HT Wrap Up

Women's podium, gravel bikers and night riders

Whilst you were sleeping... and the start to Day 6

THE END IS NIGH! Gail wins fastest woman. Day FIVE!	

EVERYTHING you need to know on day 4 and MORE

Day Four Morning

Huw's Rolled into Tyndrum!

The Highland Trial Bites Back!

SOME BREAKING NEWS - A race of the Invisible Dots!

Good Morning Scotland - Day 4 Awaits

All riders are now in! BooM!

Chris Johnstone (66) finished around 5pm and Ramon Colomer sometime after 10pm.

![Screenshot 2022-06-05 at 17.24.34](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2TFCN0dxNA04MtXzqRIiFu/d8da127f5724382e7fa95aaf22036744/Screenshot_2022-06-05_at_17.24.34.png)

[Eliza](https://www.instagram.com/elizasampey/) pushed through the night to finish within 8 days. As she explained on her IG, this was a big stretch for her because she recently had a concussion whilst riding which gave her concern about riding at night. 

![Screenshot 2022-06-05 at 18.07.36](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6llBpSjS8VY4YkRQRflL0f/956cd42fdbb49943cac160598d64063d/Screenshot_2022-06-05_at_18.07.36.png)

She decided to continue, but was slowed down by a pinch flat. She was able to get it sealed with loads of worms. She reached Tyndrum after 7am on Sunday, which puts her inside 8 days. 

Andrea Rogers (Trepid Explorer) has arrived in Tyndrum just before 6pm, with enough time for a shower and telly before heading back to work tomorrow.

Well done to all the riders on this year's HT550, those who finished and those who will inevitably come back for another attempt.

In the meantime... go ride your bike!

Over and out,
Lars

[Photo by Alan Goldsmith](https://www.instagram.com/ht550alan/)

We have our official women's podium at the RFC:

1. Gail Brown
2. Christine Campbell
3. Dawn Anderson

![Screenshot 2022-06-04 at 15.29.15](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/h15GfIuqTGvc9yCaocjtP/eb5656a957fd3d19a90bcadc26d4a22a/Screenshot_2022-06-04_at_15.29.15.png)

[Photo by Naomi Freireich](https://www.instagram.com/frikfrak74/)

It seems everyone has been enjoying their complementary finisher meal, possibly just as a starter before their main course. Naomi has said this was the hardest thing she's ever done. 

Around 11:45 on day 6, a trio of riders reached the finish together. Jade Field, Cat Magill and Carl Hopps. Jade and Carl were possibly the only two HT550 finishers on gravel bikes this year. It must have been a tough final stretch for Jade whose freehub failed sometime after Glencoe. This was not enough to stop her from getting to the finish. She basically used her bike as scooter by pushing off and sometimes running with her bike. 

![Screenshot 2022-06-04 at 15.43.01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6llne7YUAiTEHqJz6DxSuy/c299186281440e6689fcbbabc7e6e132/Screenshot_2022-06-04_at_15.43.01.png)

[Carl Hopps](https://www.instagram.com/carlhopps/)

![Screenshot 2022-06-04 at 15.43.01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7GXdFeDuc1jAOP7R2vlUOR/48edfb2beebce784e746b46943cd7e6b/Screenshot_2022-06-04_at_15.46.11.png)

[Andy Dodd](https://www.instagram.com/andyd0dd/)

They were welcomed by a gang of ~20 supporters.

In the early hours of Day 7, we had two more across the line: Dotwatcher's own Beccy Waters and Danish rider Morten Kjærsgaard (age 60). Well done to both of them for squeezing under 7 days.

We still have four more riders out there. 66 year old Chris Johnstone is expected to finish his evening. Ramon Colomer could also arrive before midnight. Eliza and Andrea should arrive sometime tomorrow.

Thanks to a [great round up last night](https://dotwatcher.cc/race/ht550-2022?reverse=undefined&post=2rekWj4wI3BCEN6p7OYwNA#events) from Alice. We've since had more riders cross the line and there are still plenty out there riding.

## More finishers

The HT550 finisher welcome crew alternated between the pub and finish line as we welcomed four riders last night. We also caught up with Rob Waller for breakfast this morning after he finished one minute inside six days!

Nico Keinath (Berlin): We learnt this morning from Nico that there is no direct translation for 'bog' in German and this phenomenon was new to him.

Alan Goldsmith (Our fearless leader): Alan crossed the line and demanded to know how everyone's ride was. 

![WhatsApp Image 2022-06-03 at 9.19.57 AM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4r5fadU22ywzloGNgjIHVS/aa27da371b1fe35cd8cb992f75a1be89/WhatsApp_Image_2022-06-03_at_9.19.57_AM.jpeg)

Photo by [Annie Le](https://www.instagram.com/a_girl_outside/)

Speaking of Alan, here's a cracking shot he took of Nico on one of the most iconic sections of singletrack on the route, the climb up Torridon. 

![Screenshot 2022-06-03 at 10.41.41](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7JnCTZPisBDtv2fOzkZGhi/9481f99e17bf1580fd22af7dfd239bbf/Screenshot_2022-06-03_at_10.41.41.png)

Photo by [Alan Goldsmith](https://www.instagram.com/ht550alan/)

Alan remarked about how he had enjoyed his 'camping holiday' as he cracked open a beer on his pedal and tucked into some fish and chips from the RFC. As Alice mentioned, this was Alan's 10th HT550. What a legend!

Maurice Guy was greeted by his partner and dog, who didn't expect a gang of dotwatchers to show up. We learnt it was his birthday the day before and sang him a song.

![WhatsApp Image 2022-06-03 at 9.19.35 AM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/owGi9G4M1cWPRG6Te2xhF/82012b32c91fc39a62032d6f0a6f93bb/WhatsApp_Image_2022-06-03_at_9.19.35_AM.jpeg)

Photo by [Annie Le](https://www.instagram.com/a_girl_outside/)

Christine Campbell was second woman to the finish. She had been suffering from a stomach bug on the last day but pulled through on the last stretch.

![92372901-4438-401B-BED0-92CDAC403EA2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5un6hxVLgjAg8v2giVokEt/02dd630bd336dc9bbcf4c67cb6623b10/92372901-4438-401B-BED0-92CDAC403EA2.jpg)

Photo by [Alan Goldsmith](https://www.instagram.com/ht550alan/)

Rob Waller rode from the Teahouse bothy in a oner, pulling a 29 hour shift and managed to squeeze in one minute under 6 days. He's celebrating his fourth completion of the route this morning with some RFC breaky. Though Rob was quick to mention one of these was a DQ due to an expensive train/taxi mission to get some brake pads :D

![Screenshot 2022-06-03 at 12.42.18](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2CYHpJF2eseMYoil6ccwpT/9b3849f1c21bf1b041891e7fda63f108/Screenshot_2022-06-03_at_12.42.18.png)

Photo by [Alan Goldsmith](https://www.instagram.com/ht550alan/)

As of writing, Dawn Anderson appears to have just hit the finish line to become 3rd woman back to Tyndrum. Go Dawn!

## Scratch update
- Alex Crawley @ Fort Augustus. Unfortunately Alex has to cut it short to make it to work this evening. Ouch!
- Richard Wilson had a mechanical and forced to head back from Torridon to Kinlochewe.
- Loreto Garcia and Adrien Jacques have also scratched. 
## Still out riding

We're expecting a stream of riders finishing today (4 women, 1 man). Next up will be veteran 24 hour racer Naomi Freireich, who is currently on the singletrack climb before Bridge of Orchy. 

Later this afternoon we're expecting Jade Field, Cat Magill, Carl Hopps and Kirsty Gunstone. All four are currently refueling in Fort William before jumping on the West Highland Way back to Tyndrum.

Morten Kjærsgaard and Beccy Waters (Dotwatcher) are nearing the 'Old Military Road' descent to Fort Augustus, a fun bit of switchback trail that gets a bit squirrely in the wet.  It's possible these riders could push through for a finish later this evening! 

Chris Johnstone (67) is our oldest rider this year. He's passed Camban bothy and still moving.

Ramon Colomer, Eliza Sampey and Andrea Rogers are also going strong, though Eliza has been in stealth mode to save batteries. She's made up some time since an unfortunate brake issue on day one.

Sadly, I've had to leave Tyndrum on the train south, but I will continue to post updates. Check back later this evening!

Cheers,
[Lars Henning](https://www.instagram.com/larsmarshandlebars/)


Hello dear dotwatchers

The weather has dried, and the mid-pack have have been bringing it home all day. Thank you to Annie Le who has been continuing to document the HT even though it wasn't her intital project.

__A MIGHTY congratulations to:__

- Tom Bruce (rode through the night)
- Brian Alder (rode through the night?)
- Campbell Davidson
- David Garcia
- Ollie Hayward
- Thomas Burbach
- Paul Herron
- Bruce Griffiths
- Rob Abrey
- GAIL BROWN! (1st Woman Home!)
- Simon Fairfull

![ec1065ff-2ff0-468a-9927-dcf9d20fee26](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/34R52lSSwomouAq2zXi1X0/eb0bfe8ce5dd2cd644fa779a5964a1dd/ec1065ff-2ff0-468a-9927-dcf9d20fee26.JPG)
![e669cb47-85c5-4b85-8b42-2d342d4eee53](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3womsiePZ0r8GtsXDzNYTv/f20835662d3745959535bfb0e0940a45/e669cb47-85c5-4b85-8b42-2d342d4eee53.JPG)![ad5c790b-bb67-409b-8226-28782bdd65c6](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7MTdKQlYaEADQ8iVfbj7zH/42cd6e242234397ae1a107297efd1845/ad5c790b-bb67-409b-8226-28782bdd65c6.JPG)  (Annie Le)

__INCOMING (30km!)__

- Nico Keinath
- Maurice Guy
- Alan Goldsmith
- Christine Campbell

The last 30km entail a lovely easy track along the West Highland Way through Rannoch moor. One could then take the road to the finish but instead Alan Goldsmith decided to make our battered and exhausted riders push steeply up and over one last hill. Cruel, Alan.

Speaking of Alan, this is his __10TH HIGHLAND TRAIL!!__ If you’ve done ONE you’d understand what a feat that is. 

Here he is riding all the way up the Bealach Horn ;) (Annie Le)

![PHOTO-2022-06-02-13-36-58](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1COKIHVRZqm0BxrDHfrUGV/bdbef9daa65d762d746c727bfd5c9c7e/PHOTO-2022-06-02-13-36-58.jpg)

He was heard telling Annie Le “It wouldn’t be on to win my own race… give the lads a chance”. 

Nice, Alan. Feel free to win the 11th edition though. 

Gail Brown is the FIRST woman to finish with a provisional time of around 5d 11h - a Stellar effort from Gail. An incredibly strong and steady rider, here she is looking fresh as a daisy at the finish and this cool unflappable demeanour (i.e. Mental Fortitude) no doubt contributed to her ride. No one has seen her not smiling.

![5d50242b-3f8b-49d2-8d3b-9616d622516b](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/35XCcpiwDX4t8Geq9RRS6f/7a8e8d5a7e0033fbba7ff3e942405680/5d50242b-3f8b-49d2-8d3b-9616d622516b.JPG)(Annie Le)

Christine Campbell is not far behind, and Dawn approximately 40 miles from the finish. 

Jade was last seen saying “i can't just do the loooong hike a bike any more”

…just as she was approaching Kintail and the “looooong” hike a bike up into glen affric 
… eek! 
Hope she could immerse herself in the beauty and forget the pain. 

The other half of team gravel Carl seems to have retrieved his helmet from the locked Kinlochewe hotel at some poiint and resisted the lure of a morning pint (did he?)

Lots of people still trucking a long. I’d mention them but I’m afraid i’ve reached commentary fatigue. You’re all doing great!!! Really! And i’m in absolute awe that you’re all still going. Takes some strength. Luckily Lars is on hand to reinject the enthusiasm tomorrow.

With credit to James Robertson for the excellent photos in this dispatch. He had a mission sustainablly travelling up from Edinburgh and getting to the right spot at the right time (in the middle of the night).

Day four has seen the leading bunch trickling in, after I mistook Alexanxer Berry and Jean Roglet's close dots to be a holding-of-hands-across-the-line as Lee, Ian and Javi did in 2017. Not so, Alex pipped Jean to 3rd place by 5 minutes. The finishers so far are:

__Yesterday evening__

1. Huw Oliver

__Early this morning__

2. Simon Gruignard

__Later this morning__

3. Alexander Berry
4. Jean Roglet
5. Stefano Romualdi

__This afternoon__

6. Donnacha Cassidy
7. Ricardo Parreirinha
8. Angus Young (waiting to hear his provisional time)

__This evening__

9th. Mike Debernado

You can catch up with Angus' stories to find out about how his race went.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRE8ousUrY/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CeRE8ousUrY/)

We are expecting to see a few riders in tonight. Thomas Burbach isn't far off; solid riding from him, Tom Bruce, David Garcia and Brian Alder may push through, and Oli Hayward was last heard in Fort Augustus to be 'feeling good' enjoying the good weather (at last!) and riding the reprieve to Fort William before he makes a decision on whether to proceed onwards. It would be punchy for anyone behind him to make it in overnight.

![An atmospheric Glen Affric (photo credit: James Robertson)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/43dDeRHssuc9G6Dr3KIYYY/2889a3f9e24f549efaefa781f6645aa7/C82CD8A0-ECBD-4FCC-9BC3-1037A3AE5C94_2.JPG)

Theres a solid bunch of eight folk - from Bruce Griffith (17th) to Nico Keinath (24th) - pushing up the waterfall into Glen Affric. A brute of a push that but very, very beautiful. This includes leading woman Gail Brown and Christine Campbell still not far behind. Our illustrious leader Alan is in here too. Trackers are often frozen in this section so leaderboards may not be accurate. This group may push on to Fort Augustus but Cambam bothy is also in sight for an early night. This lot are on for a solid 5 day finish, chapeau.

![Alexander Berry climbing into Glen Affric (photo credit: James Robertson)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1xwa27XMUlFrC9oAIhPr7f/4172436761c061a43da430da76a39031/440017B7-D00E-45C0-B0CC-F649B0DEA0AF.JPG)

Daniel, Dawn, Loreto and Naomi are all between the Torridon descent and the climb out of Kintail into Glen Affric.

Jade and Carl, team gravel bike, have been with each other since Poolewe. Carl has been busily summoning his verve whilst Jade had a difficult time coming off Fisherfield. Both appear to be keeping each other in the race, and have stopped in Kinlochewe for a long rest. Keeping well-being in mind is a good strategy for performing well in a race like this. Rob, David and Cat are there too at the moment. One of the excellent petrol station stops on route. 

Further back, Becky, Kirsty, Alex and Morten have resisteed the lure of Poolewe and are on the road to Kinlochewe. Can they resist its draw? Ramon is on his way out of Fisherfield, and Eliza and Andrea have left Ullapool on their way to the Coffin Road. Do they know what they're in for?!

We have some more scratches to report. Robert Biglow, having slept at Sheneval was then seen exiting Fisherfield via thee 2021 route in reeverse. He was also suffreing from bad ankles and decided to call it a day. Kasia Breksa has also scratched owing to a very worrying hand injury that she has gone to Inverness to have checked out. She expressed gratitude to Mitch, the once-stranger who offered her a lift.

Chief analyst Alex Pilkington has tallied up the scratch reasons and so far we have:

- bad knees 5
- bad ankles 4
- head not in it 4
- worn brakes 3
- crashes 2
- other mechanicals 2
- hand injury - 1
- unknown 1

That's 1/3 of the startlist. Those who have finished have also reported nearly all of the above too!

![Screenshot 2022-06-01 at 21.28.29](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/9iTpKktihNLLeeINYxGeM/6c9a0e7b3435df79e944832df9ae0823/Screenshot_2022-06-01_at_21.28.29.png)![Screenshot 2022-06-01 at 21.28.29](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/9iTpKktihNLLeeINYxGeM/6c9a0e7b3435df79e944832df9ae0823/Screenshot_2022-06-01_at_21.28.29.png)

In the absence of rider photos today i present a picture of Jim's insoles. Hope that's dirt Jim and not the shedding of foot rot.

All the night's antics will be with you after it happens...

Huw Oliver finished the HT2022 in 3d 11h and 24m, placing him as the third fastest ever on the route. Just half an hour behind Liam Glen 2021 and an hour behind Neil Beltchenko’s 3d 10h 22 of 2017. Incredible effort Huw!

Having passed Angus during the cloak of night around Dornie, Huw was out of sight and Angus was none the wiser until somewhere along the Great Glen Way. Having set such a blistering pace across much of the route Angus has developed a chest infection and made the sensible decision to stop early and rest well in Kinlochleven. It would take a lot for Angus to do such a thing. He has risen and has messaged to say “i’ll get through this”. He may well be on his way now. Safe to assume however the leading bunch are now ahead of him.

![SG](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/IXzHtX28O8dfW6ubFae7a/8500f1aa1f7cb7638e8341acdcd6c647/Screenshot_2022-06-01_at_09.00.04.png)

Also in the cloak of night, Simon Guignard rode through, passing Alexander Berry, and finished the HT in second place at 5:46 this morning 3d 21h 45m or thereabouts. Congratulations Simon. Tres bien. And JUST IN are riders Alexander Berry and Jean Roglet who squeezed in ten minutes under 4 days, arriving together <3. Alexander stopped owing to a failed front light leaving him no choice but to wait out the darkness. They are closely followed Stefano Romaldi who will be arriving in the next wee while. 

Many of the riders across the field took a longer sleep last night, upwards of 6 hours. Suggesting the race is wearing on them considerably, and understandably so. The persistence of rain and the consequent effects on the body, mind and bike we all know too well. 

Gail Brown is still leading the women’s field having ridden steady throughout. Aside from her strength, I assume this is buttressed by her cool, unflappable attitude which goes a long long way in a race like this. Christine Campbell passed Naomi Frierich and is now sitting in second. They are 21 and 23rd respectively. Their times are roughly on par with Annie Le’s time last year but Annie finished overall in 13th. There’s still time to go for further scratches but it showcases the speed and strength of riding this year. Our illustrious Alan is sandwiched between them. Naomi has taken a long break around Poolewe but is moving again. Dawn, Loreto and Jade are all half way through Fisherfield and not too far behind are Cat, Alex, Kirsty and Becky. Becky Waters, being the second person to have downloaded the wrong route file, is now approaching Fisherfield turn off. 

![PHOTO-2022-05-31-10-32-31](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/fUN1GhB8wsj1r6kAvRW9E/cb15f9e72ef7dc2886d99b9bd43a20b3/PHOTO-2022-05-31-10-32-31.jpg)

Ollie Hayward, a strong rider in the front of the mid-pack, took a long break in Poolewe and then stopped for the night in Kinlochewe. As well as nursing his feet, we assume he is also mourning the loss of his comrade Chris Simpson (also out due to injury). Jim Higgins, placing 4th last year, appears to be on the wrong side of loch Affric and is scratching due to ankle and knee injuries. This was a notable scratchpoint for Stu Copthwaite in 2017 who was until that point leading the race. The climb out of Tomich is a right brute and there is still a long way to go. Jim is currently in Cannich eating a big fry up. He has been another fast and steady rider throughout this race and i’m sure was aiming to beat his time last year. Ankles and Knees appear to be a big source of scratching in this race of attrition. Lukas has recently informed us of a scratch too owing to losing braking power leading to a crash. At least the second person to have used up all their brake pads and been left with no alternative.

Other long stops include Kasia Breska, seemingly stopped in Kylescue for the last 21 hours. Alright Kasia? Eliza Sampey, having fallen behind by ’50-100 miles’ on day one is still trucking along near Andrea around Ledmore Junction. Ace effort from them and they should get to enjoy the finally settling weather.

On to our gravel contingent. Some riders were treated to at least a bit of bright weather around Fisherfield, showcased by this incongruous scene - a place where gravel bikes really shouldn’t be taken. 

![Carl gravel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2jyRR2OJX1HyNT4FfnMWpR/4ed45256e8fa5fc115c44bcc3aea2f01/Screenshot_2022-06-01_at_08.39.04.png)

Could Fisherfield have been the thing to finally break Carl Hopps’ smile? We hope not. But he stopped in Poolewe for a proper rest and wrote of the bog, coffin road and fisherfield having wreaked havoc on his feet. Jade Saskia has been moving up the ranks as the race has progressed, having made a series of excellent decisions to date: sandals, waterproof socks, and having stopped at Sheneval last night. She’s deep in the heart of Fisherfield now having we assume walked straight through the river without having to concern herself with the odious task of removing footwear.  Some tricky sections ahead we hope she approaches the task with equanimity.

![jade sandals](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/763pBmXfbKuikleR6ZzYGk/98fcc9e437fc75bb56152c764ee9bae2/PHOTO-2022-05-31-10-31-07.jpg)

More later on, where we will have a few more finishers to report on and hopefully some more exceellent photos from Annie. And perhaps James Robertson will come out of hiding and send us some real photos so we don't have to rely on my [creative work](https://www.instagram.com/stories/lemkiss/2850223926478139695/)

![WhatsApp Image 2022-05-31 at 11.30.15 AM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5MX5ZzXS6ah0bmeUIH5mr2/0b2c8ccb5eec5be23f0a3baf1b7e3000/WhatsApp_Image_2022-05-31_at_11.30.15_AM.jpeg)

We finally get actual dots to watch!

We have a rider back! [ Huw's](https://www.instagram.com/topofests/) rolled into town!

Other than some helpful IG intel the DW team have not had much to go off in terms of tracking this fella! [Ian Ashton](https://www.instagram.com/broke_bike_mountain/) after scratching in the ride has worked his way back and has seen the finish line action pictured above - it looks like Huw is standing and a sleep at the same time!  

The ride time is reported to be __3d11h20m,__ this is tbc until the track (and the other finishers tracks) are all scrutinized by [Alan Goldsmith](https://www.instagram.com/ht550alan/), however Huw knows this route very well and is not likely to have made any nav errors. 

This is an incredible time and has been acheived in a methodical and consistent way and Huw has had the good luck that he deserves on this ride and beaten his previous HT demons! As well as strength, skills and resillience, luck always plays a part in the HT550. 

The one thing he does lose some points for - is his tracker skill's, one ping a day does not cut it for the hungry to know dot-watching community! 

__Get rested and have a very well earned beer Huw!__

Many riders are still working hard out there, race rival Angus (also with tracker issues) has not had the 'luck' and he's having to take some more rest, before he attacks the tough climb from Kinlochleven and the remaining 50km  WHW section, which is bumpy and tiring. We hope Angus find's the strength to complete his HT550. We're sending virtual hugs to Angus, and lets send some to all the other riders still out there!!!

[Alex Berry](https://www.instagram.com/alexberry82/) is moving well and will probably press on to the finish, so again we have a bit of guessing to do for the 2nd / 3rd ride finishers, and then there are the trio of international riders just behind too... another exciting night! 

Other news [Rebecca Waters](https://www.instagram.com/beccy_waters/) (our DW Beccy) has done a few extra km by doing a bit of the 2021 route, she is now back on the Coffin Road Climb - keep going Beccy!

[Annie Le](https://www.instagram.com/a_girl_outside/) has been along the Ledmore Traverse today capturing some of the days moments...
![Screenshot 2022-05-31 at 22.08.52](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4o40yW9qLkVLfNr6mgNqDq/28b331e856425c67bc67611968221677/Screenshot_2022-05-31_at_22.08.52.png)

![Screenshot 2022-05-31 at 22.10.45](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6BC7DJR0AzGJMx5qC4hWvE/ba8dee005b1660a1bed9d5ae9c6bccab/Screenshot_2022-05-31_at_22.10.45.png)

I'll be signing off tonight and handing over the HT commentary to [Alice](https://www.instagram.com/lemkiss/), [Lee](https://www.instagram.com/leecraigie_/) & [Lars](https://www.instagram.com/larsmarshandlebars/) as I go off to do some riding.
It's been a pleasure doing this commentary, it does take over your life a bit and makes your eye's go squiffy from looking at screens and phones for too long, but its been great and I hope its helped bring the HT550 to life a bit more, we've had some super 'back-office' support too.

I will still be doing the TL scratch updates - so riders still contact myself.

...And remember everyone who finishes the HT is a Winner! and if you didn't finish it, then bank that learning for the next time   - [Alex P.](https://www.instagram.com/alexpilksadventures/)
![
HT Showcase Fisherfield Picture from Alan 
Screenshot 2022-06-01 at 07.08.27](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2H76zKoJIU7vXVkZVS3lZh/1c3b8223e663aa1e07f961bac7974ce9/Screenshot_2022-06-01_at_07.08.27.png)HT Showcase Pic from [Alan Goldsmith](https://www.instagram.com/ht550alan/)


The HT Bites Back - if you try to 'boss' it, it will come and get you - it got Liam in 2019 and its been having a go at Angus! While we have no Track Leaders dots to follow, we have had eyes on the ground and if you have not seen [Pete McNeil's](https://www.instagram.com/adventurepedlars/) IG posts today, take a look... He caught up with both riders around midday as they trundled down the Great Glen Way. Huw saying he was feeling a bit 'spaced' and Angus saying he was in 'Survival Mode', Huw had apparently passed Angus at the wild but welcome Camban Bothy, were Angus was likely getting overdue and well earned rest, with Huw perhaps 80mins ahead.

The finish may feel within their sights now, but there are some tough sections ahead, for example the Old Military Road climb out of Kinlochleven being the hardest. They should both be well on their way to Kinlochleven now, or perhaps just through it if they are going well.
Keep an eye on [#ht550for updates coming in...
](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/ht550/) 

Lets see what else has been happening today, a couple of scratches I'm afraid to report:
- Jordan Mathews, with a broken cleat at Contin, leading to a trashed knee by Ullapool. He's pulling out to prevent further injury.
- Chris Simpson, again with knee/leg pain issues, I think the Coffin Route was the last straw and is where he decided to bale.

Shame to see these riders leave  -  The HT550 is notably tough, I think it demands more than just bike fitness, as witnessed by [Liam Glen](https://www.instagram.com/liamtglen/) who mixes his Mtb up with fell running. Since you spend a lot of time on the HT550 Hike-a-Biking, lugging and pushing the loaded bike up and sometimes down the trails, 'robustness' in the legs and core is needed and this is sure helped by a mix of fell running  ...prospective HT'ers build this in!

Lets see what else is happening...   over in the womens race Gail Brown is still in the lead and will shortly be starting the exciting decent to Carnmore and the causeway, she is followed by Christine then Naomi, there is probably still around 60-90mins seperating each rider. I hope they are soaking up the wildness of Fisherfield, it is a mind blowing place to ride your bike through - Golden Eagles here too! Then we have another close bunch of 3 starting the Coffin Climb (as of 17:00). 

How do the womens times compare to other years..?

- 2018 - Lee Cragie passed CP6 (Fisherfield) in 2d09h19m (Lee is the record holder)
- 2021 - Annie Le passed CP6 (Fisherfield) in 3d12h31m
- 2022 - Gail Brown predicted CP6 time is 3d10h??m

So based on the above no new records likely this year, but each year is different, both the route and the weather, so its hard to compare true like-by-like.

Other news; it looks like Alexandre Antrope is withdrawing and has headed to civilisation and transportation in Inverness ...we had hoped he'd rejoin the route, but no.![Screenshot 2022-05-31 at 17.27.00](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/377JNKpbh2xfJ3g2jNUsLP/0428784e5ae4530f19f9d4479420a969/Screenshot_2022-05-31_at_17.27.00.png)

[Lars](https://www.instagram.com/larsmarshandlebars/) was in Glen Affric and caught up with [Alex Berry](https://www.instagram.com/alexberry82/) this morning, Alex skipped a sleep on night 3 (just like this [Alex](https://www.instagram.com/alexpilksadventures/) did in 2018!) and was reported to be feeling rough, with bad ankles and feet. I had the same and I recon he'll pull through it - bad feet are par for the course at this stage! 
Keep on truckin fella, Fort Augustus is just over the next hill! ![Screenshot 2022-05-31 at 17.55.48](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3XFz272j3YdKpGvTBxQE1q/1c9ec7ff96adb902317b8b135af2a31a/Screenshot_2022-05-31_at_17.55.48.png)
10 miles back and we have 3 of our international riders (Jean, Simon and Stefano) in a close bunch in the lovely Forest of Tomich.!

Weather wise it looks like there may be a few odd showers around (again) then dry (he say's..?   - this is based on the Met Office forecast and we know the forecast seems to change by the hour...!)

I talked a little yesterday about rider fatigue and 'touch point' soreness, so there is the mental side as well. This is hard to train for and is usually helped by doing these types of events - you push yourself to the limits and each ride start to bank the learning and know-how. In my 'old' Adventure Racing days we called it 'push-on-itus' and you never won an event or did your best if you followed this gung-ho approach. Rest and sleep strategies are really important, but it is a personal thing. As an example, take a look at the 2020 Atlas Mountain Race [Sofiane Sehili](https://www.instagram.com/sofianeshl/) was first finisher and hardly slept, just smashing out the riding, where as [James Hayden](https://www.instagram.com/jamesmarkhayden/) is quite strict on acheiving good rest stops and feed stops - he was a pretty close second. Two of the best riders, but different approaches!    
Feeling 'spaced' is not nice ...and then there is the hallucinations just to spice it all up, but we'll leave it there for now. 

I will look to do a late evening update, by which time we should have a rider (or riders) back in Tyndrum. Not quite the same spectator thrill without some of the key dots, is it..?!?

[Alex P.](https://www.instagram.com/alexpilksadventures/)


Latest updates from our invisible, under the radar leading pair is that they are in Fort Augustus. Not sure if they are together or if Huw has passed Angus..?  

__A RACE OF THE INVISIBLE DOTS IS ON!!!__

So it does look like the blistering pace of Angus has indeed slowed and Huw has made a good advance with consistent HT pacing - timing wise CP8 is about 10 km away and the 2017 and 2021 lead times had passed this CP at this stage - but anything could happen, and probably will its the HT550!!!

[Alice ](https://www.instagram.com/lemkiss/) has spotted them!
![PHOTO-2022-05-31-11-30-17](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/MAwqYDNnxzclPW1447ITI/91156cb82cb43b862e20ef4a1fc6afa2/PHOTO-2022-05-31-11-30-17.jpg)

One thing for sure is they will both now be pushing each other, the ride down the Great Glen is fast and pretty easy, so its a nice 2hr respite in readiness for some tough climbs coming up out of Fort William on the West Highland Way. Tyndrum eta is probably before midnight, and previous leading times are 10-11hrs from CP8...

Hoping that [Pete McNeil](https://www.instagram.com/adventurepedlars/) can intercept them and get some of their stories...

Other news is that Naomi's tracker is working again and it shows her as being some distance back from Gail and to have dropped a place to Christine - so all quite close in the womens too - and so nice to see the dots!

[Annie Le](https://www.instagram.com/a_girl_outside/) is out again, this time on the Ledmore Traverse. Jades sandals are still performing well and allowing the feet to stay cool!![PHOTO-2022-05-31-10-31-07](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3mBgFp2PuM5hWsAsb2qsmc/ddd47a5c614be447e3c67ee86312dcc8/PHOTO-2022-05-31-10-31-07.jpg)

Final update is the wandering rider 'AA' is back tracking off the old 2021 track and is scooting back down to the bottom of the Coffin Route - Snakes and Ladders game going on the him - poor chap having that HILL to climb!

- We'll bring more news as we get it - [Alex](https://www.instagram.com/alexpilksadventures/)

Good morning and welcome to HT Day 4!

The feature image is from yesterday, showing two riders sheltering at 'Lone' after the stone spitting, brake-pad smashing descent from the Bealach

Lets start off with some good news - No Scratch Reports received overnight, anyway you should never decide to 'bale' at night... Next bit of good news is that todays weather is looking drier, sunnier and less windy, the outlook forecast is looking great too, so for those riders that are not on such a tight schedule you should be treated to some rather pleasant conditions.![Screenshot 2022-05-31 at 07.18.08](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6R49U5Lps9iyQ8hoVmvx4y/9fd9d74ad6f2eb7966d3d994af44119f/Screenshot_2022-05-31_at_07.18.08.png) Hoping that the midge isn't too bad either...

So I don't have any other news to report from 'race control', there is some guess work going on as to where Angus and Huw have got too... - I've asked for an update from them and we should get Huw's once-a-day-ping at some point. 

Most of the riders seem to have taken a good sleep stop last night, the only exception to this is [AlexBerry](https://www.instagram.com/alexberry82/) he looks to have WORKED A NIGHT SHIFT and skipped his rest - maybe a good tactic..? (it worked for me in 2018). Over in the womens placings, it looked like Gail Brown had a long stop, with [Naomi](https://www.instagram.com/frikfrak74/) having a couple of hours less and so catching up, as of now they should be approaching Ullapool (hopefully for a big breakfast there, in the absence of the Oykel Bridge Hotel), Naomi's tracker seems to have stopped pinging, so we can't quite tell - WE'VE HAD SO MANY TRACKER ISSUES THIS YEAR!!!

[Eliza](https://www.instagram.com/elizasampey/) and Andrea Roberts are about to hit the Bealach and start heading south - Yay! All the rest of the riders are spread out nicely, with some little clusters here and there.

And whats happened to this guy? - Alexandre Antrope, someone tell him that he's on last years track!!!![Screenshot 2022-05-31 at 08.08.15](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7CZB6zlida7hNwLgHk7E0c/8268ad6838fdf3f6e6a20aba1e7a81ef/Screenshot_2022-05-31_at_08.08.15.png)

I hope you have had chance to see [Pete McNeil's](https://www.instagram.com/adventurepedlars/) rider video's from the last couple of days..? hopefully he'll get some more, and hopefully I'll get some more pictures to post later today.


Lars Henning

Highland Trail 550 2022 HT550 Tracking and Commentary: One of the original European bikepacking races and notoriously one of the hardest on the calendar, the HT550 is back for another year of hike-a-bike, bad weather and all that the Scottish Highlands can throw at the hardy souls.

Highland Trail 550 2022 HT550 Tracking

One of the original European bikepacking races and notoriously one of the hardest on the calendar, the HT550 is back for another year of hike-a-bike, bad weather and all that the Scottish Highlands can throw at the hardy souls.

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