Facing The Challenge - The Donard Hat Trick

I'll start this post with a caveat, I haven't completed this challenge, in fact if I'm totally honest I haven't even attempted it really!  I have however come up with a tough new testpiece and developed a fair idea of how spectacularly hard it is so I thought I'd throw down the gauntlet to anyone who wants to take it on.

The Mournes skyline, Donard is the big pointy one

Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's highest mountain stands at 853 metres tall and towers over the seaside town of Newcastle, County Down.  It forms the centrepiece of the iconic Mourne Mountains skyline which can be viewed from miles around and inspired Percy French's famous poetry.  In ancient times the summit was said to be the home of Saint Donard who provided the name for this spectacular lump of granite. 

In real terms 853m barely makes it a mountain really but the proximity to the coast and the relentless gradient of the main walking track make it an enticing challenge for hikers, charity walks, people in flip flops with a bottle of Lucozade and all sorts of others.  A clear view of the summit from the comfort of Newcastle's many cafes seems to have the effect of dragging the foolish and unprepared towards it in a frenzy of summit fever, keeping the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team busy and teaching some harsh truths about the mountains to the uninitiated.

Personally, I'm not uninitiated, I'd like to think I know the mountains well.  I've been up Donard many times in near 30 degree heat (honest), howling blizzards, daytime, nighttime, racing, training and so on.  In fact, it's got to the stage where I don't really consider running up and down Donard once to be much of a challenge and that's where the hat-trick idea originally came from.

My Mourne Wall efforts in the Summer set me looking for new challenges but the onset of Winter and a rare attack of sense have kept me away from the Mourne 500 (more on that to come).  I wanted something controllable and safe but also horrifically difficult whilst also being theoretically possible, easy!  A while back I read an account of someone doing ten ascents of Donard in a day and that set me thinking, what about ten timed ascents with a target to beat?  I quickly realised that my boredom threshold would prevent this becoming a reality but what about something shorter, quicker and slightly less ridiculous, what about three sprint ascents?

A few years ago I read with shock that people actually run up and down Donard in less than an hour. It was even more of a shock when I realised that I was also capable of being one of those people!  I regularly run it for training in just over the hour mark and so my triple ascent time target needed to be close enough to the hour to be very tough but not so close as to be unachievable.  I settled on 70 minutes for each circuit, a total of 3 1/2 hours, non stop, starting and finishing in Donard car park each time.  There are different routes available and even on the Donard race consensus is split between heading up the main walking track or dragging over bog and moorland up the steeper but half mile shorter Black Stairs route.  Personally I think the Black Stairs are quicker but for the sake of not falling off a cliff I decided to make the rules strictly main track only, up and down.  This makes one lap 5 miles with over 5500 feet of combined ascent and descent, possibly one of the toughest runnable 5 mile laps anywhere!

Rules decided, the only thing left was to slap on the Inov8's, eat a bar and get going...

Except it's madness!  70 minutes is a pretty respectable time for a main track lap when only doing one, surely it's not possible to maintain that pace over the three?  I decided the best way to find out was to do two laps first and see what effect it had.  So it was that I found myself jogging up the rooty initial track after work on a grey November afternoon.  I was keen to maintain a steady pace so I didn't really push myself, summiting in just under 46 mins and not really sprinting the way back down.  I was hoping for about 1:08 so was pretty annoyed with myself when my warm up lap was actually 1:12:40, way off the average target for the three laps!  No problem I thought, I'll push hard on the second lap and make the time up.  Wrong!  As casual as the first lap seemed, even keeping within my limits clearly took its toll and despite pushing hard my second lap lost me more time.  The increasing headwind which always funnels down the valley certainly didn't help the ascent and the impending darkness definitely slowed the descent, particularly in the forested end sections so the 1:16 second lap wasn't really a surprise.  Total two lap time, 2:28:15, over eight minutes off target, back to the drawing board!

For a while I pondered increasing the average time allowed to 1:15 but what's the point of moving the boundaries just because I'm not good enough to complete the challenge?  Better to keep trying until I can do it.  A different approach, less headwind and not doing it on a work day could maybe see me get closer to the target.  Two out of three isn't bad and so on a blustery Saturday morning I left the car park at a decidedly brisker pace.  The headwind was still a definite factor but despite not going too hard I still summitted in sub 43 and hit the bottom in 1:06:30, three and a half minutes banked and I could sniff a possibility!  The second lap was tough, the wind was really sapping and there is only so much motivation you can glean from the shocked expressions of the people you're passing for the second time on the way up.  I got to the top at 1:54:20, it was going to be close.  The initial descent is steep and littered with boulders, not the greatest combination for seized knees, creaking hips and tired quads so I maintained the best style I could and tried not to fall and smash myself.  Finally the wind became a friend as I stretched out my paces along the beautifully constructed mid section, skipping over rocks and driving as hard as I could over the short sprinty rises.  I kept the pressure up all the way to the bottom, only the early onset of cramp slowing me on the final car park sprint.  And the result was... 1:19:26!  On target for two laps, very pleased and yet even more daunted by the prospect of having just 1:10:34 to do the last lap with legs like rocks. 

Can I do it?  I don't know.  I didn't eat or drink on those two laps and obviously refuelling will be essential to complete the three but with a constantly running clock it will have to be done on the go either whilst panting hard going up or concentrating hard going down, not easy.  I feel close enough, and yet also far away enough to stay inspired by this one, pretty soon I'll go for the three laps and see what happens.

And that's where it stands.  Except I'd like to see this challenge achieved, not just by me, by anyone.  I've recently mentioned it to the elite of Mournes mountain runners and received a luke warm response so I'm throwing it open to all.  Ironmen, Mountain Marathoners, Endurance Cyclists, Mountain Bikers, if you are someone who thinks they're fit or know someone who thinks they're fit then get them to drop me a line and have an official attempt.  I'll be there at the finish to cheer you home and buy you a pint.  There must be someone out there who'll have a good dig at this... 

 

Contact ian@rockandrideoutdoors.com if you think you're up to the challenge and I'll give you all the info.

Cuillin Ridge Photos

Cuillin Ridge, Skye.

Having been away with Paul for a few days in Scotland and a quick return for some work I headed back to Scotland and teamed up with John Orr. Another few days in the Scottish Hills and since coming back home I've been hectic with work.

So photos for now and I'll have few words about one of the most fantastic places one can get to anywhere over the Christmas break.

Approaching last summit



Looking back on entire ridge



Have a wonderful Christmas and great climbing in 2013

Park Life - Yosemite!

Panoramic of Yosemite Valley!

Last week saw Marshall and myself give a few slideshows around the country.

Back in September/October of this year we had an extremely successful climbing trip to Yosemite. We went out with a short tick list that consisted of climbing 3 of the bigger and steep faces in the Valley: the Nose of El Capitan (In A Day), Half Dome via the NW Regular Route and Astroman on the Washington Column.

The trip started out slowly.  After travelling from Dublin - San Francisco, picking up the hire car and checking into Camp 4, we headed straight for Astroman. Not such a good idea!  By the top of pitch 3 we were completely out of water, climbing in the intense sunlight and totally wrecked from travelling non-stop!  With the infamous Harding Slot looming we both happy sacked it off for a nice swim in the Merced and to have a look at our 'tick list'.

Astroman in blazing sunshine!

Essentially we went back to the drawing board and made a plan.  Like Marshall said in a short video clip "it had been a 7 year hiatus".  I had to google it when I got home to see what it actually meant (a small difference in pitch between two musical tones) whatever that means but basically we needed to do a little Yosemite apprenticeship so not to get spanked again!

We got on some of the easier classics such as the 20 pitch Direct North Buttress on Middle Cathedral.   This Old Skool route follows a series of awkward and, at times, scary chimneys and flares.  We managed it in good time and style.  Next up was the 3 pitch Moratorium. Jono Redmond from Dublin was kicking about and with his partner injured from rock fall he was keen to hook up.  We got a pitch each with Marshall leading the last crux pitch.  There isn't much to hold onto if you have fat sausage fingers so Marshall had to battle!  Once at the top I told him it was onsight soloed by John Bachar - he could't believe it!  To keep the rhythm going we went for the West Face of El Cap, a 19 pitch gem on the western flanks of El Cap.  We went for the onsight and managed it with both of us getting loads of funky, awkward and varied pitches.  Now psyche was high and the list was ready to go down!

4am start for NW face of Half Dome.

Up first was the NW face of Half Dome.  We took a bivi at the base with the intention of getting it done in a day.  We got off to a great start arriving at the chimneys after 3.5 hrs of climbing.  Our rhythm was then broken with a bottle neck of slow parties through the chimneys.  They seemed to take a eternity to get through and hauling is definitly not a good idea on this route! Once we were past them and chillin on the Big Sandy ledge (there was more of a bottle neck at the Zig Zags), we arrived at the edge of the Thank God Ledge.  This for myself was a real highlight of the trip and I can see how it got its name!  Below is a little video of Marshall crossing it.  We arrived on the top in daylight and descended with friends who had just topped out on another route!

Thank God Ledge!

After a bit of R&R and a recce to Dolt Tower, it was time for the Nose In A Day. The little run up the first 12 pitches of the Nose was a great way to look at the systems that were needed to move fast and to get a feel for those pitches that we were going to be climbing in the dark.  Marshall was keen for the King Swing and Great roof so the first set of block leading was mine!  We opted for 4 blocks - I would do 12 pitches, Marshall 10 then 5 each to finish. 32 pitches in total!

Stovelegs, The Nose

The approach to climbing something like this is very different to climbing somewhere like Fair Head or in the Mournes.  After every pitch the rope is fixed to the in-situ bolts.  This means the second simply climbs up the rope, strips the gear and hands it over to the leader to get on their way again.  In this style the leader is in 'lead mode' for his block while the second can relax a bit more.  I guess you could say this was the case for the first 2 blocks but after that the wall kicks back making upward progress much more difficult! I must say I was pretty scared jugging the last pitch and actually put a gri gri on as back up!

The tree and success at the top of the Nose.

We made it to the top in just under 17hrs.  I think we were more relieved then anything - it means we don't have to go back and climb it again in that style!

I was battered after that day, my fingers had swollen, joints hurt and the sheer scale of the place becomes totally overwhelming!  I think we rested for 3 days, we did nothing but chill. The beer tasted good and we treated ourselves to a few 'all you can eat' breakfasts and endless Peats coffee!  In the back of our minds though, we knew that we could not leave Astroman half complete - or Astroboy if you bail from below the Slot (as we did!).  I had fallen off the enduro corner first time around, something I had wanted to climbing since forever really and we really didn't enjoy our first go at it.  It was time to climb it, get through the slot and finish off our 'tick list'.

Enduro Corner

Changing Corners Pitch - Astroman

While climbing in Separate Reality we bumped into Clayton from Austin, Texas.  His partner had injured himself on Freerider and was keen to climb Astroman so he teamed up with us.  He also volunteered to take on the slot, something that I didn't complain about - it was Marshall's pitch anyway!  

So with only a few days left of our trip we got back on it.  We climbed our pitches clean and even saw a few BASE jumpers jump from the visor on Half Dome! We topped out in the dark and were rewarded with pizza and beer at our camp (thanks Chris).  What a great way to finish one of the most successful and enjoyable trips I have ever had, thanks Marshall - you're a legend and bring on Freerider in a few years!

We are MEN! AstroMEN!

So back to the slideshow.  We both cruised to Tollymore (great turn out, 80+), Dublin (you can tell there is a recession) and Cork (70+ with proceeds going towards the Cork Youth Climbing Club).  The idea of the slideshow was to inspire the youth, show them where they want to be going in years to come and the beautiful climbing to be had in the most beautiful valley I have ever stepped foot in!

A big thanks goes out to Alpkit (for keeping me warm and looking cool!), Tollymore (for the equipment), the weather gods for no rain in 3 and half weeks and my lovely wife for putting up with this lifestlyle!

The slideshows were kindly supported by Kerry Climbing, Mountaineering Ireland and Tollymore National Outdoors Centre.

A flying Scottish hit.............

At the start of the week Ronnie and myself had a quick pre-Christmas hit over to Scotland.  Speaking to friends based in Scotland, stuff was being climbing so we booked a last minute ferry and took the gamble. 

Ronnie on Fall-Out Corner, Cairngorms

Deep snow and slow going in SCNL

Over the 3 days we got quick hits to Lochain in the Cairngorms, SCNL in Glencoe and finished with a wade fest into Ben Nevis!

Crest Route, SCNL

Conditions were good, a small freeze/thaw would make conditions amazing, might just happen this weekend!

Lots of cleaning on routes!

This was my first time across to Scotland before Christmas and I've got to say it was great to get into the swing of things!

I am also giving a series of talks next week starting in Tollymore on Tuesday about a trip I went on to Yosemite in Sept/Oct.  Below are all of the details.  We also have goodies to give away from Alpkit and Wild Country!

Mountain Skills with Tollymore!

Group shelter, an essential piece of kit for when out in the mountains

Yesterday seen me out working with Tollymore National Outdoor Centre.  We had a small group of engineers in who survey land to see whether it would be possible to use it for windfarms.

We looked at navigating with 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps, river crossings, survival skills and the pros and cons of using a GPS!

How to we cross this one?

It was cool to be back out in the Mournes working with folk who are really up for learning new skills.

We are currently getting some Climbing, Mountain Biking and Winter flyers done. I have just received the first draft and they look cool!

Ian has also confirmed the design for the biking jerseys, drop him an email on ian@rockandrideoutdoors.com to place and order or see the design.

1x10 Conversion - This is for the tech heads!

Back when I was a kid, how good your bike was depended entirely on how many gears it had.  Once BMX had died off and mountain bikes were starting to make an appearance it didn't matter if your bike had a total shed of a frame, if there we're lots of gears it would be all 'whooooaaahhh rad' (it was the early 90's!).  For me at first it was 6, then 21, 24, then 27.  Personally I stuck at that but if you wanted you can now hit 30, even 33!  The thing is, (and forgive me people who live in largely flat areas, ride MTB on the road (why?!) or run their tyres at 60psi and have never seen a singletrack) I can't see the point of a big ring on a mountain bike.  They add weight, accentuate chain line issues, smash into the occasional rock and leave a comedy grease stain on the legs of people who don't clean their bikes properly.  Realising all these things, a couple of years ago I swapped all mine for bashrings, 27 became 18, brilliant!  

The finished set up.  Silent, simple and beautiful!  Not sure what the purple line is but it looks cool!

Next in the evolution was the realisation that a chain guide would be a great idea.  Here in the Mournes we have some steep, rocky, rooty tracks which when hit at speed will happily chuck your rattling chain off the inside into your nice expensive frame.  With this becoming a regularity I whacked out some cash and got an E13 Heim double ring chain guide.  I enjoyed a happy year with my chain largely staying put and 18 was still 18.

I have always been fond of clean lines and minimal faff on bikes.  I remember envying a friend John's singlespeed conversion at University (but not as much as he envied our gears when we left him behind on most hills).  The lack of fuss on the bars and around the cranks was beautiful, almost seemed like an analogy for a simpler life and that image stuck with me for a long time.  The onset of monster range 11-36 tooth cassettes as well as the persuasiveness of Dirt Magazine set me wondering whether I could get away with ditching the granny, binning the front mech and seeing off the shifter to go 1x10?  As an experiment I rode the local trails without using my 22 tooth get out clause for a while and once I'd cleared everything without dabs the decision was made, 18 would become 10.

Moments of doubt had me scouring the net for 30 tooth middle rings but bar some obscure Canadian companies I turned nothing up so it was time to trust my fitness and MTFU.  I opted for a single ring specific E13 32 tooth chainring with a BB mounted E13 top only chain guide and the crowning glory was the 2013 Saint Mech with the clutchy thing.  All bolted together easily, looked clean and beautiful and most importantly for me ran totally silent.

Oh yes!  Totally silent.  No grindy front mech changes, no chain slap or rattle, all I hear is the tyres on the trail.  This alone has made the conversion worthwhile. 

Do I miss the gears?  No, not yet... honestly!  I can't really see why a granny ring is needed for 99% of trail riding.  Yes, I've got a good set of legs and yes I like to suffer a bit but truthfully I still haven't got off the bike and pushed due to having no super low gears.  In fact, I've had to wind in the stop screw and shut off the 36 tooth cog because Shimano were right about not using a 36t cog with the new Saint short cage rear mech (I obviously totally ignored this and bent a hanger in half laying the power down because the mech arm is so inflexible and the chainline was a bit extreme).  So now 32/34 is my lowest option and it's doing me fine.  10 has become 9!

Can I recommend the 1x10 conversion?  Definitely.  If you are fit, enjoy having a silent, more simple bike, like to have less to break, clean or replace, don't ever want to drop a chain again and don't live in the Alps then this truly is the future.  With SPAM's (sorry I meant SRAM's) 1x11 with the 42 tooth monster cassette I really think the front mech is an endangered species.  Obviously some people would beg to differ but some people think mountain biking is about how fast you can lap a forest road.

All in it cost a few hundred £££'s but could be done a lot cheaper and with an old 9 speed Saint mech, an XTR front shifter and front mech, 9 speed cassette and XTR chain and two chainrings to e-bay it's safe to say I could end up making on the deal.

So no drawbacks then.... although if you do see me someday limping along the trails, miles from home with my bulging calfs exploding with cramp as I bite back tears of frustration and pain, please take pity and give me a push and in return I promise not to laugh as you twiddle your 22/34 at 200 RPM!

For anyone who has fought through this techy nonsense because they liked the previous tales of epic running struggles with adversity I apologise.  I'll be out hurting myself in the hills and blogging the outcome again soon.  Happy trails....

Where Credit's Due - The Mourne Wall Part 2

When it comes to taking praise there are definitely different personality types in the world.  Some bosses greedily take the accolades for their staff's hard work, politicians cynically jump on the bandwagon of successful initiatives they had no part in implementing and the popular press announce that 'British' tennis is ever more successful whenever Andy Murray wins!  At the opposite end of the scale you find people like me, easily dismissed as being surly and never content but in actual fact just a lot more uneasy with the idea of taking praise when deep down we know it wasn't deserved.

I received a lot of positive feedback from the blog about my first Mourne Wall attempt, some lovely congratulatory e-mails, comments from strangers saying it was a great achievement and from friends who were just shocked that I happen to be half way literate.  The overriding theme of all comments was not to berate myself over my time, that the challenge itself is enough and my pace was admirable.  All comments except one...

Deon McNeilly is a legend of Mournes running and with decades of fell running records, myths and half truths surrounding him he undeniably has a certain gravity to his opinion.  I reckon Deon is like me, he knows when praise is due.  His e-mail to me was short and sweet, 'the record is 3:56 set by Jim Hayes in 1981 on Sunday 17th June (I knew it would be sub 4hrs), I finished 6th in 4:54'.  He then went on to mention that he was just 18 at the time, barely an embryo in endurance running terms. 

The underlying connotations to this e-mail were clear to me, even if they weren't intended.  I was way off the pace and I let myself down, poorly planned, poorly executed and if I was to erase the disappointment in the pit of my stomach then there was only one acceptable course of action, get out there and smash it!  As u-turns go, this one wouldn't look out of place in Stormont.  Despite what I said less than ten days ago about not recommending the Mourne Wall circumnavigation and vowing not to do it again, it was actually inevitable and it was going to happen sooner, rather than later.

I'm under no illusions, I've never met Jim Hayes but it's as safe to say that he was a better athlete than I am as it is to say that his record wouldn't be getting erased from the annals of history so sub 4 wouldn't be my target.  It's also safe to say that for all my annoyance, I did genuinely suffer out there last Tuesday, my legs were battered and the last run along the ridgeline from Slieve Muck looked like it needed to be accompanied by a zimmer frame.  However, the pain was a result of errors, not lack of effort or fitness and those mistakes needed to be rectified.  I figured my time of 5hrs 35 could be significantly chopped if I,

a) Started and finished at the right place.
b) Took enough liquids and edible food.
c) Pulled my finger out and really suffered.

So the new target was decided, 4hrs 45mins, fully 50 minutes faster than last time and quicker than the young McNeilly.  Knowledge is power, Sir Francis Bacon knew it and so do I which is why I found myself in Carrick Little car park with a full Camelbak, a rough idea of timings and some squashed jam sandwiches in my pocket... bring.. it..on...

The brutal drop from Binnian down to Wee Binnian

Me before

The weather was perfect as I jogged up the track, cool, clear and no indication of the gusty Westerlies that had been forecast and which would no doubt soon be trying to batter me back down Slieve Binnian.  I decided this time to use my i-pod, as trying to maintain motivation with just my own internal mental dialogue for company was tough last time and became counter productive when the pain really kicked in and my brain slinked off to some of its darker corners.  This time I was planning to plug in and switch off, letting the music carry me on a wave of euphoria.. or at least drown out my wheezing lungs and clicking hip.  As anticipated, the wind was very strongly in my face up Binnian so I settled into an easy rhythm and set a soft target of 35 mins to the top.  I was pleased to arrive in 31 but less pleased when I took a mouthful of raisins and realised that the wind was too strong for me to continue running into it and be able to breathe through my nose, I had to turn away until they were chewed.  A minute lost, it all adds up.

My report last time mentioned the fact that I descended the section to Wee Binnian like an arthritic old woman.  This time with fresher legs I was much smoother and also found a cleaner line, probably the speed of a healthy old woman.  The momentum carried me over the steep lump of the Wee one and on down to Silent Valley.  55 mins over the dam, on target and feeling strong.  The next section is where it all got lost in a blur of pain, annoyance, dehydration and frustration last time.  If you read the last report you'll know how much I enjoyed Slieve Muck but this time I realised that Slievenaglogh is a tight pull too, I'd just forgotten it in the hazy hysteria previously.  With Muck built up as the big enemy in my head though it was almost inevitable that I was going to cruise it.  I was happily running the lower slopes and taking a phone call (proper multi-tasking) when I spotted two walkers way up ahead.  That was all the motivation I needed and I clawed my way up the Muck Directissima line adjacent to the rocks (TD+), taking the straightest possible route.  The walkers were looking impressed (and a bit bemused) as they watched me run up towards them before clambering up the final gulley with an on-the-go explanation of what I was doing.  Slieve Muck summit, 1Hr 51.

On last week's run I definitely cocked up my fuel intake in a huge way, dried snacks and too little water meant that refuelling was near impossible.  This time I was armed with better food, instant energy and so I ate the first Fudge bar that I've had in about 20 years.  They've definitely shrunk but it did the job and I ran down towards Carn singing my adaptation of the old advert 'a finger of Fudge is just enough to get you as far as Slieve Meelbeg'.  Again the advantage of the Carrick Little start became clear as I hit this section still feeling alive and was able to run happily over Slieves Loughshannagh, Meelbeg and Meelmore, only power walking the steepest sections and I was definitely quicker on the downs, the confidence of recently doing the route allowing me to recognise a surprising amount of detail and make better line choices.

I was expecting my legs to give out at some point and where better than Slieve Bernagh.  Its steep, gritty slopes interspersed with agonisingly angled granite boulders sapped at my reserves, bringing on the onset of stiff legs and I almost hit the wall (metaphorically!).  I was a relieved man when I saw the Tors rearing up and jogged on to the summit, throwing down my bag and reaching for the aforementioned sandwich.  Bit of a tangent here but bear with me.  Many years ago I bet my friend Mark Palin that he wouldn't eat all the remains of a day's washing up from the sink at work.  Not one to turn down a challenge he arranged the remnants from the plug into three small piles (which were comprised mostly of food detritus but also metal shards from the scrubbers and detergent scum) and he forced them down one by one.  His face was grey and he retched a few times and yet I reckon he enjoyed that meal more than I enjoyed my sandwich!  All endurance athletes will be familiar with the debilitating nausea which builds up in your stomach and then starts to dominate your whole body.  My stomach was definitely not in the humour to accept this offering without a fight and so it was an ongoing battle to retain my sandwich all the way down Bernagh.  I won the fight, just, and felt stronger for it as I pushed on along the ridge.

Knowing how long the route was and how my legs reacted from last time was a huge advantage when it came to pacing this attempt.  I knew I was pushing harder and also anticipated some trouble on the steep final climbs of Commedagh and Donard but I didn't expect any cramp.  Unfortunately the familiar shots of pain started emanating from my calfs as I strode up the steeper lower slopes of Commedagh.  Fortunately, at that point I came across the water pipe which sticks out half way up the slope, yet another advantage of the Carrick Little start point.  Camelbak filled I hungrily gulped down a half litre, easing the pain and getting me shifting again.

Donard passed without too much hassle, the familiarity of its upper slopes allowing me to concentrate on striding out as long as possible and pass as many walkers as I could.  I was still aware of the obvious effort and started speculating on how much time had elapsed so far.  I'd made a conscious decision not to consult my watch between designated points and so I'd not even glanced since I passed the stile between the Meels which had signalled the end of my previous circuit.  As I'd been at 2:25 then I was anticipating around 4:10 on Donard summit so it blew me away when I looked down and saw 3:49.  Bugger the 4:45, I could nail the 4:30!

Recently reading the brilliant 'Feet in the Clouds' I remembered the tale of an aborted attempt on the famous Bob Graham Round, a gruelling 72 mile fell run which must be completed in 24hrs or less.  The author was pushing on through unimaginable pain as he drifted further and further behind his target splits until finally he decided enough was enough.  Quite literally the second he made that decision he went from functioning human being to a spent force, unable to drag himself a further yard without assistance, the brain very much dictates the body!  The same is true in reverse.  My aches and pains temporarily deserted me as I skipped on down to the Bog of Donard and powered straight in, oblivious to the soaking and unconcerned by the returning cramp.  This euphoria could only last so long though and as I hit the final couple of kilometres my body started to lodge some serious complaints, my calves were like rocks, both hips were agony and my quads were in ribbons but the goalposts had been moved, I sniffed glory and I wasn't letting go.  All fluency had gone from my running as I drove hard off the hillside of Long Seefin, down the track and on to the road.  The final sprint was fuelled by sheer bloody mindedness as I drew any remaining reserves in a desperate bid to beat an arbitrary time which hadn't even been my original target.  I hammered to the end, stopped the watch and...... 4:28:10, vindicated.  Credit where credit's due.

Pushing yourself that hard has a strange effect on your emotions and I was a bit choked up as I drove up the road, pride? exhaustion? I'm not sure.  I think that I'm rarely that pleased with things I do and on this occasion I knew I'd dug deep, I'd learned from my mistakes and I'd had the balls to get straight back out and set the record straight.  This may sound dramatic but I really can't explain the disappointment I felt at the first attempt knowing how hard I'd worked and yet how many errors I'd made and how poor I felt my time was.

So how did I take over an hour off my time?

1) Started in the right place - Starting in Carrick Little meant I was fresh for what I still consider to be the hardest section and I was able to stretch my legs out along the good running of the ridge line over the big peaks.  It also meant that I hit the water pipe on Commedagh at exactly the right time.

2) I knew the route - No dragging across fields, over fences and rivers.  The road finish is longer but much, much faster.

3) I could gauge my pace - Prior to my last run I'd never gone hard over twenty miles in the mountains before.  This time I knew I didn't need to hold back, I attacked where I needed to and kept it sensible on the worst ground.  I cramped up a little bit near the end but I've had that in 3 mile races too!

4) I wanted to - I went out once and suffered and ended up gutted.  I wasn't about to let that happen again.

So there it is, my Mourne Wall chapter is done.  This time I won't be returning anytime soon.  Do I think I could slash my time again?  Certainly not to that degree!  I think if I keep doing a bit of training and putting in some miles coupled with a stiller day and slightly drier ground I could get near 4:10.00 but at this stage in my running sub-4 is a bit unrealistic.  However, I'm enjoying my running so in a years time maybe I could come back with a GPS and have a dig at the very long standing record.

Next up, the Mourne 500 and a genuine record attempt.  Watch this space....

Smashing the Stanes

Mountain biking has seen many changes over the years.  Back when I started 25 years ago it simply meant riding your bike off-road, mostly dragging my 5 gear Emmelle through bogs looking for 50 metres of rideable trail.  These days the proliferation of trail centres has made it all so easy, quick thrills for an impatient generation, X-Box biking, all the rewards with none of the efforts.  Is that a bad thing?  Hell no!  I'm a huge advocate of natural trails, their ever changing nature keeps you on your toes, weather affected, roots exposed forcing you to be better, but the trail centres have undeniably muscled in and to many people they are what mountain biking is all about.  I've ridden a few and been quietly impressed without being blown away but all along I've been waiting for my chance to visit the king of man made trails, Glentress. 

We'd been planning this for a while but never really knew whether it would come off as we decided to leave the ferry booking until we'd seen a good forecast and they've been rare of late.  We picked a weekend and the weather gods were extremely kind, all that remained was to sell a kidney to be able to afford the extortionate ferry cost and we were good to go.  The plan was simple, hit up Mabie, sleep in a lay-by and then burn up to Peebles for the long anticipated trip to Glentress.



Mabie was a great warm up, some good trails and a brilliant ending in the 15ft high berms of Descender Bender, but for me the highlight was definitely the ominously named 'Darkside'.  A 500 metre length of North Shore drops, step-ups and skinnies, all of which is a few feet off the floor and demands ultimate concentration and precision handling.  We started out tentative and rubbish but by the end (and 1.5 hrs for 500m must be some kind of slow record) we were fully tuned in and loving the challenge.  It's a totally different type of biking and made for a really refreshing change.

The plan was to make our way on to near Peebles but it turns out Mabie has a hotel bar and a quiet car park which is perfect for throwing up a post pint tent so we opted for not needing a designated driver!  Up and away early the next morning and straight to Peebles where Andy Mac provided the porridge to fuel the Glentress mission.

Spooky Woods was all we knew of Glentress' famous Red route and we were full of excitement as we completed the loooong climb up to the top of the forest.  The climb itself is interspersed with log rides and rock step-ups, keeping it interesting and taking your mind off the effort (other trail builders take note).  We knew that we'd earned a long descent but I still had no idea of just how good it could be.  Berms, drops, tabletops, wide and fast, tight and twisty, rooty, flowing and utterly utterly brilliant.  Genuinely the most fun I've had on a bike in years.  So good we did it again, and again and again and if we didn't have a return ferry to catch we'd have gone again!  4 laps of the red, some quality time in the freeride park and repeats of our favourite lines.  It was exhausting, smile inducing excellence.

A Spooky Woods berm

As a final note to the trip, Glentress was busy, really busy.  There were kids races on both Saturday and Sunday, all the car parks were full, the cafe and bike shop were doing a great trade, the freeride park had a continuous flow of young rippers and yet the trails were never packed, enough people to share a friendly chat with but not enough to hold us up or stifle our fun.  Every fifth car in Peebles had bikes attached and it was impossible not to see the hugely positive impact that biking has had on the local businesses, the town was buzzing, cafes and pubs full and lots of 'bikey' types spending lots of cash.  I really don't think many people in the Mournes have any idea just what a profound impact the new trails could have on the local area.  If the Rostrevor trails are designed right with a freeride park up near the Cloughmore car park (that ugly, clear felled section would be perfect) and really inventive use of the morphology (ie tabletops, optional drops, big berms) rather than simply a long singletrack loop then this could safeguard and expand tourism in the area exponentially.  Think £millions of extra income for the local area, BUT it's all in the design, that's what keeps people coming back.  Glentress makes a fortune, the other Stanes have possibly missed a bit of a trick.  Rostrevor has easy access to the major population centres, North and South, and bikers aren't shy about spending their money (just looking at the dozens of 5k+ bikes at Glentress demonstrates this).  Castlewellan has the perfect infrastructure and landscape for some incredible XC and family orientated trails, camping on site and the possibility of expansion and improvement of cafe facilities (bike shop and hire??).

We've waited a long time for these trails, I really hope they get them right.

Sermon over, fingers firmly crossed....

Busy weekend.......

Cracking weather for filming.

The whole team at Rock and Ride were very busy this weekend.  Ian headed over to Scotland for 3 days of intense mountain biking (he has a blog just about finished) and Ronnie and myself worked with  RTE again on Saturday and with two climbing groups on Sunday.

Roping the cameraman and botanist into place.

After the first day with RTE in July not going to plan (the Irish summer of rain, wind and general damp meant they didn't get the shots they wanted), we tried again on Saturday and luckily it went well! Both Ronnie and myself had a cracking day roping Barry the cameraman into place, looking after Colin the botanist and generally enjoying chill out on the edge of Ben Bulben, Sligo!

On Sunday we then had 2 groups out in the Mournes for a great day, looking at climbing skills such as building belays, placing anchors and some movement skills on real rock.  It was great to be out enjoying the last of the summers sunshine with a really nice bunch of people who were psyched for a taster of climbing!

Looking the part!

A big thanks to Stevie at the Adventure Team for passing on our details!

Alpine Climbing Action!!

Better late than never I guess - life has been totally crazy over the last few months!

The 20th July had me flying out to the alpine mecca of Chamonix in the heart of the French Alps and home to the highest peak in the Eastern Alps, Mt Blanc.  Unfortunately Chamonix is renowned for unsettled weather in the summer due to soaring afternoon temperatures, so when I rocked out there and saw a 5 day yr.no forecast with settled weather I knew I had to acclimatise quickly!

The NE Spur

Hooking up with Kenny Grant from Point 5 Mountaineering on my first day, we headed straight to the top of the Aiguille Du Midi (3,842m) for a quick hit on Point Lachenal.  With the height gained via a cable car and some pretty crazy tourists, this is the easier - but most expensive way to get acclimatised quickly.  I felt pretty solid and the route went smoothly, but the slog back up to the Midi was hard work and I was glad to get back down to the valley for a welcomed midnight express.

That evening Guy Steven joined us after a big weekend in London, a bit sleep deprived but full of psyche!  Guy agreed to head with us to the NE spur direct on Les Droites the following morning.  The route takes in 550m of rock climbing to a breche, followed by 500m of mixed ice climbing to gain the summit at just over 4000m.  The rock passed smoothly with block leads being the most efficient system with 3 people.  We had always planned on taking a bivi at the breche, but upon arrival we were keen to keep pushing and after a quick text to the Orr we had the beta that there was a better spot higher up.  Unfortunately the temperatures were not on our side and the ice was as good as sugar!  We took an uncomfortable night's bivi on the breche with the plan to climb the ice the next morning when it had frozen. Kenny ventured out in the morning for a look but temperatures at 3500m didn't get below 0 degrees so the decision had to be made to abseil the whole route!  Getting down took longer than getting up so 9 hrs and 3 stuck ropes later we were back at the base of the route.  Even though we had to bail it is a good confidence boost to know you can get yourself off routes such as the NE spur.

Kenny checking out the SUGAR

With the weather still holding and the Walker out due to the early season snow we opted for the traverse of the Chamonix Aiguilles.  The route takes in the sky line on the Mt Blanc side of the Chamonix valley.  Starting from the Midi Plan we soloed the traverse and bivied down at the top of the Plan.  The next day was fantastic with some excellent rock climbing, exciting abseiling and surprisingly straight forward route finding!  The descent from the Aiguille de Blaitiere down the Spencer couloir was unpleasant and with damp ropes we managed to write off a few biners (see pic) but thanks to Kenny we managed to negotiate the Nantillion Glacier and bed down after a 20hr+ day.

Guy styling on the Chamonix Aiguilles

John Orr then arrived out from North Wales and with a mixed forcast and a few texts we packed up in Chamonix and cruised to Saas Grund.  The lifts were free as long as you camped, so for John to get acclimatised it was the perfect place to go.  We ticked off some 4000m peaks and some AD ridges before heading back to Chamonix, then onto the Ecrin where the weather was still holding out.

I had always wanted to climb the South Pillar of the Barre Des Ecrin.  It is described as a classic in the guide and from pictures the line is very inspiring.  I had also heard rumours that is was loose in places, I do not think that 'loose' is the most accurate word as most of the route is falling down!  The line is cool and it probably is a classic for the Ecrin, but you won't catch me on it again.  You can imagine the relief on gaining the summit!

Top of the Barre, those are smiles of relief!

After a few days of chilling and another cracking 5 day window in Chamonix we got packed and psyched for the Peuterey Intergral onto Mt Blanc.  It is the longest ridge in the Alps with over 4500m of height gain, but on arriving at the Borelli hut we were greeted by over 20 other people who had the same intention as us, the Integral. This didn't sit well with either of us so after we got in the line at the start of the route, being hit by gear, rocks and nearly people, we abbed off the start of the route and away from the circus.

The trip ended with a few days cragging on the Chamonix Aiguilles with John Orr and John Mccune; a great way to end a brilliant 3 weeks in the Alps.

Chamonix sunset

Alpkit kindly supported me for this trip with a Filo Down Jacket and Pipeline 400 Down Sleeping Bag.   It was the first alpine trip I have been able to climb with a 35L rucksack.  It felt light, the kit packs down really small and I was warm and comfortable every night even at 4000m. They design their kit around the needs of climbers and mountaineers with a price that is even affordable to students!  It is a pleasure to work with these guys and I am gutted to be missing out on this years Big Shakeout, but I could be going to worse places...........................

Modelling the Alpkit Filo.
Photo John Orr.

Finally, a massive thanks also to Ally Swinton for the crib in Cham, I will return the favour when you come to Fair Head!

Lessons learned! The Mourne Wall run.

Every idea needs a catalyst.  This one began with a chance conversation with a fella in the hills last year who had been involved in the Mourne Wall races/events back in the 70's (I think).  Anyway, he described how at its peak the event saw up to 3,000 people from all around the Mournes walking the route taken by the famous Mourne Wall.  The second catalyst was me just finishing the incredible 'Feet in the Clouds' (read it, if you want to know who the true hardmen of sport are and also because it's a great book).  The book describes numerous superhuman feats by people for whom no challenge is too hard and pain is simply ignored!  It set me thinking about my own plans to undertake this sternest of Mourne running challenges.

This one was a few months in the making.  I was primed for this run in January but luckily saw sense when I saw the weather forecast and sacked it off.  For various reasons (the weather, rain, precipitation etc) I've not had a chance to try it since and so it was with 15 minutes notice I decided to get it done today after seeing that it was going to be a stunner of a day!

The Mourne Wall, for those not in the know is a continuous (almost, more on that later) 22 mile granite wall built at the beginning of the last century to divide the high Mournes, owned by Belfast Water Board and the low Mournes, owned by various estates and farmers.  It climbs and descends over 3000 metres over the summits of all of NI's highest mountains and is famed for its brutal steep sections and energy sapping bogs, rocks and tussocks.  It's meant to be a lovely walk, taken over one long day or two shorter ones but why would I want to walk and get to enjoy all the views on such a beautiful clear day?!



The route - It's long and hilly!



So it was that as I was eating breakfast I decided today was the day to get out there and do The Wall.  My prep involved racing the infamous Mill Hill Mile the evening before, a horrendous 6 minute sprint up a steep road which leaves your lungs burning for minutes after, probably the least similar run possible to the one I was about to do.
I left the Happy Valley car park at 9am and jogged up to the col between the Meels with the early morning sun on my back.  I was mildly nervous, I knew it might hurt but at the same time I was totally confident, it's only 25 miles (including getting to the wall and back) and I had at least 12 hours of daylight!  The first section was a dream, jogging happily over Meelmore (or Meelbeg, I always mix them up), Bernagh, Commedagh and Donard.  Within 80 minutes I'd easily knocked off four of the biggest peaks and frankly I was cruising.  At this point I was seriously considering cutting my planned target of 5hrs to 4.5 and was definitely enjoying myself.  On the way off Donard I ate on the run and said a passing hello to one of only two people I was to meet all day, the wall cut a clean line 5km into the distance and most of it was downhill for the foreseeable future, piece of cake.

What a load of shite!  The next hour and a half were sapping, frustrating and worrying in equal measures.  Firstly, when I'd looked at the contours I'd envisaged sprinting this section to reach the bottom of Slieve Binnian in under two hours but I'd not taken the Bog of Donard into account!  I've walked it before and know it's a bit boggy (the clue is in the name!) but in my 2 minute look at the map I clearly didn't register that I'd be crossing notoriously wet ground at the end of the wettest 'Summer' for 100 years.  It was very wet, uneven, slow and annoying and the worst was definitely still to come.

I've been telling groups about how the Mourne Wall is a marvel of craftsmanship for years, TRUE.  I've also been telling them that it's a continuous 22 miles all about 7 feet high and easy to follow, FALSE.  When I hit Long Seefin I took the wall to the right, down to the forest and proceeded to spend 45 minutes of dragging through trees, brambles, the river, fields full of foot deep cows footprints (filled with cow crap) and was a slightly less motivated man when I finally reached the bottom of Slieve Binnian 30 mins off schedule.  Most people apparently start and finish their walk in Carrick Little car park and totally avoid this section by taking the access road out of the forest and taking a simple stroll round the road back to their cars.  I didn't have this option and frankly if I was going to run the wall then I was definitely following it the whole way round like a big granite handrail.  This approach definitely took the momentum and the fun out of my attempt!

Even more worryingly as I ran up Binnian I realised that I was getting low on water and with the sun high in the sky I started getting concerned.  Dehydration is a killer, it takes all your energy and makes you think of nothing but drinks.  I became obsessed with the electrolyte tabs I knew were sat in the garage at home and fantasised about litre after litre of cold water.  I really regretted my choice of food, dry granola bars which basically turn into an unswallowable paste when only mixed with saliva. Schoolboy errors all around!  Luckily I remembered that I could re-fill my water at the Silent Valley toilets and gleefully emptied my Camelbak, instantly bringing strength back into my legs.  Gleeful certainly didn't describe how I felt when I got there and the taps only dished out hot water... death!

The next section up to the top of Slieve Muck can be summed up by the moment when I spat and it was so stringy that it swung around me head and landed in my ear... and that was the highlight.  It was relentlessly hot and steep with horrendous ground underfoot.  Running became jogging, walking and then on the crag at the top crawling.  The low point had been reached!

Which means that from there the only way is up (baby).  And so it was, up Carn, up Slieve Loughshannagh and up whichever Meel was left.  Buoyed by being on the home stretch I ran again along much improved tracks although with a dodgy hip giving me grief it was a strange shuffly run.  I finally reached the stile I started from 5hrs and 34 mins after I left and a much wiser man!



No it's not my pink heart rate monitor!!

 

I've sprinted full speed down the Happy Valley a couple of times, not today!  I limped on down and was delighted to finally get to jump in the stream at the bottom that I'd been thinking about for a long while.  Back in the van and back for those electrolytes, job done!

The verdict -

Was I well prepared enough?

Physically - Yes definitely.  It is long and hilly and way beyond any distance I've run in the mountains before but essentially if I'd totally blown up I could've relaxed and enjoyed the stroll.  Most people I know can knock off a route like this walking in a day if they are prepared to dig deep.

Mentally - Yeh, I reckon.  Compared to the exploits I've been reading about this is the equivalent of popping to the local shop and I'm no stranger to hurting a bit.  15 minutes wasn't much time to adjust to the idea but what the hell.

Kit - Errrrr, no.  I didn't even fully fill my Camelbak.  Only brought about 1000 calories of food (I burned 3000) and couldn't eat any of it because it was too dry.  I reckon this probably cost me a lot of time!  I'd recommend stashing at least 3 litres of water half way round or if you're lucky get someone to meet you with a picnic!

Would I recommend the route?

If you'd asked me after 1hr 20 mins I'd have said yes it's amazing and offered to join you on it the next day.  If you'd asked me as I hit the top of Muck nearly 5hrs in (and who the hell would talk to a man crawling up a hill with spit hanging out of one ear!) then I'd have given you a tired shake of the head and croaked something incomprehensible.  The fact is that the views are stunning on a day like today but if you're running then you're concentrating so hard on your feet that you don't get to enjoy them.  So as a walk it may be of some worth... except it does cross some truly terrible ground.  There are lengthy sections which are steep, loose, brambly, very uneven and hugely boggy.  You can get all the great views I had on a much more pleasant route, try the Annalong Horseshoe or just the ridge including Bernagh, the Meels and Commedagh.

Was I happy with my time?

In short, no.  The cutting through all the crap across the Annalong Valley probably cost me 20 mins, the dehydration and hunger certainly cost me more.  I don't know what the record is but it must be sub 4 hours.  A proper fell runner (as opposed to a fit bloke who runs the fells) could take 30 mins off my combined descent times easily, I was very tentative and properly hydrated I'd have been a lot quicker in the second half.  Realistically, with a bit of planning, more food and water and a cooler day I think I'd take an hour off that without too much extra effort.  Am I going to test that theory, no I'm not!  The man I mentioned that sowed the seed for this run in the first place said that the original Mourne Wall marathons were stopped because the sheer numbers were causing untold damage to the hills, turning paths into massive motorway like scars.  It is testament to the power of nature that those paths no longer exist at all for about 50% of this route.

If you've read this far, thanks and well done, probably took longer than the run itself!  If you'd like to ignore my advice and give it a go then feel free to contact me at ian@rockandrideoutdoors.com and I'll give you all the details you'd need.  Apologies for the lack of pics, there would have been some stunners but the camera died the minute I turned it on, what do they say about piss poor planning...?