The
mountain terrain crossed by the race is potentially dangerous.
It is imperative that you should take the utmost care when on the Paps.
Carelessness could cause injury to others. Prior reconnaissance of the
course (particularly with regard to ascent and descent of the Paps) is
strongly advised.
Please
note checkpoint closing times which are strictly applied.
Craighouse
to Dubh Bheinn:
Proceed from the Distillery through the gate opposite the Village
Hall and continue on up the road to the top near the telephone exchange.
Leave the road at this point to break off through a deer-fence gate on
to open moorland, keeping to the right of the intervening plantation.
Though the gradient is fairly moderate, the ground itself is somewhat
rough with innumerable rocky outcrops and is very boggy. Once over Dubh
Chreag head for CP1 at Dubh Bheinn, a complex summit in the mist.
Dubh
Bheinn to Glas Bheinn:
Retrace your steps slightly and move round the ridge passing some lochans
and on up to the summit of Glas Bheinn; a moderate but stony ascent.
Glas
Bheinn to Aonach Bheinn:
Ridge traverse to the west summit of Aonach Bheinn.
Aonach
Bheinn to Beinn a’Chaolais:
 Moderate
descent from Aonach Bheinn into Gleann Astaile; wet near the river. Choose
your own route up the 2,000 feet to the summit of Beinn a’Chaolais.
Prior reconnaissance reveals useful tongues and ramps of vegetation through
otherwise sheer scree.
Beinn
a’Chaolais to Beinn an Oir:
Steep descent on loose scree of large, sharp boulders (some grass) to
saddle, then steep ascent up ridge to summit of Beinn an Oir. TAKE
CARE ON SCREE – Beinn a’Chaolais is a convex mountain
and the direct bearing would take you over a precipice.
Beinn
an Oir to Beinn Shiantaidh:
 Eastern
side of Beinn an Oir, although steep, is not as treacherous. Best descent
is from low ruins at the end of a boulder-marked track NE of summit cairn.
Spring in hillside about 200 feet down. The ascent of Beinn Shiantaidh
from the pass (Am Bealach) is steep but on sure ground; take natural gully
or right-hand ridge; ascent eases off before the summit.
Beinn
Shiantaidh to Corra Bheinn:
Beinn Shiantaidh is another convex mountain. Descent of N side is very
dangerous – sheer drop a short way below the summit.
Best way is to descend SE ridge for a few hundred feet on mainly small
screes, then descend steeply NE on rough screes for Lochanan Tana. From
here, steep ascent on sure ground to summit of Corra Bheinn.
Corra
Bheinn to Three Arch Bridge:
Straightforward descent to Bridge over rough grassland, very wet in places.
Most runners cross the Corran River and follow deer tracks on the S side
to the Bridge.
Three
Arch Bridge to Craighouse:
The rest of the way lies along a 3.3 mile stretch of road which hugs Jura’s
beautiful coastline. |
