David Ogden
International Adventurers
The 4th Day began to look like a two horse race with Nike and Wilsa Helly Hansen trading places during the day, Nike Caught up with Wilsa Helly Hansen during the final bike stage of the day but spent less time in transition, However the paddle power of Wilsa Helly Hansen soon put them back in the lead during the first stage of a mammoth paddle and portage leg first down Loch Erich and then via connecting rivers to Loch Rannoch, a portage to Loch Laiden and a choice of portage or river to Loch Ba after which the going gets tougher as they follow lochs and bogs across Rannoch to the A38 and the West Highland Way.
Balance Vector and Orion Health are chasing hard hoping their Kayak skills will bring them back in touch with the leaders.
Navigation proved difficult across Rannoch Moor and Nike broke away from Wilsa Helly Hansen and grabbed some 3 hours sleep at transition 5 prior to starting their 25k trek along part of the west Highland way, they left before any other teams arrived this maybe the race winning break!. Balance Vector took some rest at a loch side refuge in Scotland’s most famous haunted bothy. Hopefully they slept through the freaky scratching and knocking noises on the windows that this very remote hut is renowned for. This allowed Orion Health to slip past them but should be under way before Buff Colormax catch up.
The pace and the weather gas been taking its toll and the teams were rerouted around the mountains via Fort Augustus as tracks became impassable, some teams returned to Foyers and retired. A total of 11 teams have so far withdrawn, and a further 3 teams are struggling on unranked. Those that continued via Fort Augustus to transition 5 found it very hard on their feet.