TGO Challenge 2006 photo essay:

While planning to go walking I sometimes look back to other times and walks done.  I had a look at some old photos over the weekend and remembered I had planned to write about the TGO 2006 walk I did and send it to Phil at Doodle Cat.   Things happened and I never got round to doing a long write up on it.  But looking at the photos the other day got me thinking I could do something - a short summary like a photo essay maybe. 


This is a photo essay showing some highlights from my 2006 TGO Challenge route. I did the walk with a friend and we entered simply to see what it was all about. We had done a lot of backpacking trips in the highlands before the Challenge including a coast to coast, and we wanted to see if the Challenge would provide a different kind of experience - with so many others taking part.   The opportunity to get to know other backpackers appealed to us.  This post just highlights some of the sections of the walk.

The start of our Journey was by Strathcarron with the sun setting.    We dipped our boots in the sea as it is a sea loch.  Then it was to the hotel bar and waiting for the dawn to start the walk in the morning.

Our route gave great views to the West with distant Torridon hills and the nearby Coulin Forest mountains giving us magnificent views.  On this section we met three challengers.  One who was going west back to the train after quitting and our route vetter Peter Goddard and his wife near Loch Calavie.  After that it was days before we met any other challengers.  We stayed in a bothy the first night. 

The next day we had plans to see the views and this took us up on the Munro of An Socach over looking Loch Mullardoch.  Fine views and a fine day on the hills.  This is remote terrain for the UK and the views are superb.

The video shows the view we had and if you are planning a TGO Challenge go see it for yourself.   The wildcamp that night was the best of the trip surrounded by fine mountains.

The next section of our walk was to take us heading back west first to take in the summits of An Socach on the Affric hills and up onto Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan.  Mist clung to the hills all day and the views were limited.  We went up simply as we had been so looking forward to doing Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan - we simply had to do it.  Still it was fun up in the snow.  There was a lot of navigation and hill craft that day in poor visibility - we had to locate the path off for two day hikers who were trying to relocate it back down to the Youth Hostel.

Glen Affric was wet with rain showers and mist covered views and we pushed on.  Our route took us over old military roads for two more days with fine views looking back at the Affric hills heading to Fort Augustus.  

Fort Augustus was a good place to resupply - still no Challengers but we did meet a man in his early eighties who had done twelve or more TGO Crossings back in the early days of the event and he was still backpacking.  We chatted and then headed to the Cairngorms over the Corrieyairack Pass.  We finally met other Challengers at Melgrave bothy.  Ian, Paul and Terry from Liverpool soon had us going in the spirit of the Challenge with whisky sitting by the fire.  We crossed paths for the next few days into Glen Feshie. 

We stayed low in the Cairngorms section using the Geldie burn as our route and ended up in Braemar where again the point of the Challenge became apparent with more meeting up with other participants and the good time to be had chatting and getting to know folks.  Loch Callater was mentioned to us and we called into the lodge the morning after the party the night before.  Bill and Stan welcomed us along with another Challenger.  Several drinks and hours later we set out to do Jocks Road (not a foul weather alternative at nearly three thousand feet by the way or after several whiskies like we had) and to wildcamp in Glen Doll.

The only downside to the walk from there was the road walking sections to Scurdie Ness Lighthouse.  Still we had a good time and the weather was fine.  It in fact allowed us to wind down for the end.  I enjoyed the Challenge and went back the next year.  So a brief description of my route and there was plenty of tales in that walk. Thing is they are best shared over a pint on the next Challenge.