THE LONGEST DOG WALK IN BRITAIN

Tomorrow, Sophie & Patch will be travelling up to John O' Groats to start their hike to Land's End on Monday. Their preparation has not all been plain sailing as Patch has only just recovered from an abscess on one of his paws.

They are walking for the Dog's Trust - who care for stray and abandoned dogs. To learn more and to support them in their endeavour, pop over to Sophie's website where you will find a link to her 'JustGiving' page.

They will be using a tent in the Scottish part of the walk and then switching to a bivi bag and tarp when they abandon the midges and enter England!

All our very best wishes to Sophie and Patch!

CHALLENGE KIT: SEXY STUFF

I have lifted these pictures straight from Backpackinglight.co.uk so I hope Bob doesn't mind. They make this little pillow themselves and it weighs 62 grams (that's just a smidgeon over 2 real ounces for the metrically challenged like me)

You can have one for just under a tenner from Uncle Bob and worth it's weight in gold! I stuffed mine with my North Face soft shell and it was gorgeously comfy. The pillow, coupled with the hip flask (well, the contents of, shall we say) and you are guaranteed a wonderful snoozy night's sleep.

So thanks Bob. Sweet dreams!

TGO Challenge Report: NOW WITH PICTURES!

It's true!

I have remembered how to add pictures to my blog (after a great deal of head-scratching, which is not a good idea for a chap with a thinning pate) and so I have picked out a few from the slide show and put them in at the appropriate places in the blog posts so that they make sense and perhaps add something to the very limited narrative.

So - should you feel the urge - (you do, you do!) you can nip back over the posts of the last two weeks and see the Challenge in technicolour!

Thank you...

THE CHALLY BECKONS!

So! With the troubles of the last few days now in the past, sealed in concrete and buried far out at sea, there is a new found spring in my step; I have been busy. Having crossed Scotland on the TGO Challenge some 14 times (13 'official' ones) it should really be quite routine to get myself ready. If only it was so! But anyhow:

• The Velez has been washed and re-proofed
• The sleeping bag has been re-proofed
• The boots have been scrubbed and re-waxed
• My Glo-Worms have arrived
• I have a nice new thin fleecy thing
• The First Aid kit has been fettled.
• The Inverness food parcel has been posted to my hotel
• The food has been bought for my Dinnet parcel and 'setting off' bag
• I have new pole-tip protectors for the flight to Inverness
• The grass has been cut

At the moment, spread throughout the world, there are about a hundred 'first-timers' all checking though their gear, writing out lists of 'things to do.' Maps will be checked and re-checked. Possible accommodation lists consulted. Train and flight schedules checked. The keener devils will be packing and repacking their shiny new rucksacks, scratching their heads; wondering why it doesn't all fit in. Wondering why the all-up weight is far more than they had planned. 

Being a keen planner (it's sort of what I do for a living) I am finding myself far more relaxed now. To be honest, the last seven months have been so appallingly stressful that now I am easing back into the real world of doing things for myself.

I am not good at living alone, yet. But I am damn sure that now it will get easier.

PACKED

It's 11:50pm and I am packed.

All-up weight with four days food and a bottle of Gigondas on board is 29 lbs, packing with bad weather in mind - so a three coat carry! (A North Face Summit Series 'Zeitgeist' soft shell, a Paramo Velez and a PHD down jacket) I do hate being cold! Spare proper trousers as well! Dead posh!

The weather forecast for Torridon is not splendid - very windy with gusts of 40mph and heavy rain for Friday easing to heavy showers for Saturday... It should be a testing time for everyone - so we must be on the look-out for anyone struggling - particularly the first timers as getting them through the first few bad weather days is crucial to their success - then the weather eases to quite nice as a High Pressure system builds to the north of Scotland for a while. By then, the First-Timers will have found their 'sea-legs' and will be fine.

I don't know why, but my paperwork bag is amazingly bulky this year - with all manner of stuff I couldn't leave behind - that might get trimmed a bit tomorrow evening at Torridon! It looks as though I am carrying all my office paper-work with me! I want to leave all that behind me. My personal life is in tatters once more tonight, as with perfect timing for my holiday, Lynnie's solicitor sends me the divorce paperwork by email so it arrived this evening in my 'in-tray'!

Anyway, back in the real world out there: There will be a lot of nervous Challengers out there tonight - all apprehensively looking at the weather forecast and their Foul Weather Alternative routes.

Good luck everyone.

DAY ZERO: THURSDAY: THE GATHERING

Took off at Luton at 5 to 2 and am sitting in the Torridon Inn at 5:00pm. Joined up Britain ~ it really can work sometimes! That, of course and a really good friend prepared to drive you all the way from the airport to the Inn!

Update: It's just me & Ibbo in the pub now, getting outside another pint of Torridon ~ & splendid stuff it is too. The weather forecast has gone from awful to absolutely horrific and the rain is lashing down outside, but we are in the pub in the warm, 

It's ten to midnight and Colin is getting another pint of 'Torridon' in. Points agreed thus far:

• Andy Howell for Pope
• The present lot are no better or worse than those who will replace them
• No-one cares about Fletcher's sending off.
• Tomorrow will be hell ; especially with a head ache....

DAY ONE: FRIDAY: TORRIDON TO CRAIG

Ibbo & I started with a seaside paddle and then strode surprisingly manfully towards the 'signing out' point ~ Torridon Youth Hostel.

Over breakfast (we managed solids, just) we decided to dump our route though Coire Lair as the only thing missing from the weather forecast was blood sucking bats. This meant that Martin's carefully buried stash of Glenmorangie would have to be exhumed another time... Then Caburn manfully volunteered to take on the mountain's spiteful weather and so we handed him Martin's detailed treasure map, thinking there was no chance of ever seeing him alive again... 

We collected a bunch like minded wimps to join our stroll east towards Kinlochewe marvelling at the views of Ben Eighe. We were heading through the Coulin Pass, and very nice it was too with magnificent rain & hail showers sweeping across Sgurr Ruaidh and the hills to the west of us. Slioch to the north was shrouded in cloud.

We bundled into Gerry's bunkhouse at Craig to bag a wonderful bed and a shower (even though I had had one last week!). 

Then, enter Caburn Chamberlain ~ super hero and mountaineer, bon viveur and lounge lizard. With........ A bottle of Glenmorangie with a nice little label: "Preserved for Alan & Phil's Cheese & Wine Party to be held hereabouts on Friday 8th May 2009 ~ with compliments, A friend"

Absolutely Wonderful!

The whisky has now been consumed: Phil, Martin, Caburn and Absent friends were toasted with sufficient gravity for the occasion.

A wonderful day with memories and toasts exchanged about my mate Phil. Cheers fella!

DAY TWO: SATURDAY: TO GLEN FHIODHAIG

All walking days should be like this: Sunshine and blustery showers, huge views and raging waterfalls. It's been a walk up the valley out of Craig and then down the River Meig.

Glenuaig Lodge has very thoughtfully provided a wooden hut as a shelter for walkers ~ very timely for me as I arrived as a sharp little stormlet arrived. As I entered I was handed a very welcome cup of coffee by a Scots Challenger already in residence. Lovely!

A couple of days before he had walked from Achnashellach to his start point at Torridon and had been blown over in the wind, landing on his face; so he will forgive me but he was not a pretty sight! As the weather forecast for the actual start day was even worse than the previous day's there was no way that he was going over the top again. 

I am camped alongside Nicholas from Belgium and Pete Goddard (aka Mr Grumpy) who has the distinction of being a Vetter of Challenge routes, yet who is not quite sure if he is where he should be. So nothing new there then!

It's been Reindeer stew for dinner tonight and the heavy showers occasionally drill against the tent. I am warm and comfortable with nothing more to care about than making the soup before turning in to ready myself for another magical day tomorrow.

No phone signal here so this will be posted from somewhere tomorrow (O2 willing)

DAY THREE: SUNDAY: TO ORRIN RESERVOIR

Reading today's route sheet does summarise what it should have been like, and adding in our vetter's comments (could be rough and boggy) perhaps adds a little flavour to the day. 

But nothing prepares you for the heart-achingly beautiful views you experience ~ I was going to write 'see' there, but experience is so much more appropriate. 

(Click picture to enlarge)

Today I walked with Nick Roggen from Belgium in the morning as we climbed out of the forest (a minor route change so we didn't have to ford the Meig) and over a perfect little stalkers path, in a really good condition, over to Luipmaldrig. The views back from the bealach I have already described and when I get back home I shall add photographs to the blog.

Rolf on Bridge @ Luipmaldrig (Cick picture to enlarge)

At Luipmaldrig we bumped into Laura, Bob & Ethel (with their son) sitting against the wall having lunch in the warm sunshine ~ such a welcome change from yesterday's weather.

(Click picture to enlarge)

At this point, Nick & I collected Rolf from Holland, and this happy little international band set off to cross the rickety long suspension bridge slung over the Orrin. Then it was off up into the hills south of the Orrin to work our way eastwards. Yes, the ground was rough and it was occasionally very boggy but it was magnificent free walking with killer views back west and wonderful wild terrain all about us. We didn't see another footprint until we made our campsite at the bottom of the Allt na Criche, after first passing through a fabulous steep sided rocky gorge chock full of waterfalls, white foam dazzling in the sunshine, and glistening black rocks and the occasional sturdy little birch tree; it's leaves shining in the sun against the black rocks.

At this point we bumped into Pete Goddard again and Rolf & I decided that the surroundings were so gorgeous that we would stop here for the night even though it was only 4:30. 

Later we were joined by John & Alan to be treated with a share in a can of Tennants. Ooh ~ it were reert lovely!

DAY FOUR: MONDAY: TO BEAULY

It rained quite a bit yesterday evening, which was a shame as it would have been good to enjoy the others' company but as it was we we all busying ourselves in our tents (3 Aktos, 1 Stephensons and 1 Saunders / home-made)

It was tricky getting out of the tent at about 5 in the morning as the zips were completely frozen solid with ice. Similarly the tents were smothered in the stuff and Mr Grumpy's had a sheet of it in the dip in his ridge. Within half an hour of setting off I was in shirtsleeves in the hot sun. 

The stalkers path heading east to the south of the Orrin Reservoir is a little beauty and I almost cantered along in the sunshine. The terrain is all wild knobbly stuff a bit like the Balmacaan, but with fewer lochans. (Phil can explain that to you all)

Then it was 5 miles of water board access tracks accompanying a big concrete pipe (with a few plastic sections for the pipe-lovers out there ~ does Waggy still read this blog?) 

I bumped into Laura, from Craithie, again who was on her Foul Weather Route and so half a day or so behind. She was quite rightly undaunted and was already planning her way around it.

Then a bit of a cross-country bog hop, picking up a naked rambler to walk with in the direction of Beauly. I left him as we neared civilisation so he could don some shorts and modesty.

Currently I am holed up in a nice little hotel , bathed, washing done, and about to nip down to the bar for a G&T and dinner. Phil ~ you would like this place; it has hot water that works and a shaver light that lights up when you pull the chord. 

I like Scotland when it works!

DAY FOUR; RESTAURANT

Okay ~ the foodies in the congregation need to know, and I am on my own in a foreign restaurant.

To summarise: This beats MacDonalds for speed! The back bar is dire ~ full of knuckle dragging old fashioned, totally missing the point, died in the wool, anti-tourist fascists. The naked Scot on a bad day is a joy to behold; worse than an East London Skin-head in his aged prime. Strangely though, when challenged about his knuckle dragging Anglo phobia he reverts to his Rab C Nesbit adopted alter-ego character and admits to being just slightly 'pished'.

So that's okay then ~ another mindless knob to pass by on the other side of the road. The world is full of them; this one just decides to excel himself on my holiday.

The waitresses spray my table with a bottle marked 'wooden tables' to ensure it is clean and so that I will never discover the smell of my meal. As far as I can tell, the Aberdeen Angus steak is tasty but totally swamped with unnecessary side dishes. The Chianti is robust and gets you there. The Haggis was great but if you let him, the chef would have drowned it in sauce. Our Gordon would have a field-day here, but on the whole it's good fare served in a lumpen fashion. (Why do they insist on making heavy waitresses wear flat shoes on a sprung floor? It sounds like the Panzers are breaking through in the Battle of the Bulge!)

I only whinge like this because there are those in the congregation who like it. Personally, I would never go there out of choice...

Oh No! Never! Really madame!

DAY FIVE: TO INVERNESS

Weather: Beeyootiful. Company: First class. Walk: Surprisingly lovely ~ the map really doesn't give you any clues to how gorgeous it will be. 

I set out from Beauly in a better frame of mind than I was in in the restaurant. (If only chefs would cook good ingredients simply, then Scottish food would be immeasurably better!) 

I collected Rolf as I passed Lovat Bridge campsite, which by all accounts is a real dump! We strolled uphill on minor roads between huge beech trees, newly dressed. At night these giants are like ghosts in the moonlight.

It was hot as we laboured up the hill on a new forestry road and then the small path petered out so Rolf and I bog-hopped our way over to the Great Glen Way, That walk looks like an anaesthetised, anodyne sort of effort and within a few minutes we had bumped into Alan & John again, who had a far better plan of walking down to a tea-house at Dochgarroch on the Caledonian Canal. We were soon supping home-made lemonades in their garden in the hot sunshine and having a really tasty lunch. 

Then we all happily strolled along between the canal and the river, into Inverness: What a wonderful little city ~ the parks are full of play spaces, trees are turned into sea monsters and simple ditch bridges are works of art. The place has a sense of purpose; pride. Leeds must have been like this a few hundred years ago.

I have bumped into Nick Roggen again and had dinner with the naked rambler and the Rambling Dutchman. It has been a great day and tomorrow I need to buy more bread, cheese and wine as the weather forecast is good and I am off to Culloden on my cultural tour.

DAY SIX: CULLODEN

Culloden is a place in Scots history that seems, to the foreigner, to be scored deep into the national mindset. Over the years, the English have made so many enemies, that perhaps to us, Culloden is just another battle we fought. 

It was a great deal more complicated than the English vs the Scots ~ there were Irish and French here as well and Scot fighting Scot. The upshot was it was a complete disaster for the Jacobite cause and virtually marked the end of the way Scotland was governed. Over 1500 Jacobites lost their lives in the battle, most buried in mass graves on this bleak boggy battlefield.

The site is managed by the National Trust for Scotland and it is well worth the detour on my Challenge walk. A sobering spot in my day and a place I shall always remember.

DAY SIX: WEDNESDAY ~ SUMMARY

After a pint of something tasty at Culloden I ambled round to have a look at the Clava Cairns; and I am glad I did. Fortunately I had them to myself as one mini-bus was leaving as I arrived and the next arrived as I left.

It's an atmospheric place enhanced by the Victorians having planted beech and birch trees to surround the site. There are three very large hollow cairns made of large cobbles and dressed stone ~ with a variety of stones used. Two of the cairns have narrow entrance passages, the central cairn is a solid ring. The visitor boards suggest reasons for the alignment of the cairns and also link them to the cairn at Corriemoney (near Struy). It's a fascinating place and well worth a look.

After the culture it was on to the meat of today's walk; no messing about, straight up Beinn Bhuide Mhor and then an exhilarating yomp across 5km of open moorland about 600m up. It sounds easy put like that but it was hard graft but the views and the feeling of isolation and space were magnificent. Lord Elpus would have loved it: Great route, fella!

I hit the track down off the moor spot on and then it was just a nice stroll down the track to this evenings stop in a little open bothy, which is very smart indeed.

My feet ache a bit with the bog hopping, but a good cup of tea is sorting them out. Tomorrow is a bigger day so I had better get a good night's rest. I have my bed all set up on the magnificent table, as this looks to be a bit of a frost pocket and tonight is going to be very cold.

A bloody great day ~ Good Planning, Phil!

DAY SEVEN: THURSDAY: TO GRANTOWN ON SPEY

I thought this was going to be a tough one when I looked at the map last night... If it sounds like this is a surprise to me, you must remember that Phil planned the route and I was happy to bimble along with him ~ after all said and done, he is quite good at it! 

So I left my little estate bothy perched high above the Findhorn at 7:35 and that's quite early for me. It was already quite warm. The Findhorn River hereabouts is quite, quite serene and it almost seemed a shame to cross it ~ I should have lingered on the bankside and watched the oyster catchers. But instead, shamefully, I pressed on up the hill and over the top. 

On the way down the other side a young man in an estate landrover (with rifle strapped behind his seat) pulled up alongside; he was looking to see how the grouse were doing and by all accounts they are doing well this year ~ he had seen quite a few nests where a dozen or so chicks had all hatched successfully. It was now a question of them surviving the predators.

I popped into another estate bothy for a morning coffee and then toddled off to the next bothy (there are zillions hereabouts!) where I learned inside of a young Royal Navy Airman, of just 19 years old who crashed in his Seahawk very close by and died in the flames, despite the best efforts of the shepherd who was in the bothy at the time. It was almost 50 years to the day since it happened. There is no memorial at the spot; just some tangled wreckage. The encapsulated note on the bothy wall made for quiet reading.

Onward! To Knockdu, which was a sad little place, with it's eyes poked out, on the other bank of the stream. Then a bit of a sapping cross country bog hop and clamber out to a road for a glorious few km before leaving Lochindorb (a peaceful spot with a mob of curlew) and thence heading south on an LRT.

Then it was a bit of a nightmare: I just could not find the path (and neither could two other Challengers, Ant & Doug, half a day ahead of me) so it was a very rough, tough bog hop for three miles until another LRT was reached. Plain sailing subsequently but I arrived at the campsite at Grantown a bit knackered.

I suppose this is what it's all about; a Challenge.

Anyway after 17.5 miles I am safe and well in a very good Indian Restaurant having bathed, washed the smalls and having rung 'Challenge Control'. 

I must now look at tomorrow's route to see if I can have a 'lie-in'. Somehow, I doubt it!

DAY EIGHT; FRIDAY: TO TOMINTOUL

I am writing this up inside Wanda: It's not very nice out there; not very nice at all! The rain is thrashing down with the force of very strong winds indeed and I have taken shelter in a little wood, care of the Glenlivet Estate. You can hear the wind coming at you through the trees like an express train approaching the station at full speed! At least there is less wind here low down in the wood but there is the danger of falling branches. Maybe it has the blood-sucking bats held in reserve if the rain and winds don't get me?

Mains of Cromdale roadbridge

Today was another longish one; about 17 miles when you take into account my route over the Hills of Cromdale. They don't do ordinary paths around these parts, see, only LRT's for the shooters: I suppose not many people actually walk these hills, so those shown on the OS maps are purely an historical record. The weather was pretty hellish going up and over the Hills of Cromdale and the ground conditions were very tough - lots of sapping bog, tussock and deep soaking heather. I got down the other side mightily relieved that they were 'done'.

Anyway, the day's done and I bought a nice bottle of wine and a superb 1991 Double Matured Lagavulin for tomorrow night from the silver tongued whisky salesman in the Whisky Shop in Tomintoul. You could die a happy man in that shop! 

The phone battery is now very low, so that's all tonight! I'll just take a sip or two of that Lagavulin before turning in....

DAY NINE: SATURDAY: TO RIVER GAIRN

You wouldn't have liked last night; reert tasty weather, but Colin (another Challenger) and I bravely took on Scotland's best shitty weather ~ and I really DO mean 'shitty' and overcame it in our little plastic Wendy-houses. We met some Challenge folk this morning who had braved it from their B&B's. We shall not name them, but if you ask Peter & Ursula, they will be able to point them out to you.

Today Lord Elpus had kindly designed an FWA (foul weather alternative route) and just as well too, as the weather was indeed 'alternative'. Fortunately this had the advantage of shortening the day by a mile or two, which meant that I was tucking in to the cheese and wine a bit earlier than planned.

It was just as well that no-one turned up for the cheese and wine, 'cos the wine is now all gone and Peter, Ursula & I had made inroads into the super-dooper Lagavulin for elevenses...

Ursula, Peter & Colin

Today's route? You can't tell me you read this nonsense for route-stuff, can you? Okay ~ it was up the River Avon (pronounced Aarn for non-Scottish types) passing glorious scenery with coos & sheep & baa-lambs and the like, which was all heading South for some obscure reason only known to Phil until I finally found a track heading east once more (that's the object of the Chally; to head east) until I got to a point on the River Gairn, appropriately at a ruin, so I could stop to flip up Wanda and await the massed ranks of bon-viveurs. 

Which brings you bang up to date with the here and now. Me, slightly light-headed in my little tent in the thick cloud, with the rain once more thrashing against the sil-nylon.

It's what it's all about, really.

DAY TEN: SUNDAY: TO BALLATER

Daldownie Bridge, River Gairn

I arrived here early lunchtime and had a wash. That may not seem of interest to the great unwashed but to those who have been sweating their way to get here, well, it's of great import. I have had a wash, it was lovely. Okay? 

So ~ we are here (sorry, but "I" have suddenly been increased to "we") at Ballater by six quintillion zillion ~ all sorts have arrived; the walking wounded and the terminally insane (those who have completed quite a few Challenges)

There are now over a dozen here and we have spilled out from the restaurant. More later!

DAY ELEVEN: MONDAY: TO DINNET

I meant to post a bit more last night, but events took over. Big Darren hitched a lift with Peter & Kate Lumley to come and see the Ballater party after having taken part in the Braemar party the previous night. The Challengers just kept coming ~ from a table for two (Bob Ward & me) it mushroomed to about twenty. The Alexandra Hotel coped with us all admirably. 

This morning was a bit tricky and I breakfasted daintily in the cafe. There was no rush as there were just 11km to Dinnet along the cycleway. A bacon & egg roll with a latte settled the system down. 

Me, Dave Wishart, His Holiness the Incredibly Irreverend Dave & Fragrant Sue (Ali’s Picture)

The fragrant Sue, the slightly crocked but wonderful Ali, and His Holiness the Very Irreverend Dave arrived to confuse the hell out of the cafe's proprietor - I think that everyone got what they ordered ~ they seemed ravenous!

So now I am lying in luxury on a four-poster, bathed and all the clothes steaming on the radiators. The menu here is first class and so tonight's fare should be wonderful. 

We must now spare a thought for the Ballater Challengers that set off for Mt. Keen. It has been pouring down with rain and there were quite a few big claps of thunder! There's not much shelter up there... 

Ooh dear!

DAY TWELVE: TO FEUGHSIDE INN

Big day: Along the old railway line to Aboyne (now called the Deeside Way) after a bloody lovely brekky at the Loch Kinord Hotel. I should mention that I was not alone last night ~ I had unexpected company in the form of Rolf from Holland and Colin & Shirley from (mainly) Ingerland. 

The grub was gorgeous; the company capacious. We went to bed totally happy and knackered.

Today was okay; the forecast was a lot worse than the actual weather and Colin soon caught me up on the way to Feughside (be very careful how you pronounce that!)

A bit like "Police Squad," our boss was already there; Mr Grumpy all pitched up at the campsite so we strolled down to the pub mid afternoon and have been here ever since. It's a great spot and we have been watching the storm clouds dragging themselves across the hills to the south of us all afternoon. Terrible!

Marie D arrived all patched up after being knocked about near Lochnagar but she is made of the right stuff and with a bit of dental help will be fine for her daughter's wedding in a few week's time.

This really is a great spot (have I said that already?) and strangely it's not the sort of place you would pick out from a map to go and see.

Having a great time, Phil, ~ wish you were here!

DAY THIRTEEN: TO TEWEL

Another cracking day, Grommit! Mr Grumpy & I were the last to leave the campsite this morning at quite a respectable 8:00am ; the others had all hurried off, perhaps because quite a few were trying to get to the coast today. Grumps & I took a more leisurely approach as I had only 16 miles to do to our overnight spots.

I don't know why the Fetterresso Forest holds such terrors to Challengers because it's no better or worse mapped than any other forest in Scotland. Today it was quite lovely, with warm sunshine and cooling breezes. Buzzards, snipe, curlew, lapwings and loads of LBJ's to accompany my wandering through the woods.

I was having a late elevenses (or was it an early lunch?) of 'tuna with a twist' with bread and cheese with a small nip of Lagavulin when down the track came a familiar silhouette ~ Bob Ward. He had come to this same spot from Charr bothy. I had started with Bob at Torridon (he had badly bashed his face the previous day walking from Strathcarron to Torridon), bumped into him again at Ballater and so we walked on together for the last part of my day's walk. Bob was carrying on to Stonehaven ~ that's quite a big day from Charr.

Still, he's been round the block a few times now - I think this is his twelth Challenge. A thoroughly good bloke.

So I arrived at my B&B at 2:30 in the afternoon to see the farmer bottle feeding three lambs ~ all very bucolic and good for the soul. 

It's a couple of hours to my finishing point tomorrow morning~ Dunnottar Castle and then a stroll along the cliff tops into Stonehaven to catch a train to sign in at Montrose. 

I have enjoyed the walk this year. It's been a different sort of walk on two-counts: Firstly it was the most northerly route of my fourteen official crossings, which meant fewer big hills. But the walk has been tough, all the same as there were loads of trackless boggy sections, sometimes in very trying conditions.

Secondly, I was walking solo for great chunks of it, which I am used to obviously, from my LEJOG walk. However there were days when I bumped into some wonderful characters and then time flew by very quickly.

I am physically quite tired, but mentally refreshed; ready now to take on and sort out the problems back home. I need to be in good fettle as in the next five months two of our children are getting married, which is a wonderful time to look forward to. 

Sorry if this is a longer than normal post, but tomorrow you probably won't get too much sense out of me as it's the Party for the Challengers in Montrose and I intend to have a great time. 

Lastly, thanks to Phil for organising a wonderful route and first class accommodation and travel arrangements. I know he will have missed walking it this year, but Phil, it doesn't matter, fella, as long as you can make the next ten years. 

All the very best to everyone,

Alan

DAY FOURTEEN: TO CASTLE BAY

That's it then; another Chally finished. I'm in the Park Hotel Bar, it's gone midnight and I am all okay. 

Waggy is playing his harmonica against the noise of the piped music. The dinner is done. The toasts have all been toasted. Friends have re-met after perhaps a few years of missing each other, but it's like they have been apart for only a few days. 

Conversations flow freely and the shoulders are loose; relaxed.

I arrived this morning at Dunnotter Castle and made my lonely little way down to Castle Bay, to paddle in the North Sea and take the obligatory photo of my boots in the sea. The weather was perfect; warm sunshine and fluffy little clouds. I was earlier than planned, but at this exact moment, Phil rang ~ he knew I would be there ~ top bloke!

I strolled along the cliff path heading for the fleshpots of Stonehaven, when coming in the opposite direction was a shambling silhouette of the best dressed Challenger; Humphrey. He wears silk vests and cashmere sweaters. We sat on the cliff path together and finished off the last of the Lagavulin ~ all quite perfect.

We were then joined by Peter & Ursula ~ a good day for Peter as he had just completed his tenth crossing.

Then a sprightly bus journey via all sorts of good looking finishing points for the next few years... Aagh! I was already mentally planning next year's walk! 

Back to the present and it's now 3:30am and we have put to bed the last of the unconscious!

A great walk, with good company and a great family party to finish with. Many thanks to Uncle Roger and his magnificent team.

TGO CHALLENGE SLIDE SHOW

The weather wasn't great for quite a bit of the Challenge this year, but I have managed to cobble together some pictures to make a slide show over on my Picassa web Album.

You can find the slide show by clicking HERE

You can alter the times taken to view each picture or run through them manually if you so desire. If the moment takes you you can download the full strength version as well. (Some of the file sizes are rather large so you might only want to do this if you have a broadband connection) 

Any way, I enjoyed taking the pictures and they take me back there instantly!