Road trip; Fort william UCI mtb world cup

This may be the longest blog post in history!...but i wont be posting for a week or two as gonna be too busy with the late daylight midsummer evenings for a couple of weeks so given you plenty to read!...

what an amazing weekend up at Fort William for the UCI mtb world cup...
thought i would make it a bit of a road trip so beware- lots of pics...
headed up thursday afternoon after a half day at work car packed already to get up there sharpish...over the forth road bridge...


and then up the A9...

the weather was roasting...and the scenery as awesome as ever as we got into the highlands proper...






still snow on the hills although into june now...

into the Nevis campsite and my mate steve from Borehamwood near London was already there having done the long drive up on wednesday, we met here at the campsite at the 2nd world cup back at Fort William in 2003 and apart from last year meet up here every year...
another lad pitched up beside us- chris from sheffield he also brought a bike to ride in to the event...i had brought the old super v for steve...29er for myself...
friday was a lazy day after a few beers sitting outside the tents the night before...it was roasting hot too...we went a cycle down to Neptunes Staircase on the Calidonian canal-the old coast to coast shipping route still in use by fishing boats as well as leisure boats...

a yacht was coming down through the locks as we arrived so got to watch the locks opening and filling...victorian engineering at its best- though electric and hydraulic rams have replaced the steam once used to operate the locks...





we had a brew at the tea shop and the nice lady even took our piccy...

down at the end of the locks the swing bridges for road and rail opened to let out the yacht...


we rode back towards Fort William under the Mamore mountain range towering above,being at sea level heres give the mountains a real hieght...you can see Ben Nevis behind with snow in its gullys...that snow will proberly be there all year now...

a path led off the cyclepath into the ruins of inverlochy castle where we had a look around...thick old walls...around 12 feet thick on the towers...



then into Fort William town and as always every year a look around this shop...

we call it "the Nam shop" as it sells replica army knives,bullet belts,hand guns,WW2 german helmets,AK47s etc...


i thought most of this stuff is banned now but apparently not,only swords arnt allowed to be sold with out a licence...they even sell a medevil ball & mace!... Rambo could get well tooled up here to go fight another country singlehanded (again)
i buy something here every year and got some germany camo trousers,ideal for riding the pugsley...
a pub meal and pint then back to camp and friend andrew arrived...
the campsite filling up fast but some shonky car parking and spacing of tents insured him a space...
other friends trev and paul were also up with there wives/family and we would see them over the weekend...also ben,who also lives local to me and some other friends i bumped into over the weekend up at the event...
it was an evening of stove cooking,beers,wine & cheeses (thanks andrew!),and midges when the breeze dropped...

Saturday dawned warm and clear again...we all came prepared for the usual unsettled weather that the Mamore mountains throw up...so cars were packed with rain gear and dry changes of clothes which was never needed...
we biked along in shorts and summer tops...

Saturday is downhill qualifying then the 4X and we cycled along the car free cyclepath into Aonach Mor (Nevis range)



and the bikes were locked in the bike security parking...Steve was sporting his new scotland cycling top!...

walking around the stalls and soaking up the bike bling...

the Santa Cruz syndicate team bikes...this is just pure bike porn...





there was also some nice bikes on the Orange bikes stand...bikes stickered as "strange" are test/prototype bikes...







another UK company Hope...i love there stuff...

cool lathe work and machining...


blingtastic!...

Shimano...




the future?

also alot of trade stands...




i bought a nice and soft merino buff and on there stall was this cool old cruiser...



i blagged a couple of beers at singletrack magazine stall and there doing subscriptions half price with a free gift so getting another hip flask!...

Monster energy are big sponsers of downhill and 4X racing...


Rachel Atherton...a favourite in the womans downhill...

in the men my money was on this man...

along at the arena the downhillers were getting qualifying times and we watched some
runs on the big screen and soaked up the atmosphere...and beer, in the heat...




soon it was time for the 4X and the racing was good and the crowd were pumped up...


in 4th so styling it up for the crowd...

real tree hugging...






heading down to the finish line we watched the finals on the big screen to see the whole race...Gee Atherton was there watching...

steve is a big fan of him so i got a pic for him...

as soon as the final was done there was a bit of a stampede as folk legged it to get in the queue for the buses back to town,we just walked to the bike parking and biked home...Andrew and i went pedal to the metal often in top gear...
sitting outside the tents again for another evening of food,beer,laughs and alot of midges...


i had my midge jacket on...made by Hoggs of fife it is an actual proper midge jacket for made here for outdoors here in scotland...works a treat but needs a camelbak hole for cider to save unzipping to drink!...

everyone had there midge nets so no problems but they liked the taste of Steve and he looked like a leper the next day!...

Sunday dawned over cast but dry and cooler,i biked along myself to nevis range as Andrew and Chris were driving straight home after the event...i won the top gear challange getting to the gondola station before Steve arrived who decided to get the bus along with Ben another friend who lives local to me...they run free buses from Fort William and Spean Bridge to the event to ease traffic on the A85...
heading up the gondola for a cuppa and cake at the restraunt before the riders start there runs at 1pm...

riders are also doing morning pratice runs..usually they do just 2 pre race runs...
we split into 2 gondolas,Steve,myself and Chris get in...
then 2 bikes are hung on the hangers of our gondola and who gets in?...
only the Santa Cruz Syndicate team of current world champ Steve Peat,Greg Minnar and Josh Bryceland!...

we 3 just sat for a momment a bit stunned...then had a great crack going up to the top...you dont get close to the top of the field like this in most sports and its one of the great things about mountainbiking...i think these riders also have alot of respect for there fans and give them the time to talk to and take photos etc...

id pay £41 just for this momment alone nevermind to watch these guys race...
we got some pics, wished them all the best and headed for a brew and walk around the veranda...







the track...regaurded as the longest, toughest and most testing track on the world championship circuit...



the woman were down first running in opposite to qualifying times with the fastest qualifier last...








then the men...riding speeds got quicker and quicker as the numbers dropped to the top twenty...amazing skill to ride this track at the speed like these men and woman...









Steve Peat didnt have a great run and last rider down the hill Greg Minnar couldnt top Gee Athertons fastest run...

hard to describe the atmosphere and crowd noise of Ft William without having been there and experianced it...to watch some of the most skilled and talented cyclists in the world on the toughest track takes some beating...
heres film of saturdays 4X and sundays downhill i took as we walked down the trackside...



heading after the final i again avoided the queue`s and biked back with a strong tailwind,a rider passed me then i caught him up and we rode back to the campsite at speed but also having a bit crack...thats the friendly sport of mountainbiking for you...we had a good thrash along the cyclepath...heres some film...



monday Steve and i left mid morning...he for london...myself to park 1/4 down the road at the Ben Nevis car park and went an hour cycle up cow hill...



think i took a wrong path as ended up pushing up an really steep path i didnt know was there instead of a forest road...suprisingly steep for originaly a walkers path but what go`s up can go down and what a fast descent!...it was smooth but i had to watch out for any walkers...i never met any and its funny that the camera makes the descent look flatter but actually i was on the brakes most of the way down...heres some film...



i had all afternoon to get to my brothers in Stirling so stopped for pictures driving down through Glencoe...every visit through here i am blown away by its scenic beauty...















down to Stirling for a brew at my big bro`s and walk ella around the park...oh thats the castle not his house:)...

a great weekend with great weather in great company...roll on next years event...