The AR world Championship is about to start, Yesterday the teams were given the course and a big surprise they will be transported to the island of Rhum and will undertake a prologue on the island and camp overnight before a kayak start the following morning to take via the island of Egg them back to the mainland where they kayak northwards past the white sands of Morar to a portage at Morar narrows as the currents into the sea loch can be fierce. This will be the first test for some who have either brought new sea kayaks or borrowed from the organisers, I have sailed in these waters and it can be unforgiving. There is another portage and they eventually reach the first transition at Inverie and commence a trek into the Knoydart. Transition 2 is the commencement of a 125k mountain bike leg where there is a cut off prior to a rope section and a jump down a huge waterfall, thank fully not from the top as its 130 ft high! A swim in Loch Ness is on the agenda, teams were pleased to know that they have been insured against the possible intervention of the Loch Ness Monster. Another monster does face them however and that is
Before they get to the mountains they will be kayaking upstream and portaging their kayaks accross Rannoch more between lochs
The weather of course will play a major part and the latest high tech protection against the elements will be tested to destruction, Gore-Tex socks are no match for Scottish bogs.