The Great Wilderness Challenge, Saturday 11^th August 2018

The Great Wilderness Challenge is a Scottish charity event run through one of the last great wilderness areas in the UK. It is a big blank space on the map east of Loch Maree and south of Ullapool. There are a number of challenge options, with running and walking events of varying lengths and difficulties. I was returning to run the longest event, a 25 mile race I had first run last year.

In reality the race is nearer 23 miles or 37km but it is a brutal fell race with over 1,000m of total climbing and passes through a very remote mountain area with rocky tracks, two river crossings and a wide peat bog to slow you down. It is a small event with only 68 runners in the 25 mile race this year and about 80 last year.

I was meeting friends I had run with last year and we were all flying in to Inverness airport on the Friday lunch time. I was flying from Birmingham and they were coming from Luton. From there we had a hire car to take us a further two hour drive north west to the Loch Maree Hotel on the side of beautiful Loch Maree.

We were up early Saturday morning for a quick breakfast and application of essential midge repellent before the 45 minute drive along windy roads to Poolewe, the registration and finish point.

Having registered, collected T shirts and race numbers we boarded a bus for the 40 minute trip around the coast road to the start at Corrie Hallie. Here we had a short wait while the clock counted down and the traditional piper warmed up his bag pipes for the send off. It was nice to be recognised and chat to a few people we had met last year and at 10:30am we were off!

From the start the route climbs 350m on a wide rough track up to open moorland and the first checkpoint. Here we were greeted by members of Dundonnell mountain rescue team in full midge suits handing out water. The route then follows a faint rocky track, contouring around the huge bulk of An Teallach, before dropping steeply down to the remote Shenvall Bothy and the first big river crossing at about 8km. Again the MR team were on hand to pass out water and support runners crossing the river. This year the water was up to my shins rather than last year when it was up to my thighs, so a lot easier.

The next challenge was crossing the big wide bog to the second river crossing. Last year my friends got stuck in the bog, this year it was my turn. I went in up to my knee and lost my shoe when I pulled my leg out. Luckily, after fishing around, I managed to pull my shoe free. The next river crossing provided a chance to wash all the peat off.

From the second crossing the track turns up a side glen then climbs 450m up a very steep rocky path beside a waterfall. Eventually this flattens out onto a huge high plateau with three beautiful remote lochans, each bordered by white sand beaches. Towering above this plateau is A’Mhaighdean, the most remote and highly prized Munro mountain in Scotland.

There is an amazing view as you reach the edge of this area and from here it is a long downhill to the Carnmore checkpoint at about 21km. As last year, there was a helicopter and the official photographer waiting for us at the causeway between the Dubh Loch and Fionn Loch. I’ve been to this area a number of times and once was nearly blown off the causeway. This year there was not a breath of wind and even with repellent we had to keep moving to avoid the midges.

The last section is a bit of a slog with a narrow track following the undulating moorland to a muddy land rover track and farm at Kernsary. With about 7km to go this becomes a gravel lane and eventually turns to tarmac just before you are greeted by pipers playing you into the finish near the school in Poolewe.

We all finished together and, as last year, swore we would come back next year.

The GWC is a very friendly event and seems to be supported by the whole community in Poolewe. It is very well organised with a massive feast put on for runners and walkers at the finish.