UKC

Ali Rose and Matt Rowbottom have made a self-supported in-a-day link-up of the Glen Coe section of Ken Wilson's 'Classic Rock'.

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Cheese and chorizo wraps are aid... 

These big days out are really inspiring, so much so that I've no idea why I haven't done one?!

For those interested in what it entails I'd highly recommend listening to the interview Ali and Mark on Finlay Wild's 'Go Mountain Goats' podcast, which was recorded shortly after they did their Caingorm Classic Rock Challenge a few years ago.

https://www.gomountaingoats.com/podcast/bmqs14h45nt7sv8hj7v6mt12avsbwm

Good effort to Keri and Ben for having the vision to undertake the first Glen Coe Classic Rock Challenge too. Having done The Chasm, and heard all sorts of rumours about the Clachaig, it's not the sort of terrain you can rush on. They're not short routes either, being huge undertakings in their own right - let alone as an enchainment of seven other routes!!

Ali/Matt - congratulations to you too (obviously), both in terms of completing the challenge and getting back in time for the pizzas...

Thanks Rob.  Someone good at running and comfortable soloing in that terrain could take a lot off our time.  The "poor mans" Glen Coe Classic Rock link up (everything bar the gullies) is a really fun solo day for those not enamoured with the gullies.  It makes sense to do the 4 munros (The 2 on Buachaille Etive Mor along with Sgreamach and Bidean nam Bian) along the way.

Its also worth mentioning that Malcolm Airey went out 4 days after Matt and I to do the same link up.  He had support (Al docherty) for the Chasm and then headed for the rest solo.  I think he would have been somewhere around the same time as us but bailed a few pitches up the Clachaig gully as he'd pushed a bit hard in the heat.  Really impressed to see him charge through the rest and then make the decision pretty close to the end that he didn't have enough in the tank. 

The dark horses of Lochaber. 

Well done the boys!

This kind of stuff looks absolutely quality. Would love to give it or a reduced size one a go in the near future! Inspiring stuff!

Watch what you say John, or I'll be hassling you for a partner

Surely we can blag this as some sort of staff training day?!?

The caffeine gel I took after Crypt route felt like aid!  Almost instantly I felt I could solve all the worlds problems and really felt the need to tell Matt everything all at once while careening down Stob Coire nam beith path.  Thankfully the crash didnt come till the start of Clachaig gully when I had other things to focus on/ worry about!

A coffee shot always solves the bonk for me.

The amount of ground you have to cover for these challenges in Scotland is amazing. I did a couple of routes on Beinn a' Bhùird a few weeks ago and that was a big enough day, without thinking about heading over the plateau to Loch A'an, or starting at Lochnagar!

I left this comment half wanting you to get psyched and talk me into it. It worked on Alien World, albeit a very different excursion...

Caffeine gels are amazing!

This one felt short on the distance compared some other stuff.  The Lakes Classic Rock round looks pretty far on distance and both Matt and I aren't strong runners on the flat / paths. (give me a bog and some scree any day!).  The cairngorms classic rock has a little bit of everything but not that much height gain for that distance - harder to pace yourself on the long distances though I think.

Done them all individually solo including a few on Buachaille in a day, but linking them up like this incredibly impressive as Clachaig Gully at the end would be brutal. Incredible achievement by both teams and  more impressive that the guy on his own bailed. That self realization over ambition gets you to pension age. Brave and wise call.

Totally agree Davy (about Malcolm pulling the plug).  If he had finished it would have been impressive.  That he decided to pull the plug so close to the end is even more so and has given me a lot of food for thought.