The Great Outdoors Challenge
Here is some footage I captured while doing my second TGO challenge in 2022.
Dornie to Kinnaber Links (Montrose) 320km Day -1 The sleepless slog to Scotland I was dropped off at Derby train station at 9pm Wednesday 11th May to start my first leg of the long journey up to Scotland. From Derby I took the train to Crewe where I boarded the Caledonian Sleeper to Inverness. The first hiccup to the adventure came in the form of a leaking whisky bag, as I lifted my pack, I noticed a damp shoulder strap and the familiar whiff of “Black bottle”. So my first job was to purchase a suitable vessel to decant my …
Two weeks to I’m finally setting off for the long awaited TGO of 2022! This is the TGO Challenge that I applied for back in 2019 which for obvious reasons got cancelled during 2020. I remember back in early 2020 trying to be hopeful that the challenge would still go ahead and COVID would be over within a few weeks, how wrong was I! 2021 I had the option to take up my place which ran later than usual, June rather than May. Having already waited 3 years since completing my 2017 crossing, also mindful that my next TGO will …
So after many many hours of gawking at maps I’ve finally nailed the TGO 2022 route! This year we’re walking castle to castle, starting at Dornie (Eilean Castle) and heading to Lunan Bay (Red Castle) just south of Montrose. A Friday start takes us from Dornie through Glen Affric to Cougie Lodge before dropping south into Fort Augustus for a day 3 restock. A lengthy windfarm track bash on to the Monadhliath but rather than a Chalybeate Springs “cocktail party”, we’re heading North up to Stonelairg lodge and over to Aviemore for another restock. Hopefully we get a clement weather …
Back to the drawing board for 2022! As the TGO 2020 didn’t happen (only virtually) and we decided to defer our places from 2021 into 2022, I’m now in the process of replanning our route for next year. Yes, we could have used the previously vetted and approved route out of Mallaig, but the route had a few issues. I can’t put my finger on them specifically but somehow it didn’t excite me and it had a few heavy road bashing days. So for 2022 I’m taking the opportunity to plan an entirely new route. This time the route will …
So our route has been submitted for vetting, we’ve received our feedback and responded to the requested changes and now we wait for the final approval. The comments we received were, as always, very helpful and extremely detailed. Only a couple of minor tweaks and one FWA (Foul Weather Alternative) to amend. Update: We now have approval, the vetters are happy and rubber stamped our route! Our group consists of Pete (my brother), Dean (DeanRead.net, PeakRoutes.com), Tim and Andy (I met both on 2017 TGO). We’re starting at Mallaig and finishing at Lunan Bay, approx 300km. The first day we …
Far too early to start planning now, isn’t it? OK maybe just a quick look at a map and maybe start jotting some route ideas down….
Plockton to Kinnaber Links (Montrose) Day 0 Thursday 11th May I set off from home around 7am – taxi to Derby Train Station and the 0730 to Birmingham. Pete met me on the train at Burton. Arriving at New Street we hopped onto the airport-bound train, where we bumped into Caburn, also flying to Inverness to start his 2017 TGO. The airline flew Pete and I plus one pack to Inverness… yes, one pack short! After a frustrating visit to the customer services desk and some “computer says no” responses, Flybe agreed to fly Pete’s pack (if found) up to …
So it’s finally time for the off!! Tomorrow morning I’ll be heading to the train station to make my way to Plockton via Inverness thanks to Flybe. Tomorrow will be a day of travel followed by a night in the B&B and hopefully the pub before signing out at 9am on Friday morning to start my 2017 TGOC. I’ll attempt to upload some photos along the way, most likely just to Facebook. Good luck to all the other TGO challengers, see you in the highlands!
Having had our vetters feedback and responded to the adjustments the route is now approved and finalised. The comments from the vetters were both very helpful and extremely thorough containing not just sound route advice but some great tips on places to visit. Equally they provided a suggestion on what to avoid, namely the new wind farm currently being constructed at Stronelairg on the Monadhliath (mainly due to the heavy construction traffic/machinery in the area). “…. You have put together a very adventurous route considering you have not backpacked in Scotland before. The weather will very much dictate whether you get …
Pete and I reckon the TGO Challenge is a great opportunity to raise some money for charity. Therefore we’ve setup a website and Facebook page detailing our adventure along with info regarding how people can sponsor us. Donations are for the British Red Cross and you can find links to our donations page on both the website and the Facebook page (below). If you spare a couple of quid then please click donate or share the page with someone you think might. Here are the website and Facebook page links.
