TGO Challenge 2013: Day 8: To the top of the Geldie

Hey! The weather was lovely again, which meant that our fine weather route was on. The plan was to clamber up the Minigaig and then track back to pick up the Corbett and then walk the boundary of the National Park along the tops.

[CLICK TO ENLARGE]

After saying our goodbyes to Alan & Sheila we set off with Les & Issy slowly up the stream to find the good path up the Minigaig. It was all good fun and there were snow patches,. Before too long Les & Issy were specs in the distance – they walk smoothly, efficiently, like the deer – and we weren’t up for knackering ourselves trying to keep up. In fact we had an enjoyable stroll, and cutting up to the Corbett was great, with the ground gradually improving until were were strolling along on firm little wavy bobbles.

[PHIL'S PIC OF ME ON THE MINIGAIG – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

The wind condensed into clouds over the snow patches and provided some cooling. The views from the top were wonderful and Andy took a video, which will be up on his place when he gets around to it. There’s a lower top with fabulous views to the north before you get to the Corbett itself and down in the bealach between we thought we could see Les & Issy having a break. We didn’t see them again – as they were off to bag the Munros with their effortless stride.

[PHIL'S PIC FROM THE CORBETT LEATHAD AN TAOBHAIN – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Phil quipped a la ‘Withnail & I,’ “Here we are, on top of a Corbett. We’ve gone on holiday, by mistake!”

[ANDY & PHIL, LEATHAD AN TAOBHAIN LOOKING TO THE CAIRNGORMS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Then it was down quite a way through some fairly complicated bogs to the next bealach and a longish struggle up to Glas-leathad Feshie. I was going along really well today, feeling fine, after quite a long sleep the night before.

[ANDY & PHIL CLIMBING GLAS-LEATHAD FESHIE – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

When there are snow patches to climb over, photos just have to be taken to show how ‘ard and rufty-tufty we are. Cheers Phil!

[PHIL'S PIC OF ANDY & ME CLIMBING GLAS-LEATHAD FESHIE – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

The top of this hill is just fantastic. It’s not a Corbett or Munro or anything, but it offered the best views of the day and crisp walking underfoot. The big brown area in the next two pictures this side of the snow capped Cairngorms is a patch I like to call the “upper, upper Feshie,” as most folk think of the upper Feshie as the bit above Ruigh-aiteachain to where it bends right back on itself at the watershed with the Geldie, whereas there are another seven miles or so of glorious wild country up to the Feshie’s source further east.

[PHIL & ANDY, GLAS-LEATHAD FESHIE, WITH CAIRNGORMS & MEALL TIONAIL – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

If Picassa allows, I have uploaded Phil’s picture (the next pic) full strength, so you can see just how gorgeous this view really is:

[PHIL'S MAGNIFICENT PANORAMA: CAIRNGORMS TO AN SGARSOCH & BEYOND – CLICK TO BLOW UP HUGE!]

It was now freezing cold in the wind and we dropped off the top to find a bit of shelter for lunch in the sunshine. THIS is what the TGO Challenge is all about: A bit of an effort to get to the top, magnificent scenery, great weather, good mates. We looked at the route ahead of us and decided we had bitten off rather more than we could comfortable chew by going all the way to Carn an Fhidhleir, so discretion won the day and we decided instead to drop down to the Upper upper Feshie and re-join our route at the Feshie/Geldie watershed.

[DROPPING DOWN TO THE 'UPPER UPPER' FESHIE – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Andy was going like a train today and was generally a small blue dot in the distance, as first we followed a snow banked burn down, and then met the Feshie to follow it’s glorious meanders for mile after wonderful mile. To our right we had the snaking ridge we had dropped down from and to our left we had a fabulous view of the Cairngorms all slathered in snow, that you just don’t see coming up the Feshie from Ruigh-aiteachain. In front of us was Meall Tionail.

[ANDY & THE 'UPPER UPPER' FESHIE & MEALL TIONAIL – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

It was a rare moment when I was at the front that I spotted a big dark shape in a pool in the crystal clear Feshie. It was an otter! It was slowly swimming upstream. I called to Andy and he raced over to see it too. It was lithe and much much bigger than I had expected – only ever having seen them in the sea from a breakfast window at Carbost on Skye. What a fabulous day!

[PHIL & ANDY, THE UPPER UPPER FESHIE & CAIRNGORMS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

You’ll see from the map at the top of this post that this part of the Feshie meanders deliciously all over the shop and generally the grassy banks allow smooth passage all the way, with just the occasional bog to hop or bluff to clamber up and over. Sometimes we took the lower route below the tall peaty bluffs and paddled through the edge of the river. There are no paths excepting the deer trods, which guide you wonderfully all the way down this fabulous river.

[ANDY'S PIC OF THE UPPER UPPER FESHIE & CAIRNGORMS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY, UPPER UPPER FESHIE & CAIRNGORMS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

And then my afternoon “wall” hit me like a freight train. All of a sudden at around this time my knackered old frame just gives up on me and I become light headed and horribly wobbly. Today it was at about 4:30 and came as a bit of a surprise as I had been bowling along very happily indeed; No great effort was required with the walking.

Nothing for it, but to sit for a while in the sunshine, have a drink and something to eat and a short snooze. No bad thing, really, in this beautiful country. Phil & Andy walked on; there was no chance of anyone getting lost today. It was pure heaven sitting there, listening to the lark song and the rush of the river over the bleached stones.

Then it was back to the day-job – so I was up and feeling really great once more after a good stop. I caught the others and then slid past with new-found vigour and picked my way through the bog to the track above the Geldie and then raced along with the wind at my heels. We decided to stop a mile or so short of our intended camp-spot, where the Geldie tucks in close to the path and before too long we had the shelters anchored down firmly against what looked like might be a rough night. I tucked in to Pasta in cheese & mushroom sauce, the last drops of whisky from my wonderful son, Oli, and then a deep sleep.

It had been a big day, in glorious country with two great blokes.

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 7: To Allt Coire Bhran

The Monarch Hotel’s chef came up with a great ‘Full Scottish’ to fuel us up for the day, which was as well, as it was to prove to be a long one. But there could be no ducking out, no stopping short, as we were heading for our second Cheese & Wine Party and we were expecting a few attendees. It would be plain wrong not to turn up to a party that you had organised.

[DAY 7 JUST OVER 17 MILES: CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[MONARCH HOTEL’S PIC OF ME, PHIL, MIKE KNIPE & ANDY. YOU’LL NOTE THAT AT THIS EARLY HOUR MY FLEECE SLEEVE IS ALREADY ON THE MARCH UP TO MY ELBOW – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

I’m never great company first thing in the morning and I like walking on my own for a bit until things settle down, which actually works quite well when you are walking as a threesome. I’ve no idea why, but I just like a bit of space for a while.

The walk to Glentruim is on roads, but they are perfectly quiet and so in lovely fresh weather we bowled along to the Macpherson Memorial.

[GLENTRUIM]

I’ve stopped at this cairn quite a few times over the years and, after a bit of digging, I have turned up this information:

The Clan Macpherson Cairn was raised at Glentruim in 1996 as part of the Clan Macpherson Association’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The cairn was erected to commemorate one of the clan’s great heroes: Cluny Macpherson of the ’45, who led his men in support of Charles Stuart during the 1745–46 Jacobite Uprising. After years in hiding in the aftermath of Culloden, Macpherson died in exile in France in 1764 and his actual burial place is now unknown. Stones from the homeland were incorporated into monuments raised in the diaspora. The Glentruim cairn – at the heart of the Macpherson homeland – is constructed from stones sent from the diaspora; indeed, sent from no fewer than twenty-six different countries throughout the world in which Macpherson migrants have settled.

Whilst most of the stones are anonymous within the fabric of the cairn, the Clan Association has kept records of every stone donated, detailing where they were sourced and the migrant stories each represents. Collected from old homesteads and farms, historic forts, mountains, rivers, mines and other sites from throughout the world where the migrants settled, each stone thus materialises the memory of a migration.

Each tells a particular migrant’s narrative, but each particular narrative is also a fragment of a wider story: that of the Macpherson diaspora, which is, in turn, a fragment of the story of the Scottish diaspora as a whole. Just as the fragments of rock are conglomerated into one in the cairn, so the
personal histories they each embody are fused in the cement of a shared heritage into the collective history of a people.

[LINK]

Whilst we were having one of our lazy snoozes at the cairn, (which has a cracking view looking back up the Spey) John caught us up and we strolled on together as a foursome once more. A little later we bumped into a dodgy looking cove in his motorhome, Ian Shiel, a lovely man who over the years has been a great friend to me. It was good to see him looking chipper.

[MONADHLIATH FROM WADE'S ROAD – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

I love the Wade road from Phones to Newtonmore – you’re only a mile from the busy A9, but slightly elevated, so you don’t see or hear it. It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere. Your view sweeps the entire length of the the vast Monadhliath Mountains. We had a snoozy lunch at about eight miles, at the un-named lochan after Phones. I wasn’t feeling at my best, so this was a very welcome stop.

We left John, who had been great company and was carrying on to Newtonmore, and we headed up the track to the Allt Ghiubhais.

[PHIL, JOHN & ANDY - CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Phil had been this way before and had learned from Colin Tock that the track went a mile further up the hill than shown by the O.S. which was welcome news as I was feeling quite rough.

[PHIL POINTING OUT THE 'SECRET' TRACK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

At the end of the track there was a little marvel: A secret sunken bothy. It looked as though it didn’t have many years left though as the walls are now bulging from the soil pressure.

[PHIL'S PIC OF THE SUNKEN BOTHY – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

As you can see, Croydon & Morpeth had been this way in 2010 and Dickie Fuell in 2011.

[PHIL, SUNKEN BOTHY – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Then it was back to the day-job and so off we trudged up the glorious boggy bealach of Blar an Liana Mhoir. It wasn’t steep, but it was heavy going underfoot. We could see heavy showers coming our way from the west and sure enough they were soon splattering against waterproofs. I love the next picture, courtesy of Andrew, as for me it captures the day wonderfully.

[ANDY'S PIC OF PHIL & ME, BLAR AN LIANA MHOIR – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[PHIL, BLAR AN LIANA MHOIR – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

By the time we got over the top to Glen Tromie I really was very tired but now at least we had an easy stroll up the metalled road to the first weir after Bhran Cottage.

[PHIL ABOVE ALLT BHRAN, DISTANT MONADH LIATH – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

After the second weir I took a bit of a tumble - I was just not thinking straight and missed my footing - and Phil patched up my bleeding finger. By now I really was on auto-pilot. I just didn’t have any petrol in the tank and to be honest I don’t remember too much about the slog up the valley. I do remember that the skies were clear and the views pin sharp.

We made our stopping point at just after seven o’clock and it was all I could do to get Sally Solomid up. Wonderfully, Alan & Sheila Rayner and Les & Issy Silkowski were already there, so the effort of the day was well worth it. Alan & Sheila weren’t on the Challenge but had interrupted their holiday to join us for the day. Splendid, eh? We were handed a parcel, that had been left for us on the path up to our location. It was from Colin Bennett. Inside were scrumptious macadamia nuts. It had a large note inside:

[CLICK TO ENLARGE]

What a lovely man!

The others had already started partying, so we joined in, trying our best to be chirpy, but I think I failed a bit on that score; I was just too far gone. Then along came Dave & Val Machin. They had cycled up the glen and walked the last few miles. But my word, they had done well.

[CHEESE & WINE PARTY – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

From their bags they produced a veritable feast that we all fell upon. There were balloons! But, even wrapped up for the Arctic I was still freezing cold, so I sloped off for a few minutes warm-up back in the tent. Unfortunately as soon as I lay down, I was out for the count.

[ANDY'S PIC OF CHEESE & WINE PARTY – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

When I woke in the morning I found that Phil had tucked me in and zipped up my tent. Val and Dave had left at well after ten o’clock at night to head off back to their bikes, but in the failing light had missed the path and had finally got home in the small hours. What wonderful people, eh?

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 6: To Laggan

Now I don’t usually bang on about gear on this place, but today I’m making an exception. When you have bought a particularly SHITE piece of gear, thinking it was going to be the Dog’s Bollocks, it is particularly distressing.

The kidneys help regulate your body temperature, and for quite a few years now, my knackered pair had me constantly feeling the cold. So, when I saw that TGO was offering a heavier TGO Challenge branded fleece this year from one of the most respected gear manufacturer’s on God’s Good Earth, Rab, in a colour-way that makes you weak at the knees – a refreshing deep black – I dusted down the cheque book and parted with my own money! (This is a rare phenomenon these days.)

It took a while to arrive, so I wasn’t able to take it on the PreWalkDaunder to check it out. I tried it on the once before packing it away in the rucksack, delighted with the purchase.

I will warn you now. NEVER, EVER buy this pile of ordure! Here it is in all its glory:

Here is a link to Rab’s website: Rab Boulder Pull on Fleece

This is what their website says about it:

• The Boulder Pull-On is a lightweight, highly insulating fleece pull-over using hi-loft Polartec® Thermal Pro® in a light weight format.
• The Pull-on provides fantastic warmth to weight ratio and is an ideal layering piece under your waterproof shell. The deep pile make up of the fabric means that it is 20% warmer than standard fleece and 40% more compressible.
• The hi loft nature of the fabric does mean it is susceptible to wind passing through - but this also means that it is supremely breathable, making it the ideal fleece layering piece for year round use.
• Weight 440g

It is quite obvious to me that no-one at Rab, at the prototype stage of this fleece, had ever taken it out backpacking, because if they had it would never have made it to manufacture.

Both inside and out the fleece has a thick pile that slopes downwards, a bit like the thatch does in a thatched roof. This sounds, on the face of it, to be an excellent idea, as light rain showers are shrugged off and the water runs down the outside of the fleece. So far so good.

Now I want you for a moment to imagine that you are sitting in your living room on a cold winter’s day, with the fire burning nicely in the hearth. In front of the fire is you trusty Labrador,  sitting on the fireside rug, which is sitting on your lovely Wilton carpet.

All house-husbands who do the hoovering will know about this. In fact I cannot imagine there is anyone on this planet who doesn’t know this: Every time you hoover, you notice that the rug has “walked” sideways by a few inches. And you have to struggle and tug the thing to reposition it centrally back in front of the hearth.

Why is this?

It’s because the pile of the Wilton has a slant to it. Every time your pooch gets up, shuffles around and lies back down, this tilting pile slowly shuffles the rug which is sitting on it a tiny fraction sideways. Over time this builds up to quite a few inches.

With the Rab Boulder Pull-on Fleece, this process happens at an alarming rate. The bottom of the fleece which sits on your hips, after a morning backpacking, will be up around your nipples. The bottom of the sleeves will be up round your elbows. You will feel you are being strangled by the bloody thing, while your tummy and forearms are freezing their nadgers off!

I cannot remember how many times I bored the bollox off my two compatriots with this dreadful tale of woe. I am sure they can tell you though…

So just in case you didn’t get the message, here it is again:

NEVER, EVER BUY THE RAB BOULDER PULL-ON. IT IS A COMPLETE PILE OF SHITE!

And now, relax. And let’s continue with the day!

***

 

We’d all walked today’s route on previous Challenges, but we were still looking forward to it, as it is a little honey. One of the main reasons it’s a little beauty is that it is 26km heading EAST, instead of North. Hallelujah! It’s mostly on good paths and minor roads, passing alongside the very top of the Spey Valley, from it’s source at Loch Spey. There are some boggy bits around Shesgnan, but they just add to the fun.

[TODAY’S ROUTE: BETWEEN THE RED WAYPOINTS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

The other Andrew had set off early for his tramp up to the Window and along the tops. We didn’t envy his inevitable slow sloppy plod back up the way we had come down yesterday afternoon through all the never ending bog.

[ALISTAIR'S PIC: CROSSING ALLT CHONNAL – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We left the bothy in the care of Alistair and Rich Flint and set off over the Allt Chonnal which was nice and gentle. It can be a bit of a problem in spate. Luib Chonnal is set magnificently in big country with wonderful views.

[LUIB CHONNAL WITH ALISTAIR & RICHARD – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

And the next picture is looking back to the bothy. The weather was wonderful: Bright, sharp, clear air with a blustery wind and hefty showers  that would splatter against your coat and then fly away. It was perfect walking weather.

[PHIL & ANDY & LUIB CHONNAL – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Shesgnan is a lovely little private bothy that has had a pile of money spent on it – it has a generator out the back and is in very good order. The track from Melgarve has also been improved for better 4x4 access, which helps speed progress.

[BIG COUNTRY, PASSING SHOWER, SHESGNAN – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Shesgnan is the little bright dot in the middle distance in the photo above. Another perfectly set little place.

We strolled on to Melgarve bothy, not quite making it in time before a really hefty, walloping shower had a go at soaking us. So we called an early cooked lunch and sat in the comfy chairs while the rain battered the window. In the back room we turned up another of Stormin’s laminated maps; We seemed to be following an almost identical route.

After Melgarve, it’s paved roads all the way for the rest of the day, but taken steadily and softly they’re fine. In the afternoon we bumped into John, a lovely fellow and we strolled on for the rest of the day as a party of four, taking roadside rests in the sunshine.

One shocking aspect to the day was seeing the horrendous road that has been built alongside the pylons down the Spey valley. It is a monstrous scar on the hillside with HUGE trucks running along it. Having got home I see that Bidwells are now pressing for this road to be kept after the pylon run has been built, in order to facilitate future wind farm construction and forestry projects. You can read about it HERE.

At Garva Bridge we met another great character, who was rangering and had a nice little fire going in a stove at the back of his 4x4. He shared a nip with us all and all was well with our worlds.

We all piled into the Monarch Hotel (used to be the Monadhliath) and met the new Australian owners. They have spent quite a bit of money upgrading the hotel and it is all very pleasant, but it has lost a little of the Highland charm that these out-of-the-way hotels seem to have. That said, this couple are hard nosed and are looking for a definite clientele, and we were not quite sure that we were their target market! However, they looked after us handsomely and I look forward to going back. The food was excellent and the beds very comfortable.

After dumping our gear in our rooms we were back at the bar in nano-seconds and to our surprise we were handed an envelope addressed to Andy Phil & me. Inside was a very handsome drinking voucher and a very nice note from Humphrey that explained that this was in lieu of his company at tomorrow’s cheese & wine party!

We spent absolutely no time at all in spending the very generous voucher (I would add that we went some way over the voucher – I wonder if Humph could be persuaded to send another for the difference?) Then, Lordy lordy! We were handed a parcel, again from Humph. We opened it gingerly, to find two quite gorgeous vacuum-packed artisan cheeses that Humph had sourced locally – a goat and a cow. That just left the wine to sort out then!

We spent the evening in the bar with John & Mike Knipe. Mike had chased us down the road and arrived only moments after us. We might have had one too many beers and we whiled away the evening talking about strangling fleeces. He had suffered the same misfortune with his purchase. We both agreed that we were missing the belligerent drunken Scousers. We have rotten throwing arms.

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 5: To Luib Chonnal

Today was going to be a big day in our TGO calendar; the evening stop was to be the first of our cheese & wine parties. There was just one problem – we had drunk nearly all the wine at Meanach bothy in the blizzard. We were also a little light in the cheese department – we had scoffed the lot.

Fortunately we had had the foresight to arrange to meet up with the excellent Veteran ‘Cheese & Winer’ Alistair Pooler. Alistair had been unlucky in the draw for places for the Challenge – missing out by a hair’s breadth – but he was still determined to join the party and was having a week up in the Highlands bagging Munros. His plan was to knock off a couple in the morning, head off down to the shops for supplies and then join us for the party.

So he generously agreed to do the shopping for us. Then there was the decision on the venue. As you will have seen from yesterday’s pictures the mountains were slathered in snow and our fine weather location for the party was to be the tiny lochan below the top of Creag Meagaidh. We had decided that this would be way above the snow line and so decided on our Foul Weather Alternative of Luib Chonnal bothy.This also had the advantage of scooping up unexpected Challengers who might be staying at the bothy. You can see both routes on the map below. (You can click on the map to make it slightly bigger in a new window.)

We set off from the bunkhouse with a rare luxury – a packed lunch – with cartons of juice, real fruit, beautiful soft filled rolls, crisps and chocolate. Of course,the novelty of real food during the day meant this didn’t last long and it was gone by elevenses. A boy needs to keep his strength up! And it was as well we did, as the walk up the burn to Tom Mor was one hell of a boggy trudge. There are no views to speak of, apart from those behind, and the ground is very hard work.

If you look at the map, you’ll notice that we missed crossing the burn and so missed the track on the other side… Oh well, it was character forming.

[HEADING UP TO TOM MOR, HAVING REGAINED THE TRACK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

However, after a rough morning, the afternoon was bloody wonderful! Tom Mor, the top of the pass, is a wonderfully boggy spot set amongst magnificent scenery and a place to linger and revel in the colossal size of Scotland’s empty places. I really adore bogs like this – unpicking the way through is marvellous fun and it’s relatively easy going as you are no longer struggling uphill. Unfortunately there was a really sharp cold wind, which meant that we decided on continuing over the top for a bit of shelter before stopping for a proper lunch.

[MAGNIFICENT TOM MOR BOG – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

The next picture is the view from our lunch stop, looking up at where he had planned to camp had there been a lot less snow. We are obviously enjoying ourselves, as the boys are smiling. Either that or it’s wind.

[LOOKING TO CREAG MEAGAIDH & THE WINDOW – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Phil has a camera with a zoom lens that allows you to count Candice & Cheryl-Anne’s freckles at half a mile. Here’s his picture, looking up to our proposed camp spot next to the Window. It was really cold and windy where were had had lunch, so it would have been interesting up there.

[PHIL'S PIC OF THE WINDOW – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

It was then a delightful amble following the burns down to the Dog Falls, crossing the streams early as they were all running quite full and fast.

[ANDY'S PIC OF DOG FALLS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

The Dog Falls are impressive – a chain of big drops  set amongst huge wild country. Andy spent quite some time videoing the Falls and so we took our time, enjoying this fabulous afternoon.

[DOG FALLS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We were making our way down to Glen Roy, but rather than take the path to Annat, we decided to cut off the corner and head pathless more directly to the bridge just before the bothy. In hindsight, this may have been a mistake, as the ground was very very hard going – rough heather and bog; Very sapping. Phil’s excellent work with the map meant we avoided the steep little gorge lower down that can trap the unwary, and we cut across a gorgeous section of moorland that would make a wonderful wildcamp.

The Parallel Roads sang out from this vantage point.

[PHIL'S PIC OF THE PARALLEL ROADS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[LOOKING ACROSS GLEN ROY – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

There were a few boggy bits to negotiate, so I’ve included one of Andy’s excellent bog pictures. It shows that this area was once covered in trees – the ancient roots are perfectly preserved in the peat.

[ANDY'S PEAT BOG PIC – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We’re still smiling in the next picture, which must have taken a bit of effort, as we had just completed the difficult boggy section after the Dog Falls. Perhaps it was relief that the day was almost over?

[PHIL'S PIC: ENROUTE TO LUIB CHONNAL – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

As is the norm, I arrived at the bothy completely shagged. Okay, it wasn’t as bad as last year, as I had been on EPO for a year and the blood count was a bit higher this time around. But I still need a little time at the end of each day to get somewhere back to normal.

Already in residence Andrew, another Challenger, had been there a little while. He was a proper rufty-tufty walker with his sights set on the hills tomorrow and he was busying himself with Naismith to see if it was possible. A lovely bloke.

Phil did his magic with the bothy stove and was pleased to see that the stove damper rock that he had provided at our last visit a few years back was still in place. There was a massive stockpile of fence posts downstairs and before long the others had sawn and split enough for the night and Phil had the stove singing. I managed to avoid all the manual labour, but truth be told I was still a bit shattered. We were warm, comfortable, fed and happy. Socks were drying on a line above the stove. Just as the last of the whisky was being drained, Alistair clambered up the stairs with a gargantuan rucksack.

From it he produced kindling, logs, (kindly supplied by Ali & Sue from Newtonmore Hostel) firelighters, newspaper, four or five bottles of wine, a bottle of port, half a dozen cheeses, and water biscuits! We are in awe of the man!

And just as we were well into things, up popped Richard who had had a big day, on the hills when the weather allowed and down again when it was poor. He was another soul on a difficult route, but he looked cheerful enough and joined in merrily. The six of us polished off all of Alistair’s provisions. Alistair said Mike Knipe was parked up a few miles down the track but as he had had a massive day he wasn’t going any further.

[PHIL'S PIC: CHEESE & WINE, LUIB CHONNAL – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

There was a lot of shuffling about down the other end of the bothy during the night, but the girls had gone by the morning.

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 4: To Tulloch

Osbert Sitwell did a fine job drying my boots overnight. I must remember to thank him when I next see him.

We woke to blizzardy showers thrashing against the bothy walls, but decided that our route over to the Lairig Leacach would be okay as it was mostly with the wind. I’ll let the pictures tell the story – but what you won’t see is the blizzard we were caught up in – but it was all good fun.

[CLICK MAP TO ENLARGE]

You really should click on some of these pictures as they are pretty good – a combination of all three of Andy’s Phil’s & my attempts at capturing the day.

[PHIL’S PIC OF BEN NEVIS FROM MEANACH BOTHY – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[PHIL & THE MAMORES – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[PHIL'S PICTURE OF THE MAMORES – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY'S PICTURE OF PHIL & ME & INCOMING BLIZZARD – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY ENROUTE TO LAIRIG LEACACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY - CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[PHIL'S PICTURE OF ANDY – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[PHIL'S PIC OF ANDY & ME & LAIRIG LEACACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We called into Lairig Leacach Bothy for an early spot of lunch, snaffled some army soft drinks that had been left and left some Mountain House meals in their place – they didn’t seem to be popular this year. Then it was straight up the side of Sgurr Innse and over the bealach on the right and down into the glorious Coire na Cabaig.

[ANDY'S PIC OF SGURR INNSE – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Coire na Cabaig is an absolute gem as you will see from the pictures below. A gushy set of streams and falls with fabulous views all the way down to Creag Meagaidh and back up the way we had come. Utterly fabulous.

[ANDY & COIRE NA CABAIG – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[COIRE NA CABAIG – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[THE BOYS, LOOKING BACK TO SGURR INNSE – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[LOOKING BACK TO SGURR INNSE – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Then we joined the line of the old tramway. In the summer, I am sure this would be an absolute delight, however, we caught it after a very wet winter and it was a waterlogged nightmare of squishy track, often completely flooded. We made heavy weather of it and to add insult to injury, you are accompanied by a barbed wire fence along its entire length. The views from it were lovely though.

Then we dropped off down to Fersit.

Now here’s a place! The path takes you past a row of homes that are barely huts – it definitely doesn’t feel like a right of way – but it is marked on the map. Even the people living there didn’t seem to know that there was a track to Tulloch. In fact, after passing the huts and what felt like someone’s drive, you come to an eight foot locked metal gate that you have to clamber over in the middle of a horrendous bog. The only thing missing was a sign saying “Beware of the leopard!”

However, once past the gate, the track is quite pleasant for a short while, whilst you shadow the route of the railway.

[ANDY'S PIC OF PATH TO TULLOCH]

Then it all went horribly wrong as we lost the line of the path in the forest plantation and had to extract ourselves by forcing our way through dense conifers down a steepish hill and then clamber through one of the most unpleasant foul-some tussocky bogs I have ever clapped eyes upon. To cap it all we then had a couple of deer fences to climb.

I arrived at the railway bridge over the river in a very poor state indeed – absolutely knackered, scratched and bleeding from the conifers and on my last legs. I almost fell into the bunkhouse.

The Tulloch Bunkhouse is very friendly, the food is very good, but it is a bit run-down. But it was a very welcome home for the night and we spent a good evening sorting ourselves out with another party of Challengers from Glasgow.