TGO CHALLENGE 2011: DAY 14: Roger, Over & Out

 

MAPS & PICTURES ARE CLICKABLE

You can see from the map that today is a gentle doddle down to St Cyrus. I walked it as I had started this year’s Challenge, with Andy, and so Dave, Andy and I made short work of it. Loads of Challengers were already on their way up the cliffs at the coast as we were making our way down but there was plenty of time.

 

Here are some pictures of the finish:

So, photos taken down on the beach, we took our time climbing  back up the cliff path, having another of Andy’s miraculously appearing beers and finishing off a hefty fruit cake on the ‘halfway up’ bench. It was good to sit there in the peace and quiet with just the sound of gulls and rushing winds, taking it all in.

This year’s walk had indeed been quite a tough one, mainly because of the weather. The weather was only really rotten for one day, the second Monday but it had been tough because there were so many days with continual soakings and heavy winds; each day not in itself arduous but cumulatively they add up to a bit of a struggle.

The winds had been high and some river crossings particularly memorable. The buffeting had taken it’s toll of some very experienced Challengers; there’s not a lot you can do if you have damaged your leg or back after taking a tumble because of the high winds. However, I am sure they will all be back again next year, if pulled from John’s hat, to have another crack at it.

This was a year for the triumph of first-timers: Those who made it across in these conditions really deserve great praise as I am sure there must have been times when it was all getting a bit too much. It takes grit and a bit of character to get through those days.

Andy & I shook hands, hoisted our packs again and made our way to the bus stop to join a dozen or so wind-blasted smiley Challengers on their way to Montrose for the big party.

Dave left us at the Park Hotel, to start his drive home, at last sitting in comfort, rather than staggering about on his blisters. I think we broke him. But he’s a regular guy and made of the right stuff. Shall we see him applying next year for the proper job? If he can get through two nights ferocious drinking at Braemar & Stan & Bill’s and then toddle all the way on blisters, I reckon he should be ‘up for it.’ We shall see!

I toddled off to Montrose campsite (quite a nice place really, even though it is overlooked by a monstrous great grey factory) to be treated to cups of tea and biscuits from Ron Reynolds and a bit of a lie-down. Ali Ashton popped her head into Wanda and noticed my horribly swollen ankles with nasty purple bruises:

One of the bi-products of seeing the hospital consultant a few days before the trip (apart from being given a list of foods that would surely do me in) was a change in medication, which had caused severe swelling of my ankles. Doc Ali noticed this and told me to go back and ask for “Lozozoz” (or something like that) instead, which wouldn’t make my ankles look like those of an elephant. (And Indeed I did, Ali, and they recognised the name from that phonetic approximation and have subsequently switched me to that wonder drug and now my ankles are slowly returning to their original gurly slimness.)

So it was back on with the shoes after a shower and shave, and off to the party at the Park Hotel.

This was the last time that Roger Smith was to co-ordinate this wonderful event. Roger was the very first editor of TGO Magazine – or “The Great Outdoors” as it was then known. Thirty three years ago he was approached by Hamish Brown – an inspirational figure in the outdoor world – with an idea for a self-supported backpacking event across Scotland. Hamish had all the details worked out and Roger ran with it. He has been the coordinator of this magnificent event for twenty of those years.

There were speeches from Hamish, Cameron McNeish, (the recently retired editor), John Manning (who is taking over as co-ordinator), Emily Rodway (the new editor) and John Donohoe, on behalf of the loyal band of Vetters.

A bunch of ordinary Challengers had got behind a great idea from Humphrey Weightman: At every start point on the west coast, Challengers were invited to sign an A4 piece of blank card and donate a little cash to go towards a ‘thank you’ to Roger Smith. These dozen bits of card were then carried, some a bit battered and occasionally getting a soaking, all the way across Scotland to be bound together by Humph at the Park Hotel at Montrose: Surely an appropriate way for the Challengers to thank a wonderful man.

The card was presented to Roger by Ron Reynolds (the senior finisher this year with 23 crossings under his belt), Louise Evans, (a first-timer whose birthday it was today) and Humphrey himself, who had just completed his tenth Challenge. Roger was also given a gift – a glass artwork etched with the simple message:

“To Roger, with all our love from your Challenge family. May 2011”

Humphrey & I would like to thank all the collectors from each start point, who made sure this all happened. We managed to collect a tidy sum that covered the cost of the presents to Roger (& Patricia, his wife) with a little left over.

Roger Smith: The True Challenge Legend.