Film Friday is a weekly recommendation of one video to watch this weekend.
What do you get if you have a spare 80 million pounds and you want to spend it all on just one house? A MEGA MANSION.
This is proof that all the money in the world can’t buy good taste.
Would you pay £15k to take part in an ultra run? What if you had a Michelin chef cooking your meals and training tips from the world’s best runners? If so, then Highland Kings is for you!
Highland Kings is a new event, launched in June, which aims to bring a unique premium service to what are normally very simple races – turn up, run for hours, run some more, then run for even longer. Unlike an ordinary marathon there’s no need to close streets as most ultra runs take place in remote locations where the chances of meeting anyone else is as likely as me entering Highland Kings. (Very, very unlikely),.
However, if remote locations, exclusive entries and table service are your thing then can I recommend the Hebrides Triathlon?
With COVID safety in mind, the race organiser wanted to ensure everyone could still have soup, a sandwich and a sweet treat after the race. Rather than setting out a buffet, volunteers took ‘orders’ from your table and brought the food to you. And then brought some more. And then more. And the next thing you know you’ve had soup, a sandwich and six donuts and a muffin and a Mars Bar.
I can see why people might pay £15k for this kind of service…
It was great to take part in a triathlon after races were cancelled last year. It didn’t even feel strange to wear face mask or to use handwash as changing clothes is natural for a triathlete. In fact, I was only surprised, we didn’t have a separate mask for each transition….
The race itself is run by the Western Isles Triathlon Club and has a limit of around 30 entrants each year. It’s a local race for local people but one that’s very welcoming to visitors too. Unlike the Isle of Lewis itself which is still under COVID restrictions which severely limit the number of people who can travel on the boat to get there. I was caught out as I tried to book only to find that the next place available was four weeks after the race. Instead I had to fly, which is easier to book but almost as expensive as Highland Kings. Ouch.
As for the race itself:
Swim
This was my first triathlon in two years. The last one being the 2019 Hebrides Triathlon. This year the swim was changed from a loch to the sea after a bloom of blue green algae.
To make things interesting there was a choppy tide but the organisers changed the course to keep it close to shore and most of the swimming was side on to the waves. This made for an erratic swim as I was constantly pushed from the side but it was good to know that we were never out to deep and you could see the bottom of the bay for most of the swim.
Bike
A strong north wind meant a quick first half as we cycled from Shawbost south and southeast to Callanish. The way back was another story and I was glad to have fitted tri-bars to my bike. Each strong gust gave a chance to duck down and try and avoid the worst of it by using the bars to stretch-out.
Run
A deceptive course – it’s 4km of climbing and then 6km of climbing. You’d expect a course that starts and finishes in the same place to have an equal amount of ascent and descent but I can only think that roads around Shawbost were designed by MC Escher.
Overall
My ‘local’ triathlon so I’m biased but this really is a cracking race with great scenery, challenging routes and while it might not be Highland Kings, it can certainly claim to be Hebridean Kings.
I wrote about Bayble beach last year. https://twinbikerun.com/2020/06/29/outdoor-swim-review-bayble-beach-iain/
Nothing has changed since then 🙂
Although it has got a little bit busier. Previously, I did not see anyone swimming here but on my last couple of visits there has been at least one other group swimming.
Its a great sport for a quick dip within easy access of Stornoway.
REVIEW
Ease of Access: There is a car park next to the beach (by the pier)
Water quality: The water was clear and I could see a good distance under the water.
Swim Quality: 12C in August. You can swim from one beach to another just a few hundred meters away along the coast. The Pier blocks the worst of the waves. It was flat calm during my visit.
Other People: There was another couple of swimmers splashing about.
Would I go back: Yes. Nice spot for a swim and easy to access.
Lochnagar is the second highest mountain in Scotland….I thought.
It isn’t.
But whilst I was hiking it I was convinced it was. I’d miss read an article and it was only afterwards when my wife checked my “fact” that we discovered the truth.
Lochnagar is only number 7 on the list of highest Scottish hills. This explains why, when I reached the top, I thought to myself “that was surprisingly easy for the 2nd highest mountain!”
Lochnagar is not a technical hike. In good weather it’s a long slog on good paths. We did the route in the classic anti-clockwise direction. I think the views are better this way. Although it ends with a long walk along the loch.
It was one of the hottest days of the year when we did it but it was hard to notice the heat due to the wind. It was so windy that later in the day some poor soul was blown over and broke a leg!
MAPS
Review
A nice plod with nice parts but there are some long boring sections with not much to see.
Parking
There is a car park next to the start but it can fill up quickly especially at weekends. It was full by 0830 on the day we visited. The car park has a charge.
Facilities
There are toilets and a stall selling cakes, cofee’s and ice creams.
Nearest cafe
There is one at the car park.
Run Surface
100% trail
Dog Friendly
Yes but there is not much water stops until the second half of the route.
Elevation
937m
Someways, I do a race and think “wow, that was great. It felt really easy. I could have carried on all day”
Other days I think “Please God make this stop. I hate every second of this”
The Hebrides triathlon was a “make this stop” day. It was entirely my own fault that I felt like this!
Swim (36min 46 sec)
The swim is usually in a Loch but due to the presence of Blue-Green algae the organisers wisely moved it to the sea instead.
Normally I love swimming in the sea. The clear water is much more enjoyable than a peaty dark loch. Unfortunately. I made a mistake when choosing my swim googles. I wore tinted lenses. It was an overcast day and the tinted lenses made it seem even more overcast. I could barely see my nose let alone the course markers.
My sighting was so poor I swam 1800m instad of 1500m!
Even worse than that – Andrew beat me.
I should have brought the correct googles.
Bike (1hr 22 min)
The bike course is an out and back route to the Callanish Stones. It was an undulating route with a strong head wind on parts of it.
Andrew is a better cyclist than me so I knew I wouldn’t catch him on this section. I hadn’t ridden my TT bike in a year. I struggled to get comfortable on the bars. It wasn’t an enjoyable ride.
I should have done some test rides before the race.
Run (1hr 03min 02 sec)
I injured my foot a couple of weeks before the race. I debated whether to start the run or not. I wasn’t sure my foot could handle the race.
I decided that I didn’t want a DNF against my name so I decided to start but walk whenever my foot felt like it might be sore. I quickly realized it was ok on flat sections of the course but sore on up or downhill parts.
There wasn’t many flat sections!
I should have walked all of it so that my foot wasn’t sore
Overall. (3hr 10min 12s)
I was happy to finish!
It is a great, friendly race with a great selection of food available at the end. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to combine a trip to the Hebrides with a scenic challenging race.
Film Friday is a weekly recommendation of one video to watch this weekend.
Is it a good idea to jump off a bridge onto a tiny platform?
Spoiler alert: Its a terrible idea!
Find Part 1 here
I will start by saying that I had no intention of jumping off the world’s highest bungee bridge. We were driving across South Africa blissfully unaware that such a thing as the world’s highest bridge bungee existed when we drove round a corner, saw a bridge across a deep gorge, saw a sign offering the chance to jump of it and we thought “fek that, I’m not jmping off that!” and drove on…
Only to turn around 10 minutes later on the basis that “when will we ever be here again? Never, that’s when, so we should just do it!”
So, we did, even though I hate heights, hate flying and hate the very thought of bungee jumping.
We were lucky, or unlucky, as it was mid-week and they could let us jump straight away. I say jump but, as you’ll see from the video below, I didn’t jump. In fact, I can reveal now that this was less a bungee jump and more a case of attempted murder. I was pushed off the bridge! I didn’t volunteer, I was shoved in the back and made to fly against my will!
My wife on the other hand practically ran up and jumped it faster than an Olympic long jumper.
“Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,” she screamed in excitement.
“WWWWWWWWwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaattttttt ttttttttthhhheeeee ffffffffffuuuuuuuuucccccccccc……” I screamed.
And screamed again when the bungee reached it’s limit and pulled me back up like a human yo-yo.
Which it did again and again as I never realised that because the cord is elastic you keep bouncing back and forth and dropping again and again, each time worse than the last because each time you know is the time you will die. You were just lucky the first time that the cord didn’t snap. But can you be lucky twice? Three times? You can’t be lucky four times, this time you’re going to die?
“WWWWWWWWwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaattttttt ttttttttthhhheeeee ffffffffffuuuuuuuuucccccccccc……” I scream again.
Until, finally, the bouncing stops and I’m left staring at the rocks below and with a new found belief in the Lord Almighty, who must have surely heard my cries even as far away as Heaven.
I hated every single second of it and I will never do it again.But if this sounds like something you want to do then, when the world opens up, here everything you need to know about it: https://www.faceadrenalin.com
But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Buachaille Etive Mòr is one of Scotland’s most photographed mountains as one of Scotland’s busiest tourist routes passes right by it. The A82 – the main road connecting Glasgow and the Highlands via Fort William.
I hate the A82. I know it’s supposed to be one of Scotland’s most scenic drives but it is horrifically slow to drive with limited places to overtake. Every tourist who slows down to check out the photographic face of Buachaille Etive Mòr causes a tailback that stretches all the way back to Glasgow.
I jest but I did once spend two hours on the A82, due to tailbacks caused by cars trying to go to Glencoe’s ski resort, butI only travelled 2 miles. I was heading to climb Buachaille Etive Mòr but I gave in and returned home. Unfortunately I felt unwell. I spent a miserable 3 hours driving home whilst stopping every 30 minutes to throw up.
I try to drive the A82 as little as possible. But due to a combination of amazing weather and a vacation day I decided to face the beast road and climb Buachaille Etive Mòr.
I was surprised at how few people were on the hill. Even in bad weather I’ve never been up without at least half a dozen other groups present. I think the hot weather had put people off.
I spoke to one man who was doing it too and he that he was on holiday in Glencoe and he thought he’d be out every day but due to the heat he was only managing to get out every second day. On his days off he was sitting a garden drinking beer.
That sounds like a good holiday!
MAPS
Review
Amazing weather and views.
Parking
There is a car park next to the start but it can fill up quickly especially at weekends.
Facilities
None
Nearest cafe
There are cafe’s in Tyndrum or Fort William
Run Surface
100% trail
Dog Friendly
Yes but its very steep in places.
Elevation
0m
Mark Beaumont is one of the world’s best endurance cyclists. He’s twice held the record for fastest time around the world, including his current record of cycling round the world in less than 80 days.
James Lowsley-Williams is a former cycling professional and current presenter of the YouTube channel, Global Cycling Network.
Together they attempted to break the record for fastest two person relay time for cycling Lands End to John O’Groats.
You can watch their attempt below and see how different each men become as they get deeper and deeper into the race. They each ride for one hour and swap over again and again as they attempt to keep an average speed of 19 mph from one end of the UK to another. However it’s quite clear that for one man (James) it’s a very different experience from the other (Mark)…
Well worth a watch!
Twin brothers swimming, cycling and running in Scotland 