just been looking up the current weather & it seems strathcarron is the only TGO start point where at present it is snowing (or so says the bbc), Does anyone know what the forecast is for the start of the challenge? I've been getting used to our unussually warm & dry weather near the welsh border at present, still can it be wetter than 13th May last year? or will those of us heading out from strathcarron be wading through snow drifts?

BBC National long range forecast says this this morning (Thurs 25th April):

"UK Outlook for Thursday 9 May 2013 to Thursday 23 May 2013:
It should be generally settled with an easterly weather type thought most likely to prevail into the middle of the month. Given that the North Sea is colder than normal for spring, this will leave eastern coasts colder than average. Further inland, daytime temperatures will most likely be around average, and perhaps a little above in the west and northwest. Meanwhile, more settled weather also increases the chances of below average rainfall amounts, especially in western and northwestern regions, with near or above average sunshine. Towards the end of the period it may turn slightly less settled with an increased chance of rain and showers, temperatures then close to or just below average for the time of year.

Issued at: 0400 on Thu 25 Apr 2013"

Nothing specific for the hills, but I am keeping to valleys most of the time and hopping over passes between. I like the thoughts for the early part of the period when we are beginning about temperatures being a little above the average in the NW, below average rainfall amounts and near or average sunshine . Looks like we will get wet by the end though...

This site gives some indication of the relative changes and is useful for the long term view;

http://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twodata/datmdlout.aspx

The warming weather at the challenge start suggests full burns and rivers from snow melt.

Good luck.

If you read the opening paragraph from the Final Challenge notes you will get a pretty good idea of what to expect.
If anyone can do better please also tell me the winner of the Derby!

Hi
What is considered "normal rain and Temperature " in May?

Not long before I start to Pack.
William

We arrived in Glasgow yesterday, drove to Skye today.

Rained all the way :( The amount of water crashing down off the mountains was very impressive!

Driving past Morvich the hills were well capped with snow. Temperatures on the high passes never got below 2C. I guess it would have been sub zero overnight, and there was snow beside the road on the pass above Loch Garry.

Currently recovering from the jet lag on Skye and looking forward to next week!



Mike

I think Scotland is doomed to lousy weather, while Mr Salmond is in charge.
I blame all those bl00dy wind turbines disrupting the air flow.
I am expecting 4 seasons of weather.
That is why I will NOT be going Ultralight.
Mind you, lack of willpower plays a lot in that.
I will be wearing shoes though.
Because I don't have any boots at the moment.
All that said, it's lovely down here in the Flatlands.

I do remember there was lots of bloody awful weather in May during years before Wee Alex came to power, anyone else remember 2003? It's Scotland in May and you are going to get all 4 seasons on the Challenge. The good news is the weather can change dramatically for the better in a day or so, remember the contrast between the first and second weeks last year? The bad news is it can change just as quickly from good weather to bad. Some years, on the weeks before the Challenge, the message board is full of dire warnings about hill fires, it then normally peas down for the first week and the main difficulty is getting across swollen rivers. To me a large part of the joy of the Challenge is having to cope with whatever the weather throws at you, if we had 2 weeks good weather it wouldn't be the Challenge.

Whatever the weather brings, to me, it's the best two weeks of the year. Roll on Friday.

Ian C.

"Wee Alex"? More accurately, "Fat Eck" (Eck being the vernacular for Alex)

I remember '83 when it rained every day and I remember '86 post Chernobyl when everyone was told not to drink the water and I remember '03 when I sat in control for 13 days when the sun shone from dawn to dusk in Montrose while Challengers were drowning while walking across from the west coast. Happy Days!