TGO Challenge 2014: Part 1: Leaving the city behind.

One moment you’re strolling through London’s warm & sunny West End, surrounded by pretty girls in summer frocks all staring into their iPhones. Incongruously dressed in zippy walking trousers, great big boots and a rucksack armed to the teeth with pointy walking poles, you thread your way up Piccadilly, Charing Cross Road and over to the British Museum, zig-zagging your way happily through beautiful Bloomsbury, to the Bree Louise.

Seemingly moments later, you’re absolutely shattered and up to your thighs in a freezing cold river with your boots slung around your neck.

What the hell happened in-between?

BORIS BIKES – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

“COMING SOON!” – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

TREES – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

CLIFF FACE: IS IT ME, OR HAS THIS BEEN BUILT UPSIDE DOWN? – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

COSY LONDON BOOZER - THE BREE LOUISE: CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

THE BREE LOUISE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

PHIL & ANDY, THE CALEDONIAN SLEEPER TO FORT WILLIAM – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

08:30 BREAKFAST NEAR RANNOCH STATION (PHOTO LIFTED FROM JEREMY BURROWS)

 

"THEY WERE THIS BIG!" – CLICK TO ENLARGE (WHOOPS!)

 

GOOD ADVICE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

NATURAL APPREHENSION - CRAIG GULLEY – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

SOLE MATES? THIS MIGHT JUST BE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE

 

THE END OF CIVILISATION – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

QUIZ NIGHT WINNERS. HERE’S A TIP: DON’T WIN THE LOCALS’ QUIZ, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ONLY START HALFWAY THROUGH…

 

MALLAIG – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

MALLAIG – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

MALLAIG – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

ANDREW MODELS HIS NEW "STEALTH" JACKET – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

KNOYDART BOUND – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

EMMA, SMILING – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

PHIL'S EXCELLENT PICTURE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

WELCOME TO KNOYDART: WE'D BEST GO BACK THEN. [PHIL'S PICTURE]

 

^{THE WESTERN ISLES AT KNOYDART PIER – CLICK TO ENLARGE}

 

PHIL’S PICTURE

 

THE OLD FORGE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

HAPPY

 

EVERYONE SMILING (THEY'RE IN A PUB) – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

JUST THE THREE THEN? – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

OUTSIDE THE OLD FORGE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

WE HAD DONE OVER A HUNDRED YARDS – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

LEAVING INVERIE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

BROCKET MEMORIAL – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

THE TRACK TO BARRISDALE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

HEADING TOWARDS SOURLIES [WITH ANDREW WEARING HIS WW1 BATTLESHIP CAMO TROUSERS] – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

PHIL'S PICTURE [IN THOSE TROUSERS YOU CAN’T TELL WHICH WAY ANDY’S WALKING] – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

CLIMBING TOWARDS THE BEALACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

VICKY SORE AT THE BEALACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

RIVER CARNACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

PHIL’S PICTURE: FURTHER UP RIVER CARNACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

PHIL’S PICTURE: CROSSING THE CARNACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE

In the blink of an eye, while you scrolled down this page, we had transmogrified from Smart London Strollers to Clapped-Out Raggedy Highland River Ruffians. The Challenge was afoot!

TENT CITY, RIVER CARNACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE