TGO Reprise: DAY 14

 Phil: Nether Warburton

Me: Nether Warburton

TGO Reprise: DAY 12

Shirl: at the ruin on the Water of Unich

Phil & Shirl: Shank of Inchgrundle & Loch Lee

TGO Reprise: DAY 11

Shirl, freezing on Broad Cairn

Me & Phil on Broad Cairn

Phil (he's Tiny!), Andy & Ian on the way to a Cheese & Wine.

Glen Doll

The Cheese & Wine Ten. 2 deg C with a light drizzle. Perfick!

TGO Reprise: DAY 10

Jamie(the Bastard), Natasha, Phil, Morpeth, Will, Jim & Gerry @ Stan & Bill's

Shirl, Morpeth & John: Stan & Bill's (quite, quite late on)

TGO Reprise: DAY 8

Phil and the River Feshie

JJ & Phil: Rerouted Cheese & Wine Soiree

TGO Reprise: DAY 7

Phil, Margaret & David

Phil, Margaret & David at the Wade Bridge near Phones

TGO Reprise: DAY 6

Luib Chonnal

This morning's ridge, had the weather forecast had been fine

Phil, and Loch Spey

Phil, Heading for Shesgnan

Phil heading for a beer (all smiley...)

TGO Reprise: DAY 5

Climbing out of the Faerie Glen.

And down into Glen Turrett

Glen Turrett

Phil on the way to Luib Chonnal

TGO Reprise: DAY 4

Phil & JJ rounding the shoulder of Ben Tee.

Andy, rounding Ben Tee, with incoming shower.

Ben Nevis, from above Laggan Locks

Onboard the Eagle: Ron, Andy & Phil

TGO Reprise: DAY 3

Glen Pean, walking through the forest

Tree Lanterns, Pean Forest

Yesterday's ridge showing the awkward drop off Sgurr Thuilm, from today's climb.

Phil in the huge Glen Kingie

TGO Reprise: DAY 2

Glen Pean; Andy & JJ

Ruin & Loch Morar

Phil, going up Sgurr nan Choireachan

The view before the Snow & Hail Storm, on Sgurr nan Choireachan

TGO Reprise: Day 1

Loch Beoraid, Shower

Afternoon vista. Heaven on Earth.

Phil & Loch Morar

Trees (!)

Loch Morar, Evening

Oban Bothy, camping

Oban Bothy

TGO Reprise: Day 0

Challenge Ladies' Men: Russ hands over the baton to Will at Queen Street Station

Home!

Me, at Nether Warburton, minus most of the belly!

Nine Pounds! Yes a whole nine pounds have miraculously disappeared from the frame. And it has to be said, mostly from the comedy belly. Strange really, as Phil & I did our very best to put on the liquid pounds whenever we hit civilisation.

I might revisit some of the days to recount what went on in dreadful technicolor (not really possible on the live blog) on the more colourful days alongside a few of the photographs. Most were taken on the first half of the walk. With a bit of luck, you should be able to click on them to see them in all their splendour (or not).

It's strange being back looking at the pictures - they all seem to be from years ago now but it was an incredibly happy two weeks. Ho hum!

TGO Challenge: DAYS 13 & 14; Tarfside to Nether Warburton

Leaving Tarfside is always a wrench ~ the volunteer ladies at St Drostan's look aftr us all so wonderfully and the impromptu pub at the Masons was as good as it ever has been, with Croydon, Gerry & JJ leading the singing and some good turns by others (notably Jim)

First stop, The Retreat, for the all important second breakfast, and then a delightful amble down the North Esk with Phil & Shirl following the "Blue Door" walk. I cannot even begin to tell you what a delightful stroll this is, but even though it was raining, quite heavily at time, we remained dry beneath the beautiful trees, on a path cut by French prisoners of war from Napoleonic times.

Edzell coped with the Challenge Caravan with it's usual efficiency and the Tuck Inn did a roaring trade.

It was quite late as we plodded down the Airfield Road to North Water Bridge to camp, yet Phil still managed to gather up the smelly smalls and get it all washed and dried. A bit of a star!

Today it was just the last few miles to the coast and we had picked Nether Warburton as it was in the bay of St Cyrus ~ a National Nature Reserve. So, just the two of us walked down the beach to the sea, shook hands and headed off to the fleshpots of Montrose, where we will party tonight.

This has been Phil's eighth "official" Challenge, and I am delighted to report that (even after his Immodium moments on the first day) he coped magnificently and is indeed in rude health once more.

So ~ Thank you Phil: For organising this year, and for still being around for us all and being such a great friend.

I shall now go down to the bar and abuse him roundly all night for dragging me over miles & miles of mountains & bogs. It's what mates do.

TGO Challenge: Day 12: Water of Unich to Tarfside

Well then (that's an unprepossessing start that is and it's all down hill from here)

This is being written in the Mason's at Tarfside and I'm starting it at 10:15 at night after arriving here at before 2:00pm. All is well with our worlds, as you can imagine. Hic.

I shall have to canter though the last two days, which is probably just as well as a lot of it is best erased (as is most of this "live" blog as it is mostly written late at night)

The party at Stan & Bill's at Calatter Lodge was, even by Challenge standards, quite a night. Challengers who had pitched their tents awoke to find themselves on the parlour sofa in front of the dying embers, with a big day to come.

We walked a "Bloody Massive" walk (and the capitals are very important here) over zillions of Munros and even BIGGER hills and miles and miles of sapping bogs. And at the end of it we dragged some ten poor unfortunates to a bleak little spot in the middle of Absolutely Nowhere to put the tents up next to the Water of Unich at about 750m above anything like a sensible sea level.

Everyone had brought wine. Everyone had brought cheese. Some, wisely, had brought biscuits and sloe gin and cafitierres (not sure how that is spelled).

It was two degrees and a bit drizzly, but that has never stopped a good cheese & wine soiree.

I will draw a veil over the proceedings. What happens on the Chally stays on the Chally. I do remember almost falling into the river and having a near death drowning incident.

On the way to the location, Phil commented on the haunting nature of the stravaig. He kept hearing awful moaning and wailing from somewhere far behind him as he strode manfully at the fore, leaving his fellow travellers in his wake. And it almost was his wake, such was the degree of difficulty of this particular walk. It were a "Right Bastard" of a stroll.

So the relief at finishing it was so great that ten exhausted Challengers leapt into their cups of wine and barrels of cheese and all had a happy time. We retired with the temperature plummeting to well below freezing, but blissfully happy. (But still blaming Bastard Phil for an awful day's walk)

By comparison, today was a doddle, strolling down the Water of Unich, splashing across and heading uphill to gain the summit of some hill or other to crash down to almost bloody sea level with knee grinding drops.

So, bloody hell! Here we are in the Masons with JJ singing, the dogs barking and Challengers all sunburned and smiley.

Life is bloody good!

TGO Challenge: DAY 10; Braemar

We 'did' the Fife Arms yesterday afternoon and the Hungry Highlander. Then Braemar Mountain Sports (what an excellent shop) for new black Superfeet insoles for the plimsolls. Then (finally) the the B&B for a much needed shower and shave, because, then, as we hadn't done enough exercise so far on this walk, limbered up for the dancing at the Saturday evening bash at the Moorfield Hotel with the star attraction of "Bingo Wings" ~ the "best rock band in Braemar ~ the only rock band in Braemar"

They were quite splendid and pints of Stag were dealt with and dancing done. Too much dancing in fact, as this morning, for the first time on the walk, my legs are now aching.

We are now to be found sat, sitting, in the nice little tea shop called "Taste" drinking ginger beer and red berry tea (surprisingly good) with the Sunday papers, relaxing.

Our washing is humming away in a tumble drier. A nice Jura in the rucksack for the party at Stan & Bills, a good white and a reasonable red and some strong cheddar on board for Monday's Cheese & Wine Soiree at the Water of Unich.

We are both in good order and in fine form. All is well in our worlds.

TGO Challenge: Day 9; Middle of Nowhere to Braemar

Yes! made it to the Fife Arms. In good order too! Then the Hungry Highlander for chis and fips and then our B&B for a well needed wash.

And now it's off to the Moorfield Hotel for the Chally Saturday Bash. More tomorrow.

Toodle pip!

TGO Challenge: Day 8; Kingussie to Middle of Nowhere

Today's subjects of conversation ranged from Rablelais to Rectums. That's not far in the dictionary or, in fact, in subject matters ~ both topics are close to Lord Elpus's heart.

And so we find ourselves pitched up in the middle of sod-all with JJ, after the big bend in the Feshie and a bit along the Geldie Burn, with huge cloud masses above and half a moon.

The Eidart gorge was massively powerful ~ it's awe inspiring stuff. We met the bothy keeper in the Feshie bothy; an interesting study for the psychologists in the congregation, or perhaps the forensic scientists if they ever discover the bodies.

The weather forecast was for increasing humidity and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Being a bit of a wuss, I opted to avoid the Moine Mhor and head up the Feshie instead. It was massively humid and we toiled along with the additional burden of fine cheeses and wines. Happily we bumped into JJ at the Eidart bridge and so we rolled along a few clicks before flipping up the Wendy houses-at 6:30.

Looking northwards, towards Loch nan Stuirteag (where our first cheese and wine soiree was due to be held), I believe we made the right choice: It's as black as hell up there, but so far, no thunderstorms.

And so tomorrow is another day, with an easyish trip down to Braemar (Did I tell you that we are three and a half Suffolks high here?)

Tonight has seen off a reasonable Beaujolais Villages, and Aussie Sauvignon Blanc (surprisingly good) and JJ's "Rusty Nail" along with two smoked cheeses and a Rebluchon, with wholemeal biscuits.

It's life, Jim, but not as we know it...

TGO Challenge, Day 7: Laggan to Kingussie

An easy day! Praise be!

The Monadhliath Hotel at Laggan is a little gem (did I tell you that yesterday? ~ you may have guessed that yesterday's post was written quite late on in the evening...) and we left almost refreshed.

The Wade road between Phones and Ruthven must rank as one of the most beautiful strolls and we took our time over it; the grassy track is an absolute delight winding above the floor of the Spey valley; the A9 hidden seemingly miles away. We rested for lunch at the Wade Bridge with just the hiss of the wind in a tree and the soft 'plash' of little fish in the stream.... Until two F16's screamed above our heads.

Kingussie is packed with Challengers; most will have been doing the same as Phil and me ~ washing socks, pants, shirts and muddy walking trousers.

This is the first time on the walk that I have watched the telly (knackered after the first week's walk and all my washing) and its fascinating to see on the news that nothing much has changed. It's good to see Kirsty on the box though ~ she was good enough not to pester this celebrity on the sleeper on the way up to Scotland. That girl has got class.

I shall have to tell her not to chase me in my dreams though as she is beginning to be a nuisance.