Bill’s Ramsay Round

Having spent a very relaxing week with father-in-law in Aspull – well actually Southport and North Wales, Friday saw us heading north for some fun in the mountains to help Bill Williams on his Ramsay Round.  Bill has been defeated by the weather previously and the forecast wasn’t brilliant but the decision to go ahead was made and supporters all made their way to the Rucksack Club Hut at Craigallan, near Ballachulish.

  

Weather was very changeable right from the start with high winds and heavy showers but the forecast was for improvement as Bill gets ready.

Even Charlie came down to wish Bill well at the start

and to say hello to Yiannis who completed a solo round in 2002

   He’s off – disappearing through the trees

First support point at the Dam at Firsit at Loch Trieg

FSS completed the second leg with Rhiannan arriving at a point about 4 miles beyond Lubeilt where Ian Parker (Bowland) and I had carried in supplies and set up a shelter.  The weather had deteriorated badly by this time and Ian and I and the two leg three runners were being lashed by heavy rain and strong winds.   Good job I’d had plenty of practice in the tent department recently but the darkness brought an extra level of fun to the proceedings.  Bill, Ian and Rhiannan appeared out of the gloom only a little behind schedule and were duly served with hot soup, coffee etc and then Bill and his two supporters were off leaving us to dismantle camp and stroll back to the Mamores Hotel (or as the Bowland runners refer to it - the Bates Motel!) at Kinlochleven.  Conditions by now were pretty foul and it became a struggle for our two runners to maintain body heat, making the walk out of about 8 miles or so with the backpacks fairly challenging.

The hot shower at Craigallan at about four in the morning was more than welcome – it’s not like summer is it?

Well, Bill completed the round with all the summits ticked but over the 24 hours, which given the conditions was a huge achievement.  He can now relax with a couple of weeks climbing in Cornwall.

I now have a new set of bites but thankfully the midges of Scotland are not nearly as bad as the mozzies of Canada.

FSS and I will be at the swim – traffic permitting, I’ll have a camera with me and FSS will have his wetsuit!

Looking forward to a run out on Saturday UTUP – no running done for quite a bit now but hoping for 15m.

NLN