The Sting in Stirling
To The Cairngorms and Back
Rob Howard / 19.08.2012
For those with stamina to follow it, here is a run through of the course and the key points – the stage details/distances are in an earlier story.
After setting off from Stirling Castle on bikes the teams will visit Doune Castle and then stop to row to an island at the Lake of Menteith (the only lake in Scotland I’m told) before riding directly north. (All of the course is north of Stirling.) They quickly come to the first route choice, with a short route along a lower, even gradient route, and a higher route to CP5, with the routes rejoining at Rob Roy’s Grave at Balqhidder.
Soon after the route splits again with the short route going along Glen Ogle and the harder/higher route up over the hills. They rejoin near Transition 2/3 at Killin at the western end of Loch Tay.
After a short canoe paddle on Loch Tay the teams come ashore for the first access to their gear boxes, and a place where they can sleep if they wish. This is the first big mountain trek of the race, which almost all teams will be on during the first night and takes teams up onto the Ben Lawers range. All 5 checkpoints of this trekking stage are optional and it is difficult and challenging terrain.
All teams need to have returned to the transition between 3 and 6am in the morning to resume paddling down the Loch to its eastern end, where they start the descent of the River Tay. This is a very technical descent and they have been warned to tie everything down securely! There are lots of safety staff along the rapids, which is why the race wants all teams to start the river descent between 6 and 9am. Teams will have to select their routes prior to this to meet this deadline.
The first part of the river descent takes teams to Grandtully where they leave the canoes and resume riding. (They will return to the canoes a couple of days later to finish the river descent.)
Early on this next stage comes the canyoning stage of the race at the Falls of Bruar and race water safety expert Andy Sallabank said, “I think this may be the best canyon in the country. It’s an amazing place with great rock architecture and lots of jumps without being wildly scary.” Team were told. “It’s a steep canyon – once you are in you are committed.” They were also told by Race Director James Thurlow that the transition area was by a ‘high end retail park’ and to please avoid using the toilets there – the clash of cultures would be too great! (Nick Gracie was more blunt adding, “Don’t show your white bums in the car park!”)
SleepMonsters
