(You can click on the above map to make it bigger)
There's a lot of information on this map as I have been around here quite a few times, but the route I shall be following this May is between the red triangles, indicated by the radioactive symbols.
It starts at Stan & Bill's place at Lochcallater Lodge. This means that we might struggle for the first few miles as the night before will have been one of sex'n'drugs'n'rock'n'roll. Well - it might not have the sex. The drugs will be mostly alcohol but there will definitely be rock and roll, well into the small hours if past experience is anything to go by.
It's days like these that focus the mind, here in a bleak January evening. There is a lot to do on the fitness front as well as the lardy belly front. Lots of this days' route is trackless stuff and happily, a wonderful lot of it is glorious peat-hags! We should arrive at the point of collapse to flip the tents up at about 2300 feet above sea level, no doubt in high winds and torrential rain.
On the other hand, it could well be warm and sunny and there will be dancing girls there to soothe our tired brows and put the tents up for us and wait on us hand and foot all night.
Ooh. Now, there's lovely!
I usually have a Geisha put up my tent and prepare my food- they make good tea as well...!
ReplyDeleteIf we shimmy up 'the list', might see you at the Lodge. However, I hope to grab the only munro of our Challenge and head off slightly more north easterly. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteMy life is all ifs, buts and maybes :)
I went that way a couple of years ago - the trick, there's a narrow corridor of easy walking just near the edge before the peaty boggy bits of Ferrowe - which isn't up to Pennine standards of bogginess imho
ReplyDeleteI ought to be increasingly further South following a sleepless night at the BillandStan Show.
Word is baggermi thats not an invitation, not till I've had me tea anyway....
I too went that way - year before last when all the hags were dry, alas. Camped at Gallows Hill, where there's a handy spot with good water.
ReplyDeleteWord = teexpe. You wouldn't want to be drinking any of that in a hurry.
If you're really lucky there might not be a thick white mist all around you! (Unrelated to the night before of course!)
ReplyDeleteI suppose the word 'spingr' ought to mean something............
It's a wonderful walk along what in effect is the watershed between the two glens. We saw not another soul when Avril & I poodled across some years ago. There is an added advantage to going this way. By the time you wander down into Glen Effock, a lovely glen, you will be too tired to actually get to Tarfside so you will not have to struggle with the decision whether you should go to the Masons or not!
ReplyDeleteGrumpy
Just looking at that route has made me out of breath!
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Al!
ReplyDeleteI shall definately be going in a different direction:-)
Hi Alan, went up there in late November to bag Broad cairn (againa0 and Cairn Bannoch : I dstinctly recall looking in the direction that you are following and thinking that there didn't seem to be much land between the pools and bogs. Good Luck !
ReplyDeleteScuze the ignorance, what is the TGO Challange?
ReplyDeleteRatdog a coastal walk where you start on a coast and finish on a coast. There is mountains between them and in Alan's case alcohol gets used to help get between the start and end. Some say it is a backpacking event and some say a social gathering of like minded people. It is a organised event to cross Scotland. that should be on your to do list.
ReplyDeleteTrevor: My 'Geisha' will have to be Lord Elpus - he does make a fine cuppa.
ReplyDeleteLouise: I will keep my fingers crossed that the list moves along at pace for you.
Pieman: BillandStan's on Sunday then?
Humph: "Camped at Gallows Hill" Spooky!
Laura: I like camping in the clouds - it's very peaceful.
Grumps: Tarfside is an easy stroll for the next day to see the beautiful ladies.
Martin: out of breath? Don't take the p*** - But what is all this I hear about you doing a gurly route?
Andy: Come on in - the water's lovely. You know you want to...
Roddy: It's what makes it a challenge, isn't it? :)
Ratdog: You can find the link to the Chally website in my 'Support Groups' links at the right of this blog.
Martin: Ta for helping out - I must make more time to answer commenters properly! But with all the blogs to read.... you know the score.