Preparation FAQs

To ensure the health and safety of our participants we will be pairing all teams of two who leave our Silver checkpoint in Drumnadrochit after 5pm with another team. This will ensure all teams are of adequate size should they need the support of their fellow participants during the challenging 18 miles to our Gold finish. Please listen to the advice of our event staff as your health and safety is of the up-most concern to them.

In addition, each year, we have to impose cut off times to reach and exit each checkpoint. These are very generous and should allow more than enough time for every participant. Teams cannot leave the checkpoint and continue with the event after these times: Fort Augustus - 16:00pm; Invermoriston - 20:30pm;Drumnadrochit - 02:00am (Sunday).

All participants must complete the Disclaimer and Medical Questionnaire (available online) before the event date in order to participate. The form asks you to declare that you are fit and able to participate in the event and that you are responsible for your own personal health and fitness.

For the safety of our walkers the minimum team size is two people. You must be with at least one other person when leaving each checkpoint.

Monster is a team event and we want to encourage you to stick together as a team throughout the event. This will help you keep safe as well as keep up morale and get you and your team to the finish line together. By training together as a team it will help you set a realistic pace that each of the team members are comfortable with. 

We do understand that it is natural that each person within a team has different fitness levels and walking paces. We will be at the checkpoints and en route to ensure that hikers are not walking alone and join hikers who have broken away from their original team with another team walking at their pace to the next checkpoint.

To ensure the health and safety of our participants we will be pairing all teams of two who leave our Silver checkpoint in Drumnadrochit after 5pm with another team. This will ensure all teams are of adequate size should they need the support of their fellow participants during the challenging 18 miles to our Gold finish. Please listen to the advice of our event staff as your health and safety is of the up-most concern to them.

In addition, each year, we have to impose cut off times to reach and exit each checkpoint. These are very generous and should allow more than enough time for every participant. Teams cannot leave the checkpoint and continue with the event after these times: Fort Augustus - 16:00pm; Invermoriston - 20:30pm;Drumnadrochit - 02:00am (Sunday).

Yes, you can do this right up until the registration on Friday 2 May 2014 but you cannot replace people on the morning of the event. This is for the purposes of insurance and safety.

Please ensure you contact us on 0300 123 1801 if you wish to change or cancel anyone’s place. Unfortunately registration fees are non-refundable if you have to cancel someone’s place without replacing them.

We would encourage you to join Maggie’s Monster Bike & Hike Facebook page where you can post a request to other Monster participants to join their team.

No – for safety and planning purposes, you cannot register for the first time on the morning of the event – you must have registered prior to the event.

Registration for Monster 2014 is now open!  Be one of the first to join Monster on its 10th anniversary. You can sign up online for early bird registration at £75 per person. 

Please refer to the full Event Terms and Conditions.

• Participants must check in and out of all checkpoints.
• Participants must wear their participant number throughout the event.
• You must have only one support vehicle per team, due to space restrictions at some of the checkpoints.
• Please inform a marshal at a checkpoint if any of your team decide to retire from the event for whatever reason.
• The time of the last team member to check in at a checkpoint counts as the team time.
• Dogs can only accompany you on the walking section of the route from Fort Augustus to Drumnadrochit and must be kept on leads. This is in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access code and is a requirement of the event organisers.
• Please deposit all litter at checkpoints - not on the Great Glen Way!
• Please contact our main Event HQ emergency telephone number in case of emergency. This telephone number will be given to you at registration on the eve of the event and will also be printed on your participant number.
• To ensure the health and safety of our participants we will be pairing all teams of two who leave our Silver checkpoint in Drumnadrochit after 5pm with another team. This will ensure all teams are of adequate size should they need the support of their fellow participants during the challenging 18 miles to our Gold finish. Please listen to the advice of our event staff as your health and safety is of the up-most concern to them.
• In addition, each year, we have to impose cut off times to reach and exit each checkpoint. These are very generous and should allow more than enough time for every participant. Teams cannot leave the checkpoint and continue with the event after these times: Fort Augustus - 16:00pm; Invermoriston - 20:30pm;Drumnadrochit - 02:00am (Sunday).

This is the warm up on the eve of the event and it is essential every participant attends. The Pasta Party takes place at the Nevis Centre in the centre of Fort William. It runs from 5 - 9.30pm; you can attend at any time during these hours. (Registration will be open from 3.30-9.30pm).

The party includes entertainment, a buffet dinner and the all important safety briefings. The safety briefings last about an hour (one at 6pm and one at 8pm – same briefing) and every participant must attend one of them.

Participants will be given their route map, event t-shirt,goody bag and car park pass for the checkpoints.

The hot buffet dinner is provided for all participants and two members of their support team. Pasta Party tickets for additional Support Team members can be purchased at the Pasta Party. Tickets are £5 and can be bought when you register on the Friday night.

Support Team t-shirts will also be on sale for £5 each.

We will allocate your start time two weeks before the event and will send confirmation of your start time in an email along with final details and important event information.

Please note that you cannot request to change your allocated start time to the earlier slot. If you have been allocated the 6.30am start time and would prefer to start later in the 7.45am start time, please let us know and we will see if we can switch your team to a later start time.

The first two start times at 6.30am and 7.45am are the most popular and will also be full to capacity. Because of this you cannot change to the earliest start times. If you have been allocated the 6.30am or 7.45am start time and would prefer to start later, please let us know and you can switch to a later start time.

Please contact us on 0300 123 1801 – it may mean you will need to move en masse to a later start time. Where possible we have endeavoured to put all joint teams together in one start time. Or it may mean waiting for your team mates en route to ensure you all reach the checkpoint together!

We have to impose cut off times to reach and exit each checkpoint. These are very generous and should allow more than enough time for every participant. Teams cannot leave the checkpoint and continue with the event after these times: Fort Augustus - 16:00pm; Invermoriston - 20:30pm; Drumnadrochit - 02:00am (Sunday).

Yes, Athlete's Angels have prepared a training guide for Monster participants going to Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Take a look under Get Prepared on the website.

If you are hiring a bike from Maggie's you will need to bring your own spare inner tube as stipulated on the Compulsory Kit List and in case replacement is needed on route.

The specification for the hire bikes used by Maggie’s on this event is: 24 speed front suspension mountain bikes.  A 26'' x 2'' standard mountain bike inner tube is the required spare ('presta' valve although a standard inner tube this size would be fine).