TGO Challenge, Day 3: Pean Bothy to Tomdoun

I'm typing this the morning after we got here. Yesterday was another big day ~ another eleven hour walk, a walk of about twenty miles.

We left Ron the Welshman in the bothy at Pean and headed off into the forest on the newly created track (thank goodness for that as the old line had been a swamp). We made good progress and passed where we should have camped at about 9:30.

Then its a bit of a clamber up the boggy hillside (partially spoilt by vehicle tracks turning the soil into quagmires) with wonderful views back to yesterday's ridge ~ we certainly made the right decision to turn back, as looking at the drop off from the top of Sgurr Thuilm there are some pretty nasty crags and in that wind and icy hail coupled with the rucksacks, it would have been a bit hairy.

We knew we had to get a wiggle on and so set ourselves a tight programme of walking 5km, ten minute rest and then a 10km stretch, etc etc. It's not our normal style of walking ~ all far too disciplined for these gentlemen of the road ~ but needs must etc, as we had to get to our booked hotel in time to get cleaned up and down to dinner. We made it bang on schedule. Not like us at all! we certainly know we have had two eleven hour days though.

The hotel is packed to the rafters with Challengers and two prospective Challengers as well! Louise and David (Google "Louise's Big Adventure" for her blog) were in the area nipping up scary Munros and so joined us in the dining room.

So its Monday morning and still no phone signal. Hopefully when we get to the Great Glen tonight there will be one to post the days to the blog.

My legs feel hammered, but surprisingly, the new plimsolls are fine and dandy (so far). Phil looks to be in good shape too so I suppose all is well in our worlds.