TGO CHALLENGE 2011: DAY 4

MONDAY 16th MAY 2011

Map & Pictures are clickable

Somewhere between Strathcarron and Cannich I managed to sell the house. The wonders of the modern mobile telephony devices! So, with a big breakfast tucked up inside, Andy & I set off in a very chipper state of mind, to see if we could open up the Bearnock Tearooms (reputedly shut) for a second breakfast.

Somewhere along the way we were overtaken by the diminutive, yet incredibly spritely, Morven Petrie, who was going like a rocket under one of the heaviest packs on the Challenge. She was not to be swayed with tales of teas and coffees and shot off into the forest, leaving Andy & me to successfully open up the tearoom for teas and coffees – “Just help yourselves, lads!” What a wonderful chap.

 

The route to Drumnadrochit is a mixture of road and forest trails and we just put our heads down and plugged away at it until we were safely sat in the pub at Drum at lunchtime for a welcome pint or two and a bowl of soup. I won't mention that we had become “temporarily misplaced” when leaving the tea-room or that we were picking bits of dead conifer plantation from the backs of our necks for the rest of the afternoon. No – we are experienced Challengers and never get lost… NO Sir!

 

I spent the afternoon on the phone to the German & French TV Station (ARD/ARTE), the BBC TV people and local newspapers, confirming arrangements for tomorrow’s “Wake for the Wild”. It seemed that they were all going to turn up! I just hoped that we had a few supporters to come as well… I couldn’t tell who would come as I had been away from a computer for the best part of a week. Worried? Me?….

 

Then it was a short amble down the road again to Temple Pier to clamber aboard the boat.

 

Rascals on a boat.

At the point of embarkation, always a tricky dismount on the old wreck of a landing stage, it was apparent that no-one had ever possessed a map of this section of the walk and so, like the Pied Piper, I led the merry band to Ault-na-goire, the wonderful Janet & Alex Sutherland's croft, with the threat of instant demise should I be leading them all the wrong way. Thankfully, I survived to arrive to tea and cakes and then to sit at their table to be treated to wonderful hospitality and good food.

 

As it was a bit midgey out there we were soon tucked up in our Wendy-houses, squidging the little blighters against the roofs of the tents.

 

Andy is a terrible snorer. Even his Wendy Warmlite looks like she is curling her lip at the prospect of another noisy night…