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Sarah Dunn - I was out in the hill on Monday when the message pinged in from Vicky…. “Sarah we have a problem for leg 80... No takers, EXCEPT the brilliant Lina coming to the rescue and saying very positively she would do it with you if you could rescue the situation!!!! 🤔”. A quick glance at Leg 80 and it wasn’t difficult to understand why - long, night and (big and) some 29km of trackless Mamba, topped and tailed with a bike in and out.

I didn’t reply, but told myself I could be strong, there was bound to be someone else.

And so, of course, I found myself yesterday evening setting off with the brilliant Lina for a night of fun in the no-man’s-land that lies between Carn Ealer, Beinn Dearg & Carn a Chlamain.

Suffice to say it was everything we expected, wiggly stream banks, peathags, dark misty (though warm and dry) tops, more peathags, some rock and a vertical descent. Just what the doctor ordered for two weary bodies!

Ultimately, though, it felt supremely satisfying to have helped the relay to transit from the Cairngorms to Perthshire. Even if (to coin Katie Henderson ‘s phrase) we were left feeling decidedly peathagged by the end of the leg 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ 🏔 😴 💤 😊

Sarah Dunn - Big shout out to the supporters who helped out with bike drop and retrieval in the Cairngorms over the last couple of days….

Nick & Wynn Mardell dropped off bikes 10km up the Slugain to aid exit from Ben Avon. A chance meeting with Ann Haley in the car park at Linn of Dee led to her & Graham retrieving our bikes abandoned from the start of that leg, 10km up Glen Derry. Then no sooner had they been returned to Linn of Dee than we abondoned them once more 13km up Glen Geldie - thanks again to Nick and to Jon Musgrave for retrieving these before we even got home!

Much appreciated 👍🙏😍

Lesley Gomersall - Handover after Beinn A’Ghlo and before the long cycle to Schiehallion. Great work ladies 😎

Heather Fellbaum - Leg 86 on 22/06/22- The Lawers Range.

Most sensible people start this at the Lawers car park and only do 5 Munros in one go. But since nothing about this relay makes us 'sensible' we started in Glen Lyon, handing over at 17:24 with a very jubilant Sue S and Nevis the dog, and set off with our mission to do all 7!

Getting to Meall Griegh was a flog over rough pathless terrain but at least the sun was out for us. Vicky fortunately had some spring in her step so I sent her off with Morag to the 1st top and I was able to happily trundle along the nice path towards Meall Garbh until she caught me up. The mist was down for 2 and 3 (An Stuc) but by the time we arrived at Ben Lawers it was clear. We saw the most amazing double Brocken spectre which spurred us onwards towards the next 3 which was a good job as I was flagging! Bheinn Ghlas was straightforward but getting to Meall Corransich (no 6) meant a very steep descent and ascent and quite a lot of swearing! The final Munro - Meall a Chaire Leith was in the fading light but at least it was smooth. The route back to the transition was boggy and slow and we were very happy after nearly 7 hours to be handing over Morag to the smiling faces of the 2 Claires. After sometime recovering, we were excited about being near enough to drive home but then spent the next hour in our PJ's driving up and down the Lawers road trying to find Hazel's camping place in order to deliver the spare tracker and her mountain bike. Never a dull moment!!!

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