TGO Challenge 2019: DAYS THREE & FOUR

DAY THREE: GLEN SULAIG BOTHY - TORNESS

The Ordnance Survey say there's a path up Glen Sulaig and over into Glen Loy which becomes a track at Achnanellan (or Achanellan if you're using a 1:25k map), a distance of about 6km. Admittedly, on the very odd occasion there is bruised grass, but never in your wildest imaginations could it be described as a path. However, the sun was shining, it was warm enough to start the day in shirtsleeves and the day ahead was not arduous.  We decide to leave at a leisurely eight thirty.

Andy forwent the ridge today to walk with his pals. There's a first for everything.

The recent weather had been kind and so the ground was gently soft. I would imagine if it had been wet this first 6km over the gentle bealach could be a bit of a morass. 

7:00AM AND IT'S ALREADY WARM

ALL SMILES

LOOKING BACK TO THE BOTHY

POSSIBLY THE PATH

JELLY BABIES & PEANUT TREATS BREAK

We had an early lunch stop at the car park a little after Achnanellan/Achanellan. All about us was the sound of birdsong, the gentle plashing of the River Loy and a breeze whistling in the silver birches. Imagine if you will, sun dappled shade and warm earth to lie upon.

And then, out of the blue we were besieged by hordes on touring bicycles. Now, I don't know about you, but if you and your London and Home Counties chums were out on your bicycles in a beautiful Scottish glen and you came across four hikers gently slumbering in the sunshine you wouldn't go about the place shouting to each other and disturbing their peace. You wouldn't stand so that your shadows fell across the otherwise blissfully happy, warm slumbering walkers, would you? No, of course not, because you're a decent sort. This crew of middle aged, entitled tossers who had no manners whatsoever obviously have different standards to you and me. 

They happily wrecked my blissful happy place for a good ten minutes before they fucked off, noisily. I just wish they had fucked off twenty minutes beforehand. I hated them. And I'm fluffy and cuddly. Honest. If I'd had one of those big red buttons I'd have happily pressed it for each of the chinless idiots so that they disappeared in one magic "Pouff!" of purple powder.

I felt djangled. I felt abused, rattled and generally pissed off. My lovely stroll down this idyllic glen had been well and truly ruined.

Andy decided he was going to find a track in the woods so that he would not have any more tarmac bashing. I assured the good fellow that according to my maps there wasn't a track to be found on this side of the river for at least another quarter of a mile. However he was having none of it and plunged in to the birch and bog in an uphill direction in search of softer ground.

I didn't see Andy for another five miles or so. I believe he had a torrid time of it fighting birch, spruce and bog for quite some time. You really mustn't laugh. It's not kind.

I'm not quite sure how but the remaining three also split three ways over the road walk. I spent a happy time lying in the woods next to the river just shy of Errocht. Phil had disappeared for a call of nature, and the VeryVeryNiceMan had ambled off in his own world.

Then there was the foot tunnel beneath the Caledonian Canal to negotiate. It's actually quite long and dark after the bright sunshine. It was also full of water to a depth of *just* below my boot cuff. I emerged blinking into the sunlight at the south eastern entrance happily dry-shod. Others in the party might not have been as fortunate. 

We finally reassembled on the cycle path alongside the Caledonian Canal as soon as was practicable. Today we were expecting to be joined by Robin for a few days together, as we had done the previous year. But there was a disaster! Robin had done his damaged knee in again and was currently hobbling around Fort William wondering what to do.

Lord Elpus took control of the situation with his customary aplomb. Robin was required to gather as much provisions as he could possibly muster for the cheese and wine party that he would no longer be able to participate in in two days' time. There was to be all manner of cheeses, various flagons of wine, some nibbles, chorizo and bread sticks. Olives! Yes, and don't forget the cashew nuts and napkins... Robin was required to do the shopping and get a taxi to join us at Torness, where we would sort it all out between us.

Of course, by the time we strolled into the campsite Robin was already there, pitched up, showered and immaculate, as only he can be. He did look to be in some considerable difficulty as he had a pronounced limp. We very generously offered him a few snifters of the drink that he had just bought, for medicinal reasons, only to realise that the Gent was off the booze as it gives him chronic migraines... He gets our Shiny Star of the Challenge Award for efforts above and beyond.

The camp site has all the facilities required but the pitches are a stony horror. Pegs can be bashed in to a total depth of a couple of inches at best. We prayed for a calm night, which was incredibly stupid thing to do as the midge promptly swarmed and we were eaten alive in the evening and the following morning.

Who should then show up but  Pooley Bridge - that incredibly nice fellow. He had tales of woe. He had been High that day and had noticed that the ridge where we intended to have our Cheese and Wine Party in two days' time was completely slathered in deep snow. This was Not Good.

After a quick conflab, a phone call was put into Challenge Control to let them know that the location of the Cheese and wine Party would be changing to the river bank opposite Melgarve Bothy. There was still time to warn party goers of this change. Very kindly, Control passed this message on to all those intending to attend.

DAY FOUR: TORNESS - GLEN TURRET

After saying our farewells to Robin our day started with an easy path through cow pastures, Now, one of the Font Two - yes Alastair had abandoned us again -  is none too good with cows and so Mad'n'Bad shooed the calves away from the mothers just to make things a little more exciting for the VeryVeryNiceMan.

After a respectful rest in barbed wire bovine-free corridor we made Glenfintaig Lodge and the lung busting tarmac climb for a few hundred yards up into Glen Gloy. It's a delightful three mile stroll up the glen on the public road and the Lord only knows how, but someone managed to snap a picture of Andy when he was actually behind us. This was a rare moment.

A RARE PICTURE OF ANDY BEHIND US

At Upper Glenfintaig Lodge Mad'n'Bad took the Andy Fine Weather Alternative route and headed once more up to a sky line to our east to meet us later in the day. This left the new Three at the Back, or perhaps a new Three at the Front. Either way we strolled up the fine track bathed in sunshine and a cooling breeze. 

A VERYVERYNICEMAN & ME

THE PARALLEL ROADS CAN BE SEEN QUITE PLAINLY HERE

At some point near the head of the glen, paths peter out and we picked our way over the shallow bealach to collect the Allt a' Chomhlain. I love this sort of country. It's a boggy tussocky sort of place within open woodland, fallen trees and meandering water courses. It's a puzzle and I adore it. I'm not sure my companions feel the same way about these places but for me it was the highlight of the day. 

Eventually a fence crosses our path, and I seem to remember a stile. It's wide open country up here with clean air, insects lizards and all sort of tiny creatures that choose to make their lives here. It was then a simple matter of collecting the upper Parallel Road where we also collected Andy, who we had seen descending from the ridge for a good half an hour beforehand. It's wonderful walking. A straightforward descent into Glen Turret later and were were very soon tucking into our suppers on a shallow river terrace.

Inroads might or might not have been made into some of the Cheese and Wine supplies, as it was deemed a sensible thing, indeed a right and proper thing to do for another day done, and well done too. We toasted Robin, Robin's knee and absent friends. There seemed to be quite a few of those to raise our glasses for and so it was deemed appropriate that a few more reserves from the Cheese & Wine Party storage facility should be released from bond.

AKTO, TRAILSTAR, NOTCH AND STATOSPIRE

TWO SMILEY CHALLENGERS. ANDY INSISTED THAT WE FINISH OFF MY WHISKY TO LIGHTEN MY LOAD

TGO Challenge 2019: DAY TWO

One of the reasons for stopping short of Glenfinnan yesterday was so that we could have a gentle stroll downhill in the morning and snaffle breakfast at the Station Buffet. This makes for a very civilised start to the day. And because we're 'Ard. And because I had realised when planning the walk that yesterday might just be a bit of a bastard. Good call, I say.

STARTING TO PACK

The shelters were smeared in a thin layer of ice this morning and Phil noticed that his new booties were also iced up. Lorks! 

Not having to prepare breakfast, we were away quite smartly and as we were passing the first hotel in Glenfinnan an awfully nice man leaned out of an upstairs window and told us of his wonderful dinner the night before, his sumptuous bed and his breakfast of smoked haddock. 

However, notwithstanding his fine dining, Alistair very quickly joined us in the buffet car for his second cooked breakfast. This place is a little gem.

THE MAN IN SEAT 61

Next stop was the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre. Just as we arrived the LaBorwitts were seen heading off eastwards. As usual on most of our Challenges, they were ahead of us. 

You may have noticed that yesterday Phil was sporting a rather trendy piece of headgear - a TGO Challenge buff. This was because he had either lost or had forgotten or he had quite possibly cooked and eaten his beautiful TGO Challenge cap when in his cups and had the munchies. However, the sartorially svelte Lord E really was not happy with this new headgear and so while he was browsing the menswear section of the Visitor Centre shop for a replacement cap, I took the opportunity for nabbing a second breakfast in the cafe. They had rather good flapjack and cakes. This was washed down with a tolerable coffee in a paper cup.

You may have guessed already, but the Front Three were by now getting a trifle twitchy as time was ticking along quite nicely. A few American backpackers who we believed were Challengers showed up but by now the Visitor Centre was filling up with bus-loads of tourists of all nationalities, and all keen to see Harry Potter's viaduct. None seemed interested in the memorial to the Jacobite Rising... 

Not being one to share his pleasures with hordes of the great unwashed, resplendent in his new blue felt cap proudly bearing SCOTLAND above the peak, Phil pronounced that it was time to get on with the day. He had provided us with a splendid route on a boardwalk through the trees that led to a forestry track, which meant that we could avoid a mile or so of road walking as we headed towards Gleann Fionnlighe. 

It was as we were walking eastwards along the quite fast A830 that one of these beauties came towards us and a Police Officer in the front passenger seat shouted at the Front Three to "Get off the Road!" The Front Three were in single file about a hundred yards in front of us and sure enough a moment or so later the same Police Officer leaned out of her window with the car almost stationary and delivered the same message in the same manner to me. 

I answered in a firm but polite tone, "No." 

The grass verge was incredibly rough and overgrown and there was far more likelihood of stumbling into the road from tripping and getting squished by oncoming traffic than walking close to the verge on a smooth surface. We could see oncoming traffic well in advance and always had the option of diving onto the verge should any vehicle pass by too closely.  

With that, the Volvo sped off, no doubt to harass another poor pedestrian. We continued happily on our way to our turn-off where we had an early lunch in the sunshine.

A VERYVERYNICEMAN

AN EVEN NICER FELLOW WITH MAD'N'BAD

LAST MAN ON THE ROPE

As we strolled up Gleann Fionnlighe the Front Three suddenly became no more. Alastair hared off to climb Gulvain as it is a Munro, and Andy decided he would take the Andy Alternative Fair Weather Route (designed just for him - I am a poppet) up the western spur of Meall Onfhaidh. This left David, Phil & me to amble alongside the Fionn Lighe, which was surprisingly hard work. 

THE FIONN LIGHE

LOOKING BACK DOWN GLEANN FIONNLIGHE

We were at the point where we had to climb up to the shallow bealach between Meall Onfhaidh and Meall a' Phubuill that I called a rest. I needed a bit of fuel and coolant to get me up this one. David seemed to be doing really well but Phil and I were bushed. Phil mooted perhaps stopping here as there was good ground for the shelters. David was keen to press on as Andy would be at the bothy and might worry if we did not show up. So David set off in very good order up the hill. The Two at the Back decided to have some more to eat and drink until we agreed that perhaps it was best if we continued on to the bothy. None of us are getting any younger... 

It was a bit of a slog to the bealach across a rough hillside in humid weather. We had another really good rest at the top, drinking our recently refilled water bottles dry. Thinking back, we'd simply been dehydrated. It's so easy to do in warm weather when you're working hard.

LORD ELPUS, A NEW CAP, ON THE BEALACH

As we set off again along the track (not marked in the OS 1:50k maps) disaster struck. One of my brand new Black Diamond walking poles literally fell to pieces. I scavenged as many parts as I could from the heather, grass and mud that I could see and stuffed them inside my pack. Walking with one pole is distinctly unpleasant. Out of balance, and out of sorts we finally made it to Glensulaig Bothy. 

Both Andy and David's tents were there, on beautifully nibbled flat grass. But they had been superstars and had cleared all the sheep and cattle shit away, leaving pristine pitches for very knackered walkers. I think I might have been too tired to thank them properly. Andy had been here for ages and David, slowed up by the Two at the Back had also been here a fair while too.

As we were recovering with a few glasses of lung inflator we discovered that Lou & Phyllis were making themselves comfortable in the bothy. Ahead of us again. Situation normal.

TOGETHER AGAIN. BEAUTIFUL WEATHER AT GLENSULAIG BOTHY

TGO Challenge 2019: DAY ONE

NOTE WELL: PLANNING YOUR OWN TGO CHALLENGE ROUTE

As regular readers will know, I usually post our route sheet and OS maps as part of my TGO Challenge blog. I believed that this tied the words and photographs together to form a more complete picture of our days. Of course, I realised that occasionally small parts of these routes would be included in other Challengers' routes in the future. Indeed, I have on the odd occasion exhorted people to go and see a particular chunk of a route for themselves as I thought it had been such a wonderful experience and I wanted other people to share in it. Usually this was because the route was not immediately obvious on the map.

A fine example of pinching a really good route was our first two days of this year's walk. I lifted the route almost wholesale from Louise's excellent write-up of her 2017 Challenge. You can find her walk HERE. However, I changed our own route slightly by stopping sooner on the first day and lengthening the second, for quite a few reasons that will become apparent when you read on.

Half the fun of the TGO Challenge is designing your own route - your own personal challenge - across the mountains and glens of the Scottish Highlands.

I was very surprised and slightly disheartened to find a month or so ago that this year a Challenger had lifted one of our routes in its entirety and had submitted their route sheet that was to all intents and purposes exactly the same as that shown here on my blog. I say I was disheartened and this is the truth. Planning your own route is tremendous fun, and only you know what you can handle each day, day after day for two weeks.

It's in my style of writing that I very often make light of how difficult a particular day may have been, whether due to terrain, weather, lack of fitness or whatever. An unwary and perhaps slightly less experienced Challenger might well struggle with the days I plan for Phil and me or conversely they may find it a complete doddle and have a less than challenging Challenge. This would be a real shame and it is certainly not in the spirit of Hamish Brown's excellent plan for the Challenge forty odd years ago.

Sadly it transpired that this was not the first time the Coordinators had received a direct copy of one of our routes.

The upshot of this is that I shall no longer include our route sheet or maps in my TGO Challenge blog posts.

This means that if you want to lift a route you'll have to do what I did with Louise's excellent report and work the route out for yourselves. This means taking a good hard look at your own maps and working out for yourself where we went. This will involve effort and evaluating the relative merits of the options that are available to you when you plan your own route and then making your choices to your heart's content.

*****

So, enough of the gloom: Let's get on to our first day of this year's TGO Challenge!


DAY ONE: FRIDAY

The condemned men ate a hearty breakfast and we agreed to assemble at the hotel reception at nine o'clock sharp so that we could sign the Challenge register and head off into the Great Outdoors. Whilst signing the register the heavens opened and there followed much scrabbling about to find and don waterproof coats and trousers. It's sweaty work climbing into rain gear indoors and so Phil, David and I headed off outside where it was bloody freezing cold.

But where was Andy? I then discovered that Andy had made a side deal with Alastair that we would all walk together today as our routes were essentially the same. However, Alastair was nowhere to be seen and was apparently upstairs packing...

Sod this for a game of soldiers. I took the customary snap of (some of) our group beneath the wonky Lochailort Inn sign and decided to head off. Andy and Alastair walk incredibly quickly so they shall jolly well catch us up. A schism! And we had no even started walking! This had to be a record.

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE FIX THE WONKY 'O'

The trudge along the main road to the hill path passed uneventfully. Fish lorries and caravans were given short shrift if they passed by too closely. Soon enough the laggards caught up and so we were finally a team of four plus one lovely fellow. Quite why this paragon of virtue wanted to be associated with our motley crew escaped me but Alastair was welcome company. Besides, he could keep Andy company in the far distance. It's sweaty work climbing alongside the Allt na Criche and the rain eased off so overtrousers were stuffed back into overstuffed rucksacks once again.

Walking with Alastair for the first day and a bit provided a pleasing symmetry as the previous year we had walked with Lynsey, his wife, for the same period of the walk.

As we climbed the views began to open up westwards, but with them came the realisation that we were in for a bout of filthy looking weather. The forecast hadn't been good and with time we realised we were in for a bit of a battering. 

THE VIEW BACK TO THE HOTEL AND LOCH AILORT

ME, A VERYVERYNICEMAN AND AN EVEN NICER FELLOW.

LOCHAN A' GHOBHAINN

THE THREE AT THE FRONT

THE TWO AT THE BACK

I'm not quite sure what the three at the front are discussing, but the two at the back are looking at the fast approaching weather and deciding to have an early lunch whilst it isn't pissing down, as there is not likely to be much shelter for lunch further on, and besides, lunch in the rain and wind doesn't sound too wonderful.

As soon as we climbed up to the three we decided on lunch as soon as possible.

Lunch was an uncustomary hurried affair or around half an hour. Whilst chewing on my cheese and cucumber I noticed that the rock architecture of our ridge is decidedly set against us.  The strata comes out of the ground almost vertically, but pointing towards us. 

LOOKING EASTWARDS

LOOKING NORTH

Our ridge is made up predominantly of metamorphosed sandstones (psammites) and mudstones (pelites) all tilted at a crazy angle due to the enormous forces caused by various geological thrusts. The map below will help explain this. You can click on it (and any of the pictures, of course) to view it at a much larger size. The rocks dipping at a very sharp angle help to produce very trying walking conditions with fierce little ups and downs that require a fair bit of zig-zagging to make best headway.

Copyright Edinburgh Geological Society.

No sooner had we packed away our lunches the temperature plummeted and the wind started in earnest. This was then followed by rain, and hail and then of course stinging pellets of snow.  At this point I decided that my delicate little pinkies required some protection. I had bought a pair of absolutely gorgeous (and expensive) gloves from this wonderful people at Arc'Teryx only a few weeks beforehand and this was to be their first use. 

Could I get the blighters on? They slip on beautifully in a nice warm shop in Picadilly, but when my hands are bitter cold and soaking wet on a freezing cold Scottish mountain, I just could not get them on. It took me a good few minutes to struggle into them. I was not happy. A lesson learned.

UNHAPPY HIKER

UNNAMED LOCHAN

LOOKING BACK DOWN TO LOCH BEORAID

LOOKING NORTH EAST TO LOCHAN TAIN MHIC DHUGAILL WITH ITS DISTINCTIVE ISLAND

We're handrailing the line of the old fence along the northern lip of the ridge and I'm finding it hard work. This softy southerner hasn't done much hill walking since last year's Challenge (all of a very few boozy days in the Lakes) and either Phil's a perfect gent and looking after me, or he's finding it all a bit of a struggle too.

I'm judging our progress by our views of the lochan on the other side of Loch Beoraid, and we appear to be crawling along... We're in and out of the very wet clouds and it's pretty cold. At least the wind is mostly behind us.

BEAUTIFULLY FOLDED METAMORPHOSED ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS.

LOOKING BACK ALONG THE RIDGE. THE SUDDEN DROPS AND CLIMBS CLEARLY VISIBLE.

THE FRONT THREE, SEEMINGLY TANTALISINGLY CLOSE

GOLGOTHA. ALASTAIR AND TWO THIEVES...

PHIL'S HAPPY, AS WE ARE FINALLY LOOKING BACK AT THE OPPOSITE LOCH

Of course, the tantalisingly close Front Three are nothing of the sort. There is another great drop and clamber between us and them, and when we finally make the top of  Glas-Charn the Front Three have descended to a more sheltered spot. It is at this point that the weather finally clears up. Praise Be!

We spend a while on top taking in the views, still mostly obliterated by soggy grey torn clouds but basking in our achievement. This had been considerably harder than we had imagined it to be, even though we knew from other Challengers that it is a tricky ridge.

LOOKING WESTWARDS

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

THE FRONT THREE DOWN BELOW.

THE TOP

Eventually we drop down to the Front Three as they head down the hill. Alastair has a hotel to catch in Glenfinnan and a wife and children to talk with on Facetime. 

Phil and I are in no particular hurry so have a lazy forty minutes eating and drinking and generally relaxing into our walk as the weather brightens considerably. The views are at last opening up again and the rugged western hills do not disappoint. But all good things have to come to an end and so eventually, reluctantly, we shoulder our packs and make our way carefully down the rough hillside. We're careful not to be suckered into the little stream gorges as they look to be tricky.

LOOKING SOUTH EAST

EAST TO SGURR AN UTHA

LOOKING SOUTH

Following the fence line down, once we're at the bottom we cross some boggy ground to collect the Allt a Feith Chatha. I'd picked out a few possible spots for our tents from satellite images and, whilst not being putting green smooth, were perfectly okay. However, there was not a sign of the Front Two (Alastair presumably having left them for fluffy towels and flat white sheets and carpet between his toes). I knew that there was likely to be few better pitches lower down the valley and then there would be the mess associated with a new hydro track. Neither Phil nor I fancied camping alongside a road with the associated Contractor's rubbish strewn all over the shop. 

OUR PROPOSED CAMPING SPOT...

Sure enough, Andy and David had parked up on the side of an 'improved' river course. Their's was a stony exposed spot within eyeshot of the new gravel road. I didn't fancy that at all. Phil & I headed up onto softer ground and made the best of it.

LOOKING DOWN THE VALLEY FROM PHIL'S PORCH

It's amazing how a few whiskies, (lung inflators) a lie down and a cuppasoup improve the mood. We toast Louise, as this had been her route, but she had walked on down to Glenfinnan to camp next to the church. She had been walking solo. Chapeau, Madame!

The Front Two pop over for after dinner drinks and  say hello and we are all Besties once again. Things are all good once more.