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LAMM2001 WILL BE THE FIRST MAJOR UK MOUNTAIN
EVENT OF 2001
The
week before last the course planner, controller
and I spent a very successful week in Scotland.
We were fortunate to be able to visit all
the estates being used for LAMM2001. We
have now tagged each control site on every
course. I have spent a great deal of time
discussing all aspects of the Foot &
Mouth problems with the estate factors and
stalkers. Everyone without exception has
been extremely pleasant, positive and helpful.
The really great news is that ALL
the estates will be pleased to welcome the
event to their land on 16th/17th
June providing there is no outbreak of the
disease in a sensitive location such as
the Scottish Highlands. We have agreed
strict disinfecting precautions for the
event itself with the estates and these
will be described in the final event details
that you will receive in early June. We
are very grateful to the estates for the
support and trust they are placing in the
event organisation.
LAMM2001
- PLENTY MORE PLACES LEFT
There
are still plenty of places left in the event
although entries have started to come in
thick and fast in the last few days. Of
the 500 slots, about 410 are now taken.
If you haven’t already committed to the
event or you know friends who are still
sitting on the fence suffering from the
F&M Blues, IT IS NOW TIME TO ENTER the
connoisseurs mountain marathon. We promise
you that this will be another classic Highland
location. Please think positively but also
bear it in mind that it will not cost you
a penny in entry fees or coach transport
costs if, heaven forbid, we are forced to
cancel the event at the very last minute.
Remember – this will only happen if there
is an unexpected outbreak of the disease
in a sensitive location such as the Scottish
Highlands.
LAMM2001
– LOCATION IS CONFIDENTIAL
This
is just a gentle reminder about the nature
of the event and what we would expect of
the competitors. Each year I try to craft
the LAMM so that it provides everyone with
a sense of anticipation and for some a sense
of excitement and adventure. We don’t reveal
the location until 36 hours before the event.
We go to extraordinary lengths to ensure
that the location and other details remain
confidential and this makes the event far
more difficult and time-consuming to organise.
This year, a few people have got to know
more than is good for them and where possible
we have spoken with them about it. If by
some mischance you do get to know about
the event location, PLEASE mention
it to NOONE because I guarantee that
if you do, you will without doubt succeed
in spoiling it for everyone (including –
or should I say, especially me). Anyone
found to have passed on this information
to ANYONE else will have their entry fee
returned and be barred from future events.
We can always sniff out the culprit as the
list of people I have told is very short!
SCOTLAND
– MOST
MUNROS ARE NOW OPEN FOR WALKERS & RUNNERS
If
you come from south of the border you may
still not be aware that most of the higher
ground on the Scottish mountains is now
accessible for walking and running. Scottish
outdoors tourism is taking a terrible battering,
mainly it appears because people don’t believe
that the Highlands are open for business.
The places we stayed at on the recce are
very bitter that so little effort appears
to have been made by the ‘Powers that Be’
to publicise these things. Bed nights as
low as 10% of the average numbers were not
unusual for March and April. There is a
lot of information on how to find places
to go at the Mountaineering Council of Scotland
website http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/news/fam_update.html.
There is still one Bank Holiday and plenty
of weekends left before LAMM2001. For those
of you who can spare the time there are
no excuses for not being fit enough to compete
in the LAMM. Get yourselves up to the Scottish
Highlands – they are open.
LAMM
2001 – THE COURSES WILL BE LESS TOUGH THAN
USUAL, THAT’S A PROMISE!
We
realise that if you live to the south of
a line from Glasgow – Edinburgh, Foot &
Mouth means that opportunities to train
on the hills have been very limited. Mark
Hawker, our planner, has worked hard to
create courses that will have significantly
less climbing than usual, but the distances
will be about the same. We suggest that
you enter the course you would normally
run and not assume that you won’t be able
to cope. We want to prevent the shorter
courses being unnecessarily crowded. Remember
that you can change course up or down at
registration. If you don’t believe me,
see the stats. Below:
LAMM2001
Distance (Km)
Height (m)
Day 1 Day 2 Total
Day 1 Day
2 Total
E
29.4 21.6
51.0
1050 1290
2340
A
26.6 17.8
44.4
1050 1020
2070
B
22.8 16.7
39.4
930 760
1690
C
20.4 14.9
35.4
860 720
1580
D
16.7 14.5
31.2
800 450
1250
Novice 15.1
14.1 29.2
720
400 1120
LAMM 2000 (for comparison)
Distance (Km)
Height (m)
Day 1 Day 2 Total
Day 1 Day
2 Total
E 30.1
23.0 53.1 2140
1290 3430
A 25.7
19.0 44.7 1730
1240 2980
B
23.2 16.5
39.7 1280 1260
2540
C
20.5 15.4
35.9 1210 1210
2420
D
18.0 13.1
31.1 1170 1020
2190
Novice 14.5
15.0 29.5 1060
800 1860
Distances are straight Line between
Controls and heights climbed are the minimum
by a reasonable route. Mark feels that some of this year’s terrain
is going to be slower under foot than
last year, so any increase in speed due
to the reduction in height will be partially
compensated for by the rougher terrain.
BOOKING A FLIGHT TO GLASGOW/INVERNESS
We
realise that for those of you who have or
will be soon booking flights to Glasgow
or Inverness, there is a minute element
of
risk here and we are sorry that we will
not be able to accept responsibility for
money spent on unused flights. It is very
unlikely that you will be able to make an
insurance claim for your flight if the event
is cancelled and cheap, no frills air tickets
often come with little or no flexibility
whatsoever. However, you should check the
flexibility issue with any potential carrier
as we are aware that in the current F&M
situation some airlines are taking a sympathetic
view.
With
Easyjet there is the option to change flight
dates and names for £10 per leg and although
their timetables are only available six
months in advance, another change in six
months time would provide you with flights
to LAMM 2002. Competitors have told me
that British Airways have in one case provided
vouchers for use on alternative flights
and in another ‘inflexible’ case they provided
a refund less a £30 administration charge.
LAMM2002
– PLANNERS & CONTROLLERS SOUGHT
Our
planner, Mark Hawker, controlled the LAMM
last year. Our controller, Chris Hall,
planned LAMM1999 and LAMM2000. They are
doing a great job again this year and I’m
sure you will ‘enjoy’ the fruits of their
labour. Mark at least would like to compete
again next year, so if a potential planner
feels they may have a couple of weeks to
spare in the first half of next year, I
would be interested to hear from you. Mark
and Chris have plenty of historical data
and spreadsheets that they would be only
too happy to pass on.
LAMM2000
- LOST PROPERTY
We
still have a pair of custom orienteering
spectacles (strength +3.00), which come
with a hinged attachment and blue/clear
plastic headband. Any takers?
HEBRIDEAN
CHALLENGE - PLACES STILL AVAILABLE
Visit
www.hebrideanchallenge.com
for details of this exciting 4 day team
or solo multi-sport event which has been
re-scheduled to 27th August.
SUBSCRIBING/UNSUBSCRIBING
FROM THE MAILING LIST
Some
of you have been experiencing problems trying
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That’s
all for now. Next bulletin will probably
be the Final Details in early June. It
only remains to say that I look forward
to seeing all of you in mid-June at a location
2 – 3 hours drive hours north of Glasgow/Edinburgh!
All
the best
MARTIN
STONE
EVENT
ORGANISER
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