TGO Challenge 2012: Morar to St Cyrus: Home Page

This post pulls together all the blog posts for my 2012 Challenge, from sending off the application form, introducing the characters who I’m walking with, designing our route, looking at the costs of the walk and the walk itself.

You can click on each post (it’s in chronological order) and the blog post will open in a new window.

PREPARING FOR THE TGO CHALLENGE:

• Introducing Andy & Dave The cheques are in the post
• We are successful in the draw:  Punishing the Guilty
• Sorting out the nitty gritty of the walk: Firming things up
• Getting “buy-in” for the route: Route Sheet: Done!
• Getting our route vetted: Vetted!
• Organising the Cheese & wine Party: Cheese & Wine Party
• TGO Challenge Costs: Travelling in Style!
• Maps for the Challenge: Maps
• The Route: Route Overview & Route Sheets
• Food parcels & a health scare: The Foreplay
• The Challenge Diet: Wasting away…
• A post for the gear-heads: TGO Challenge Kit List

THE CHALLENGE BLOG POSTS:

• DAY ONE: Morar to Coire Dubh
• DAY TWO: Coire Dubh to A Chuil bothy
• DAY THREE: A Chuil to Invermallie bothy
• DAY FOUR: Invermallie to Spean Bridge
• DAY FIVE: Spean Bridge to Cheese & Wine Party
• DAY SIX: Cheese & Wine Party to Bridge of Gaur
• DAY SEVEN: Bridge of Gaur to Bohally Wood
• DAY EIGHT: Bohally Wood to Glen Tilt
• DAY NINE: Glen Tilt to Braemar
• DAY TEN: Braemar to Callater Lodge
• DAY ELEVEN: Callater to Shielin of Mark
• DAY TWELVE: Shielin of Mark to Tarfside
• DAY THIRTEEN: Tarfside to North Water Bridge
• DAY FOURTEEN: North Water Bridge to St Cyrus

The weather played a part in altering our planned route for the first week or so, as it was pretty dreadful, and so the revised statistics for our walk came out as 194 miles and 22,500 feet of ascent.

TGO Challenge 2012: DAY 14: N Water Bridge to St Cyrus

Surely, waking up to a sunny day should make you a cheerful chap? It was a bitter/sweet start to the day.

This was the last day of a great walk and possibly, if my Renal Consultant has it right, my last Challenge for a while. Even though we had opted for a relatively simple route after Day 5, from then on I had found each day a tougher day than the last. Okay, some of the days were quite long in terms of mileage, but apart from the day after Callater Lodge there was not too much ascent involved. There was just no “go” in the engine anymore and the longer the day, the more difficult I found it.

So, after realising that Andy was not going to be ready for the off again, I toddled off with Lynsey to stroll the last few miles to the coast, in a reflective frame of mind. We weren’t in any hurry and we were sure Andy would catch up. And, sure enough, as we were resting after the dreaded Den of Morphie and before the final push up the Hill of Morphie, a rattle of cups and all manner of dangly stuff clattering from his rucksack heralded his arrival.

We all sat on a wall as the local postie wished us well. He has seen us flounder up this hill for many years and knew the score. We tried to persuade him to join us but declined, politely. Sensible chap.

Before we knew it we were at the cliff top at St Cyrus. I let the others set off down the cliff so I could have a bit of peace and quiet and a few minutes later, followed them down to dip my shoes in the North Sea a few yards away from the celebrations.

It was a fine moment and I recalled the dozen or so other times I had finished here, the first time with Peter Shepherd back in 1995 on our first Challenge. There have been a fair few changes in my life since then: Some of them pretty wonderful. I am now a Grandad (via my son Oli, who did the Challenge with me almost ten years ago) and my daughter Rachael is expecting a little boy in August.

No doubt, when the ‘spare parts van’ turns up, I’ll be back on the Challenge, perhaps with a bit more “go” about me!

So with these thoughts pushed to the back, I toddled over to join the party a few yards away on the wonderful warm, flat beach.

IAN COTTERILL’S PICTURE OF THE TEAM

After a great deal of celebratory slaps on the back and some of Lynsey’s excellent whisky, I added my signature to Andy’s Challenger circle and headed back up the cliff.

At the bench halfway up the cliff, Andy produced another of his miracle beers from his pack. Andy had been a fine companion on the walk this year.

IAN COTTERILL’S PICTURE

Then it was just a simple dash for the bus to take us to Montrose to sign the Finishers’ Book at the Park Hotel, collect the tea-shirt, badge & certificate and shake John & Roger’s hands.

IAN COTTERILL’S PICTURE OF THE THURSDAY DINNER

The Challenge has been a wonderful part of my life. Many thanks to Hamish for thinking it all up, Roger for running with it and all the hundreds of Challengers I have met over the years, so many becoming firm friends.

Today’s route: 13.0km with 180m of ascent

TGO Challenge 2012: DAY 13: Tarfside to N Water Bridge

We are now on the last sections of the walk and it is gloriously sunny again. It’s not a big day today. It’s about seventeen miles to our destination at the caravan & camping site at North Water Bridge and it’s all downhill from here along the River North Esk.

Breakfast at St Drostan’s called and so I strolled over to be met by an ashen faced Andy who blurted out “There’s No Bacon!” (and the capitals are important here!)

“The Bastards Have Eaten All The Bacon!”

Indeed. The Challengers had eaten their way through three dozen happy piglets in their short stay at this establishment. An entire generation of porkers had been wiped out to satisfy the bloodlust for porcine products. There was talk of pigs being put on the endangered species list. In truth, the only endangered species were the Challengers that Andy was going to catch up with today for scoffing all his bacon…

The wonderful new crew manning St Drostan’s came up with a fairly decent alternative: A couple of fried egg rolls with lashings of tomato ketchup and limitless cups of tea. After this we lounged about a lot in the sitting room, reading five day old newspapers. Nothing seemed to have changed since I had last seen a newspaper before the Challenge had started. It’s generally a bad idea to dip into the outside world when on this walk as it can only depress.

However, we could no longer put off the evil moment when rucksacks had to be hoisted and the searing sunshine faced for the stroll down the river.

Most years I visit the sand martins a few miles down the road, and last year had been pleased to see that their numbers had increased after a marked decline the previous few years. Andy wanted to cross the river straight away so we arranged to meet up just after the big bridge over the North Esk.

I sauntered along, soon catching up the stragglers who had had breakfast at the Retreat (Richard & Rosemary and David & Margaret spring to mind) and paused to watch the sand martins. There were significantly less than last year, and I wondered if their return from southern climes had ben delayed by the dreadful weather we had all experienced.

Having crossed the bridge and joined the route that Andy would be treading I sat for a while in the very hot sunshine. I had run out of water by this point and so decided to move on a bit to where I knew the side streams crossed our path and wait there.

However, after a good half an hour there was still no sign of the chap, so I mooched on a bit further, looking forward to the bird watching hut above the river as a nice spot for lunch. However, it was a sad sight; The bird watching log was gone, and the hut was in a very poor state, with broken doors and floorboards. An air of decay was about the place. I wondered about the old chap who used to keep it up. He must no longer be about. Time passes.

So I strolled back over to the track, to bump into a beaming Andy. We decided that this was as good a place as any for lunch and so we lazed about, socks off, digging in to the remains of our food bags (my food bag still weighed a ton – a common phenomena at this point every year on the Challenge; I always have too much food) in the shade of the birch trees. Roger Hoyle joined us at this point.

We were overhauled by David & Margaret, who I have to say always look immaculate whenever I bump into them. They must have an ensuite bathroom in their tent and butler on hand to wash & press their clothes.

There then followed a stroke of good fortune. Andy spotted a new bridge just out of sight after a brand new cutting sliced into the bank on our left. This was really good news as it meant that we could cross the river and follow the Blue Door Walk down the North Esk.

Phil had introduced me to this excellent stroll quite a few years earlier and last year we had passed on this delight to Andy & Shirl. Andy & I persuaded/bullied Roger to come with us to sample its charms.

This new bridge cuts out miles of unnecessary road walking and so is a real find!

Here’s a few pictures to whet your appetite:

We had a fine rest down by the river, making teas and hot chocolate.

Andy Williams (a first timer) joined us at this point. In truth, he looked knackered. He had been walking with a badly sprained ankle certainly since we had met him at Mar Lodge and he was really struggling with it. He is no quitter and he was carrying on when I am absolutely certain most would have packed up and caught the next train home.

If you’re reading this Andy, Jolly well done! Let’s hope next time you avoid a nasty injury so you really can enjoy your walk.

Here’s a picture of the famous Blue Door:

Andy & Roger nipped into Edzell and I carried on my saunter down to our campsite, collecting Bryan Waddington up on the way. Bryan was in great shape and seemed to be enjoying his first Challenge and I am sure we’ll see him back again if he can get a ‘pass’ from his young family.

North Water Bridge was very busy, crammed full of Challengers and it made a change to be able to sit outside in the evening passing flasks about, catching up with each other’s adventures.

Today’s route: 26.5km with about 350m of uppishness.

For those interested in trying out the Blue Door Walk for themselves, the green square marked on the map shows the position of the new bridge.

TGO Challenge 2012: DAY 12: Shielin of Mark to Tarfside

8:30 came and went with no sign of Andy being ready for the off, so Peter & I set off slowly in the morning sunshine to wander down the Water of Mark before cutting across a few peat hags and heading up over Muckle Cairn.

This is a delightful walk in these conditions, following a gurgling caochan’s grassy banks up hill, a route that’s popular with the deer, resulting in a dainty little track. The view back to Lochnagar was slightly hazy, yet I never tire of it; It’s still one of the finest on the Challenge.

At the top we collected the old track down into Glen Lee and another fine view, this time with a bit of foreground interest that is Peter Shepherd.

This is a short day and there is no hurry, but it’s best to get the walking done before the heat of the day and so we strolled down, admiring the sights.

It was time for an early elevenses and so we picked the shade of a few ancient old scots pine trees and lay down for a bit of a snooze to wait for Andy’s inevitable clatter. We were joined by a few more and soon there was a little peaceful gathering under the pines,

Val told us of her torrid start from Lochailort on the Sunday (the bad weather Sunday) and how she had to double back after a day’s walking and completely revise her route due to the raging torrents she encountered in South Morar. All in all, an indomitable first timer, who still managed to get back on schedule and have a good time.

Big Ian still had some red wine left which he kindly shared in the hot sunshine. If I had shut my eyes, I could have been in the south of France. Bloody lovely, it was! There was then a great deal of excitement as two white-tailed eagles were spotted soaring up above. They circled and played for a good ten minutes or so and everyone tried to get snaps of them. I shall wait for Mr Cotterill’s efforts to see good pictures – mine were very poor snaps; Here’s the best of a bad bunch:

Everyone set off once more in dribs and drabs down the valley. I really love this stretch; it’s a good track, mainly downhill with wonderful views opening out as you round each bend. I gave Morpeth a head start and then gleefully loped after him at a good lick to catch him up. It’s all good fun.

On the way to catching him up I had a madcap chase with a snake; the snake slithering away at some speed with me trying to snap her with my little point & shoot job. The bright sunlight on the screen meant that I could not see if I had captured the beast. In fact in five of the pictures there was no snake at all. I was keen to get a picture as I had not seen one this large in years.

Having caught Peter up and after all this excitement, it was time for a rest. At the junction with the path from the Shank of Inchgrundle we spotted a figure on the far side coming our way. We both guessed the figure’s identity correctly as Lynsey Pooler and we also guessed correctly that to be here at this time, she can only have been camping at the top of the Waters of Unich, the location of our 2010 Cheese & Wine Party.

Then we all loped off together as a ramshackle bunch of sunburnt hikers to the end of Loch Lee to have a spot of lunch at the old graveyard. I could get to enjoy this Challenge lark at this sort of pace… Lots of warm sunshine, lazing in the shade on short cropped grass with friends.

After a fine repast of bread, cheese, sliced ham and orange juice we were off again. The hill path up and over to Tarfside is another cracker, a bit like the bay in the road on the way to Braemar. I just can’t help myself when I see small groups of Challengers spread out on the path ahead, and I immediately switch into ”catch-up racing” mode. I reeled in zillions! I know it’s bad, but it’s just such wonderful fun. It’s not good for the blister on the bottom of your foot though, but that was fixed for me by Lynsey at Tarfside.

The new team running Tarfside this year did a wonderful job this afternoon, looking after dozens of hot, thirsty, hungry Challengers as they piled through the door of St Drostan’s. I was in time to bag a room had I wanted one, but as the evening was wonderfully warm and dry, I opted to flip up Wanda on the school playing field with about fifty other Challengers. I did have a lovely shower and washed the smalls and managed to get everything dry in the sunshine. Sunshine makes a huge difference to morale.

We drank St Drostan’s dry of beer and so moved on to the wine, before strolling across to the Mason’s for a great evening catching up with old friends and new.

I slid off comparatively early, out into the pitch black of the night with no headtorch – tricky… but found Wanda glowing in the dark to sleep very happily indeed.

Today’s route: 18km with 180m of ascent.

TGO Challenge 2012: DAY 11: Callater to Shielin of Mark

The kitchen was a hive of industry, banging out life-saving bacon rolls and cups of tea. New sticks were crackling and popping in the fireplace and the sun streamed though the windows. Every available chair was sat upon and there was no great hurry. Little groups stood outside in the sunshine, warming their shoulders for just about the first time on the walk.

The tent city was slowly being dismantled and soft conversations drifted into the lodge through the open front door. Some were going high, taking on the snows of Lochnagar, others opting for Broad Cairn and beyond. The party was now to be spread out in a wide fan, all eventually heading for the coast.

I found myself walking up Carn an t-Sagairt Mor with Pete Shepherd. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve been up this hill together, but this must have ranked as one of the slowest climbs. Neither of us is getting any younger, with Peter now a sprightly 71 years young. Still, there was no hurry as we had set ourselves the easy target of the Shielin of Mark and it was a beautiful day with the forecast set fair.

Andy set off like a whippet and so we weren’t expecting to see him again today. The higher we climbed, the broader the views of the snow slathered Cairngorms:

Then we headed off around the hill drinking from the icy, clear springs over 3,000 feet up. Then down towards the huge bowl above Dubh Loch.

An early lunch was taken sprawled in the sunshine next to the busy Allt an Dubh Loch. Peter is incredibly nimble and was soon skittering off into the distance. I followed up at my usual leisurely lope, staying close to the burn for the wonderful views of the fabulous water-slides as it careers over the lip of the upper corrie down into the bowl of Dubh Loch itself.

Up above, Creag an Dubh Loch towers over glen.

The walk along Dubh Loch is a bit of a bog hop, with a bouldery section to start with, but eventually all this gives way to a good stalkers path cut tidily into the side of the hill and so good progress is eventually made.

Another fine stop below the horse-tail falls beneath Loch Buidhe for more water and jelly babies and a stomp down the rough old path all the way down to Glass-allt-Shiel.

Young Mr Walker (okay, I admit it, he is centuries older than me) was sunning himself on the lawn in front of the lodge and, indeed had been doing so for a good hour or so prior to our arrival. He very kindly was volunteered to make us some tea. It was a lovely refreshing cuppa and so Pete & I decided to join him in a little snooze in the sunshine for another hour and a half, or so. It was bloody wonderful to be able to laze about, for the first time on the walk for two years! Last year’s walk had been a cold & stormy affair as well… Socks were fluffed up and aired on walking poles, shirts removed. Ingerland was on its holidays!

So then we all strolled off to the Visitor’s centre at the Spittal of Glenmuick for coffees and hot chocolate from the machine and to make use of the newly refurbished facilities. And very nice they were too, with hot air hand-driers and lots of shiny stainless steel.

Upon my return to the hot chocolate machine, Big & Lovely Ian, who had just arrived from the snowy tops of Lochnagar, let me know that “my mates had got fed up waiting and had scarpered”. However, it was an absolutely gorgeous evening and the sun was now lighting up the deep cleft of the Allt Darrarie, which is normally in the shade in the afternoon and so I had an enjoyable yomp up the stream, heading up to the Shielin.

Before too long I overhauled Peter and so we strolled upwards together, taking frequent water and snack stops in the warm evening airs. The views back to Lochnagar were well worth a few snaps ‘contre-jour’; One of which almost works:

Then it was just a short yomp through the peat hags to land on top of the chimney pot of the Shielin. There were a dozen or so tents already there.

We splashed across the stream and flipped up the tents on the far bank, cooked a light supper, supped the last of the cognac and slipped away to oblivion. A corker of a day with a lovely bloke.

Today’s route: 21.3km with about 800m of ascent.

TGO Challenge 2012: DAY 10: Braemar to Callater Lodge

Sunday morning in Braemar.

First of all, the lovely Diane took a peek at the bottom of my foot, as no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bend my body so that i could see the offending blighter. She very expertly cut a Compeed blister plaster to the correct shape so as to not impede the independent operation of each toe and then covered the little devil up with some of Andrew’s infinitely available Micro-pore tape, again snipping and deftly folding the tape so as to be a part of me, rather than an applied device.

I was and still am, very grateful for this expert help.

Suitably fixed up, I hobbled, and Andy strode, back into the village for breakfast at the Old Bakery. Double sausage egg & chips and never ending coffees straightened the previous night’s efforts out.

Then it was off to the Fife to join the usual suspects..

You can see where this is going, can’t you? We were showered, mended and full of breakfast. All was well with our worlds.

Actually, we were very good and after a visit to the shop for even more provisions we set off for Callater Lodge… in… the… sunshine!

Yes! It was warm and sunny! Unbelievable, really! Summer had suddenly burst upon the Highlands and we were in shock. Oddly though, the repaired tootsies were now quite painful. The extra thickness of the plaster was adding more pressure to the blister. Ho hum. Andy was very patient as he kept at my snail’s pace up the golf course road.

Eventually we made it to the Lodge, to be engulfed by the warm fug of hospitality and friendship. It was being manned again this year by Bill, Ross, Jeanette & Mike and within a very short while we had a of plate of hot food and a beer in hand, sitting by the roaring kitchen fire. The place was packed. Tents were pitched on every available spot and Andy & I were lucky to nab beds upstairs – a real luxury.

It was Lynsey Pooler’s Birthday today, and JJ had organised a card which everyone had signed & a birthday cake for the lovely lass. Bill did the honours:

IAN COTTERILL’S LOVELY PICTURE OF LYNSEY’S BIRTHDAY CAKE

The evening wore on in its inimitable style and back, by popular demand, was Doha Jim’s excellent rendition of Dangerous Dan McGrew. Priceless stuff!

IAN COTTERILL’S PICTURE OF JANE & ME @ CALLATER LODGE

Eventually I realised that I was staring at a fixed point somewhere close to the middle of nowhere and climbed upstairs to bed, leaving the others to a very late night indeed.

Today’s route: 8.9km with 230m of ascent.