I would like to go to. Anyone doing the 15mile multi-terrain as I am kind of tempted.....Eileen?

I'm certainly there for the Grants cooking.  May also enter some sort of a race.  Count Gillian and myself in !!

Can I put my name down for the bunkhouse too, ta.

I'm in too.

I've just phoned the Bunkhouse and reserved all 12 places for the 28th and 29th. Done!

Just need to decide now if I'm gonna enter the 10k or the trail race, or both :-)

I am Mickey Breen's personal assistant and he has requested a bed in the bunkhouse too.  He's happy to share a bed with Grant if it's full!

Maybe we should have a list of names Nick?

I've signed up for the 10k, excited about making my long overdue Balmoral debut! Count me out for accommodation though.

I love your lists and lucky Mickey.

Hi Guy's,
Can't do Balmoral this year, double book the weekend :-(.
Hope you all have a good one. I will be back for next year.
Catch up with you all soon.

If there's a bed going for the Saturday night, I'd like to take it. No worries if not.

Who is doing what race?  Just wondering if anyone has entered the 15 mile trail race on the Sunday.

So the beds taken so far:

Any takers for the 2 beds on Sunday? Anyone for the floor on Saturday?

Doh! Things now look like this.
Any takers for the 4 bed slots?

Is it too early to start asking what people would like to do on the Sunday and Monday? Leave it to me and it would no doubt be some kind of climbing, biking and extreme sledging adventure. ;-) 

I've had a few people ask me if there was a plan for the rest of the weekend after the Race in the last week or so. Lets see if can reach a consensus on what people are wanting to do.

I know Keith and Grant had mentioned doing a hill walk or hill run from Linn of Dee out to Braeriach, which is their final munro to do in the area. This will be rather a long walk/run what ever way it's done. (27 miles minimum if no bike taken) Some of the initial section makes for a nice cycle. I drew a rough map of it a few days ago for those interested to look over. It can be found here: http://g.co/maps/9u4b4
Other had expressed an interest in some mountain biking. While I'm unaware of any biking centers nearby (Laggan is the closest I think but is quite a distance) for proper downhill, there is endless xc and trail possibilities all round Braemar and Deeside. The estate tracks on the Mar estate make easy trail riding, though I'm only familiar with the tracks to Derry Lodge and Glen Slugain and around the Loch Muich area. There also lots of forest trails across all the estates as far as Balmoral. This site that I use has quite a good selection of route, though the OS maps of Desside show miles of tracks. http://www.chrisstamp.co.uk/mtb/
I know I'd be quite keen to go rock climbing, but given the snow lately April is a bit a highly variable month for dry mountain crags, so it would have to be a bit last minute decision. (Eagle Ridge on Lochnagar anyone?)
Anyone else got any other suggestions?
I the past we have mostly done a longish hill walk which has always been fun for all. Keith/Grants mountain route could be done as walk/trot if most people fancied a long day out and went light weight.

On the Saturday night I think there will be 13 of us (12 in beds and Dave P on the floor) with only 8 staying on the Sunday night. If anyone wants one of the spare Sunday beds or knows someone that does let me know.
In the past the usual way of things after the race is to return to Braemar before heading to the Fife Arms for (decidedly average at best) food and a bunch of drinks. Anyone know of anywhere else to eat that we could book? On the Sunday after activities we usually just make our own dinner at the hostel. This is usually done in individually or in small groups so bring what every you fancy eating with you (and more drinks :-) ). Monday is often a bit of lazy day with maybe a small walk of an hour or 2 followed by a trip to the Moulin Inn in Pitlochery. Perhaps the Monday could be a day for mountain biking?

Any, think I've covered most things. What do people want to do with the rest of the weekend? Speak now, or if no one say anything I'll invent some crazy extreme activity for us all to do, and you don't want that :-P

I'm up for the walk to Braeriach and would be happy to bike it.

My MTB's not in great nick, so would be unable to stand up to anything serious, but the cycle to Braerich would be ok.

Failing that what about the Cairnwell hills at Glenshee ??

Not sure if he got his VISA, but could be a very fast race this year!

http://www.caac.org.uk/2012-04-18/m...

I'm happy to go with the flow with Sundays activities.  Will run, hike or bike!  Not so keen to do any down hilling on the mountain bike at Laggan, but happy to use it on trails.  Pauline may join us on Sunday as we plan to head off for a few days in the hills - will keep you posted if she needs a bed.

I probably won't make the trip to Balmoral, so count me out on the accommodation front. If anyone would like my race number, let me know.

What ever we do at the weekend be prepared for winter conditions! The forecast is looking to be cold and wet at valley level and cold and snowy at higher levels, with most the mountain tops completely covered in snow, and the possibility of some high winds.

http://mwis.org.uk/eh.php?fdate=120427

Cairngorm ski area declared that today they had the best snow conditions on the top half of the mountain of the whole winter! And it's to continue to snow for most of the week.
http://www.cairngormmountain.org/We...
http://www.ski-glenshee.co.uk/webca...

I suspect this rules out a hill run out to Braeriach or the likes. And for any hill walking bring warm clothing, full body cover and stout footwear.

Skiing anyone? ;-)

Looks like a nice Sunday drive with a travel rug over my knees for me. Thanks to nick for organising us all. Now for the car sharing bit. I am  happy to take my car up and come into town to pick people up. Also happy to be driven there and be picked up. Going for both nights by the way. 

http://mwis.org.uk/eh.php?fdate=120429
Has also much improved it's forecast compared to what it was predicting even just 2 days ago.
Looks like we should at least stay dry. Might even see the sun. Sundays plans can probably be bit more ambitious now. :-)
Strangely Glenshee has practically no snow, compared to Cairngorm to the north which appears to be buried in the stuff.
Gotta love the Scottish climate! :-)

And now for the walk up a mountain......
https://vimeo.com/41292652

I grew to like the Chinese drum music this weekend :-)
A few photos here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...

Feel free to sort out the formatting of the table in my post I've forgotton how do to it ? help !!!