Personal Preparation
Personal Preparation and Training |
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| A good winter in your lower/local hills to establish base fitness and familiarity with long days, leading to trips up north to the 3,000 feet ranges and working towards 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 hour days. |   |
| Followed by trips to Lochaber for training on the key sections of the round, this will also facilitate route planning and final preparation. |   |
| It is highly recommended that contenders and pacers are familiar with the route in the 1st instance.
They must also have sufficient navigational skills to ensure they are not hindered unnecessarily by low cloud, mist, darkness or poor visibility. |
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Questions |
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| 1. Could they find the gully that leads from the Grey Corries onto Aonach Beag? |   |
| 2. Could they find the small cairn that leads off the Aonachs down to the bealach leading towards Carn Mor Dearg? |   |
| 3. Could they find the correct line off the summit of Ben Nevis… |   |
| 4. In the event of finding a snow filled gully impeding your forward progress could they find a safe alternative option, keeping you on schedule, without any inconvenience or safety compromise? |   |
Glenmore Lodge |
Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre, located in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.
You can learn, develop or qualify in an adventure sport of your choice. Their goal is to increase skill and knowledge within the bounds of safety by teaching / coaching specific outdoor activity skills at all levels. They are a national resource to the outdoor industry and community. Their expertise would be ideal in providing a robust knowledge and enhanced safety base for anyone venturing into these mountains either as a contender or as part of a support team. |
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Food Intake |
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| Contenders must appreciate that food intake on a journey of this nature will be enormous; there is no place for compromise (you can not function on empty).
Each section leader must ensure that they provide adequate fuel for themselves and the contender. Food variety is essential, it must be interesting varied and functional, i.e. stick with what you are accustomed to, as you must eat little and often throughout the 24 hours. |
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Fluid Intake |
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| Contenders/pacers must remain hydrated throughout the 24 hours: Knowledge of the location of essential watering sources is essential, and will eliminate unnecessary overloading (Why carry water ½ way up the Ben when you can access it halfway up at the Red Burn?).
The good pacer should know where to access water at any time, this knowledge will determine how much fluid may have to carry during each section. Drink additives are advised and again it is recommended that contenders are familiar with what supplements they require and what the diluting doses are. |
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Hot food and drinks |
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| …will be very welcome indeed; some members of your support can access the round by road via at Fersit Dam on the A86 (A82).
Make sure that the locals know of your activities, more so if your schedule involves your support presence during the night or early morning. This support must be carefully planned and timed (estimated arrival time = stoves on and water boiling). |
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Change of clothing |
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| Not essential, but very nice to schedule in a short break to include a clothing/footwear change if necessary at ½ way.
This facility will most certainly set you up for the homebound section of the round. |
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Equipment |
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| A small 1st aid kit is essential to include at least a broad roller bandage and some plasters and be able to apply efficiently and effectively. |   |
| A head torch for use during the night section. |  |
| A good watch to record arrival times and splits on each summit.
A mobile phone to keep in touch with base and also to be used in an emergency. |
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| Map and compass to facilitate navigation and route finding. |  |
| A small shelter bag to be used in the event being stopped. |  |
Schedule sheetThe use of the provided schedule sheet is recommended to record your arrival time on each summit. Plus record your cumulative time as you progress throughout the journey. |
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Example of Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise Schedule Sheets
The attached sheets highlight 23 hour 59min schedules suitable for traveling in either direction.
1. To download Clockwise Schedule Right-click here and select “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…”
2. To download Anti-clockwise Schedule Right-click here and select “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…”
[Note: The schedules are provided in universal Portable Document Format, which can be read on any computer which has Adobe Reader - which is free software. If you do not have Adobe Reader installed on your computer, click here to download this now.]
They are provided purely as a basis to work on only.
Contenders are recommended to design and prepare their own schedule sheets, to reflect their own anticipated estimated completion time, based on fitness, weather, experience and additional support.
The key purpose of schedule sheets is to prepare and monitor ongoing progress, plus record accurately all of the key data required as personal support evidence.
