Hi
Martin
This was
my first LAMM and I just wanted to say thanks for a great event.
It was a long drive to get there but completely worth it. The
terrain was breathtaking and its really fired my enthusiasm.
Thanks again
Austin Haffenden
Hi Guys
Tthanks for a great event, our first LAMM and second MM. Managed
a 10th in the D class. Thanks againRussell
Senior Instructor Kushi Adventures
Martin
Fantastic event and so seamless. Wasn't until I saw the other
courses that we realized the logistics you had in place for the
other starts. Great area - such a change from bracken bashing.
Big mountains, no midges and good weather.
Heard there was some rucksac leaving on the B (?) course - just
had the rules for the Saunders and it does say both competitors
and all equipment to visit each CP. But actually it doesn't really
bother me - people will always find shortcuts if they try hard
enough. I did also notice that despite each competitor having
an SI, those of us bringing our own didn't have to have them attached
by the tags to our wrists so I could have given mine to my partner
should I have wished. These are all minor points to having two
great days out in the mountains.
We specifically chose different areas and checkpoints for the
two days which was great. It's a shame more weren't tempted up
Ben Fhada on the saturday. I suspect that lower down the field
and even for Kenny and Keith that they visited very similar areas
on both days which is a shame. I'm sure you debated this and was
part of the reasoning for the day 2, 1 hour addition. Perhaps
a day 1 start further away might have also helped - I think perhaps
this should take higher priority compared to providing a marking
up area under cover. Having CP locations saturday night was different.
I think I preferred this to say at 5am on the Sunday. It is then
up to competitiors to decide how long to spend looking at maps
and how much they want to sleep! However I think you could consider
the AR type idea of giving dummy controls i.e. CPs with 0 points
for the sunday to throw those with pre-prepared routes. Must warn
people that this will happen though to save them visiting before
realising.
All in all I think the score was very successful and I hope it
continues - it should of course help with land permissions if
you continue to attract more entries.
All credit to you and your dedicated team.
Russ Ladkin
Martin
I just would like to send a big thank you to you and your LAMM-marshalls.
Me and my
teamate Jonas (and of course Tomas and Peter our competitors
and colleagues) had a great weekend up in the mountains. The
competitioncentre was great, the course (we ran the A-course)
was challenging and fun, the map were big but exact (at least
we didn’t have any big errors), the nightcamp was tremendous
(OK some more toilets perhaps but who gives a shit J ) and last
but not least the weather… WOW!
We’ll
be back!
Pär
Hedlund
Team Rockrunners
Martin
Thank you very much for the LAMM, we had a brilliant time doing
the D course. We did the Novice last year so this year's D was
a perfect small step up for us.
I was amazed
at how well organised it was, and how smoothly it all seemed
to go - keep up the good work.
See you next
year
Jane Owen-Pam
Martin,
I just want to thank you and the rest of the marshals for making
me so welcome at the LAMM last weekend. It was kind of you to
allow me to join the team and I hope I was able to be of some
use, despite my lack of previous knowledge!
It made for an interesting weekend and I was mightily impressed
by the amount of organisation involved in keeping the whole event
running smoothly. The fact that you and all the other marshals
remained so calm and good humoured throughout the two days is
a real testament to your character and ability! They are a really
nice bunch of people.
I know that Oliver is keen to have another go next year (if the
dates don't clash with his 3rd year university exams) and is planning
to give his running partner some more fell-running experience
around the Arrochar Alps near to home this summer, to get Jake's
ankle back up to strength!
Thank you so much for letting me tag along, and good luck for
your future LAMM events.
Kind regards
Peter Gourd
Martin
thought
you might like to pass on thanks to all concerned from Norma
and myself for another great event. We did the B class this
year and really enjoyed the spectacular scenery (especially
on day 2) with a broad ridge traverse and views over to Skye!
Well organised as ever and great weather despite your scary
e-mail!
Thanks, Stephanie
Pruzina
Martin,
Just wanted to say thanks for another excellent event - efforts
of all concerned are much appreciated. Really enjoyed the score
class. It seemed to work well - in fact, I wouldn't suggest any
changes. It would be great if this could become a regular feature.
Andy Smith
Martin,
Thank you
for a wonderful event in Kintail this year, our second LAMM.
The combination of spectacular hills, consummate organisation
and personal, friendly ethos was again impressive.
As well
as our thanks for your own input and for that of the planner
and controller (who must have had quads of steel by the time
they'd got this year's steepness in hand), my partner Nicola
and I would like to pass on our gratitude to your team of marshalls
and volunteers. Some of them seemed to have been awake practically
around the clock, and yet continued to be polite, smiley and
professional.
We made
a 'half step' up from D to the shorter C course this year. Our
legs are firmly telling us to stay put, but the LAMM courses
create an appetite to see more and go further in the future.
Time to get training.
By the way,
I assume you must have laid on some sort of free booze-up for
the local midges this year, because they weren't partying on
our patch. If you could do the same thing again, that would
be great. And find the time for a dram for yourself; it would
be well earned.
Best,
Mark Ackroyd and Nicola Marshall (C class: surviving not
competing)
Martin
We had a
fabulous time at this years 2009 LAMM this being our first Mountain
Marathon, the organisation of the event was second to none to
have the confidence that everything was in order allowed us
to just think about what we had in front of us, the ascents
and descents wet boggy ground and a full sense of achievement
at the finishing.
Thank you
for a great event and congratulations on your successful organised
team.
Best regards
Garry Dickinson
Hi Martin
Comments
on the score. I have done D twice and novice twice: I moved
down to novice cos d was too hard. hence doing score this time
- it's as hard as you make it. I thought it was a great success
- I could argue the toss about what value to give controls,
but that's not really what you want. Before the event, my main
worry was the marking up arrangements but they were fine in
the end, and this idea of marking up the map outside race time
and only getting the values inside race time and having to make
route choice in race time was a very good one. I was worried
we'd have to mark up in the rain inside race time - that would
be a nightmare, cos the pens wouldn't mark the laminated maps.
so keep the marking up outside race time, and in the dry. having
the marking up inside the tents at overnight was a real bonus
because we then spend all evening feverishly planning routes
only to tear up all our plans and make new ones on the hoof
in the morning! I like to have a few easy low-scoring controls
near the finish so i can mop them up if i'm going well or drop
them if not - that was the case this year. If it's like this
next year then it'll be once again a perfect event.
Apart from
the score course, a few general comments. You should tell us
on the website if there will be portaloos at overnight camp
cos i have friends who won't do the lamm cos of the slit trench.
Saying there will be portaloos at overnight camp will increase
your entries i think. I particularly liked the way the bagpiper
played longer than usual and i think if you could persuade the
piper to every year play longer in the
mornings it would add to the atmosphere. Also, if you could
tell us nice and early whether we fly to Glasgow or Inverness
that'd be good cos then we can book flights nice and early.
A great
weekend - the score course was a triumph.
Best regards,
Martin Brice
Martin
Thank you
for such a great event. I had the time of my life. It was my
first LAMM and I plan on attending more. Great location, great
routes, super weather but really the organization and people
running the event made it more than a first class event.
Thank you
again.
Denise Martin
Martin
Another
marvellous event. Thanks to those who put in all the time and
effort. Definitely appreciated. Now if I can get my legs together
I might try running again in a year or two.
Rob Coles
Martin
Thank you
very much to all the team - we thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.
Super
Steve Hinshelwood
and Andrew Stimson Course C
Dear Martin,
Many thanks to you and your team for putting together such a superb
weekend of serious mountain running - thoroughly enjoyable, especially
in retrospect now that the muscles/lungs aren't burning so! It
was my first LAMM and I thought the organisation was absolutely
spot on; however the behaviour of many of the competitors (all
in B category I think) left a bit of a sour taste, which is why
I'm bothering you now.
On Day 2 in the `B` class the best line from 1 to 2 followed the
ridge before the steep drop to Bealach Mhic Bheathain. The best
line from 2 to 3 was clearly to return down the ridge before heading
due south. As a consequence, when we passed the lochan low down
on the ridge a couple of pairs of rucksacs had been abandoned.
Thinking it against the rules/ethos, we continued upwards with
our packs, tempting though it was to run around 2.5k without the
extra weight. On our return virtually everyone we saw had taken
the easy option and were running minus packs (including all safety
kit). Passing the lochan again it was a dumping ground for packs.
Maybe I'm being naive but I thought the intention was that everyone
carried all their kit all of the time and that that is clear in
the rules. Flicking through the prize-giving photos I recognised
one distinctive female pairing who had taken the easy option;
another pack-free competitor I spoke to said it was the course-planners
fault for putting the temptation there!
I just wanted to let you know what happened on the course, partly
to get it off my chest, but mainly so that the rules/ethics can
be stressed at future events to avoid a repeat of this blatant
form of cheating.
I hope everything has gone reasonably smoothly from the organisational
point-of-view for you.
Best wishes
John Hooson
Martin,
Thanks for
everybody’s hard work this weekend.
I enjoyed
the score course. I liked Angela’s strategy of giving people
enough rope to tie themselves in complete knots on day 1, followed
by a day with some easy low-value controls to give people an
easy route home if the needed it. Unfortunately we made a daft
route choice decision on day 1, losing 40 minutes compared to
reasonable teams on same leg on the B course! We made what would
have been a good but unique choice, right through the middle
of the area to the cluster around Stob Coire na Cloiche, but
our error gave us a bad result after getting back 30 minutes
late.
On Sunday
morning I lost my thumb compass (Silva Nor Spectra). I thought
I might have left it in the start pen when marking the scores
onto my map, but when I asked in the marquee they didn’t
know if anyone had found it. Can you let me know if anyone has
found it, please?
Peter Gorvett
OMM 2008 score course planner
Martin
I just
wanted to thank you for yet another superb LAMM, the organisation,
atmosphere and even the weather were spot on! Having come 6th
last year in the C class we moved up to B this year, we certainly
found it quite a bit more challenging and also felt that the
general standard of competition was a lot higher (In 'B' everyone
seems to run where they can!). Although we were initially disappointed
at not being in the chasing start despite being 18th on Saturday
night, in retrospect we actually enjoyed it more being able
to leave earlier and not be surrounded by all the other chasers.
Just one minor point which I appreciate you had difficulties
with this year, my wife (at home) was a bit disappointed that
the web updates weren't as frequent or as informative as in
previous years. Personally as well, could you not reveal the
LAMM location on your website 1st thing on Thursday so that
people could check it before leaving from home/work?
Looking forward to next year already despite the aching legs!
Richard Coombs (B Class 12th)
