasn't worth two hours.. Great work from the team as I just wasn't feeling on form, so they each take some weight out of rucsac; a kilo or two shared out made all the difference and I started to eat and drink more and recovered. Probably didn't do so on the paddle, and of course missed out on my mid-morning coffee!
I really started to enjoy the MTB ride and this is Cape Wrath Ultra route country. The late afternoon view up towards Suilven was stunning with it looking super steep end on. I had been up Suilven a year ago and it had crossed my mind that it would be pomposterious to cross such a wild beak area in an Exped race. especially by Kayak, but here we were;
Stage Three - Paddle
Back on the Boats, easy twilight paddling achieving approximately 5kph on calm water. (Leaders fast estimate for this 55km leg being stated as ten hours!)
The route connected together a series of Lochans strung along a geological line. Suilven is a magical hill and a 600 metre climb about halfway of this 15km stage. About three hours were spent up and down the hill, all in the dark and a bit rainy and breezy, but generally OK. However, the 'portaging' of kayaks in between the lochans was just awful. I'd expected rough grass, perhaps, sodden and boggy so that you could easily tow the boats on wet grass, but the route took us through some very rough boulder fields and was not at all flat. The rocks were sharp and whilst there were tiny wee trods occasionally they were useless when Beating the Boats across them.
Finally, we get out to the Northern road and complete another few kms relatively easily on undulating tarmac. Eddie was feeling cold and sleepy; so it was his turn to be pampered and we had a 45 minute 'picnic' with the NAV4 Super Bothy bag in use for a power snooze, hot food and drink from the Jetboil (I also have an MSR 1.8 litre Windbuner in the team bag.) Off again for a few more road kms, then another paddle with increasing headwinds. Landing on the next headland was tough, as there was another steep portage then another wee lochan, then another 400m heather bashing up to the road. Despite having made some portage hauling straps were were suffer hand injuries due to the physical effort involved.
Being world class racers, Team Macleod pulled slowly away from us, whilst we in turn passed another couple of teams who were looking decidedly ropey.
'Turn right at Isle of Mains' had said Tim, the Sea Safety Tech, and this is where the hard work started. Cutting straight across Loch Broom, a distance of 1.5km, which took nearly 90 mins of really hard effort. 'Team Mac' were perhaps a km ahead and we could just about make them out turning right along the shore into the wind. Apparently, the tide wasn't very strong against us but progress was very slow and soon Eddie voiced what I had been thinking for a few minutes.
'Looks like they are paddling back this way?' Yep, Team Mac had turn back and the were soon a few hundred metres away making thumbs down gestures. We shouted our agreement and headed back left and into a relatively sheltered and sunny but breezy bay.
Safely beached in the sheltered bay for a bit of a team conference with Team Mac, we were shortly joined by a third team, French I think. Pondering our options, the 6km 'upstream' paddle was just not going to happen at the moment, or the next few hours. I dug out the emergency safety phone (Nokia 108 - £13 inc £10 credit) and phoned Event Control. 'All three teams safe but considering options', I reported.
Not sure about the French, (after all the are French) but the obvious thing was to 'bail out' (no pun intended) and head for Ullapool. Hence a 5km 'downstream' leg, which we duly did in around and hour.
"Stage Ullapool"
This was an unexpected but necessary course of action, as this now put us out of the competitive race. However, just like 'Sound Mountain Judgement' on the mountains, Sound Water Judgement was used.
There were many teams further behind us in the race and many had abandoned further up the coast. Open Adventure and Paul McGreal as event coordinator did a fine job of booking a coach at 4:30pm and we were all bused around to Transition that evening.
We were to be picked up by MPV. You had to have a bit of a chuckle when a eight seater MPV was sent to collect us and Team Macleod. Yes, as that's eight seats including the driving. 'Ok, I'll stay and wait with the kayaks and for the kayak guys.' So another pint and a snooze on the pier for me.
It was Chris Gazeley's infamous 'International Kayak Rescue Team' who picked me up. I helped load the boats a bit but kept out of the way as they have their system and I was a bit of a zombie, and hence a liability.
A twenty mile drive around to transition followed. 'So, what will your team have done this evening Joe?' asked Chris. 'Hopefully sorted the kit, put the tent up, made a plan, and will hand me a cup of tea when I arrive' said I. And so they did. I was asleep in minutes.
Up for 3am?
Trek the road for 4km eating breakfast then a good strong climb over Antshallach.
Moving well on the rough ground , navigating with ease and all appear cruising. Paul takes as tumble and I heard a crack, 'Broken pole?' ... 'Yep, broken pole.' No other dramas. Mandatory controls and short route option taken as we need to make up time.
Kinlochewe - Transition
Transition onto Bikes after an hours tentage in transition. This is a clever way to ensure each team has a proper tent and to encourage them to sleep, maybe.
Off on the road with a buoyant French team who wanted to ride with us, but three a breast on these single track roads, and them not really taking turns wasn't working for me. Eddie our diplomat thought they wanted to work together navigationally as well, but they were younger and faster than us and I was happy to see them go.
Another night fall as we ascend an easy fast forest track route over the Bealach and down into Strath Carron. Unfortunately in started to rain, and so the fast forest descent and then main road down the Strath made us all very wet and cold.
We needed to find shelter and 'gear up'. As we rode we sized up any possible shelter, an open empty garage, bus stop or similar would be ideal. There's a few houses, sone with dim lights glowing through curtained windows but we're too desperate, yet.
Then I remembered that Strath Carton has a station, and what's more, The Strathcarron Hotel right next door. We weren't the first team to make use of his bolt hole. The handful of late night drinkers had been watching the trackers and knew much about the race. Wet and cold, the bar staff sensibly waved us through to the hardwood floor of the pool room, which became our haven for 30mins or so. A round of Hot Chocolates were great, so great I wanted another,
Never pass up the chance to sit on a toilet. That, plus the Exped AR need to multi-task, means I came back into to order a second hot drink wearing a complete set of dry base layers plus mid layer, ready for an epic night. A second round of Hot Chocolates would have been too rich, so tea was ordered. Unfortuately, I don't think the 'well oiled, well meaning barman' had made tea before. It seemed to be warm water mixed with milk powder and tea; Ok, warm and wet, but it repeated on my constantly as we biked climbed over the next watershed.
I'd ridden up here a few Summers ago. I'd bike-packed into a bothy and knew the climb was a tough rough and steep zig-zag. Steep enough to have me walking, pushing and retching. The others seemed to be be spinning up easily.
Previously, I'd biked off North East from the Bealach but our route head South East, on what looked like a reasonable bridleway track. It was very dark, raining and I was starting to suffer. I was sleepy and the track deteriorated. It might have been rideable in daylight but not in the dark, rain and with many other teams having churned it up in front of us.
My new bike, although comfy is a tall frame, and with quite skinny slick tyres I wasn't enjoying this descent. It also seemed to go in for ever. I was conscious that I wasn't contributing to the team effort, concentrating on keeping myself upright, sane and 'ungrumpy'.
I was out front, pushing more than freewheeling, and trying to read the map. Didn't want to lead us the wrong way and checked the compass frequently. Another gate, another, boggy stream crossing. I remember crossing a footbridge and the swollen 'burn' appearing to flow the wrong way. Compass out, double check. 'Yep, that's right were here....only here'
I kept looking back, count three sets of headlights, yep, all here. Paul's bringing up the rear, Alli and Eddie appear Ok in the middle. I'm aware Paul is suffering but, we all are to some extent and there's, no crossed words. It's Churchillian ....keep pushing on, no point stopping.
Paul later told me his wire cable clamp dial on his bike shoes weren't gripping due to the mud, so in essence he's riding in Crocs. Plus his bike light was flopping about on the handlebars.
Eventually, we reach the tarmac at the road head. Yay! Enjoy the smooth sleek riding whilst you can. N-i-c-e but quickly soporific.
After few miles of undulating tarmac and I was very sleepy, weaving down the road with one eye closed in turn. Alli is alongside me and aware. She shouted to Eddie, 'Stop Now!' or similar and miraculously we find an open barn with a bail of straw. Quickly, I'm sat on the warm straw in the barn, team mates either side, NAV4 Super Bothy over the top of us and set the alarm' for 25mins sleep.
To be continued......
Q: Will they ever wake Up?
Q: Will Joe fall off his bike?
Q: Why does Eddie's finger look like it should have it's own Viz magazine story?
Find out on 3rd March, in Part Two.
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