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EVENT |
|
DETAILS |
17th/18th JUNE 2000
A Two Day Competition For Pairs with Overnight Campsite at a
Location is 3½-4 Hrs Drive from
Glasgow/Edinburgh & 1½ Hrs from Inverness!
From the experience of
previous years, we expect the event to fill very quickly. The format of the competition itself will be
fairly straightforward for those with experience of 2-day Mountain Marathons
and we hope to keep the organisation informal and friendly. The emphasis will be on good courses and the
quality of the race itself.
Martin Stone |
Event
Organiser |
Debbie Thompson
|
Entries
Admin. & Map |
Chris Hall |
Planner |
Mark Hawker |
Controller |
REGISTRATION
& FRIDAY CAMPING will be at the Event Centre. Wilf’s,
the outdoor caterers who attend orienteering events and MM’s will be present
selling meals in one of the marquees on Friday evening. Electronic cards for recording times at
checkpoints and two event maps per team will be issued and although it will
also be possible to make team substitutions or to change course, we would
prefer you to at least choose the right course when you enter! We would suggest that where possible you
plan the Friday so that you are able to arrive at the Event Centre NOT LATER than MIDNIGHT
TRANSPORT FROM GLASGOW OR INVERNESS TO THE LAMM We are organising optional transport on Friday afternoon
and early/mid evening, which will carry you directly to the Event Centre with
the option to return on Sunday. If in
due course you wish to book on one of the coaches, complete the booking form
and send it with your remittance by 5th JUNE LATEST so that
we can schedule the coaches to meet your requirements. Precise details of the arrangement will be
displayed on the web site or sent to you by early June. Coach ‘managers’ will try to ensure that
connections are kept with late-running trains, coaches and flights, so long as
we are made aware that people are arriving on them. Useful online booking sites are www.easyjet.com
and www.britishairways.com.
HOT TIP - CARRY YOUR
PACKED EVENT SACKS AS HAND LUGGAGE. Last year, Sabena Airline mislaid the hold
luggage of a pair from Holland. They
turned up at the event without any kit and were unable to participate - a
disaster for them and a lesson to be learned.
Inverness: We
would thoroughly recommend early booking to Inverness as it is much more local
to the event than Glasgow. EasyJet
flight 171 12:30 Luton->13:55 Inv and returning on Sunday flight 178 19:25
Inv -> 20:55 Luton. Best price £88
return.
BA7946 15:00
Gatwick->16:45 Inv and returning on Sunday by BA7947 17:30
Inv->19:15 Gatwick. Best price £110
return.
We will meet both of these
Friday flights and then call at Inverness railway station approx. 14.45
and 17:30 (ensure your inward transport reaches Inverness by 16.45). On Sunday, the transport to Inverness will
leave the Event Centre at 15:00 to connect with the returning
flights. En route it will call at
Inverness railway station approx. 16:30 so please don't book onward
transport before 17:00.
Glasgow: There
are Easyjet flights from Luton and other direct flights from Belfast,
Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, East Midlands, Isle of Man,
Leeds Bradford, London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted), Manchester and
Southampton. Do not confuse Glasgow
Airport with Prestwick Airport, which is to the SW of Glasgow. In view of the distance to the venue, the
latest transport on Friday will leave Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station at 19:00
and Glasgow Airport at 19:30.
Please don't make bookings on trains/buses that get to Glasgow later
than 18:15 or planes that get to Glasgow Airport later than 19:00. On Sunday, the transport to Glasgow will
leave the Event Centre at 14:30 and is only intended to connect with
flights leaving Glasgow Airport after 19:15. Transport will then call at Glasgow railway station and
Buchanan Bus Station. Please don't book
onward transport from the centre of Glasgow before 19:00.
If you are local to
Glasgow or Inverness and in return for free transport would be prepared to
‘manage’ a coach, please contact MARTIN STONE as shown below.
ACCOMMODATION ON FRIDAY NIGHT will be available this year on a first come, first
served basis for those who can't bear the thought of spending two nights in a
tent. We realise that this style of
event makes it difficult to book accommodation for the Friday night and would
prefer teams to camp at the Event Centre and enjoy the ambiance. You may of course eat at Wilf's at
the Event Centre before heading off to your accommodation. A form is attached so that you can make
bookings with us for local B&B's and superior bunkhouse accommodation with
showers and a kitchen, all within 4 miles of the Event Centre.
If you have access to www.lamm.co.uk, please keep an eye on the
accommodation section in order to avoid trying to make a booking when all the
accommodation has already been allocated.
If you try to make a booking and all beds have already been allocated,
we will refund your booking fee. The
location of your accommodation will be described on the web site from 18.00hrs
on Thursday 15th June or when you register at the Event Centre
on Friday afternoon/evening. There will
be one price for B&B, so some will get a slightly better deal than others
and beds will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The more flexible your requirements, the
more likely we are to be able to help.
Bookings will NOT be acknowledged unless your first choice is not
available, but if you have access to www.lamm.co.uk,
check the accommodation section to confirm your booking.
Those of you who are
travelling to the event by coach from Glasgow or Inverness should camp at the
Event Centre on Friday night to avoid a long walk!
TEAMS WILL
BE STARTED AT INTERVALS of one
minute between 07.30hrs - 09.30hrs
on Saturday morning and will then receive the locations of the race
checkpoints. Pairs must stay within
visual and verbal contact of each other and checkpoints visited in the order
given. BOTH MEMBERS MUST VISIT EACH CONTROL.
We are aware that in
previous years, a few teams have cheated where one member was descending to a
control before climbing back up the hill to join a weaker partner. This will not be tolerated and some checkpoints
will be manned. Teams will be timed in
to the overnight campsite and must carry sufficient food and equipment to camp
out for the night. In view of the long
journey home, on Sunday morning the leading teams will leave in a ‘chasing
start’ from 06.00hrs and for the
majority, a ‘mass start’ will take place at 07.00. The finish will be
at the Event Centre, where results will be determined by aggregating the times
for both days. Wilf's Outdoor Catering
will also provide a post-race meal where teams will have the opportunity to
discuss the trials and tribulations of the weekend.
COMPASS
POINT SHOP: The
mobile shop is a supplier of Lowe Alpine kit and will be present at the
event to provide an opportunity for any urgent last minute purchases before the
event and replacement of trashed gear afterwards. Contact Rick Houghton at rick@compasspoint-online.co.uk
or telephone 01253 795597 to ensure
that the shop can bring whatever you will need. If you are flying to the event and are unable to carry GAS
CYLINDERS with you, contact the shop to ensure that he brings enough of the
right type to the event. You can also
purchase equipment from his secure online web shop at www.compasspoint-online.co.uk.
PRIZES: First 4 teams on each course, the veteran team (combined age of 80 or more)
with the fastest adjusted time based on a handicap system, first mixed and
first women’s team in each class.
POT HUNTING! Prizewinners in
previous years (other than Elite) are ineligible for prizes when competing on a
course & category (unless veterans) where they have previously won a 1st
or 2nd prize. We reserve the
right to decide a team's eligibility for a prize where one team member who has
previously won a prize pairs up with another previously unplaced member and
they enter a lower course.
COURSES:
ELITE: |
Fastest
running time about 12 hours |
Age limit - 18 |
56KM |
A: |
Fastest
running time about 11 hours |
Age limit - 18 |
52KM |
B: |
Fastest
running time about 10 hours |
Age limit - 18 |
48KM |
C: |
Fastest
running time about 9 hours |
Age limit - 18 |
43KM |
D: |
Fastest
running time about 8 hours, walking time 11 hours |
Age limit - 16* |
37KM |
NOVICE: |
Fastest
walking time about 8 hours |
Age limit - 16* |
30KM |
(*One team member must be over 18. A
letter giving parental consent must accompany the entry form)
These
distances are only approximate but we will endeavour to ensure that the fastest
time is achievable given good weather.
Please do not be misled if you feel the distances are short. These are straight lines drawn between the
controls, the terrain is mountainous even by Mountain Marathon standards with
plenty of climbing. Day 1 will take
significantly longer than day 2 and the courses will combine relatively fast
high-level routes with lower level sections, which demand more technical
navigation.
NOTES ON VETTING: All entries will be
vetted for suitable experience and each team must be able to navigate in the
hills. Elite entries must have completed an Elite or A course at a recent
mountain marathon, A entries an A or
B course. Alternatively they should
have achieved a fast time in a long fell navigation race or similar event. Other impressive achievements will be
considered! These courses could involve
some scrambling.
B and C entrants must
have completed a course at a recent mountain marathon or long fell navigation
race or alternatively have significant experience of mountaineering or long
days moving quickly in the hills. The D course is intended for those with
limited mountain marathon experience, but who are very strong walkers or steady
runners. These courses will also cross
steep, rough mountain terrain and require excellent navigation skills.
We
are providing a NOVICE course this
year (previously named the SHORT) but it is intended to be non-competitive and
no prizes will be awarded. It is only
suitable for those who have limited or no experience of Mountain Marathons and
it may be necessary to provide relatively direct courses to and from the
midcamp.
All entrants should feel capable of completing the E, A and
B courses within 150% of the winner's time, while the C and D courses should be
completed within 180% of the winner's time. Speed and fitness are important factors in
mountain safety. Please do not enter
this event merely with the aim of finishing a course regardless of the time
taken.
IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO
CHOOSE A SENSIBLE COURSE IF YOU INTEND TO RETURN TO GLASGOW OR INVERNESS BY
COACH! If we assume you are in the Sunday
mass start, the transport to Glasgow will leave the Event Centre 7½ hours
later.
PLEASE READ THIS WARNING:
This
year you could be tackling the most challenging mountain terrain ever used for
a British MM and the daily distances will reflect this. If you are not both competent and confident
when moving across steep, rough mountain terrain, you will inevitably be
spending longer on the hills than you anticipated. In view of this, please make a realistic assessment of your
capabilities and ensure that you are tackling a course which best reflects your
mountain skills. Please be prepared for
the worst possible conditions as the competition area is very isolated and
these hills are exposed to serious weather.
Bear in mind that you are very much on your own once you have started. Although the organisers will ensure that the
event is as safe as possible, your safety is ultimately your own personal
responsibility, just as it is with any trip into the hills. Consider
training for this event by running on mountain terrain where possible and by
practising fine map reading and compass skills.
TRAINING
COURSES for those who wish to improve
their mountain marathon skills will take place in the North Lakes on the
weekends of March 25/26, May 20/21st and September 30/1st
October. Joe Faulkner who is an outdoor
professional and qualified mountain/canoe instructor will lead them. For more details and a booking form email faulknerjoe@hotmail.com, see www.adventureracinguk.com/train.html
or contact Joe at Post Box Cottage, Kirkland, PENRITH, Cumbria CA10 1RN.
THE MAP: Each
team will receive 2 copies. This year,
the map is at 1:40000 scale with a contour interval of 10m and is based on data from the relevant OS
1:50000 sheets.
COMPULSORY KIT: Each team must carry
a tent with ground sheet, food for evening meal and breakfast, stove and means
to produce hot food/drink, first aid kit to include wound dressings (one
large), triangular bandage, roller bandage & anti-inflammatory
tablets/ointments (not compulsory).
Each person must wear
or carry a whistle, compass, map, pencil & paper, torch (not penlight) with
spare bulb & 6 hours light, sleeping bag, survival bag (not space blanket),
waterproof cagoule with hood - a
Pertex windproof top is not acceptable, overtrousers, hat &
gloves, tracksters/thermal bottoms, thermal vest or similar, warm thicker top,
hill food for each day with a small amount of emergency rations to remain at
the end of day 2.
A Goretex bivi bag
may be used as a sleeping bag but not as a tent. Footwear must be lightweight boots, fell running or
orienteering shoes – no flat-soled
trainers permitted.
Teams should be
prepared for random kit checks on arrival at the midway camp and at the end
of the event.
RECOMMENDED KIT: If you feel there is
any risk that the water you may drink en route or at the campsites is not pure
enough, you should consider using suitable water purification tablets. This would be more significant after a period
of unusually dry weather. Midge
repellent and sunscreen should also be considered.
FORBIDDEN KIT: GPS and any Satellite
Navigation device such as Magellan - altimeters are allowed.
ENTRY
LIMIT & WAITING LIST: Teams
will be accepted on a first come basis, however we will guarantee entry to
teams on the Elite Course. When courses
are filled, new entrants will be placed on their second choice course and
informed of the situation. Their cheque
will then be banked if nothing is heard to the contrary within two weeks. When the limit is reached or a second choice
course is filled, a waiting list will be generated. Teams will be informed of their position on this list and cheques
retained by us but not banked. In view
of the uncertainty, teams on the waiting list may withdraw and ask for their
cheque to be returned at any time. As
places on courses become available, the next suitable team from the list will
be contacted with the good news.
Cheques will be returned to those who still remain on the waiting list
on 1st June. Your entry will not be confirmed by post but
those with access to the Internet can check the list of teams on the web site
(see below), which will be updated every few weeks.
WITHDRAWING
AN ENTRY: Should
the team be unable to participate (even at the eleventh hour), please write to
the entries address (see below) and your request to withdraw will be
acknowledged. Only if we receive your
notification in writing franked with a 25th
May (latest) postmark and this results in reducing the waiting list,
will the team will qualify for a refund of the entry fee plus any coach booking
fee and accommodation fee (if replacements are found) less £10 which will be
paid by the end of July.
OBTAINING
INFORMATION FROM THE WEB SITE: www.lamm.co.uk. Our event was the first UK Mountain Marathon to make use of a web
site in 1998. This year we will extend
the use of the site and it will be worth checking for news every few weeks. These details are being placed on the site
in a form that can be easily printed and in due course the Final Details and Results will appear in the same way. We would like to encourage team members to
circle the box on the Entry Form, which confirms that you agree to print all
further information when it appears on the web site, and not receive any
further correspondence about this event by mail. We do not produce a glossy result booklet so you won’t be missing
anything. For those who can agree to
this, there is a modest reduction in the entry fee of £1 per person!
FINAL
DETAILS: These will be published on the web site and sent to
those competitors who have not ticked the relevant box on the entry form by the
end of MAY.
LOOKING
FOR A PARTNER? The
web site worked wonders for a few ‘desperate’ competitors last year. At least 10 partnerships were forged through
the site and some teams were very successful.
If you lose a partner or are looking for a partner, check the web site
and contact us if you would like your name to be added to the on-line list.
VOLUNTEERS FOR A MEDICAL SURVEY: We have been asked if we can assist with some medical research as recent
research suggests that prolonged endurance exercise may have a detrimental
effect on the heart. Robert Shave
would like us to try to find 20-30 competitors who would be prepared to assist
with the collection of data. There is a
box on the Entry Form where you can say yes or no. To give you some idea of the commitment required, a small blood
sample of 30ml will be collected at registration, immediately on arrival at the
midcamp and at the finish of day 2. An
electrocardiograph (ECG) and echocardiograph, which take a total of 20 minutes,
would be conducted at registration and within 30 minutes of finishing day 2
(after you've changed into warm clothes).
All results of the study would be fed back to the competitors in due
course.
CAN YOU
HELP?: If
you are thinking of coming to the event but are not competing, and would be
willing to work hard all weekend at parking,
registration, the starts, finishes, midcamp or on the hill, please
contact MARTIN STONE as shown below
much closer to the event.
ADMINISTRATION
ADDRESS: For
all correspondence, EMAIL: martin@lamm.co.uk,
FAX 01931 714107, write to Martin Stone, Lowe Alpine MM, Sleagill Head farm,
SLEAGILL, PENRITH CA10 3HD or in the
last resort telephone 01931 714106