ITERA Expedition Race

Into Battle On The Ben!

Adam Rose / 17.08.2022

OK, it's time put on that extra layer, as teams head out from the Auctionmart TA at 8am in the morning, for the summit climb of Ben Nevis.

Race leaders Team Racing Denmark (33) got into TA at roughly 5pm, and took a 3hr breather. The short course teams already encamped there from as early as 9pm the previous night must have been champing at the bit to get going, but were forced to wait. You can imagine some of them sitting watching the full course teams sleeping, checking the clock, drumming their fingers on the table. 

Now there's a mass charge up the steep northern flank of the Ben as the teams make a break for freedom, and it could get quite crowded on the scramble up the Ledge Route where it will be slow going.

The two Endurancelife teams made it into TA later - Endurancelife AR at 6:34am, and Team EnduranceLife just after 7am. No doubt they'll be a while in TA after that brutal ride.

Further back, and surely with a lot less in the tank for the upcoming tough stages, Polish team Adventure Trophy are just reaching the TA, followed by Sweco an hour further back, who must be rubbing their collective chins at the decision which has cost them dear. This must be the first time a lead team has taken a 64km circuitous approach to a CP rather than the 16km direct route. Epic. 

Further behind them, full course teams Gan Canny, UK Adventurers and Team Life Experience have all made it through CP19 or just about to, proving that the right-hand valley to the CP wasn't impassable. Thus far, only Team Racing Denmark took the left-hand valley, and it will be interesting to compare their experience to those who went right.

If nothing else, this is where knowing the race director's history is valuable. If the RD is a sadist, you might get the hump at a crazy stage. If, however, they tend to create challenging but do-able courses, you have to know that the obvious route is not insane, or at the very least, there must be an alternative close by, which is what the Danes took.

Further back, just entering the tough section of the ride, tail end full course teams of RAF Team, Volare Adventure, Love to Portage and finally Rootstock Racing will have to make wise decisions about CP19 when they get close. Will their slower pace force them to drop the CP to avoid the 3am cut-off on Thursday at the base of the Ledge Route scramble?

It took Racing Team Denmark approx 15hrs to do the ride, despite a predicted fastest time of 11hrs. Rootstock Racing is 3hrs into their ride at CP17, and while they'll go faster in the daylight, the terrain won't be any easier. Who will opt for the ride down Loch Arkaig?