The Glen Coe Skyline The Adventure Show

Hello and a very warm welcome to The Adventure Show.

This month, we're at the Glen Coe Skyline hill race.

Now, not only is this a 34 mile ultramarathon with 5,000 metres

of ascent and descent,

but it's on terrain that's so steep

some people would describe it as rock climbing.

Fantastic. Exactly what I came for.

Whilst the competitors in this event

race over some of the most demanding terrain you'll find anywhere,

they still have time to look around and appreciate the landscape.

Woo!

It's that appreciation of our wild places we'll be exploring later

in the programme, with Cameron McLeish and his guest,

writer and environmentalist Alastair McIntosh.

A lot of people, they feel something in the outdoors

that today we don't really have the vocabulary for.

So they feel it but they can't really talk about it.

But first to the Salomon Glen Coe Skyline.

And as we look around this majestic landscape,

we really get a sense of the scale of the challenge involved.

The Glen Coe Skyline race was first run last year.

We followed it through the eyes of Dave Sykes, a hardened fell runner,

and it's already transforming the adventure racing scene in Scotland.

Today, we're covering the race in its entirety.

Love it, every metre. Woo!

It's perfect, beautiful. Amazing.

This year, the race is even tougher.

It's 10km longer

with an extra 500 metres of ascent thrown in for good measure.

Throughout the day, the competitors will take in the full majesty of Glen Coe.

Traversing Buachaille Etive Mor,

Bidean Nam Bian and the notorious Aonach Eagach ridge.

There's no handholding in this event. No fixed ropes.

Long sections where retreat off the mountain is impossible.

And the terrain is so unforgiving the race organisers say

that a trip or a slip could result in serious injury.

So this is for experienced extreme athletes.

When people apply to join the race, they have to submit a CV

and every application is individually vetted,

and if they say they've done X, we check it.

This year, we've turned away 33% of the applicants

because we felt they didn't have the right background

to be safe on the course.

So it's a proper elite race.

This is the Formula 1 of mountain running here.

There's many kilometres of technical rock climbing and scrambling

on the high exposed mountains.

It's one of the toughest mountain races in the world.

From the race start at Kinlochleven,

the route heads south along the West Highland Way to the foot of Buachaille Etive Mor.

Ahead is a Grade III scramble up Curved Ridge to Stob Dearg

and the start of the skyrunning for real.

There's a series of descents and ascents to Bidean Nam Bian,

then it's steeply down and up again for more scrambling along the notorious Aonach Eagach ridge.

Before the final stretch back to Kinlochleven.

It's pretty rare to do Curved Ridge and Aonach Eagach in one day.

-Good day?

-Aye, beauty.

It's fitting that one of Scotland's most iconic landscapes should be the

climax of the 2016 Skyrunning Extreme Series.

Previous events were held in Norway and Italy, but for many,

Scotland is the jewel in the crown.

I'd say it's definitely more technical, the scrambling, without a doubt.

There's a lot of runnable stuff here.

Yeah, the scrambling is way more technical than Tromso or Kima.

Even Kima without the ropes isn't as technical as this.

-So you looking forward to it?

-Oh, yeah, I can't wait. Heaven.

Just a few minutes before the start of the race and the scenery here is absolutely fantastic.

That's just a little bit of what they're going to experience

on this absolutely epic day.

I love Aonach Eagach and all the scrambling.

I'm just hoping the rain stays away so I maybe get to see some views from it this time.

You've got your SI dibber.

When you get to each of the checkpoints, just put your dibber in,

that's your time at that location.

If you happen to fall over, you can break the strap.

So if you fall over and put your hand down,

just check you're still attached.

Stay safe, have a brilliant time today. Thank you very much.

Five, four, three, two,

-one, go!

-BELL RINGS

And they're off, starting one of the most difficult races

in the trail series in the whole of the UK, if not Europe.

This is a very tough race,

5,000 metres of ascent to be completed.

Difficult climbing, difficult scrambling.

Hopefully the weather will stay clear.

The Glen Coe Skyline race is off.

The Glencoe skyline is one of the most competitive mountain races in the UK ever,

without a shadow of a doubt.

You've probably got about 20 people,

all capable of getting on the podium.

It's a completely stacked field.

This race, it's really extreme. From what I've seen, it's tough.

It's going to be an awesome race.

The scenery, the landscape is amazing.

I've checked the last ridge and it's sometimes really scary.

Like, because it was wet when we tried it, so you have to slow down,

for sure, and take care.

It's a technical terrain, so I like the technical terrain.

What I think is an incredible time, in just 50 minutes,

the first racers have come up over the Devil's Staircase and descended

into the valley and they're now heading up Buachaille Etive Mor.

Really, really impressive.

And the first two runners look pretty chilled,

chatting to each other as they go up the hill.

And leading the field at this early stage are two Scottish-based athletes,

local man Finlay Wild and Tom Owens from Glasgow.

I do like to run in these hills.

I don't get up here as much as I'd like but, yeah,

I have been round the route before.

I love the ridges and the scrambling.

It's a tough, tough race.

And the first four racers look very, very comfortable.

They head up across the hill onto Curved Ridge,

which is a moderate rock climb...

..and then continue back down into the Lost Valley.

-Morning.

-Woo!

What we're witnessing is world-class mountain running.

Very, very impressive.

There's not many people that can do this

and we have the world-class field here in Glen Coe this morning.

So far, the running's not been too technical

but as soon as they start the bottom of Buachaille Etive Mor,

they're into scrambling, where they really have to start being very careful.

The true Glencoe Skyline starts as they head up onto Curved Ridge.

Hey, how you doing? See you at the top.

It will take competitors between six-and-a-half and 13 hours to complete this race.

They'll need a range of skills to tackle the terrain that lies ahead.

I think you have to really break it down and just concentrate on the next bit.

If you think about the entire race in its entirety,

it can really, really break you down.

Not only is it longer than a marathon,

you have to climb nearly 5,000 metres of ascent as well,

so if you think about that as a whole,

you're going to just break down, so you have to really take it a chunk at a time.

There are long sections of quite technical ground,

where it's difficult to move fast.

And then there are as short sections, like Curved Ridge,

where you're actually scrambling, climbing,

and certainly it'll help to be quick on those but I don't think

that the race will be won or lost there.

Just seven minutes behind the first man,

Jasmin Paris from Edinburgh is currently leading the field for the women.

She's being pushed hard by New Zealand runner Ruth Croft,

who is only 20 seconds slower at this point.

But the tricky exposed terrain still lies ahead.

Come on, Jasmin.

It's probably one of the most technical races, certainly,

that you'll run in the UK, for sure.

It's long and it's pretty rough terrain,

so it's not your average road marathon.

It's definitely special.

I wouldn't really say I'm a technical runner.

I went up Curved Ridge the other day and it was a bit scary, yeah.

But also, a friend took me up Ben Nevis Tower Ridge

and he said walking up the Tower Ridge then Curved Ridge is going to be OK.

But I wouldn't say this is my strength.

But it's just...

I know it's a challenge and it's an awesome course.

-Work it.

-You couldn't hope for better conditions here in Glencoe this morning.

It's absolutely perfect.

Not too hot and very still.

There is bad weather forecast for later on in the day,

so they want to get through at least the early part

of the tougher rock scrambling before that comes in.

Let's hope it stays off

as the runners head up onto the mountain.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-Hiya. Morning.

-Morning.

Sarah Ridgway has just gone through in third position for the women.

She looks pretty fresh. Happy to be out this morning.

I like racing in all disciplines.

I love road running, I love fell races, trail races.

I think they've all got their place but my true love

is basically this sort of mountain terrain.

-Well done.

-That's the stuff I really get inspired by.

You get a lot out of it. But it is a lot of suffering.

If you're racing it, if you're really properly racing it,

you're going to have to be prepared to hurt.

So Norwegian runner Malene Haukoy has just gone through.

She's a little bit behind the first three girls,

but this is a very long race.

They have at least 4,500 metres of ascent and descent to cope with.

Strong contender for the women's title.

I have to say I don't know what to expect,

but of course it would be so much fun if I did a good race,

and, like, podium is a goal for me.

But I have never been here before and I am so excited.

-I really am.

-Looking good, Malene.

This really is an international field,

with runners from all over the world taking part.

The Skyline series has become very, very well established,

and the Glencoe event is the toughest of the three

in the World Series at the moment. An incredible challenge.

-Hey.

-All right.

-Fantastic day.

-Hi, guys.

-Are you feeling OK so far?

-Yes, pretty good.

-Good.

The speed in the first part was amazing.

-It's too fast for me!

-Too fast!

-Slow and steady.

-You enjoy it.

-Cheers.

So there we have a British runner and a Russian runner

making their way up on to the ridge.

No doubt they will accompany each other along all of the

technical sections, helping themselves through.

Very important in a mountain race to buddy up on some of the difficult sections.

It looks like they're going do that with international cooperation.

Entente cordiale.

-No midges this year!

-Enjoy it.

-That's awesome.

-Woo!

-You're obviously looking forward to the scrambling.

Woo!

-That's the best bit.

-You tired?

-Yes.

Have you got room for one more?

And a beer!

As the racers scramble their way round this mammoth course,

we've got the luxury of a bird's eye view.

Although that's not the case for most of our camera crew.

They are making their way to the top the hard way.

But this is part of the enjoyment of the day,

both for our team and the competitors.

We're running in really beautiful mountains.

You only really have to look around you at the view and you're just

grateful for where you actually are at that time,

even if you're feeling completely exhausted.

So I have that advantage over maybe a road runner,

I'm always in beautiful places.

Looking good.

-Sun's out as well.

-Glad you think so.

When you're sky racing you get this connection with the nature,

you are in the mountains and immersed in them.

You're just travelling across the mountains,

just you and your little bit of gear, going across light and fast,

and you really get that connection to the land.

So the fastest of the runners are already making their way

along the first of these iconic ridges.

They must be very pleased to get that out of the way, and the conditions are good.

We'll be back soon to see how they're getting along.

Many of today's elite athletes are taking part in this race

because of their love of our hills and glens,

and that's something I couldn't agree with more.

But it's hard to analyse why our wild places are so important.

So I've come to Harris to join someone who believes losing our

connection with these landscapes has far-reaching consequences.

A lot of people, they feel something in the outdoors that today we don't

really have the vocabulary for, so they feel it,

but they can't really talk about it.

That then becomes a problem because politically,

when we want to make the case for why these mountains and moors are

important, we are not able to fully articulate it.

We are able to talk in terms of Sites of Special Scientific Interest

and so on, but we're not able to talk very easily

about what it does for the human soul,

and how that feeds life back into the flow of community.

Alastair McIntosh is not only one of Scotland's finest environmental writers,

he's also someone who is passionate about land reform and non-violence.

Issues, he says, that are intrinsically linked

to our relationship with our culture and history.

What these places are telling us is the depth of interconnection

we have with one another and with our environment.

This is the landscape that is peopled with stories.

Alastair's brought me to this particular loch

because it is where the author of Peter Pan, JM Barrie,

came just before the outbreak of the First World War.

Barrie was inspired by this landscape,

which he felt reflected the essence of humanity.

At the height of his fame, he rented Amhuinnsuidhe Castle,

and he brought all his friends up for a fishing holiday.

And it was while out on this loch that, as he later wrote,

"We caught Mary Rose".

So yon wee island is known as Mary Rose's island.

Barrie wrote his play, his longest ever running play, in 1919.

It was released in 1920.

On the surface of it, it's about a little girl who came to this island.

Her English parents brought her on a fishing holiday to Loch Voshimid.

Then, while there, the local legends came into the place,

took her away to the fairy land.

And then she came back and disappeared again, in and out,

in a way that spoke deeply to that population

who had lost so many people in the Great War.

Because it's about the in-between states

of this world and the other world,

and the role that the imagination plays in holding the whole shebang.

We should probably point out that the fairies we are talking about,

the fairy folk are not those petite creatures in white frocks and magic

-wands you find at the bottom of the garden.

-No, no.

No, no, no. We're talking about something much bigger than that.

These are ways of understanding the unconscious mind,

these are insights into how our relationship to our environment

-was structured in the past.

-For something so whimsical,

it had a huge effect on the population at that time,

a huge effect that was in mourning really for all the dead

-of the First World War.

-Absolutely.

And you see many literary critics dismiss Barrie as a Kailyard,

a cabbage patch, a populist rural type of writer.

But Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense,

in a late life interview

said his one professional regret in life

is that Universal Pictures would not let him make the play

of Mary Rose because it was too irrational.

It was too "twilight zone" for a modern audience,

and Hitchcock felt that that was our loss,

that we were losing something in terms of our ability to see into that inner life of the human mind,

which otherwise leaves us depleted

of our imaginative faculties.

It's not dissimilar to what many youngsters are reading

and looking at in films today, the sort of fantasy world.

Is there a link, do you think?

Of course, because we all grow up on tram lines.

And then you come to a stage in life,

where you've really got to explore what this being here now

is all about, what you're about,

and that's the role that the fantasy allow us to play with.

It allows a deeper psychological exploration,

not just through the characters like Mary Rose, but who we are.

This is why for me, Mary Rose is such an important play,

because although written in 1920 about war trauma

in the First World War,

it casts light on the effects of violence in our world today,

and the way that violence blooters the imagination.

And when we lose our imagination,

that sets the seeds by which war reperpetuates itself.

Wild places like these have always been vitally important to me.

But Alastair has taken my understanding to a new level.

I'll be joining him again later in the programme to explore even more

connections with our past and the relevance to how we live today.

-Good morning.

-Morning.

-Are you feeling all right?

-No.

-Happy?

-Yes, it's OK.

-Good.

Welcome back to Glen Coe Skyline.

I'm here near the bottom of one of Glen Coe's many side glens,

the Lairig Eilde.

We're expecting the top runners through any moment now.

For these elite athletes, pacing is absolutely crucial.

It's both a mental and physical battle

as they jockey for position throughout the event.

The lead runners at the moment are over Buachaille Etive Beag.

They're tearing up the course,

they're going faster than our predicted splits,

and it's just what happens when you have a truly world-class field

and they all want to win,

and anyone can win the series and there's the kudos of winning the race as well.

So there's a lot to play for today.

Currently, there's not much between the fastest competitors.

Tom Owens from Glasgow is out in front,

but Swiss athlete Marc Lauenstein is only a few steps behind.

Next is local man Finlay Wild,

who's closely followed by British runner Jonathan Albon.

Well done! Fantastic,

that's the first half dozen runners just passed through this point here.

Well done! Heading downwards towards the low point before they're back up

the glen again towards Bidean Nam Bian.

Really, really flying.

Well done, Finlay!

Finlay Wild, one of the favourites to do very well in this event.

He's making some really good progress,

and not too far behind the front runner there at all.

Finlay's very, very good on difficult, tricky descents,

particularly in terrain which is very wet and slippery -

he excels in that area.

So, as the weather deteriorates perhaps later on,

we might find him managing to narrow that field substantially.

Because you're pushing, you're working hard in this environment,

you sort of get these quite intense, snatched views or experiences from,

you know...

That are all the...that are even better because you're pushing hard

and working as much as you can to...

Well, you're racing, aren't you, through these amazing mountains?

These guys out in front really are elite athletes,

they're at the top of their game, they're world-class.

And there's not much in it between them at the moment.

I love to race, I love to perform well, I love to push my limits,

and I love to see how I compare to other athletes.

So, competing in a competition like this is a perfect way to do it.

So, to come in the top five would be an absolute dream.

It's a melding of everything,

that's why you've really got to be an overall athlete to do this sort of thing.

You can't just be good at any one thing,

you've really got to have a whole skill set behind you.

As these runners reached the summit of Bidean Nam Bian,

the lead's now changed, and Jonathan Albon is out in front,

with Tom Owens and Marc Lauenstein hard on his heels.

-Well done, guys.

-Well done.

-Good climbing!

-Cheers. Thank you, man.

Race officials are amazed by just how quickly these

world-class athletes are covering the ground.

They're keeping us on our toes.

It's very hard to make the calculations

to project the race timings around such a long course,

a course that is affected by the environment.

The class of runner that is out there currently at the front,

they are leaps and bounds ahead of what we were expecting.

They're really, really going for it today, which is fantastic,

and they'll be setting the course record for us in the future,

to be able to pin down the likely timings around the course

and have some sort of baseline to work with in the future.

As the fastest runners negotiate the high ground,

others are on their way up Buachaille Etive Mor.

-What made you do this?

-My mate signed up for it and then he tore his ACL, so I kind of had to do it!

-Not my idea!

-Had to!

Hiya! This is great. Really good.

In the technical section, normally I'm quite good.

When it's so exposed,

I'm still a bit scared.

But, yeah, we will see.

I think maybe in the race you have more adrenaline, and you...

..you think, "OK, if I'm racing here, it should be fine."

Meanwhile, the fastest woman is approaching the low point between

Buachaille Etive Mor and Bidean Nam Bian.

Well done, Jasmin! First woman, how are you doing?

How's it going? We've just seen the first woman come through this point,

Jasmin Paris, flying ahead of any other woman at this point in the race.

Extreme skyrunning, I think even more so than skyrunning itself,

really plays to the strengths of a fell runner.

It's very technical, erm, you know, rocky...

..rough, exposed terrain, so, yeah, definitely plays to my strengths.

I hate running along road, on trails.

I enjoy it when it gets interesting and you have to sort of think about where you're putting your feet.

New Zealand runner Ruth Croft is just two minutes behind Jasmin.

Well done, fantastic!

Like many others, she's travelled a long way to be here today.

About 30% of the athletes aren't British.

And they're experiencing our Scottish mountains for the first time.

If you've been able to go over the whole course,

it definitely gives you an advantage.

But if you're coming from, like, I'm coming from Taipei to here,

it's just part of it, I know that I'm not going to be able to see the

whole course, but you've just got to have confidence in yourself.

On race day, anything can happen and you just go out there and give your best.

At this stage, the women's race is too close to call.

Just five minutes later,

Britain's Sarah Ridgeway comes through in third place.

Well done, you're doing great, are you enjoying the race?

-Thank you.

-How's it going?

-Good.

And Malene Blikken Haukoy is only two minutes behind her.

Well done! How's the race?

'I haven't done a lot of these races.'

I started doing the Skyrace last summer,

so this is like my third Skyrace in the big World Series.

So, yeah, it's a bit new for me, I think.

But that doesn't seem to matter for the Norwegian runner.

She's currently ranked fifth in the world

and is putting in a tremendous race here in Glen Coe.

Approaching the summit of Bidean,

she's overtaken Sarah Ridgeway and is now in third place.

Beautiful race!

Good feeling!

As the racers pound round the course,

the competition's really heating up between these top athletes.

I've made my way along the glen to Loch Achtriochtan,

which is the spiritual midpoint of the race, really.

They come down from Bidean Nam Bian,

cross the glen and make their way up to the Aonach Eagach ridge.

For some people, that will give them a sense of relief.

For others, it's just the start of another long, hard scramble.

Almost 50 minutes ahead of schedule, Marc Lauenstein,

Tom Owens and Jonathan Albon

are descending from Bidean at an incredible rate.

This is really, really an impressive performance.

And watching them come down this very fast descent, super-impressive.

And then following in a close fourth is local favourite Finlay Wild.

He'll know the hill very well, and if he's to make up any ground at all,

it'll be in the technical section of Aonach Eagach ridge.

But at the moment, these three are absolutely pounding down the hill.

Marc Lauenstein is in the lead so far.

Very, very tight for the top three places.

Just a matter of seconds.

After many hours of racing, and about 2,300 metres

of ascent and descent,

this is the halfway point, and it's beginning to heat up -

a proper competition now in Glen Coe.

So, just stopping for a quick bite, a little bit of rehydration,

some food, before they head up the hill.

You don't want to lose too much here.

And the three are tight close together on this ascent.

Incredible racing here.

All three about to start the technical Aonach Eagach ridge,

which is a considerable mountaineering challenge in winter

and a very, very exposed, difficult summer scramble.

As the helicopter hovers over to capture their every step,

Glasgow runner Tom Owens is just seconds behind the leader,

with Jonathan Albon is currently in third place.

And they're keeping up a tremendous pace on the steep uphill climb.

What's even more remarkable is that most of the runners here

are not full-time athletes.

Marc Lauenstein from Switzerland is a dentist.

He's also a former international orienteer,

so he's well used to the pressure of competition.

This is now my hobby, let's say!

But of course, my heart still likes to perform well,

and I try to do well at those races,

and I want to see what's out there

and I think I have a natural talent for mountain running.

So, I try myself out on those races.

And this is definitely a race you have to do once,

because it's absolutely unique.

And I think everyone who finishes this course is very brave.

As they head into the mist and onto the ridge,

British runner Jonathan Albon's overtaken both Tom Owens and Marc Lauenstein.

There's one thing everyone taking part in this race today shares -

and that's a passion for being out in these hills

and a love of the competition itself.

It takes you to some awesome places in the world.

I mean, if it wasn't for this race, I wouldn't be here in Glen Coe seeing these mountains,

running on these mountains, enjoying these views,

and getting that feeling of doing something

ultimately extreme, which this is.

I mean, it's just that one step further than doing a normal road marathon or a trail race.

You're up on these big mountains, there's a slight added danger,

but it's still sort of within the safety parameters

of the race organisers, so you feel safe,

and you get to experience so much more.

I love scrambling, it's something I've done since I was a kid.

I guess there's a bit of a buzz in doing that.

And it's... Yeah, it's great to do some of these classic walks quickly,

and that's essentially what we're doing.

It's a classic round, moving it round as fast as we can.

So, coming down off the hill, Finlay Wild,

who is about 6-8 minutes behind the leading three.

However, Finlay is very good on the technical ground -

if he's going to make up anything on this race,

it'll be along this ridge that he's just about to climb up to.

And with all these races, it's a very difficult balance,

to decide to take on the fuel or keep on going.

But they know what's ahead of themselves,

they've trained long and hard for this,

they'll know exactly what they need to do to keep going,

what to take in, what not to. CHEERING AND CLAPPING

Lots of encouragement for Finlay, as he's climbing up onto the ridge.

Go on, Finlay!

And not only are the top racers racing each other at the moment,

we have some potential bad weather coming in.

They want to get across the ridge before it starts raining,

so they can move very fast.

They don't want to be dealing with slippy rocks and grass.

The margins are so fine, as it is.

A small change in weather can make quite a difference.

It can get cold, people can get miserable,

some people have to stop to put jackets on and off more often.

And ultimately, with the wet ground,

it makes it more slippery and more dangerous up there,

so people might be a bit more cautious here and there,

so, it can make a massive difference.

-Well done, Finlay.

-On the Aonach Eagach,

you're in the second half of the race, you're pretty tired,

you sort of have to remind yourself to take care, because, yeah,

there's definitely quite a few places where you don't want to slip.

So you just have to keep things within control, really.

Just coming down into the midpoint, with Jasmin Paris,

the first woman through.

Very, very impressive performance from Jasmin Paris.

Based in Edinburgh, she'd know the hills very well.

Jasmin has opened up quite a significant lead, we think, so far.

So, not stopping too long...

..just hunting for the trail start in the crowd.

And Jasmin is coming up the hill to start the very long drag

up onto the Aonach Eagach.

Come on, Jasmin.

Just getting a little bit of fuel in.

Trying to eat as much as possible. And she's looking very strong.

Jasmin Paris fits her running around her job as a vet.

And she's also doing a PhD at the Centre For Regenerative Medicine

at Edinburgh University.

She believes she's got a great work-life balance.

I think I have a big advantage in that I just love the running.

And I love being out in the mountains.

So in a way fell running and running in the mountains

has actually stemmed from the fact that I have a busy work life.

Because it means I can get up into the hills and down again in an hour.

I tend to train in the early morning at 5am or so,

and in that way I get it in before I go to work

and I know I'll get it in.

I never run in the light in winter.

So, yeah, you just have to run with a head torch.

Being in the mountains just makes me feel happy.

Somehow all the things you worry about seem really insignificant.

So much bigger than you.

Just makes you realise that you're pretty small in the grand scheme

of things and I find that kind of reassuring.

So just coming down from Bidean Nam Bian with a gap of about ten minutes

between her and Jasmin Paris, is Malene Haukoy, one of the favourites from Norway.

She must have lost a little bit of ground on the descent.

Jasmin has opened up a significant lead.

So Malene is coming up the hill, looking pretty strong.

APPLAUSE

Oh! She's got a lot of that ahead of her. Lots of slippy rocks.

So, a long climb for Malene, up onto the Aonach Eagach ridge.

So, Ruth Croft, just coming down into the midway point.

Obviously lost a place there to the Norwegian runner ahead of her.

But they are close. There's only 2-3 minutes separating them

and that can easily be made up.

So, Ruth, Kiwi runner...

..well used to running in bad conditions.

And Ruth, one of the favourites, in third place,

as she climbs up towards the Aonach Eagach ridge.

And it's an absolutely daunting climb ahead of her now.

Looks as though there might be a very, very close race here

for second place.

So far, only about 80-100 metres separating these two women.

And they take on one of the steepest climbs of the race.

Just so extreme, and so different.

And just, like, so drastic compared to what your standard trail race or

even your road race.

It's just a totally different ball game.

Well done. Looking good.

The terrain in Norway is pretty similar to this, I think.

We have a lot of mountains, steep uphills and downhills.

And very technical terrains.

So I think this should be good for me. A nice course, I think.

Biscuit Scotland! Good.

I have to say, I'm a bit afraid or scared

for the most technical parts in the race.

It's very much scrambling, but that will be fun, I think.

As our lead runners are making a way along the Aonach Eagach ridge,

many are still on the southern skyline.

It will be a very long day for those.

We'll come back to see how they are getting on and everyone else later on.

-HE GROANS

-Getting too old for this.

Welcome back to Harris and my exploration with Alastair McIntosh

of the importance of this wild, remote landscape.

Now living in Glasgow, Alastair grew up in the Outer Hebrides,

and his most recent book, Poacher's Pilgrimage,

records his experience during a 12-day walk

from the southern tip of Harris to the Butt of Lewis.

We've retraced part of that journey and have arrived

at one of its highlights, the ancient huts at Clar Beag.

It's somewhere Alastair discovered almost by accident.

Coming here and just wandering down this glen

in a kind of dream and lifting up my eyes.

And it was like walking into Lord Of The Rings.

You had walked into Middle Earth.

-There's two of them.

-Aye. There's two of them.

Since I was last here, this one has partly collapsed

and there is a bit of collapse happening in this one,

just as the storms getting into them.

And these are what are known as beehive shielings?

Beehive shielings because they are like old beehives.

But the Gaelic for them is bothan in the plural or both, singular.

From which we get the word bothy.

Now we can crawl in if we dare.

-So, yes, it's a low entrance.

-Are you up for giving it a try?

I'll try, yes. I'll take the rucksack off.

-Better shed our rucksacks.

-And wriggle through.

And be prepared to bow our head beneath the lintel stones and grovel.

I hope we've done a health and safety assessment on this one, Cameron.

-I can stand up inside.

-Yeah, it's quite spacious, you see.

My goodness.

-How is it?

-Beautifully built.

Isn't it amazing? You got the overlapping cobalt stonework.

So it slopes up in this way that's like being inside an old-fashioned beehive.

That's why they get called by that name.

This really is amazing. The work that's gone into this.

-I find it mind-blowing.

-Yeah, it is, it really is.

How old would this be?

What we're in has probably been rebuilt many times

through history but my friend Famous Crawford, Jim Crawford,

the authority on these things,

says he would have no hesitation in putting some of them back

to the Bronze Age, before Christ.

-Wow.

-Yeah. Yeah.

And these were used up until, certainly into the mid-19th-century.

When I came here seven years ago this was completely sealed over.

And the other one was partly open.

It's now largely collapsed.

And that's what the extreme weather is doing,

the wind's getting into them and sadly destroying these ancient structures.

And now that the capstone has gone from the top of this,

it probably won't be that long before it caves in.

It's very open to the 100mph plus gales that you get in this part.

You know, these beehive shelters are so important,

such a vital part of our history, heritage, here in the islands.

And to see them in this sort of state of decay really saddens me.

It really does. They've been here for so long.

And I reckon they might not last a couple more winters.

I think as a nation we should be doing something to protect

and preserve artefacts like this,

fabulous illustrations of former times, here in the islands.

Amen to that one.

We're losing so many things in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

What do you think is the next throw of the dice for the Highlands?

We've had the sheep, we've had the Victorian shooting estates.

-What's next?

-Well, this is what's next.

The land we've been walking over is now owned by the people,

owned by the North Harris Trust.

You now have community land-holding.

And that's why I was so thrilled in the hotel last night in Tarbet

when I said to the young receptionist, "How's it going?"

and she said, "It's wonderful, so many people of my age..."

She's in her 30s.

"So many are coming back because there's now opportunity here."

When the people control the place they are able to open it up

to opportunity that allows the people to stay in the land,

and, in a sense, the stories come alive again

because the people are there to care for the place and be cared for by it.

So, you would see the future of, particularly the islands,

-in community ownership?

-Absolutely.

The lack of community ownership is what has starved the Highlands of its people.

It has shrunk our spirit.

And now before it's too late, we need to catch the spirit of places like this,

remember the old stories and what they are telling us about human relationships.

We want to heal a loss of connections in our inner life.

That's what I take from the reconstitution of community,

that it is possible for us to get our act together as human beings,

even in today's world.

And that is what is starting to happen in Scotland today.

How wonderful it is to hear an optimistic view

of our future in these uncertain times.

And if you want to find out more about Alistair's work,

or any of the other items on The Adventure Show, follow us on Facebook.

Now, it's back to Glen Coe.

But, before we pick up with all the action of the race,

Duncan McCallum has caught up with the man who's designed this gruelling course.

Gary Tompsett's in no doubt that this is the ideal location for the event.

It's one that will test competitors' strength, endurance, and their nerve.

What is the best line you can lay down in Scotland

that's going to be an extreme, one-day length race?

Glen Coe, you stand here, you can understand the whole skyline.

You can draw the route by rotating 360 degrees,

and it's the simplicity of that that was the instant hit.

You have a big responsibility to make sure this works and it's safe,

but also is a challenge enough for the title of the Skyrun.

How do you manage that balance?

We have license to make it almost as hard as is feasibly completable.

It's extreme and it needs to stand out.

-You enjoying it?

-Yes, it's great.

Unlike many running events, and there are lots and lots of longer runs,

this is one where you have to use your hands and feet.

The climbing is low-grade climbing, high-grade scrambling. Curved Ridge.

And then Aonach Eagach is yet again different.

It has some down climbing, which is more difficult than up climbing.

Second element of Glen Coe Skyline that is quite different to the other

international races, and does set it apart, is that we do not put any...

..protection on the route.

So we don't have any fixed ropes, there is no via ferrata.

You're not going to be clipping into anything.

We have enabled a route and we can be very precise on that line,

down to a metre, this is the safest line,

not just for consequential hazard, if you were to come off,

but also in terms of managing avoidance from rock fall,

-should one occur.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-How you?

-How you?

-Tired.

-I'll bet.

So now, it's time to find out how the competitors

are coping with this amazing course.

I've now made my way to the Devil's Staircase

and what will be the final part of this event.

However, there's still a lot of running to go before the racers get here.

-How are you doing?

-How are you doing?

-Yeah, good.

Five-and-a-half hours after setting off this morning,

the first runner, Jonathan Albon, is nearing the final summit of the race.

-How're you doing?

-Good.

-How's it going, all right?

-Yeah. Excellent.

This is the kind of landscape he relishes.

I guess, up there, is just me, especially if I'm running at the front.

Just me, a little pack, lightweight, moving across the mountains.

Kind of how it should be. That's the perfect way.

You don't get too much time to stop and look at the view and whatnot,

but you are kind of immersed in everything.

You've got such a high sense of concentration and you're sort of

completely in the moment, and that's a great feeling to have,

especially in these beautiful mountains.

Five minutes behind Jonathan, Tom Owens has now pushed into second place.

Hi, mate. Come to me and then left.

Well done. That means Swiss athlete Marc Lauenstein has dropped into third.

He's not as familiar with this kind of terrain as the two British runners.

I've done a lot of mountain races in Europe and there's nothing

just alike. It's a new dimension.

It's manageable. The ridges, you do have to be very careful...

..but if you don't mess up,

I think it's not dangerous.

It's just you really have to be cautious

and know what to do and don't try to rush that.

Further back, racers are now streaming off Bidean Nam Bian to the bottom of Glen Coe.

It's a steep, slippery run down.

Hard right now. But it's going to be better.

It's not how the pros do it. I'm really slow.

-Another ridge to come.

-Oh!

Once at the bottom, there's a chance to fuel up in preparation for that

long haul up to the Aonach Eagach ridge.

It's a bit slippy coming down the top of those rocks all the way down,

but, yeah, it's great. A nice cool breeze.

Natalia, how was that?

-It's OK, but...

-Downhill, downhill.

-Too slippery.

-It's very, very slippery.

-OK.

Be careful on the next part, enjoy it.

OK. Luca, how did you get on in the first part on the first ridge?

That was really good because we had some sun and nice weather, nice view.

First time in Scotland, so it was great.

I don't think I will see that much up here.

Yeah, but you should be looking at your feet.

-The next bit is the really fun bit.

-Yeah, yeah. Fun, yeah!

-Control dib there, please.

-My first time in Scotland, so...

And my first time doing a race like this, so...

Great. And have you been on the Aonach Eagach yet?

-No.

-That is something special.

-Yeah. I'm looking forward to it.

Yeah, I think I got carried along with the atmosphere this morning and it just, oh...

I had a brilliant first hour and a half,

got to the top of the first climb and felt really, really good.

And then the descent, just fell to pieces.

I've been paying for it for the last four hours.

Woo! Thank you.

That's nice. Hard but nice.

There's no doubt about the physical and mental challenge of this race.

That's part of the attraction,

and not everyone will manage to complete the whole route.

Within a year we've made a jump from what was already international to the best of international,

so everyone from the top of their craft

in many of the outlying countries are here.

However, there are several other...

..top ten athletes who have already dropped out today.

Because maybe like a Ferrari, something has gone ping.

It takes, you know, two weeks to a month to recover,

then they would just rather bow out and fight another day.

It's pretty obvious you had to retire.

-Did you twist something on the way down?

-No, well, yeah.

-But that happens every time.

-Yeah?

I suffered from tendinitis in my knee all year.

Three miles in on this one,

the little doubts start creeping up in your brain.

And then it starts to tighten up and people pass you.

Psychologically, really hard.

-It's a nightmare.

-Psychological bruising.

It's a decent decision, because you don't want to be suffering...

No. I try and be philosophical -

like that's probably the best stretch of mountains I've ever run.

So I'll be bummed out to not finish,

but I've never done anything cooler than that first part.

-Are you all right, how you?

-I know that it is coming, the worst part of the race.

So just a little bit of caution.

Back at the top of the race,

the leading women are now on the final part of the Aonach Eagach ridge.

And it still Jasmin Paris out in front.

-Hiya.

-Hiya.

-How you doing?

-Not too bad.

-Good.

Jasmin is currently ranked equal second in the World Series and,

if she wins here today, she'll take the overall title.

But that's not the only reason she competes.

It's a really friendly sport and that's one of the things that attracts me to it.

And I think that's probably partly because,

if you're running in mountains, high mountains, it's the sort of,

I don't know, I guess the nature of hill walking and mountaineering is

that you sort of help each other,

so you can communicate with the people around you,

because you're in a place where it's potentially dangerous and anything

that happens, you know that you will pull together and help each other out.

I think it's that kind of ethos behind it.

Just generally people who are happy to be outside in the mountains, and nice people.

Eight minutes behind Jasmin, Malene Blikken Haukoy is also having a fantastic race,

and enjoying every minute of it.

This is just so beautiful.

'I like the mountain so much.

'It's so nice being over the woods and like have a view.'

'Today I was running together with some other guys and I was just,'

"Whoa, this is just so beautiful."

And I was telling them,

and, yeah, I get to see some of the nature around.

-I just love it.

-15 minutes later and still smiling,

Sarah Ridgeway is the third woman to this final summit.

-Hiya.

-Hi.

-How are you getting on?

-Good.

-You guys are all cheery.

Oh, it looked amazing before with all the cloud coming in.

-So beautiful.

-With just the final sprint down the West Highland Way

to Kinlochleven, the race is nearly over for the leading runners.

And Jonathan Albon is still out in front.

-Well done. How you feeling?

-Good.

That was Jonathan Albon just come through checkpoint 15.

Pelting his way back to the finish line.

And already smashed the record by a country mile.

At least an hour ahead of schedule,

so absolutely fantastic time is being made here.

And hot on Jonathan's heels, Tom Owens.

Probably around four minutes behind, at the moment. Not too far to go.

They're both looking really strong.

-Well done. How are you getting on?

-All right.

Well, this really is an international field.

Marc Lauenstein from Switzerland, 16 minutes behind the front runner,

and looking good for a podium place.

Hiya, how're you doing?

So here is the winner this year.

Unbelievable race here from Jonathan Albon,

on the ridge he was just extraordinary.

Look at him. It looks like he's had a little stroll in the park in the afternoon.

Over the line, hands in the air, and what a champion.

Jonathan, an absolutely fantastic win. You blew everybody else away.

Yeah, I can't believe it. I think I surprised myself, as well.

On the ridge, you were moving along there,

which is unbelievably technical terrain, as if it was on the flat.

Yeah, I think I'd just got a gap and I knew I kind of had to keep it,

so it was kind of like a mixture of supreme concentration

and just sort of like trying to move as fluidly as possible

sort of thing, without putting myself in undue danger.

On the World Series, you and Tom have been having something of a ding-dong battle,

but you beat him today. You have won the series as well.

You must be incredibly proud of that?

Yeah, I think it's probably the best achievement of my life so far

in my sporting career, so I can't believe it. It's amazing.

Well, this is an extraordinary performance as well from Tom Owens.

The Shettleston Harriers in Glasgow.

That is super-impressive.

Only Jonathan Albon just ahead of him by a few minutes,

but a great performance from Tom Owens there.

The course is pretty full-on, technical and a real adventure,

so I think for most of us it's just really pleasing to get round it and finish.

It's a big sense of achievement.

This is the former Swiss national orienteer Marc Lauenstein.

He won the 2016 Matterhorn Ultraks race and the Skyrunner World Series

and he's third at the Glen Coe Skyline 2016.

Looks so relaxed and calm coming over the line there.

Hands in the air, acknowledges a great performance,

a very fine athlete indeed.

A third-place finish for you today. How you feeling after that?

Well, actually, I'm quite proud I survived the course already.

It's a first, first thing, and yeah,

I'm also very happy that I managed to get through without any big troubles.

I lost some time in the technical part

and the two first ones were really strong.

Yes, I have to bow myself to them.

So here is the fourth-place finisher,

it's Finlay Wild from Fort William and a great run over the end.

Hands down the side, acknowledging the crowd, over the line.

That was absolutely brilliant from Finlay Wild there.

-Hey, well done. Yeah, nice.

-Congratulations.

So, Finlay, a fourth-place finish for you today.

-How you feeling after that?

-Yeah, pretty...

Pretty sore and tired.

It was really good. An amazing course.

I had quite a rough period in the middle.

Of course, going up Aonach Eagach was always going to be hard on tired legs, but...

I was cramping up quite a lot and, yeah, it was quite difficult.

Thankfully I could run downhill OK, so I speeded up a bit after that.

These four men have totally smashed the 2015 times.

With an extra 10km of running,

they are 30 minutes faster than last year's winner.

And now, the leading women are on the final stage of the race.

Jasmin Paris, now on the home straight,

back down to the finish line.

She's got an amazing lead at the moment and she's managed

to increase that lead throughout the day.

We saw her earlier, she'd just had a couple of minutes

on the second woman and now she is way out in front.

And hot on Jasmin's heels is Norway's Malene Blikken Haukoy with a seven-minute gap.

She's not going to catch her.

Well done. Well done, Malene.

Nearly there. Fantastic.

So here is the first woman, Jasmin Paris.

Unbelievable stuff. Eight hours, 15, 35 seconds.

Now that is extraordinary.

Jasmin Paris was ranked second equal in the series up to this point and a

win in Glencoe means she is the champion here in 2016.

You were second place last year, winner this year, how are you feeling?

Yeah, no, pretty good, yeah.

I could see I had several ladies that I could see behind me

at various points in the race, so it certainly wasn't guaranteed.

As I was running round, I was definitely questioning

whether it was going to be first or second or third.

-You've won the series as well, now.

-It's a great feeling.

-Yeah.

-It's a really great feeling. Great to come back and win this race.

Kind of the local race,

and coming second last year was still good but I knew there was something more I wanted to achieve,

so it's nice to have come back and won it.

So this is Malene Blikken Haukoy from Norway.

Coming over the line.

Number 37. Absolutely fantastic performance from her.

An excellent performance from you. Second place this year.

-Are you pleased with that?

-Yeah, I was really happy with that.

On the start line this morning I was just thinking I would take it easy

from the start and enjoy the race and the nature around here,

so I didn't expect very much, actually.

So I was really happy with second place.

For a long time I was fourth, so, yeah, I was really happy.

And after 34 miles, 5,000 metres of ascent and descent,

in some extraordinary conditions, Sarah Ridgeway crosses the line.

Third place in the Salomon Glencoe Skyline race 2016.

Her legs are almost falling over. She is absolutely exhausted.

Big smile on the face. But you can see the pain and anguish.

And the effort etched all over that face, as well.

-Great performance from you today.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Are you happy, yes?

Oh, no, I'm really happy, yeah. It was a massive suffer fest.

I didn't quite get things right, but I took a few risks, this time.

Because my legs felt so fresh I went off a bit fast, I think, so, yeah,

it just came ridge time, yeah, I wanted to give up so badly.

It is basically a cliche. You just tell yourself never give up.

Anything can happen. And it did.

I ended up passing Ruth on the climb and got third.

So, confirmation of those final results. For the women...

British runner Sarah Ridgeway came in third with a time

of eight hours, 44 minutes and 40 seconds.

Second place went to Malene Blikken Haukoy of Norway

with her time of 8:23:04...

But out in the lead to take first place,

both of this race and the World Series,

was Jasmin Paris, from Edinburgh. She completed the race in...

In men's race... Swiss athlete Marc Lauenstein came in third in...

Runner-up was Tom Owens from Glasgow in...

And with an amazing time of 6:33:52,

British runner Jonathan Albon took the top spot both of this race

and the World Skyrunning Extreme Series.

Congratulations to everyone who's completed the Glen Coe Skyline,

an epic achievement.

And that's it from The Adventure Show until after Christmas,

when we'll be back with the original mountain marathon,

which returns to Scotland this year.

But just to keep you going over the festive period,

Cameron McNeish will be back with some of those Roads Less Travelled.

Over the years, I've spent an inordinate amount of time exploring

the glorious landscapes of the Western Highlands and Islands.

And this time, I thought I'd come east.

I'm starting this journey of discovery in Sutherland,

just north of Dornoch Point.

I want to combine elemental seascapes and coastlines

with some of the most remote

and least visited mountain summits in the country.

And all of it under these great dome skies.

Some of the widest and most open skies you'll find anywhere on the planet.

So hopefully you'll maybe think of joining me as I explore some more

of Scotland's Roads Less Travelled.

In the meantime, from all of us here in Glen Coe,

thank you so much for your company. Bye for now.