West Highland Way 2014 - Three Wheels on our Wagon!

Ruth leads a colourful pack into Dumgoyne early on Saturday morning.

The 2014 WHW Relay was not a tale of navigational trials thankfully but one of fantastic weather, stupendous running feats, endless enthusiasm and escaping air! We had a full bus this year (plus Russell in his car), including three first timers (Alison, Karen and Stephen) plus a travelling support (Maud and Sandra). Pick-ups started at 4am and put us on an already warm start line in Milngavie at 5:30am with the usual contingent of early rising midges to keep us company. Colin Banks was first up and despite claiming not to know where he was going (subsequently confirmed 100m later) immediately dropped his two guides (Stephen and myself). Milngavie shopping precinct was remarkably quiet to the extent that we thought we had better run the full length of it to find out where all the late night party goers had gone before doubling back to join the WHW proper (sounds plausible).

Colin Banks and Stephen Phimister on the way to Carbeth

A relaxed 37 minutes later we arrived at Carbeth, not having seen a soul, and handed over to Ruth who had rallied a massive support team to run with her (must be nice to be popular, nobody ran with Eddie, Davy, Stuart or me!) for the run to Dumgoyne. The weather could not have been better and spirits (!) were high as Ruth handed over to Geo for a wee double Dumgoyne to Drymen stage with Eddie in tow. Having dropped Eddie at the half way road crossing (a theme that would continue), Geo ran on and we drove round to Drymen and parked up at the usual spot.

Geo moving well.

We had some time to kill and as Eddie was just about to remind everyone of how lost the first leg runners had been, we were silenced by a loud gushing noise. As George wasn't present we all momentarily wondered who could be making such a noise before our eyes were drawn to the front tyre of the minibus where the air was escaping from the valve which had spontaneously split open, no doubt in reaction to the preposterous tale that Eddie was spinning. Immediately all the men gathered around the tyre but to no great effect, the air somehow managing to find its way past us all. A finger on the valve seemed to work but as nobody was willing to be strapped to the bonnet, that was never going to be a long-term solution. It soon became obvious why the hire company had passed the bus on to us without bothering with an inspection report as it was a bus of many dents but few wheels, there being a nice big space underneath where the spare wheel should have been. Fortunately we are a club of many engineers (all graduates I will have you know) but it is somewhat worrying that the best solution that our aircraft engine engineer could come up with was a stone jammed between the rim and the valve! Just check what make of engines are on the next jet you fly on, I'm just saying......

Never wanting to deny anyone the chance of a run and to give us some thinking time, we prepared Davy Watt for his run over Conic Hill to Balmaha with the semi-serious instruction that if we were not at Balmaha to meet him, just keep running! Given the heat, we probably should have said something about water and nutrition but that slipped our minds. Soon after Geo arrived and Davy was off for his run of indeterminate ending point, fully equipped with a mobile phone and nothing else. A call to the hire company got no reply (7:15 on a Saturday morning). Fortunately I had an ace up my sleeve in the form of an AA membership and gave them a call. Surprisingly they said they could be there in a half hour and true to their word they were. Meanwhile we tried to arrange a local taxi to pick up Jim Holmes to banish him to Rowardennan (for his Fred Flintstone engineering) to take over from Davy (oh and to bring Davy back), should he get that far. Unfortunately, the taxi firm did not seem to understand our predicament and did a no show. As Alison was kitted out in shades and club hoodie we thought about car-jacking a passing motorist or, if the worst came to the worst, a cyclist but we didn't have it in us. So Jim had to wait and Davy had to run.  The AA man removed the wheel and took it to a tyre fitter in Alexandria to replace the valve. Meanwhile Davy phoned to say he was approaching Balmaha and, after explaining to us how he was able to run down Conic Hill and talk to us on the phone, we broke the news to him that he was just going to have to keep going. He took it well (I think).

At this moment, I shall leave the story precariously perched on a jack....... to be continued....
Alan

Check the dents on the door and the rust on that sill. That's its good side.