The Highland Ultra by Beyond the Ultimate
125km and 14,000 feet of elevation over 3 days (4 nights camping) fully self sufficient.
This unique event is the brainchild of the team at Beyond the Ultimate (BTU) who have a penchant for putting on events in extreme or remote environments. Their Global Race Series includes the Jungle Ultra in the Peruvian Amazon, The Ice Ultra in the Swedish Arctic and the Desert Ultra in the Namib Desert which I’ll be participating in later this year.
The Highland Ultra (HU) is BTU’s only UK event but based in Knoydart, Scotland, it is still every bit as remote as their other events. I set off at 5:30am on Tuesday 25th April and a car ride, flight, bus link and a five hour train journey later I arrived in Mallaig 12.5 hours after leaving home for an overnight stop before taking the last leg of the journey to Knoydart, a 45 minute ferry across Loch Nevis.
I had met my friend Zuzana at Glasgow airport to make the onward journey together but as we stood on the platform at Glasgow train station we spotted two other HU runners, their fast packs were a dead giveaway. We sat with Jess and Simon on the train which made the long journey much more bearable as we chatted and laughed the time away. Once we arrived in Mallaig, there was a bit of down time before Zuzana and I met up with Jess and Simon for dinner… needless to say, as our last proper dinner, we feasted like Romans.
Arrival Day
It was a beautiful sunny day and there was much excitement as we all arrived on the peninsula of Knoydart to meet the other runners and the BTU team. After rigorous kit checks were carried out, a few of us sat out in the sun as we got to know each other before eventually making our way to camp 1 which was on ‘Long Beach’. This would be our base for nights one and four, staying in a different camp on nights two and three. Later that afternoon once all 50 runners had been registered and kit checked, Race Director Kris King welcomed the group and gave a thorough safety brief. Soon after, the camp settled down for the long cold night that awaited us.
Stage 1 - ‘Heaven to Hell’, 31 miles + 4,700 feet elevation, 6hrs 42mins, 1st Lady, 6th Overall
Knoydart is sandwiched between Lochs Nevis and Hourn - often translated as “Loch Heaven” and “Loch Hell” - and it’s for them that this stage is named.
The night had been cold and we woke up to a sprinkling of snow on the higher peaks. Fortunately we weren’t going that high but nonetheless it gave us an insight as to how quickly the weather systems can change on this mountainous peninsula.
After a final brief from Kris, we were off. The first 7 miles of the route was a steady undulating climb on road before dropping onto a mix of boggy fields and light technical trails. 20 miles in we started the first big climb of the race, 1200 feet up to Mam Barrisdale. It was now raining and the wind had picked up, making conditions a little more challenging. The descent was fast on very runnable rocky trails taking us back down to sea level and onto the final 7 mile stretch, an undulating, boggy and rocky course which runs adjacent to Loch Hourn, finishing at camp 2 in Kinloch Hourn.
By time I got to camp it was raining hard and I was soaked through to my underwear. The five guys who had finished ahead of me gave me a warm welcome cheer, and this became common practice for every single runner as they completed each stage. With the wet conditions continuing into the night, there was no way of drying our clothes. Fortunately we were allowed a night bag with one set of dry clothes in so at least I could get changed.
As more runners made it to camp, our group grew and the cheers would get louder until we knew that the last runner was back safely. It continued to rain but spirits remained high.. until I went to bed and realised that the inside of my tent was damp and cold from all of my wet clothes which made for a long and uncomfortable night of very little sleep.
Stage 1 Strava data can be seen here
Stage 2 - Kinloch Hourn, 25.5 miles + 6375 feet elevation, 7 hours 41 mins, 1st Lady, 6th Overall
I woke up feeling really tired after such little sleep and I was dreading having to get back into cold wet clothes. The mood in camp was a little sombre as I think everyone was feeling the same apprehension about the stage ahead. I’d been warned about the terrain and how it wasn’t very runnable in many places which I knew I’d get frustrated with. Within the first mile we started up a steep ascent which continued for a further 5 miles and 2480 feet up over relentless boggy, pathless terrain which took the best part of 2 hours. I had started the day low on energy and this tough start was zapping the very little that I had. My head was in a bad place for these first couple of hours and to add to it, 2nd and 3rd ladies Susie and Sarah seemed to have grown in strength, both were hot on my heels and I was really feeling the pressure.
Coming down was a slow and frustrating path over boulders but once I cleared this section it was finally time to open up the pace on the downhill - my mood immediately lifted and for the first time since waking up, I was feeling energised and positive. All the way down, over a wide river crossing, up another big climb and down a technical descent. I was flying along these sections feeling really good and enjoying the incredible views, when suddenly my right foot disappeared from beneath me and I landed hard on my knee on a big slate of rock and cut it open - I took a few seconds to assess the damage. My knee was bleeding heavily and it was bloody painful but everything else seemed fine so I limped along on my way.
The rest of the course was a long section of mountain pass with one last huge climb at the end of it. I hadn’t seen Susie for a while and so I backed off the pace a little as I made my way up the 1100 feet climb - my legs were feeling tired now but I was making progress and feeling bright. As I reached the top I took a glance back and there she was at the bottom, rapidly powering her way up - the pressure was back on for the remaining 7 miles. I managed to grow the gap until I missed the marker flags (totally my fault as I was in a lovely Highland bubble and not paying attention) and by time I got back on route, the gap had closed which made for a fast few miles to the finish where I was once again welcomed with cheers from the five guys who had finished ahead of me.
Stage 2 was done and the sun was out which meant I could finally dry my clothes and enjoy the atmosphere in camp as we cheered in the remaining runners. I was tired and had a sore knee but there was a huge sense of calm and relief to get this stage done, it was the one I was worried about and whilst I had a slow start, my mood lifted and I felt proud to have faced everything that was thrown at me, head on.
Stage 2 Strava data can be seen here
Stage 3 - Lunnie Bheinn, 15.5 miles + 3028 feet elevation, 3 hours 30 mins, 1st Lady, 6th Overall
After a grand total of 3 hours of broken, cold sleep, the camp was treated to a later start of 9:15am which gave us time to for a nice chilled start to the day and also pack down our tents. There was a buzz of excitement as this was the final day and we had been promised a burger and beer at the finish line.. after 3 days of dehydrated meals and minimal calories, I didn’t need much convincing to get it done. If I’m honest, I had hoped for a slightly more chilled day on the trails but I had no idea of the time lead, maybe 20 minutes which over longer distance isn’t a lot of time so there was no room for error. I felt focused and strong in spite of my low energy, I knew this stage was going to be short and fast, so I couldn’t afford to waste any time.
The route was Stage 1 in reverse with the possibility of summiting Mam Barrisdale, dependent on the weather. The Forward Team, Jon and Harry had ran ahead and would make a call from a safety aspect - we would only find out once we got to the saddle. It was a fast start and didn’t really let up at any point - once again Susie was always within a minute or two behind me. I felt good despite the sleep deprivation and my legs seemed to working well.
Just past CP1 we started the climb up Mam Barrisdale which is a steep, rocky path. Susie very quickly closed the gap and took the lead for the first time in the race.. I was in trouble here - I thought I was strong on hills but she put me to shame. I did what I could to keep the gap small by running when I could, knowing that at some point we’d be going back down the technical path on the other side and that’s where hopefully I could make up some time.
We reached the saddle where we were told that the summit was a no go as it was too windy up there, I can’t say I was disappointed as I wasn’t sure how much longer I could control the gap and Susie didn’t seem to be tiring.
So down we went, 7.5 miles to the finish, all downhill, and this is where the race really started! It turns out that whilst Susie isn’t so confident on the technical stuff (by her own admission), she has no problem with the rest of it. So it was a battle to the finish line and not at any point did either of us back off the pace - it was type 2 fun in it’s finest form! The first couple of miles coming down Mam Barrisdale are rocky, boggy and somewhat technical and I know that I can move well on this type of terrain but I also knew that at the bottom was a gravel track which was extremely runnable, as was the remainder of the route all the way back to the finish line. The moment we hit the track, there was quite literally no room for error, it was full send all the way home which quite frankly made me feel dizzy and sick…. but that burger was calling!
I took the win for a third day but Susie came in less than a minute after me and we hugged it out on the finish line. What a race! .. I feel honoured to have ran amongst a field of such strong women.
The After Party
I can’t deny that I was overwhelmed on the finish line and I may or may have had a few tears. I’ve close to a win a few times and finished on the podium (not complaining!) but taking my first actual win was a whole new whirlwind of emotion for me, I was elated.
The first thing I did was drink a can of coke and then joined Fred, who jointly won the men’s race with Axel, for a quick dip in the freezing cold loch water - it was ‘fresh’ to say the least. I was reunited with my travel case which meant that I could get into cleaner clothes and splash some perfume on me (I hadn’t showered in 4 days so this was useful) then headed back to the finish line to cheer in the other runners and enjoy a few drinks… and of course the burger which we’d been promised, it was every bit as delicious as I’d hoped it would be.
The rest of the night was spent sat around a camp fire with everyone while we drank, ate marshmallows, chatted and listened to the Ceilidh band that BTU had treated us to. It was the perfect end to what had been an awesome adventure and one that I’ll never forget.
Kit and Nutrition
I wore the Salomon Speedcross 6 which in my opinion was the perfect shoe for these wet, muddy conditions. It’s my favourite shoe for it’s versatility and aggressive lug depth to handle winter condtions.
I used the Salomon XA 25 litre fast pack which was very comfortable and carried everything I needed. It is a unisex pack, I went for the S/M, I’m a size 8/10 frame and 5ft 4 tall. I found that the straps were a tad long for my frame size, even with all of the straps pulled as tightly as I could, which meant there was some movement on my back which in turn caused some chaffing. I identified potential problem areas in training and taped them up and had no issues during the race.
For my hot meals (breakfast and dinner) I ate Expedition Food dehydrated meals which I also used at the Marathon Des Sables. It’s worth testing these ahead of time, as you would with any nutrition.
Trail snacks and energy drinks were all a variety of Voom products - I had either the Sparta or Fusion fuel in my water and worked my way through their bars depending on my energy. I actually had one of their Berry Pocket Rockets (with extra caffeine and taurine) on Stage 2, around about 1:30pm and I was still wide awake at 2am, so be warned that they are VERY effective!
I recently started using CBD oil to aid recovery - it helps to relax the body and mind. I’ve made this part of my routine now and I’m feeling the benefits. Initially I had wild dreams about meeting Julia Roberts and George Clooney but unfortunately that seems to have settled down now.
Random facts
Pack weight without water - 6.9kg, of which 2.3kg was food
Calories burned - 11,480
Calories consumed - 8560
Sleep (4 nights) - approx. 18 hours
Steps - 167, 579
Drams of whisky - enough to not remember
Acknowledgements
At the risk of sounding like an Oscar speech (this is my 15 mins after all) it would be remiss of me if I didn’t acknowledge my crew;
It simply would not be possible for me to experience these silly running shenanigans without the support of my family, thankyou Richard, Leo & Mayana - mama loves an afternoon in front of Netflix.
My running friends who I’ve shared many a trail mile with, you know who you are and I probably would have moaned even more without you.
Coach Steve Hopwood at Zone 2 Coaching for pushing me and putting up with my long waffly voice notes.
My sponsors; Salomon Running, Voom nutrition (LAURENG10 for a discount) and Organic Relief CBD (LAUREN55 for a discount) for supporting me on the trails.
My running group Run Like a Girl for being my biggest cheer squad
Photo credits @willbaldlygo and @shotbymather