hike | camp | paint
Just one more day to do, but the longest daily distance of all, and a deadline to do it by. Our train was booked for 19:50, which shouldn't have been a problem, but nevertheless it was still a deadline. If you add time to clean up and have a celebratory pint and meal, the real … Continue reading The West Highland Way – Part 5: The End (Kinlochleven to Fort William)
Breakfast in the Real Food Cafe set us up well for the day ahead. Back at the hotel we shouldered packs and grabbed parcels to drop off at the Post Office - although we could have simply walked up the main road from the hotel, we still had to do the bit of trail through … Continue reading The West Highland Way – Part 4: The Good Bit (Tyndrum to Kinlochleven)
Whilst it was a shock to suddenly find myself solo, it wasn't a huge surprise and I'd mentally prepared myself for it - by now I can recognise the signs. And so, I strode out towards Ptarmigan Lodge not too discombobulated by the sudden change in my circumstances. Here was the well-known honesty stall, but … Continue reading The West Highland Way – Part 3: That Accursed Loch! (Rowardennan to Tyndrum)
Milngavie really must be quite proud of the fact that the West Highland Way starts there, as they've taken every opportunity to draw your attention to the fact. Leaving the railway, there's various "to the West Highland Way" signs and the murals in the underpass before you get to the actual start point, itself with … Continue reading The West Highland Way – Part 2: To The Loch! (Milngavie to Rowardennan)
Well, this post may be titled "Introduction", but this trail barely needs one. One of the more popular trails, maybe even the most popular of the Great Trails in Scotland, I felt as though I already knew it quite well before I even set foot on it. Which is, of course, nonsense, but it's fair … Continue reading The West Highland Way – Part 1: Introduction
You know when you've waited and waited for something, and when it actually comes, it's a little bit of an anti-climax ? That. This is not to say I didn't enjoy the Challenge - merely to say that I built up such expectations of this one that they were never all going to be fully … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022: Reflections
Darren and I agreed a meeting time last night, and I'm there a few moments early as Darren is walking over from his camp spot. That worked well. We cross the Cowie and head south to Hill of Quithel. As we go, and come into phone signal range, I'm messaging Brian. Brian had been stalking … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Day 15: The End
The X-Mid dweller turns out to be Immo, a chap we've seen before on the trade route into Braemar. He's not in great shape and talking about getting the bus to Aberdeen. We make some encouraging noises about "seeing how you go", and leave him to it. Just along from the campsite entrance lies a … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Days 13 and 14: Slow Down and Enjoy
Ah, day 11, my nemesis. For some reason the day leaving Braemar has always been troublesome for me. On my first Challenge in 2017, I made the mistake of regarding Braemar as the point when I knew I'd make it, and fate unleashed itself on me - I got knocked off Carn of Claise by … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Days 11 and 12: Down the Dee
Day 10 can only mean one thing - Braemar. I've been through there on all 3 of my previous Challenges, and the prospect of the annual visit typically fills me with a heady mix of feelings: anticipation; concern I might not be able to resupply everything I want; concern for the existence of the parcel … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Day 10: Disappointments
Crows. Crows. More Crows. The noise coming from above the tent finally stirs me into getting up, after laying awake listening to them for ages. There's a fair bit of time to kill before setting off today, as Darren can't retrieve his laundry from the drying room until 8am, and can't return the key and … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Day 9: Trade Route
Close the gap. Don't stop. Don't look back. We opt for an 8am start due to the amount of ground we're aiming to cover. It's an easy 3km down the track to meet the road. Darren has forged ahead while I dither taking photos and generally faffing about. I reach the road and he's nowhere … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Days 7&8: The Blair Pitch Project
The rain slashes down for much of the night - definitely the worst night yet. I had to adjust my door configuration twice to successively hunker the tent down more. I wake to find daylight poking though a small hole in one of the doors. I've not idea how it happened, but almost certainly I … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Day 6: Behind Again
Last night was not a very sheltered pitch, and the tent was reeling under wind yet again. As we pack up it starts raining - even though we've largely extricated ourselves from our previous spot of bother, the weather has not given up the battle. It is, however, an easy walk along the track, penetrating … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Days 4-5: Headwinds
There aren't many midges and they're not biting yet, is what I was hearing before the Challenge. But, in the time it takes to pack up, I'm covered in midge bites. And boy are they itchy ones. It's a relief to start putting one foot in front of the other. We are now firmly on … Continue reading TGO Challenge 2022 – Day 3: Redemption