Episode 2 The Adventure Show

Hello, and a very warm welcome to The Adventure Show.

This month we are in Fort William

for the epic UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. This is the ultimate test

of strength, stamina and speed on a downhill bike.

But also you have to have nerves of steel, too.

Fort William, no matter what weather conditions,

it's one of the most physical tracks of the whole season.

It's fun. I mean, yeah, you crash and you get hurt and stuff

but it's fun, it's great.

Last year we had a British double in the downhill as well as a family

double with Gee and Rachel Atherton both taking podium positions.

We think this year that will be a little bit tougher.

Gee and I had such an amazing year last year both winning and I'm sure

that everyone is thinking we are the pair to beat, you know?

But the thing is about this race season is that everyone is fast,

you know, everyone could win.

It's a hard track to gauge how quick to go on because you know you could

be flying, you could be creeping and the times are only

a tenth of a second apart.

As well as the 555 metres of descent that make up the downhill course,

Fort William also plays host to the 4X Pro Tour.

The riders race four abreast

as they battle down berms, bumps, jumps and rocks.

It's all about finesse, it's all about position,

it's all about tactics but sometimes it's all about pure brute force.

I was just standing there on the gate...anything can happen.

As soon as the gate drops it's, you know, the race is on.

Also on this month's Adventure Show, Deziree and I are going head-to-head

as we preview the World Orienteering Championships,

which are coming to Scotland next year.

And what bright spark volunteered me for this?

Now, that is soggy.

And ex-professional footballer Michael Stewart is swapping boots

for pedals to discover what it takes to succeed as a top mountain biker.

And I am in my beloved Cairngorms

climbing a hill that doesn't see too many people.

Before all that,

we've got the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup here in Fort William.

Well, kicking off the action today with the women's 4X,

featuring Britain's own Katy Curd, who is leading the world rankings

at the moment and hoping to repeat her success of last year.

You just never know what's going to happen. So it's unpredictable

and just exciting. There could be riders flying around all over

the place. So you've just got to stay on your toes.

You've always got to try and race your own race. You'll never control

anyone else but at the same time you always need to know where they are

just in case you can hear someone coming up on the outside

and you just need to block all those lines.

This year there's a smaller entry than usual in the women's category.

With a major event a week away

many of the top riders don't want to risk injury.

So it's an all-British final,

giving our younger talent a chance to shine.

We are picking up the action after the initial heat

as the fastest four riders line up for today's big final.

On the far left comparative newcomer to this sport, Claire Curtis.

Next to her, race favourite Katy Curd.

Then there's Suzanne Lacey, who'll be challenging for the top spot.

Finally there's one legendary 4X rider, Fionn Griffiths.

Gate's down and they're off.

Fionn is now concentrating her efforts on the downhill discipline

but couldn't resist racing the 4X today.

But it is Katy Curd straight into the lead. So important to get

a good start like this and keep ahead of the competition.

This really is one of the most technical courses on the circuit.

Fast, rugged and without question very steep.

Katy is powering down it.

Behind her, Suzanne Lacey with Fionn Griffiths chasing her down.

Going into the lumpy bumpies, hard to keep up the speed here.

Now for the last corner into the final straight. Katy is way ahead.

Nothing could stop her now.

Over the finish line Katy Curd first, what a fantastic run for her.

Katy, you must be really pleased with that, second year in a row?

Yeah, really happy. The home crowd here is so supportive

and to just win at Fort William is just a massive achievement as it is.

So, yeah, it's great.

So confirmation of the results for the Women's 4X Final.

Third place goes to Fionn Griffiths. What a tremendous effort

for someone who is now concentrating on downhill racing.

In second place it's Suzanne Lacey.

But the clear winner in today's race is Katy Curd.

This is the weekend the world's best riders come to Fort William.

The last few years, the Czechs have dominated this sport for the men

and right up there at the top is Tomas Slavik.

It's always cool to come back here to Fort William race, you know?

Completely like the venue and even it just has a great atmosphere and

everybody loves to come back here.

And you've been at the top of 4X for a few years now. How do you remain

so dominant in a sport where there are so many variables?

What's really important is to know the other guys, how they're riding,

how fast they are out the gate or whether they corner or track speed.

And then you have to be calm, you have to be precise and sometimes

with the pressure around the track with the many spectators

and the other guys around you it's not so easy to stay focused

and concentrated. So it's all about your head.

The Czechs may be the masters but there is plenty of competition

for them. Leading the British charge today is Scott Beaumont.

He is currently ranked third in the world

and knows this course as well as anyone.

The start is really important. If you can get into the lead of the race by

the first turn that's a good place to be. This track is really good

because there are so many multiple lines in the corners.

The third corner in particular at the top of the rock section is where

riders are going to be moving around and try and make the passes.

It's a real wide part of the track, just before we get on the rocks.

So it's advised, like, if you can get into the lead by there you've got

a strong chance of winning by the finish line.

We're picking up the action in the men's race for the first semifinal.

At the top on the far left is Quentin Derbier from France.

He's had a great start to this year's racing.

Next to him is the 2013 World Champion Joost Wichman

from the Netherlands. They are up against two British riders -

Luke Cryer, and on the far right, Daniel Bateson.

The gate's down and they're off.

Straight into the lead, Joost Wichman

with France's Quentin Derbier right behind.

36-year-old Joost was just four when he got his first BMX bike.

He started racing 4X eight years ago.

Looking good, he is. Derbier's trying to close the gap.

He's had a first and second place already this year.

But now the two Brits are hard on his heels.

It's the top two from this heat who'll go through to the final.

With Wichman well out in front the pressure is on

for that second place.

Certainly some speed here as Joost heads into the lumpy bumpies.

The end is in sight.

Wichman has increased his lead as he pounds down the final straight.

Quick glance behind just to check he's over the finish line first.

Derbier has come in second,

so it's Wichman and Derbier through to the finals,

Cryer and Bateson are out.

Lining up for the second semifinal it's our best hope, Scott Beaumont,

on the left. Next to him, last year's winner here at Fort William,

Tomas Slavik.

Then it's another Brit, Lewis Lacey.

Finally on the right it's Benjamin Kistner from Switzerland.

So the tension mounts. The gate's down and they're off.

Pretty even start Slavik and Lacey out in front, Beaumont in third.

Slavik pulls ahead, that's where he likes to be, well out in front.

So the fight is on for that second place.

Beaumont has been a pro biker for over 15 years, has the experience

to stay calm and focused but can he squeeze through?

Yes, he's done it, into second place as he hammered down the rock garden.

So it's Slavik one, Beaumont two, Lacey three.

They are coming into the big jumps.

But it's the Czech rider well out in front. Down to the final straight

and over the finish line.

Yep, Slavik first, Beaumont second, great move from him.

They'll go through to the final. Lacey and Kistner are out.

So in the gate ready for the final of this year's 4X competition

are France's Quentin Derbier on the left,

Tomas Slavik from the Czech Republic is next to him,

then it's Joost Wichman from the Netherlands,

and finally Britain's Scott Beaumont.

What a line-up this is. Ready for the start and they're off.

Very even at the gate but Slavik and Wichman just in front.

They were clear winners in the semis

and now they're battling it out for the lead.

Slavik ahead but he's not clear of the opposition by any means.

So coming in through far wall berm Wichman really pushing to get ahead.

That's a very aggressive line indeed. Not just the line, either -

look at that, he's forced Slavik almost into the barriers.

Slavik managed to stay upright but the gap now looks almost impossible.

World Champion in the lead. Looking good for him...

Oh, my goodness! What's Tomas Slavik been up to?

Look at that, coming from nowhere, that is unbelievable!

What a ride over the finish line first.

Tomas Slavik has snatched back the top spot with Joost Wichman second,

Quentin Derbier third and Scott Beaumont in fourth.

What a ride from Slavik.

Tomas, that was an amazing victory

and one of the most outrageous overtaking moves I've ever seen.

This is 4X, this is how it exactly should be looking, you know?

Four riders elbow to elbow passing on a track, exciting racing,

great for the crowd. That's exactly it, love it.

And I was just like, "It's all or nothing."

So I railed the berm and jumped the triple and I was just hoping that

I'd be there on time, and I made it, you know? It was crazy, like.

What a result there for Tomas Slavik.

Bad news though for the second man over the line.

Unexpectedly, the judges disqualified Joost Wichman

because of barging into Slavik at the top of the rock garden.

So that means the final results look like this.

In third place it's Britain's Scott Beaumont.

Second now goes to Quentin Derbier from France.

But out in the lead, once again taking the top spot,

Tomas Slavik from the Czech Republic.

Incredible racing there. We'll be back later in the programme here

at Fort William for the downhill but for the moment we are leaving

the real athletes behind as Deziree and I find out who is the fastest,

most skilful competitor... and we don't even get a bike.

OK, I'm thinking it might be coming up fairly soon. Yeah, this is right.

I think it's somewhere over here.

We've travelled some 60 miles north-east across the Great Glen

to find out about a major athletic competition

coming to the Highlands next year.

London had the Olympics,

Glasgow has the Commonwealth Games.

Next year Inverness will host 5,000 international athletes

as they converge in the Highland capital

for the World Orienteering Championships.

Now, that is soggy.

They call it cunning running.

You have to be fast, yes,

but navigation through forest like this has to be spot-on.

How hard can it be? We are about to find out.

Two of the organisers of next year's World Championships have set a small

course for us near Inverness.

Deziree and I will take it in turns to see who's fastest.

It's about the standard a 14-year-old orienteer could tackle,

so it'll be easy, right?

You have a map and there are some points that you need to visit

on the map in order. And the idea is to get between those points

as quickly as you can, choose the fastest route.

Sometimes that will be a long way round, sometimes it'll be

a short way through. It's up to you. Different things will be faster

for different people. What you do when you get to each of

the checkpoints is this... and that stamps your time.

You won't be on your own. Lorna will be with you.

Lorna is an ex-international orienteer and in fact competed

in the World Championships when they were last in Scotland in 1999.

So you are in great hands and she will hopefully prevent you

ending up in Glasgow. OK, Dougie, here's your map.

-A few seconds to look at it.

-The first thing you want to do is

-locate the triangle which indicates the start.

-This is it here, I think?

Yes. The first one you probably want to take the safest route.

-Are you ready?

-Yes.

-Three, two, one - go.

BEEPING

There's an element of tortoise and hare. I mean, clever course planners

will make sure that there are several choices on any course

and it's not immediately obvious which is the fastest.

And if you and I ran at the same speed. In some ways, you know,

the line to the left might be quicker for you, the line to the right might

be quicker for me because different people have different abilities

-and different skills.

-Definitely number one.

-Compass up along from one to two.

-Yes.

And then turn yourself until the needle is parallel

and then look up ahead and sight on a distinct tree

or bit of the ground ahead.

Oh!

Fantastic. I've got some in my eyes as well.

HE SPITS

Now, that is soggy.

HE SPITS

Obviously a good reason for not going across mossy and muddy ground.

Kind of lost now.

This isn't it, is it?

Oh, man, where is it, where is it? I'm sure I've run past it.

HE GROANS

For me it's the subtle balance of a physical challenge

because it's really high... It's a physically tough sport

but it's also got that mental aspect.

It's the fact that you have to think all the way.

And have to get it right.

-Take a bearing...

-Take a bearing, she says.

-..out to the north-west.

The difficult thing is taking a bearing when you...

You've no idea where you are.

But there's the big forest track beyond.

-Uh-huh.

-If we take a bearing.

-Where is that, though?

Roughly that way, that should be just down, down over that lip.

The mind's eye thing is really important

particularly when it starts to go wrong.

If you know in your mind's eye you should be running up a slope

and suddenly you start running down a slope then something's not right.

OK, where's the track, where's the point?

There! Ya beezer! Fantastic.

-What's that, three?

-That's four.

-Four?

-Yeah.

-Hurrah.

-One to go.

So...

You're going to be looking for a big marsh, should be on the hill

-that kind of bounds the back of that marsh.

-How long have I taken?

-Well done.

-And that would appear to be that.

Three, two, one - go.

BEEPING

How big a deal will it be to have the best orienteers in the world

-here in Inverness-shire?

-Oh, it's going to be a fantastic thing.

Amazing to see the elite running through the forests at speed.

Orienteering is all things to all people, you know, from beginners

all the way through to the very, very top of the sport.

It's a really fast, exciting,

dramatic sport at the very, very top level.

So, I'm thinking it's down here and then I'm looking for another track

coming in on the left.

I'm trying to keep my feet sort of dry if I can.

Oh, I lost my shoe!

How good are the Brits?

The Brits are good and they're amongst...certainly amongst the top

nations in the world.

It's quite tricky terrain to negotiate.

The Scots traditionally actually form the backbone of the British team,

partly because we've got these amazing locations here

for people to race in.

It is realistic to expect British medallists at the World Championships

next year, which for us would be amazing.

You know, home medallists in home forests

would be a massive success for us.

There it is. Cool.

We've got something like 5,000 or 6,000 spectators who'll be

in our arenas. And they'll be watching big screens in the arenas

and they'll be able to see through the TV cameras and GPS tracker,

they'll be able to see the best orienteers in the world

making progress.

OK...

So, that's the last one?

That's inevitable, isn't it? Deziree has won again.

Now it's time to see the extent of my failure.

So those GPS tracker devices that you were carrying, they were following

your every move. So when I press the start button here what'll happen is

-you will see your trails being marked on the map.

-OK.

-Yes.

Dougie, you're blue, Deziree, you're red. OK, are you ready? Here we go.

-And they're off.

-And they're off. Looking pretty close to begin with.

Both clean through number one there, that's good.

-This is where it goes really wrong for Dougie.

-Yep.

You're taking a nice straight line there, Deziree. Dougie's on the other

-edge of the map.

-Right past it. See this point on the course?

-You just missed it.

-You're just going to go straight past it.

-Yep, I'm right over the top of it.

-You were right over the top of it.

Oh, my goodness, I'm all over the place, but I got back on.

This is really great just being able to see exactly the route

-that you took in motion.

-And compared to each other, yes.

I'm quite disappointed with you, Dez. It is called The Adventure Show

not Take The Easy Option Show.

-I mean, I was going in a straight line and hard.

-You were doing enough

adventure for both of us, I think.

That's the beauty of orienteering. Straight lines, sometimes it's right,

sometimes it's not right.

Obviously the courses will be much harder than this during

the World Championships in August 2015.

I might just be watching.

If you want to find out more about that orienteering event

or any of the other items on this programme follow us on Facebook.

Now it's back to the main event here at Fort William, the downhill.

2.8 kilometres of riding with 555 metres of descent.

You have to be fast, you have to be accurate and you have to be brave

to do this at around five minutes.

We're going to start with the women's event and this year it has

been a battle across the Channel between France and Britain.

Emmeline Ragot and Myriam Nicole have been looking pretty good

for the French but Britain have the third place in the world rankings,

Manon Carpenter, and current World Champion Rachel Atherton.

Lots for the home crowd to cheer about.

I think this year it's probably the hardest I've ever ridden it.

The addition of the big wheels that everyone's gone to.

A couple of inches of bigger wheel makes it a lot faster so, you know,

you're coming down the track, you know, already faster

than you even were last year.

So explain to me about the change in wheel size.

I mean, it makes you faster so surely that's good, isn't it?

-Or is it scarier?

-It's very... It's very scary.

The wheels have gone up from 26 inch to 27.5 inch.

So, you know, they roll over the bumps a lot easier and a lot quicker.

So you kind of...you end up with more speed so you carry more speed

on the straight but you've still got to go around the same corner.

So you're coming into the corners a lot faster and it's just, you know,

it's a lot harder on your arms because you go faster.

So, yeah, we didn't really think about that.

Rachel's been at the top of this sport for nearly a decade

but it's not just about fitness and technique. Over the last few years

the Athertons have been using a performance coach,

not to improve their biking skills

but to work on the psychological aspects of success.

Most coaching technically is to do with

"What am I doing physically on the bike?"

But I'm more interested in what's the mindset that you have before

you get to the bike because that's going to have an impact

on what's going to happen technically. I'm also interested in

what's your mindset after.

So, if you have had a good race run, how do you process that?

If you've had a poor race run or practice run or qualifying run

how do you process that? So, that's going to have an impact

on what you do technically next time. And so do you take the risk,

do you go for it, are you forcing it?

That's all to do with where's your mindset?

Rachel will need all that preparation in today's race

as she squares up against the two top French riders,

Emmeline Ragot and Myriam Nicole.

They also know there's more to biking than just technical ability.

It's hard to explain to someone that is not riding. I think it's just like

you are on your bike and you are just one person, you know?

And everything is moving in a good way.

You're flying over the rocks and it's just an amazing feeling.

You know you have to get the right rhythm and get a constant speed

and not brake too much and, like, have a stop on the track.

So you are feeling when you know you get the flow

and everything going right. It's how you gain time.

21-year-old Manon Carpenter from South Wales has already had

a second and a first place in the two World Cups of 2014.

And she had the fastest qualifying time yesterday here at Fort William.

There's not too many lines to choose from the top section but technique

critical, I guess. You're not just going flat out down the hill.

There's lots of corners and they're loose and drifty and you've got to

kind of navigate the rocks properly.

So, you've got to know exactly where you want to go and to just make it

as smooth as you can because it's so long, the smoother you can make it

the more energy you've got towards the bottom.

So the race is on for that top spot here in Fort William.

I am in the arena as the crowds cheer the riders down

over the finish line.

Up in the hill is Duncan McCallum.

We're picking up the action with the top Swiss rider Emilie Siegenthaler.

Swiss national champion for 2011 and 2013. Came seventh in Fort William

last year and seventh in the World Championships last year as well.

Still she is in with a shout here.

Wearing a neck brace, as many of the riders are now doing that.

Oh, quite good, oh, just slightly overcooked that,

almost threw her off the course. It's quite hard to tell on the top part

of the course how they're really going but she looks very smooth.

There's a series of very technical switchbacks dropping down

to a massive rock slab which then takes you into the forest.

Nicely done, bending her whole body over. Emilie looks good so far.

Well, well, Emilie Siegenthaler is absolutely smashing it

and almost ended up on her backside there.

She studied psychology at Lausanne University

before becoming a professional biker. Born in 1986.

Started riding on cross-country races

before discovering downhill in 2006.

She was slow in the top section. She made up an incredible amount of time

at the bottom. My goodness, I don't know how she managed to find it

but she managed to find something. It's amazing, this girl.

She's miles inside. Into the lead. 4.4 seconds

to put her into the driving seat for the moment.

On the top of the course here in Fort William is Tracey Hannah, Australian,

ninth in the world, age 26.

A real hope here today.

And she's benefitting today

because the course has just dried up a little bit

and Tracey is going very well in the upper part of the course.

And that's very aggressive riding from Tracey, very, very good so far,

really nice line.

Doesn't want to overcook it too far coming into these technical hairpins.

They are slightly firm so you can rail off them as she is doing.

And there are three or four big, big, complicated hairpins

where you have to get absolutely the right line, so Tracey looking good.

Tracey Hannah two seconds up at the split. Australian Champion of 2012

and 2013. Junior World Champion back in 2006.

She is such a brilliant competitor.

Gets the elbows high, uses the arms as shock absorbers

and pushes as much as she possibly can

at the bottom section of the course.

Two seconds inside the split.

She's in first place for the moment! 5:26.6.

Wow! That was incredible! 4.5 seconds inside Siegenthaler. Wow!

Expect to hear a massive cheer here for Rachel Atherton,

the darling of British women's downhill racing.

She was World Champion in 2008 and 2013.

This year she is not feeling too confident, she's got a lot more

competition now with Manon Carpenter biting her heels.

But she came first in Cairns, Australia

and second in Pietermaritzburg already this year.

And Rachel is up for it. Looking very good, very, very tidy line.

Doesn't look like she's trying too hard but the line is so smooth,

she'll carry a huge amount of speed.

You can just hear the gears in her bike clank a little bit there.

She looks slow but she is deceptively fast

here in the upper part of the course.

Rachel belted down the top part of the track. We should be seeing her any minute now.

Come on, Rachel, where are you?

Looks like something has gone wrong. Yes, disaster, she's off her bike.

Looks like a puncture. Oh, and she's pulling the inner tube out of the gears.

Back on the bike, that's definitely the race over for Rachel.

Here she comes, limping back.

Huge disappointment for her. Oh, when you get a failure on the bike

it's a day you just want to forget.

At the top of the course now is one of France's great riders,

Emmeline Ragot.

This woman can do anything on the downhill

and absolutely loves the Fort William course.

She has seen a lot of success here.

Came third in 2013 and absolutely flying on the top part of the course

taking a slightly different line from some of the girls

and letting the bike bounce around underneath her but keeping focused on the task ahead.

Making a really, really nice angle. You can see the front wheel

bouncing around all over the place as Emmeline pushes down the course,

pushing into these berms just to pick up speed and Emmeline looks set

for a...certainly a podium position today.

World Champion in 2009 and World Champion in 2011,

Emmeline Ragot is a brilliant, brilliant racer.

The French girl, 28 years old,

currently second in the world rankings is just an amazing competitor.

She won two silver medals and three bronze medals at this event.

She knows this course incredibly well and knows how to do damage as well.

And it looks like she is doing

an incredible amount of damage this year.

Tracey Hannah is now in bother as Emmeline Ragot goes

in at first and smashes it. Almost 14 seconds up on Tracey Hannah.

The fist pump into the air. That's what it means for this French girl.

At the top of the mountain here in Fort William is Myriam Nicole.

Currently ranked fourth in the world,

this trainee physiotherapist from France studying

in Montpellier is a really big hope here.

She came fourth in 2013, she is the ex-French national champion in 2011 and came third in 2012.

She is an extremely, extremely good rider.

Carrying lots of speed up here. Oh, almost cleared the gap completely.

Not many of the women have done that.

Flying down the upper part of the course.

She is one of the fastest-looking we've seen so far.

Down through these technical switchbacks trying to keep the line off the gravel

so that you can carry the speed into the straight between the corners

and Myriam is hammering down towards the forest and looking very good.

Well, Myriam is not looking as good as we expected.

She was so fast at the top section of

the course but she looks absolutely burst now, short on that jump.

What's going on? I can see the head's down and she is not as fast as we were expecting.

Looking exhausted, hasn't had a World Cup win in 2012 and 2013.

Usually gets onto the podium though.

She was up at the top section of the course.

She's now dropped.

Good enough for second for Myriam Nicole

but my goodness, what happened to her on the bottom section? Wow.

All eyes now though to the top for the fastest woman qualifier

and the last to ride down the track, Britain's Manon Carpenter.

Manon Carpenter claimed a blinding 60 seconds faster than Rachel

on some of the time rides here earlier on in the week.

A hugely impressive performer despite the fact she is

still only 21.

She came second here last year and spent a lot of the winter in the gym

getting stronger on the bike, which is certainly

needed here in Fort William.

A nice line, very, very tidy rider.

Her father was an ex-BMX racer

and she learned a lot of the techniques and he still trains her to this day.

And Manon is charging down towards the forest and hopefully for a British win.

We will soon find out.

Oh, that's... Oh, my goodness me, what is going on

with the British riders and their back tyres?

Oh, that is hugely disappointing.

Manon Carpenter was almost ten seconds up after qualifying yesterday.

Rachel Atherton crashed back tyre, Manon Carpenter burst back tyre.

She was two seconds up.

Oh, man, that is just sickening.

You can actually feel the frustration around the crowd here at Fort William.

You can see the head goes down. She is,

wow, for want of a better word, gutted.

But Emmeline Ragot is the champion 2014

thanks to a fantastic ride by her.

Well done, Emmeline Ragot.

From the top it was a bit windy, you know you can make too much mistake

because of the gravel and you do one way out and

you are out the track. So it was pretty out there, yeah.

So confirmation of those results.

Tracey Hannah from Australia came in third

with a time of 5:20.60.

And it's a top two for France.

Myriam Nicole's time of 5:21.33

was enough to secure her second place.

But nine seconds faster, taking the win here today at Fort William,

is Emmeline Ragot with her time of 5:12.62.

What a run for her.

We'll be back for more downhill action later.

Right now it's time to get away from the hustle and hubbub

to join Cameron McNeish as he heads

into the Cairngorm Hills above Braemar.

I've found it so many times before that so often in Scotland

the best views come from the top of the smaller hills.

And that's certainly the case of the hill I'm climbing today, Carn Na Drochaided.

It rises in fairly unspectacular form from a

neck of land between Glen Quoich and the Sluggan and it rises to a height of 2,685 feet.

That's certainly high enough for great views.

You know, you can hear the sound of this River Quoich and the Linn of Quoich

away back in the woods there.

You hear the sound before you see anything.

And it really is quite spectacular, how the water's been channelled into this very, very narrow gully

and it just surges through there under the bridge and then flows on down towards the River Dee.

It's a spectacular place and there's one little feature that I'm very keen to show you.

It's just over here.

The hole you can see in the shelf of rock over there is known as "The Earl of Mar's Punch Bowl".

It's said that in 1715 the followers of the Earl of Mar came here

and filled the hole up with anchors of potent aquavit and they then toasted the Jacobite cause.

I quite like the story. I also like the fact that there's a link between using cups to drink toasts

and the name "quoich", the Gaelic word for "drinking cup".

Inevitably all good things come to an end

and it's time to leave the nice bulldozed track and take to the heather.

This is where the hard work starts.

On my Ordnance Survey map there's a bulldozed track that runs from the floor of the Glen

all the way up that, Ben Avurd, virtually all the way to the very summit of the mountain.

Way back in the 1960s the landowner of the time had this idea of building a ski resort

so he had this bulldozer gouge out this track right up across the summit plateau.

It never came to anything and fairly recently when the National Trust for Scotland bought this estate

one of the very first things they did was get rid of the track.

They filled it in and it's surprising you can't see anything of it today.

A very, very good example of re-wilding.

At the moment I'm feeling very small and very insignificant.

Lost in the mists of this vastness,

this immense space all around.

It's the sense of space that I find absolutely invigorating

and there's part of me wishes I could just launch myself from here

and fly for miles and miles and miles.

This is the real endearing feature of the Cairngorms.

The sense of space.

The summit of Creag a'Cheirich, which is the kind of subsidiary summit of Carn Na Drochaided,

is just ahead of us.

And once you get up this high the walking is quite easy across this wind-clipped heath.

Nice, big, broad ridge and not too much of a climb to the summit now.

You know, I have this recurring dread that one day I'm going to be too old to climb hills.

It's not something I like to think about too much.

But even at the age I'm at just now I realise that I'm getting

a bit slower, the hills aren't as easy as they were once.

And that's the wonderful thing about a hill like this one. It's not a hard hill,

it's not a difficult hill but you get all the benefits of being high with big views.

Maybe this is a good hill for oldies like me.

Carn Na Drochaided, one of our Corbetts,

one of our Scottish mountains between 2,500 feet and 2,999 feet.

It means the Cairn of the Bridge and I suspect the name comes from it being a bridge between the Sluggan,

the great valley of the Sluggan down that way, and Glen Quoich and Glen Dee.

The view is phenomenal.

Away in that direction is "dark Lochnagar" in all its glory.

Behind me here the Torrs of Ben Ann and then all down this side nothing but black rainclouds

so that kind of urges me to get moving and get off the summit before I get drenched,

because I think that rain is going to be here in just a few minutes.

Welcome back to Fort William once again.

We will be joining the men for their downhill competition soon

but first we're going behind the scenes to find out when a top mountain biker

met with the rarefied world of a professional footballer.

And when you hear the crowd definitely that adrenaline starts pumping through your body.

Once you get into the game it all goes out and you're focused on that

and you almost don't see or hear anything else around you.

When you get into that moment it's like nothing else.

It's just amazing, just pure adrenaline, yeah,

it can be emotional at times even, it's just so good.

Last year 22-year-old Greg Williamson from Inverness joined one of the big mountain biking teams,

Trek World Racing. At the other end of the spectrum Michael Stewart's football began

when he signed for Manchester United in 1998.

Since then he's played for a variety of teams

including Hibs and Hearts and has been capped for his country.

Now he's retired from playing professionally

and is keen to take on new sports.

He knows what it takes to be a pro footballer,

but what does it take to be a pro mountain biker?

Is that fast enough, Greg?

Just like motorbikes or car racing get a nice, wide apex

and then dropping down and get a nice early break in before it.

Oh, let's get the apexes better.

Head up to the turn, braking as well. That's it, nice. So, nice, wide.

That was good, like, definitely, I'm happy with that.

When you start out with a sport it's just a passion, you love it.

And then to take it to that professional level I know myself

obviously it takes over your life.

I was 16 and you go down to Manchester, it's a huge...

it's a huge step. I don't think you realise it at the time.

But looking back on it now, you start to wonder yourself how on earth did you manage to do that?

I suppose it's just the love of the sport, all-consuming.

You've got to be smart about it. You can't be out drinking, partying, whatever.

Just trying to keep you on schedule.

That was the hardest thing for me. I had to really focus on my time.

You can't be late to anything, really, you've got to be...you've got to be

on it and that's something I learned pretty quickly because if you're late you miss the boat.

-Right, let's get the foot down.

-Right, let's go.

There's no doubt about it, there are huge sacrifices that you make.

But ultimately there's massive rewards for it as well.

Career-wise, huge rewards.

Financially, obviously, in football, there's big rewards as well.

But ultimately, from a footballing perspective,

it's not the finances that really drive you,

it's that professional pride and the accolades that come with that.

Invariably, if you get that, the finances come with it.

Do you see yourself... Like, how long are you going to do this,

or are you just enjoying it at the moment?

'I'm just enjoying the moment.

'I don't think too far ahead, I'm just trying to focus on my goals

'just now, and we'll see where it takes me. You never know.'

There are people who have had life-changing injuries.

There is always that risk.

I will keep it pretty locally based, I will keep my options open

and we'll see.

Fort William downhill track's like this the whole way!

-So it gets tiring.

-Yeah!

But here you can learn a lot by just being smooth

and picking the right line.

So you could go inside here and there is a hole after that rock,

so round the outside is smoother.

And keep your weight back and stuff, and let the front wheel do the work.

-Will I do a demonstration?

-You do it, and I can have a wee look.

Coming in...keeping your weight back, legs nice and soft,

letting your arms work. Front wheel left... Then looking forward, smooth.

It's not about going fast, it's about improving skills and working

at your own pace, and then once you've got it, you add the speed.

Let's go for that one. Cool. Sorted.

So nice and easy. Keep your weight back.

That's it. Nice. Nice line!

Smooth line. That's it.

-No.

-No.

That's fine. We'll try again.

One thing I was quite intrigued about is the older you get,

you've gone through a bit more, you have more experience,

and sometimes that can be a benefit but it can be a negative

because you start getting more anxious about stuff.

-Do you get nervous at all?

-Yes. Absolutely.

You've got butterflies from when you turn up at the venue here.

You're anticipating it.

And then, come race time, you're a bit nervous but it's a good thing.

It means you're in the right place for doing your job.

Let's go for it, nice and relaxed.

Nice and smooth, that's it.

Good. Concentrate, that's it.

Great work. Perfect. Brilliant!

Good job, Michael. That was perfect!

-It's a wrap, that one.

-Over to the studio!

THEY LAUGH

Nice to see Michael being put through his paces,

and the best of luck to Greg today in today's race.

Now we go on to the Men's Downhill, where Gee Atherton is

competing to retain his first place he won last year.

Good luck to him. It will be a tough task, though.

It is quite intense. I mean, you are here for the whole week prepping,

getting ready, the bike, the track, everything ready

and then it all boils down to this one run on Sunday afternoon.

You know, it is intense, the pressure is on

but at the same time, for me, that's just what we do.

I guess we're racing every weekend and it's kind of almost natural

for me to be able to perform and really lay it down when we have to.

I still get nervous obviously. It's quite a nerve-racking sport

but at the same time I really feed off that buzz

and I think there's always such a good atmosphere here

that I think that really helps the riders and really spurs them on.

Another strong British rider is ex-World Champion Danny Hart.

23 years old, he's not fazed by the rough end of this sport.

Toppled off this morning in practice but it's nothing, really.

This happens every week - we're always falling off,

banging ourselves around. But it's nothing, we just carry on.

Do you think the course here at Fort William

particularly suits your style of riding?

Well, I don't know. I'm quite small, you see,

and they used to say it was the big guys' track

but over the past few years I think we've changed that.

I like going fast, it's wide open, some big jumps and just rough,

so hopefully we can pull out a good result.

Danny and Gee are up against strong competition, though,

not least from Australia's Sam Hill and the American, Aaron Gwin.

I've won here before and it's one of the tougher tracks for me to win at,

I feel like. And so I feel like we're on pace.

Just got to clean up a few little things

after today's qualifier and then we should be good.

But it's definitely going to be a challenge.

It just comes down to making it happen when it counts.

This is definitely one of the most enjoyable circuits

and races on the calendar. I know there's something about the track,

it's so long and brutal on the body, so it's a good challenge

as well as trying to race all the other guys down it.

So, yeah, really enjoy that.

The atmosphere here with the crowd and everything is amazing as well

so it's definitely one of the highlights on the tour.

And we're heading up to the top of the course right now.

It's time to pick up the action with the men's event

as young Scottish rider Greg Williamson sees

if he can challenge the big names.

He has a fairly disappointing start to the season,

with a 32nd place in Pietermaritzburg

but came tenth here last year

and came seventh in the British National Championships in June.

Knows the course really well.

Looking very smooth is Greg.

He's totally got the best people to work with.

And it will be very nice to see a young Scottish rider on the podium.

And Greg is looking very smooth so far in the top of the course,

and good luck.

That's Greg Williamson flying in through the Scotland arch

and he's having the ride of his life.

Certainly looks as if he's enjoying it too.

And it's his birthday.

A good place here would be the very best present he could dream of.

He's smashed the previous time -

8½ seconds inside - to go into the hot seat.

I think he'll be there for quite some time.

And I think they're going to sing Happy Birthday to him as well!

Quite right too.

He's looking like a very successful and happy pro mountain biker.

At the top of the course now is another great Scottish rider,

Ruaridh Cunningham, from the Borders.

He won the Junior World Championships in 2007

here in Fort William. So he's got it all to race for today.

Ruaridh said he had a couple of years when he didn't take it too seriously,

he thought he was on a bit of a holiday,

but now has become fully committed to the sport.

Absolutely loves racing here. He'll get a huge welcome as he comes in.

At age 25, Ruaridh really should be at the peak of his career now,

and looking this year to push on and make all the use of his talent.

He's a very, very talented rider.

It would be fantastic to see him win a senior race here.

Down onto the corners...

Ruaridh is looking pretty fast at the top part of the course.

A Scotsman has never won a World Cup here at Fort William

on the elite course, but the crowd here

will take him all the way to the line.

This hugely talented local man... great rider, lovely guy

And ninth for Ruaridh Cunningham.

He wanted a top-15 finish.

He knows that he could have gone a little bit faster.

He's not too happy, by the looks of things.

Really getting back to full fitness at the moment.

The phenomenon that is Gee Atherton, currently ranked first in the world

and is really part of an amazing dynasty of family riders.

But he will know that his sister crashed out, didn't have a great run.

It is up to Gee now. He came first in Australia just a few weeks ago.

Absolutely brilliant rider, very technical, totally committed

and focused, with a great team behind him.

A huge following. Gee is really on fire here, looking very good,

railing the bike round on the edge of those tyres,

trying to keep it as straight and smooth as he possibly can

on the upper part of the course, down into these difficult switchbacks.

But where the line is all-important,

Gee is looking smooth and good on the top part of the course

as he powers his way down to the forest.

We're looking for that second split time.

It's inside by almost a second and a half!

The first British man ever to win a World Championship,

looking very, very good indeed.

Smooth...

He's got tremendous fitness.

If anyone can make it up at the bottom half of the course,

Gee Atherton can.

Gee didn't have a brilliant qualifying time

but such a powerful guy. 29 years old...

Is he in?! Yes, he is! Is he in?

Oh, yes! By almost a second!

A fantastic ride there!

Gee Atherton - could he be champion for the second year in a row?

On the course now, the first man ever to win five World Cup downhills

in one season, Aaron Gwin. Came first here in 2012

and first in the USA Mountain Bike Downhill Championships this year.

Aaron Gwin, at 27, is at the peak of his powers.

A really, really amazing rider.

A crowd favourite - loved here.

A really, really good technical rider.

Says he loves it - the dirtiest, most technical, rockiest

and woodiest tracks he can find.

He will certainly like the upper part of here and the wood part.

These pedalling parts and the technical corners, maybe not so much.

Down into the hairpins - not difficult riding

but very important to get a good line.

I can see the rear end of the bike

kicking up very tight, hard suspension on the back

and down into the forest.

Aaron Gwin is currently number one in the World Cup rankings.

He's up... JUST up against Gee Atherton.

Can he hold on to the bottom half of the course?

He really is on his own in American mountain bike racing, this guy.

Such a great competitor.

Started BMX racing when he was four years old.

Is he in against Gee-man?

Yes, he is! Aaron Gwin - wow! - just inside!

That was so close.

My goodness. 0.626 inside Gee Atherton!

Says he remembers every inch, every bump

of every World Cup course around the world

and he remembered all about Fort William

and chose the correct line, and currently he sits in first place.

And the marshal's whistle on the upper part of the course

marking the arrival of Sam Hill, one of the only riders now

on the World Cup circuit still using flat, sticky rubber on his boots.

Currently ranked 11th in the world,

but World Cup winner in 2007 and 2009.

Came sixth here last year.

He's known for his extreme technical ability,

very good on the steep courses, very good at picking lines.

Sticky rubber works, obviously,

as Sam is powering through the upper part of the course.

He really likes it here.

Very, very quiet off the bike, and an absolute phenomenon on the bike.

Looks very smooth through the upper part.

Picked a good line there - looks nice and straight, not too many bumps.

And into the hairpins, Sam is flying down.

Sam Hill, the two-time UCI World Downhill champion,

the man who rides with flat pedals, flat shoes, no clips.

He's a man who just does it because he's just so talented on a bike!

Two seconds up - wowee!

Last win in Fort William in 2006, came second in 2009.

He loves it when it's steep, he loves it when it's rocky,

he loves it when it's tough,

and that's exactly what it is here.

Flying down this last section.

Will he be able to keep the speed up?

I'm sure he will. Sam Hill, the Aussie...

Number one so far at Fort William!

-That is a brilliant, brilliant ride from him!

-HE LAUGHS

On the course now is the ex-World Champion of 2011, Danny Hart.

He said that he has not won a World Cup race

and he really wants to put that right here today.

So Danny's on the top of the course.

He came 28th in South Africa and 21st in Australia.

Not great results so far this year,

but he is second from fastest in the qualification here,

and Danny is really up for it.

Very, very good technical rider, really knows, and knows when to push.

That looks very smooth. He is an extremely good competitor.

Wants to make amends for not having won a World Cup,

but being ex-World Champion, he knows how to do that.

He'll be getting a huge cheer as he comes down into the arena,

and Danny looks fast and smooth on the upper part of this course.

Well, Danny has got such an incredible amount of ability...

Does a wheelie over the table top just to entertain the crowd!

Danny focused on winning this, but he's lost seconds.

Forget about entertaining! Get the afterburners on!

He said to me earlier on that it's embarrassing

he's not won a World Cup cos he certainly has the ability

and the style and the power and the purpose

but he hasn't got it together so far.

A big tailwhip as well to entertain the punters. Such a great rider.

He knows he's not done enough to win this so puts some style on.

Oh, wasn't THAT far outside.

My goodness! What was he doing? He could've won that!

Half a second out. If he hadn't done the wheelie

and put the style on at the end, he'd have won that.

He'd have knocked Sam Hill off the podium.

Wow, Danny Hart, what a ride. What a talented guy he is.

Up at the top is the fastest man in qualification,

21-year-old Troy Brosnan from Australia.

And he's the last down the hill.

He came ninth in Cairns and fifth in Pietermaritzburg.

I suppose the surprise fastest qualifier,

but he really has got a lot to prove here.

And he's got Sam Hill to chase and knock off the podium

if he possibly can. He's got perfect conditions.

Really, really good on the top part,

railing the bike down.

Absolutely solid.

Troy is on it, trying to keep the edge of the tyres

dug into the earth, elbows wide,

pushing down into these fantastic long hairpin bends

at the top of the course.

And a good line so far. Looks smooth.

Well, the expected crowd here at Fort William

all having a look up at the board to see how Troy Brosnan is doing.

The Australian, 21 years old,

as Sam Hill looked expectantly at the big screen and thought,

"Oh, my goodness, Troy's not going to beat me, is he?"

Well, he could do.

He is looking very quick indeed.

Bit of a tailwhip as well, and he looks speedy.

Will he be able to keep it going?

0.54 seconds - is he in?

Yes, he is - by a mile! An absolute mile!

Puts his hands on his head as if he can't believe it,

and straight over goes Aaron Gwin to give him a big hug.

There's the new face of Australian mounting biking, Troy Brosnan.

An awesome run. After qualifying

I knew I had to throw down a solid run again,

and I did that and a little bit more.

So it's my first World Cup win

and it definitely hasn't sunk in yet.

It was amazing because Sam was sitting on the hot seat.

I don't know if you knew that at the top,

but another Aussie there as well.

You had to keep it together, and you certainly did.

Yeah, it's so good... You know, Sam's been my idol

ever since I was growing up, and to be on the podium next to him

is just amazing. So to even get the win on top of that

is just another level again.

And confirmation of those final results -

birthday boy Greg Williamson's great time of 4:44.13

meant he finished in ninth place.

Disappointing result for Britain's Gee Atherton, who came in fifth,

but third went to Danny Hart.

It was an Australia one-two, with Sam Hill taking second place.

The surprise winner, though,

was Troy Brosnan, with his fantastic time.

What a welcome he had.

Halfway down I started hearing them. Spurred me on more and more

and coming into this finish arena was something else.

I never really had it that big and them cheering that loud

so I'm super-pumped and it is just awesome.

Congratulations to Emmeline Ragot

and Troy Brosnan - amazing performances from both of them.

Well, that's it for this Adventure Show.

Next time around we'll be in Torridon

for a triathlon of epic proportions - the Celtman.

Please join us for that if you can.

In the meantime, from all of us in Fort William,

thanks for your company. Bye for now.