|
 | The Scottish Mountain Challenge
- 28 August 2011
Report by Jim Paterson
 The
weather forecast was not good with high northerly winds and heavy rain
forecast, but the arrival at Dobbies Garden Centre in Stirling was dry,
if rather windy and overcast.
The club decided
that erection of the
familiar START stand would be a bad idea, so we stood the half height
stand at the side of the departure flag. Even there it blew over, but
not close enough to strike any of the participants cars (thank goodness). |
Douglas
and June had organised this “new format”, at least
for CCHMSC, event,
and with members Richard Welsh agreeing to take on the role of Clerk of
Course, and Tom Dromgoole assisting at the start the crews were soon
signed on. The Dobbies cafe was then full of crews plotting
the route over a cup off coffee and a bacon roll before lining up for the
start.
Douglas and June had designed a route to
include 12
“selects”, see sidebar for the explanation.
For once I was able to
take part in an event, and teamed up with Dan Scoular in a
“sporting
car”, a 2002 Porsche Boxster, and my job was to get Dan round
all the
“Selects” to win a gold touring finishers plaque.
The
first
select was close by the start on the road to Sheriffmuir from Bridge of Allan.
With the clues to prove we had taken this select duly noted we pressed
on with a feeling of jubilation, this was a piece of cake! How short
lived was that feeling. The route  to the next select at Amulree passed
by Gleneagles golf course, and a slight navigational glitch put us in
the queue to the car parks for a golf tournament. (must brush up my map
reading!) On the route to Amulree through Crieff and up the Sma Glen we
met Chris Noble with his co-driver Christine bowling along in the
1926 Bentley 3/4. With no hats and little protection from the Aero
screens the pair seemed at best chilly, probably freezing, but at least
still dry.
The select through Glen Quaich is quite
spectacular,
and for a passenger, who can look back down the climb, even better.
Reaching Kenmore was a temptation to many and we spotted Paul Coulter's
Hillman Imp parked up at the hotel, no doubt the crew fancied another
coffee, or was it an early lunch?.
 Glen Lyon was next on the list and we met
The twin
Austin Healey Sprites of Maurice and Jennifer Jennings in a 1967 MkIV,
and Fiona and Valery Chapman in a 1960 Mk1, in fantastic original
condition. The “Coupe de Dames” girls had stopped
to recover from the
brake fade (drum brakes on the front remember) on the descent into
Kenmore. At this point Chris Noble again caught us all up. Dan and I
scurried on before the Healey's, and others, left to head for Bridge of
Balgie
and into the next select down to the main Killin A827 road.
 On
route we were held up by a herd of docile Highland cows, but those
horns looked pretty threatening. “Don't scratch the
car” I heard Dan cry on more than one occasion as we tip toed by. We were soon on our
way when we came across Paul Coulter again, but this time under the
rear of his Hillman Imp. A snapped throttle cable had brought their
tour to an abrupt halt, but as all good classic owners are prepared
(aren't they?) he had a spare. However that other Classic tactic
“the
bodge” had been used and certainly got the crew to the end of
the event.
Dan
and I stopped at the Bridge of Lochay hotel in Killin for lunch. I can
vouch they do a superb Sunday roast with all the trimmings, and after 6
hours since getting up I was peckish. Unfortunately such a fine lunch
cannot be rushed and we found ourselves an hour behind most of the
others.
We pressed on, down to
the fifth
select at Glen Ogle, managing to miss most of the points of interest we
had to note. We kept heading south to the Trossachs and down the Dukes
Pass to Aberfoyle. The views are fantastic as you approach Aberfoyle
from the North no doubt why the David Marshall Lodge (one of the
answers to a clue) was built there.
 We were doing
well but had
to keep up to reach the Rest and be Thankful, but first over the old
Glen Fruin Road. Used many times on CCHMSC events I warned Dan that
some of the cattle grids can remove the exhaust without even flinching.
Ask Ron Adam whose MGB/GT exhaust is still in the grass at the side of
the road from the Argyll Classic earlier this year.
Up
the
side of the Gareloch we were hard pressed to find a sign with the answer to
one of the clues, which June later told us had fallen down earlier in
the week (Hmmmm). Back over Glen Douglas which has been completely
resurfaced was a joy to drive, back to the main A82 up the side of Loch
Lomond. But not before we met an upcoming landrover on the descent.
Four pot brakes certainly stopped the Porsche as I removed my nose from
the windscreen.
Following the enjoyable run up the "Rest",
something I never tire of, we had only two more
“selects” to do. Both
through Hells Glen, which has also been resurfaced,
before the run back to Arrochar and the Pit Stop for the finishers meal.
Douglas
had let his artistic side go wild and made all the finishers plaques
and a selection of framed pictures for those that had finished in
certain types of cars etc.
The complete route of
some 200 miles
across some of Scotlands high passes and through tranquil Glens had
been a great adventure, and the Porsche, along with many of the other
sports cars, had done it the “proper way” with the
tops down the whole
way. Who says it rains in Scotland? Away with yersel!
I
think we may see this type of event again in future years. Keep an eye
out.
| The
Scottish Mountain Challenge attracted over 30 entries on Sunday 28th
August, to this cross between a Tour and a Rally. The format goes back
to the early days of Motorsport with the emphasis on endurance and
reliability over challenging roads.
However,
it
is
designed to encourage good Rally Craft i.e. good teamwork between the
navigator and driver; observational skills; pacing yourself; plotting
and following a route etc.
The route was divided into
‘Open
Transit Sections’ where the team decide which route to follow
(NB - as
in rallies and tours you can only use a road once) and
‘Selects’ which
are the sections with the observational route checks.
These
are the
sections which will determine the type of Finishers Plaque.
That is,
Gold - where all the Selects have been completed, Silver
– where three
quarters of the Selects have been completed, Bronze where half of the
Selects have been completed and Finishers Plaque for those who sign on
and arrive at the finish, regardless of the number of Selects. |
|
| Updated 29 August 2011
Webmaster
| |
Home | About | Events
| News| Committee | For Sale | Links
