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Any queries? Email the coordinators Sue, Ali & Mick at tgochallenge@gmail.com
A very nice idea, and maybe in the spirit of the event, and I would love to make it happen… but there are reasons why not and I hope you won't think me a bore if I quickly outline them.
The event entry number is already front-loaded at 320 plus the sponsors' representatives. Withdrawals will be substituted until the Standby List closing date, after which natural attrition usually - usually - brings the entry field down to the manageable 300 entrants.
We currently have around 324 on the entry list, including sponsors' representatives, soon to be swollen by our remaining Hanwag contest winners. The eventual total, by SBList cut-off should be 328 (320 from the original draw, one TGO representative, one Hanwag representative and three Hanwag winners and their "Plus-ones".
If we allowed all 26 Standby Listers on now, that would make 354. If, as has happened last year, only a few more withdraw between now and May, we'd see maybe 340-350 folk starting the event.
Less room at the inns, on the ferries*, at the Thursday night dinner, more folk camping, more folk squeezing into bothies, more folk calling the Control phone line and – the one thing I'd really like to avoid – more routes for the already hard-working vetters. Unfortunately we're still awaiting something like 40 routes before the closing date a week today, which will mean the vetters have their hands full enough, as it is.
* Last year's Mallaig riot for places on the day's first ferry was a black day for the event. 12 Challengers were pushed into the harbour, a barricade of burning rucksacks was erected outside the fishermen's mission, yoghurt cartons were thrown at the local Home Guard, and there were subsequent calls for armed vetters to be deployed at Monadhliath and Cairngorm checkpoints on future crossings.**
** None of this ever happened. I made it all up. It's the weekend. 
