The Hardest Race In The World - The Strathpuffer - Part 2

Bleary eyed, and rubbing my head due to the 'few beers' from the night before Team MountainBikingScotland.com strolled down to the Square Wheels bike shop to hear the announcement, on whether the event would go ahead or not.
With hats, gloves and warm jackets up to the max we were promptly told that it would go ahead but must park where the organiser say and not to park in ' any random places' as it was likely we would get stuck in the ever softening ground.
After returning to the hotel and wolfing down as much 'Scottish Breakfast' as possible we set off to the site with Ross riding up. I took the Team Van with all the supplies and on reaching the turn off and slowly winding down a wide-ish footpath, realised that there may be trouble ahead.
Ross returned from the 'recce' to inform me that the organisers had said 'once you are on, you are on' (the camping field). What did they mean?? As I moved around the corner I saw to my amusement a 45K 4x4 Mercedes being dragged onto the field by a tractor!!! At this point I was looking/wishing/hoping for alternative parking.
Ross scooted off to sign on has he was up for the first lap (so I could take photos) and I was still stuck in the queue waiting to get parked.
Managing to find a space right at the bottom of there hard-pack road, I dumped loads of the gear at the top of the hill and cycled as fast as I could laden with equipment to the sign on, got my 'dibber' and numbers and rushed to the starting line, for the 100 meter sprint to the bikes, and the first lap....
Tony Haresign
Mountain Biking Scotland
"Get Out of the Woods!"