Ben Lomond on 10 May

[Ady In Accy]

Any English runners planning on going up for this event? Entries online only at http://www.racentries.com/
95 places left at time of this posting.
Need to book a day off work to attend so will check hloiday status next week and then hopefully enter. If anyone else is planning on going up and back same day and would like to car share stick somthing on the thread as parking is very limited (and petrol for a 500 mile journey expensive!!).
Anyone done it and got any advice or tips?

[Richard Head]

I've done this twice Ady but wont be going up this year. Most of the route is on a good path similiar to Skiddaw or Snowdon. No navigation is needed as it is straight up and down. The only time you leave the path is a short section where you cut a corner and near the summit where you go up a diferent way to the descent. From what i remember both these sections were flagged.

As long as you get there in plenty of time you should get parked OK, we had no problems. Just follow the road past the pub where the Registration/Start & Finish are and you come to the car park after a couple of hundred yards.

[Trossachs?]

Like Rick Head (sic) said above there shouldn't be any navigation problems with a big crowd and only 3.5 miles or so each way. However there is a kit check!

Crowded start until you reach the open hill, the bad step is fine on the way up. Two biggish off path sections on the way up, first straight after the half way fence and then from the base of the summit cone, including a steep climb over a bouldery section to gain the final ridge. Then the fun begins if you like suicidal descents (and I like this one!). Runnable tourist path, with scary steps and perilous in the wet. Plenty to trip and slip on as you tire, then two off path sections to slide on.

The bad step is horrible on the way down when you are tired and in a rush, but I dont think thats where people have been injured usually.

Always a couple of dramatic falls somewhere, and save something for the final flat 400m of tarmac, a killer straight after a 3000ft descent.

I wont race this year but hope to be marshaling on the hill so see you there.

Jason