Ben Nevis race

Race: Ben Nevis mountain race (10m/4500ft)
Peak: Ben Nevis (1344m)
Time/Position: 2.05.46 (95th from 486)
A bonus weekend in the Highlands at the end of summer and, as luck would have it, high pressure began to build just as Kate and I arrived at our cottage in Glen Dochart. The event, perhaps the most famous mountain race in the UK, is notoriously difficult to get into, and I'd only got in via a cancellation in April. I hadn't done enough specific training to record a decent time, which was a shame given the superb conditions, and I knew I would descend slowly with the continuing weakness in my ankle but was looking forward to it regardless. Jez also had a place, so we met him in glorious sunshine near the start in Claggan on the edge of Fort William. After following the pipers round the field, we set off for a lap of the shinty pitches then the road to Achintee and the start of the normal tourist path. I descended this after doing the Carn Mor Dearg arete way back in 1989, but I haven't been back since, so didn't really have many preconceptions beyond the obvious fact that it would be an arduous and rocky descent. The race was very enjoyable with a real sense of occasion. The conditions were incredible: deep blue sky, rather too hot on the lower section up to the Red Burn but perfectly cool above. The track above Achintee climbs fairly gently and is generally runnable, but is rough in places, similar to its Snowdon equivalent. I dipped my head into the Red Burn, where the route takes a giant kink then changes character. Above, it steepens considerably as you gain the sloping roof of Ben Nevis itself. I just kept a steady pace going up the steep and arduous scree until the path veers right and the angle eases for the long haul up the final slopes of the half dome-like summit. The final km or so is across the almost flat rocky plateau. I gained the summit in a rather slow 1.21. The descent went as well as could be expected. I gained quite a few places on the steep scree, which is terrain I thrive on, then slowed (as everybody does) for the very steep grass which gives a direct route to the Red Burn. After this, the angle eases for the rocky track back to Achintee: this is where I lost time and places, awkward in new shoes. I made up for the lost time a tiny bit on the road back to Fort William, but it was too little too late. Great race though: Ben Nevis, Yorkshire Three Peaks and Man v Horse were the three 'away days' we targeted this year. Didn't do very well in any of them, but thoroughly enjoyed all three. After a post-race dip in the river, we headed to the Clachaig for wild boar and haggis, accompanied by An Teallach beer, gazing up Glencoe in stunning late afternoon sunshine. Conditions were exactly the same when we last visited the Clachaig after running the Aonach Eagach in May 2012.