Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon - the connoisseurs mountain marathon

BEN CRUACHAN 9th/10th June 2012
A Two-Day Mountain Competition for Pairs with Overnight Campsite
Location is 2hrs Drive North of Glasgow/Edinburgh (A South Year!)

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Results - Saturday | Sunday | Overall | Outdoor Champs | University Champs

POST-EVENT ROUNDUP

As usual the prize in the Elite race is an entry to the BAMM (the Bjorkliden Arctic MM) taking place in Arctic Sweden on the weekend of August 17-18 this year. This is a free entry from the BAMM organisers, with flights provided by the LAMM. However this year’s Elite winners, Duncan Archer and Jim Mann are unable to take up the prize this time (they were second in the event last year after winning the LAMM). The prize passed to the second place team of Chris Burn and Francis Blunt who took 3rd position on the BAMM. Chris writes here about their amazing weekend in the Arctic. Read More ...

SUNDAY

Elite Winners - Duncan Archer and Jim Mann

The last team came off the hill at 5 p.m. - Pete Westmore and Nick Flynn on the D course, going for the value for money option. But it's no shame on them for being last in (even though the course does officially close at 4 p.m.) as 5p.m. is the earliest anyone can remember everyone being accounted for. Duncan Archer and Jim Mann won the Elite for the second consecutive year and this year by a convincing margin of 67 minutes. Read more...

SATURDAY EVENING

After a beautiful day out on the hills, with just enough cloud to cast some dramatic shadows over the hills, and with such a slight amount of rain in parts that it was almost as if someone had turned a hose to its mist setting and wafted it around a bit to cool everyone down, the competitors really couldn’t have hoped for more. But even better than sun and cooling mist, a gentle breeze started to blow at around 5 p.m. that is just sufficient to keep the midges at bay, so here at Glenkinglass Lodge there is a very sociable atmosphere with competitors sitting and chatting in the evening sunshine.

Two competitors who would have had good reason to remember this as a special day whatever the weather are Niall Megaw and Lisa Butler who were competing on the D course, because somewhere out on the course Niall popped the question and Lisa said yes. Congratulations to you both (and by the way this is a world exclusive – it’s not even on facebook yet – we were only told by Niall’s brother, who handed a piece of paper to a marshal and asked her to pass it to me – so anyway, you did want the world to know didn’t you?) Read more...

Last night the marquee at the event centre never seemed so packed, which might partly have been due to the food and beer, but might also have been partly due to the vast swarms of midges that finally appeared outside as the sun went down and the wind dropped. But by 10:45 only the stragglers remained, with the more level headed competitors “aweee tae thir bids” in good time, knowing that they would be gently aroused at 5.45 by the lilting sound of the bagpipes.

This morning, the first Elite and A teams left by minibus at the unearthly hour of 6.20 to their distant start at the southwestern end of Loch Etive at Inveresragan – essentially they are going to spend half of their day heading northwest on the far side of the loch before rounding the northern end and heading south to the overnight camp at Glenkinglass Lodge halfway along Glenkinglass. Andy Spencley the event controller described the route as “very commiting” and there is no doubt that it is a big day out. Some extremely intricate logistics mean that once the first minibus has been to the start, subsequent E and A teams will be ferried across Loch Etive at Taynuilt by boat before being picked up and taken a couple of miles along the road onthe far side by the same minibus because it is quicker than having the minibus drive all the way back. Read more...

A steady stream of teams have been arriving at the LAMM campsite since registration opened at 3 p.m. For many of them, having driven through varying degrees of precipitation in other parts of the country on the way here, seeing the evening sun lighting up the hills behind the event centre must have come as somewhat of a relief, and given the forecast for the rest of the country over the weekend, it looks like the LAMM couldn’t have been based in a better location this year. And with a slight breeze too the midges have been kept at bay making for almost perfect chatting conditions. Read more...

We would like to thank Mrs Sarah Troughton of Ardchattan Estate for allowing the courses to cross her land. If you are in the area, we recommend a visit to the Ardchattan Priory Garden.

LAMM 2012 LOCATION ANNOUNCED
The event centre will be on the Glenstrae Estate, just north of the A85 road from Tyndrum to Oban. 3 kilometres to the west of Dalmally, you'll see a yellow LAMM sign and you'll turn right off the A85 onto the B8077. Give plenty of warning as you slow down because it is a fast road. Follow signs for a further 3 kilometres to the Event Centre. Have a safe journey. We look forward to seeing you from 3pm onwards and registration opens at 4pm. The Event Centre is at Duiletter, PA33 1AP and the arrow on this map shows the Event Centre field. If the ground is firm enough, most of the parking will be in the next field (south). Please read and print the Final Details. There is no accommodation available in the immediate vicinity and the best places to try are Dalmally, Taynuilt, Tyndrum and Oban if you don't wish to enjoy the convivial atmosphere on the Event Centre field.

OUR CONTROLLER ANDY SPENCELEY WHETS YOUR APPETITE ....
Hopefully, despite the mostly cold weather so far this year, you’ll have managed to get up some hills and get your hill legs working. We may be a bit further south than last year, but we’re still in an area with some very high hills and there are at least double the number of munros on the map compared with last year. So you’ll need your hill legs (although that goes without saying for the LAMM!) and possibly you’ll be able to add to your tally of munros, for those so inclined.

There are very few paths crossing the area (or at least paths you will find useful). However a lot of the ridges, particularly around the more popular hills and near the munros, will have (unmarked) hill walkers paths on them which might be worth remembering when considering routes. Parts of the area are quite rocky, particularly in the south and north of the map and, although these will mainly be crossed by the longer courses, all courses should be careful of craggy ground at times. In fact the longer courses might have to be prepared to do some easy scrambling (depending on routes). In these areas also watch out for streams as some of them are in little rocky gorges which require a bit more care crossing. However, don’t be put off as a lot of the map is made up of more grassy hills, some of which allow fast running, and there are some large boggy drainage basins with heather and bog myrtle - if the recent hot weather lasts any length of time, these areas could dry out considerably and again be quite fast to run across.

As usual, the mid camp is a long way from the nearest road, about 10km as the crow flies (a bit more as the mountain marathoner wanders !) But despite that we’ve managed to get some nice short grass for you to camp on and even plenty of running water to wash in – just don’t let the trout bite your toes. It’s another spectacular setting, a campsite typical of the LAMM, with big mountains around you (real golden eagle and deer country – both seen by the organisers near the mid camp). A perfect place to relax after a hard day on the hills (midges dependent !).

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather and the clouds keep off the tops, because due to the position and situation of these hills, the views from the high ridges and summits are worth a moments pause (and remember there’s a photo competition).