The LAMM is a two day mountain marathon. It is always held in Scotland. One year in the north highlands, the next in the southern highlands. You do the race in teams of two. This was the fourth time Alasdair and I competed. 2005 was on Mull. 2006 was at Inchnadamf (north of Ullapool), 2007 was Glen Lochay (Killin). To avoid competitors doing any unfair reconnoitring, the location is only given out on the Thursday before. This is orienteering on a grand scale.

The LAMM is run with full weekend kit, including tent, sleeping bag, waterproofs, stove and food. For safety’s sake you run in teams of two. There are six categories. Alasdair and I had again chosen to run in the C Class. This means on the Saturday you run about 23k and ascend about 1800m and on Sunday you run about 21k and ascend about 1400m. There were around 120 teams in the C Class race.

On the Thursday we found out that we were heading for Glenfinnan. This year there were over 450 teams, so the camps are big affairs. On the Friday night, we were camped under the Harry Potter Viaduct. A bagpiper wakes the camp at 6.00 a.m. on Saturday morning. The different Classes have different routes, with different start points. You are only given the locations of the checkpoints you have to find once you are over the start line. The weather was hot. Not what you want when you know you will be running for six hours. Plotting the checkpoints on the map, you then have to imagine the route of least resistance across the range of hills in front of you. With 900 other competitors on the hill, it is remarkable that more often than not, you and your team mate are alone on the hill. It took us 6 hours 41 min for the first day. We had made a serious route choice mistake, which cost us about 30 mins having chosen to go over rather than round a Munro. I also suffered from bad cramps in my legs. Too much sweating!

The overnight camp, which was at the very west end of Loch Arkaig, was once again in an utterly magnificent setting, camped on a grass airstrip! The weather was perfect, with just enough wind to keep off the midges.

As Alasdair and I had finished within 1 hour 30 minutes of the leaders, we were in the ‘chasing start’ for Sunday. We were given a No 21 for our rucksacks. The bagpiper woke us at 5.00 a.m.. Same set up as Saturday. You cross the line and are given the checkpoint co-ordinates. Sunday had a nasty start with a river to ford and a serious bog to cross. I saw the guy in front disappear up to his waist in muck. Within the first hour, we were starting to catch the teams in front. We passed, C20 up to C15, then another wobbler; we couldn’t find one of the checkpoints and very soon they overtook us. We came home in 4 hours 49 mins. Fourteenth place for the Sunday, eighteenth overall (third veterans). Enjoyed immensely the after event food and endless cups of tea.

The LAMM is open to everyone and has a class to suit everyone. If you can hill walk and do a bit of running, then you can take part. Great event.
Details. http://www.lamm.co.uk

Gordon