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Report from Kevin Tiller

The first Australian Fat Ass event was held in August 2000 in my hometown of Berowra. Part of the deal with Sean was that he got to design the next course in his "hometown" of the Blue Mountains - for those who don't know he grew up in Springwood. He turned up one day "Hey Kev, there's this great name on the map : The Blue Labyrinth - it would be great to have a Blue Labyrinth 50 miler". I told him the kind of spiel I often dish out "yeah - great - now design a course and let's do it". We then spent a protracted couple of months meeting in the first Australian Starbucks in the CBD, pouring over maps of the Blue Mountains, in the mid-winter gloom after work. Eventually, with the aid of the Fat Hippy Mountainbike Web site, we got a route sketched out on Firetrails and single tracks around the Blue Labyrinth area close to Woodford and going out across Mt Solitary to the Ruined Castle AND BACK ! My wife Dawn was despatched with a friend [phil] for an 8 hour training run to test the route - declaring it a good course, but too risky for the general public - they would either be lost or killed during the descent ! Back to Starbucks for a re-think and finally emerging with a figure-8 route that goes trans-Solitary and takes in the foot of Katoomba also. We measured it at 86km approx. I went on a 10-hour run with Sean (and Darryl Chrisp) to test it out. There is no place to get aid on the route and we had loaded up enough on us to last the day. In the end it was good enough for 8 hours. We finished that run somewhat worse for wear after 10 hours - but all 3 of declaring it to be absolutely fantastic and totally what we were hoping to achieve for a course ie very difficult but achievable for the super-fit.

We then started the sell-job to persuade people to turn up and run. Always a hard job. Threw in a 14km, 45km and 65km in the hope of attracting enough runners to make it a fun day out (In the end the 65km option was abandoned and replaced with a 54km that took in Mt Solitary, but exited at Katoomba, and cuts out some of the longer firetrail sections - Thanks Flimpyhead for designing this!). Finally got the maps printed during the week of the run. The day before I left work early, bought some water containers, met Sean and drove the 90 mins out of Sydney, inland, to lay the aid stations out. Although we proudly proclaim "No Aid" as part of the "No Fees, No Awards, No Aid, No Wimps" mantra we decided to put water out - given that its probably the first Ultra to be held in the state in December, given that its now summer here. The Friday was very hot, and very sunny. Two of the water dumps were accessible by road but the 3rd was a 1km walk into the bush at Leura - all of it down stairs !! It was horrendous. We took turns lugging the water down, then finally hiding it behind a tree and marking the well-hidden track turnoff with "Trailwalker" tape. I dropped Sean at his mums in Springwood then drove back to Sydney, finaly arriving at 2am. Set my alarm for 4am then slept soundly.

I awoke at 4am and got ready and left to pick up American tourist Trey from Central station, and the returned-from-glory Jonathan Worswick who has been running well in the South California Ultra Scene. He turned in a remarkable 30hr Hardrock 100 miler - earning him legend status over here. We picked Sean up on the way and got to the start at 6:45am. As Trey remarked, this was VERY casual behaviour, a condition we strive for constantly ! I guess I was disapoointed with the turn-up, less than 20 runners, but originally we thought it might just be the 2 of us ! No less than 7 were electing for the trans-Solitary "eco-challenge" options which was WAY more than we ever expected. We were in for a top day out. After completing the mandatory waiver and handing out free Xmas chocolates, everyone grouped around for the mandatory group photo. A quick pre-race speech, and then I locked up the car and did a "on yer marks, go !" and we all took off at 7:11am.

- Start photo taken by Kevin Tiller (click to enlarge)

- Start photo taken by Jonathan Worswick (click to enlarge)

The first few km were all on downhill firetrail and the whole group of us ran along together, chatting with people we knew and also those who had turned up for the first time. It was an amazingly friendly bunch - quite a warm and loving atmosphere. WE crossed over the creek close to 10km into the run and headed upwards along the Anderson firetrail. We were still chatting but drifted away from each other a little, such that I spent quite a bit by myself here. The weather was truly better than we could hope for - relatively cool [25C ?] overcast and threatening rain. I was taking it easy as I wanted to run the complete 90km. I came into the first aid station at approx 20km to find most of the others standing around chatting and drinking the water we'd left out.

We all took of up the Kings Tableland Road together - well its a dirt road and not much to distinguish it from a firetrail. We reached the disused Queen Vic hospital, where the 45km runners would depart from the long distance guys. We actually ran off together and stopped at a lookout 500m up the road to show off the rest of the course as it was all laid out beautifully above and below us. The view was heat-stopping. The 45km runners headed back to their course with probably a mixture of envy for some and relief for others. Another 1km down the road we caught up with the rest of the Trans-Solitary runners who had found the food and drink at Kedumba gate. We all tucked into snacks here to prepare for the ordeal ahead. We quickly discussed tactics - we would all run down to the Kedumba Valley together and traverse the bush section at the base of Mt Solitary togeter so that at least no one would get lost. It was assumed that the faster ones would pull away on the uphill but marked slog to the summit register.

The run down to the valley was quick and easy given that it was 5km+ down a steep hill. The base was very quiet with just a few bird noises. The sun had broken through the clouds a little and it was quite hot. We took the track at the bottom and followed the tags Sean had put out the previous week. We took turns taking them down again and remarked how it was amazing tat the track came through here - it looked just like a bush bash ! We crossed the river - most on the fallen tree that crossed the river, although 8 feet up in the air. I just jumped across the river, and got my feet wet. We then started the long slog upwards. Sweat kept dripping in my eyes, and poured out of the rest of my body - it was hot, and this was by far the toughest part of the course. We all separated and couldn't even see the others. I overtook Sean who was suffering real bad. I was going OK - slow maybe but comfortable. Sean looked like he wasn't going to make it to the top, and eventually he drifted off my back. I stopped every so often to confirm he was still making forward motion [in general he was].

At the top, there is a rock that gives a truly outstanding lookout back across to the other side of the valley and all around the Blue Mtns. I signed the book as the others departed and I waited for Sean and we took off at a slow walk for the rest of the climb upwards. The route along Solitary here was painfully slow - lots of ups, and twists and turns. This was hot going and I think we dropped further behind the others. After an hour or two - it was hard to tell - I was entering that twilight zone where everything was starting to "blur" we came to Chinaman's Caves. Sean took off to find some water, but as I had plenty I found the track out and lay down to wait for him. I fell asleep and 20 mins later he returned having changed his socks. Jesus Christ what a pain. Anyway, the rest was even better for me, as I was quite nimble on my feet again and was hot to trot ! I kept pulling away from Sean and certainly on the descent from the mountain - extremely rocky with little gorges and rock faces to climb down - I pulled away quite a bit. This is terrain I am quite good at, and Sean at approx a foot taller than me, and 20kgs more, is not so nimble at. I shouted back a few times to ensure he was still coming down. There are a few sections where a fall could mean certain death or possibly a "never to be seen again" status. We trotted away from the mountain together - well - I was trotting and Sean was walking - but we were finally making decent progress.

By approx the ruined castle, I stopped for a Gu and to be honest, from this point on, I never ran well again. I became tried and slow and just lumbered along, although I was in fairly good spirits here. We were chatting about running and training before the obvious effects of tiredness started to show themselves - we talked of stopping at Katoomba - almost sacrilege to talk of cutting short. Finally we talked about eating pizza in Katoomba. Clear signs that we'd finish early.

We started to tick off the landmarks as we went past - the golden staircase, the rockfall, the scenic railway etc. The track here was beautiful - fairly flat dirt-packed trail with rocks around. It is at the foot of the escarpment with massive cliff walls to our left but huge expanses of view through the gum trees to our right. It was well shaded too and now that it was late in the afternoon, all the tourists had virtaully disappeared leaving us ourselves and the bird noises. The last railway had gone by the time we went past - only by half an hour or so. I don't think we would have taken it anyway.

Eventually we cam to the Katoomba turnoff. Decision time. I think in our hearts we knew we wouldn't get much past walking pace and with 36km of trails to go we knew we'd be out all night. It was just past 6pm. We decided to finish at Katoomba and took that path, Of course the sting in the tail is that its all uphill - approx 1000 steps ! After the first flight I felt like collapsing on the track and was obviously very exhausted ! I staggered to the top, using my hands on the steps in front of me - Sean waiting at the top of each flight.

We emerged from the Valley at the popular Echo Point, and headed off for food and drinks and then caught a taxi back to Woodford and make a fairly quick exit. After 11 hrs 33 mins on our feet we were totally spent. I dropped Sean off at his Mums then headed back home for a bath and bed. I nearly fell asleep at the wheel and felt quite dangerous.

Phone calls and emails were thick and furious the next day - we finally confirmed everyone made it home one way or another, and there was much praise for the run and no real problems.

Two runners made it the entire distance - finshing at 10pm and 11:50pm - both fine efforts given that there entailed muh solo running. I headed back to the mountains on Sunday with the family to clear up the aid stations.