Team Macchiato headed to Fort William a few weekends ago for the 2008 edition of 10 Under the Ben 10 hour endurance race.

Part of the entry for the 2008 race was a ride up the Aonach Mòr Gondola to register at the top station. Unfortunately, the race was rather over-sold this year, so we were denied our Gondola ride. Maybe for next year No-Fuss would like to limit entries, but that would really go against their ethos. Saying that, the member of their team that told us this seemed rather ‘no-fussed’. Not an impressive start.

Luckily we had alternatives available; I nailed some pasta in the “Glen Nevis Campsite”: http://www.glen-nevis.co.uk/, while Vo and Tracey went into town to grab some from a fast-food outlet.

Saturday (race day)

A good sleep, then up early for registration meant we bagged a great spot for our pits, not far from the transition, and close-enough to the course to see people riding the last section of singletrack.

Vo did the first lap, a setup we both enjoy as it takes the pressure off. The course started with the usual hugely boring and draggy fire-road for the first few miles, followed by the railway track, a super steep climb, then the fun bits, full of rocks and marginally tech-stuff. The newly-cut natural section was awesome, I thoroughly enjoyed buzzing through there in the big ring. ‘The Wall’ also featured, one of my favourite course-features, mostly due to it’s mincer-baiting characteristics.

Vo and I had decided we would do 5 laps each, as since we wouldn’t be competing for the podium this year, there was no point in one of us doing a greater number of laps. Anyway, we had a booking at a restaurant to make!

We finished up 16th, the fastest team with 10 laps. Another lap would have put us in seventh, or thereabouts.

Sunday

On the Sunday we (or me, with L plates on!) drove back to Edinburgh, but not before a stop in Glen Etive for some sunbathing and a swim in the river.

Great weekend (apart from the gondola fiasco)!