TGO Challenge 2013: Oban to St Cyrus: Home Page

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

This post pulls together all the blog posts for my 2013 Challenge, from sending off the application form, introducing the characters I’m walking with, designing our route, 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 Phil & Andy:                         North, Miss Tessmacher, North!
• We are successful in the draw:              TGO Challenge 2013: The route
• Organising the Cheese & Wine Parties: Cheese & Wine Parties
• The Route-sheet:                                   Route Vetted
• Making a Challenge First Aid Kit:            First Aid Kit
• Getting Organised:                                 Six Week Countdown
• Challenge Food:                                    Gluttony
• New Shelter for the Challenge:               In limbo - RIP Wanda
• A post for gear-heads:                           Final tweaks & Gear List

THE CHALLENGE BLOG POSTS:

• DAY ZERO:         To Oban
• DAY ONE:            Oban to Elleric
• DAY TWO:           Oban to Caolasnacon
• DAY THREE:        Caolasnacon to Meanach Bothy
• DAY FOUR:          Meanach Bothy to Tulloch
• DAY FIVE:            Tulloch to Luib Chonnal Bothy
• DAY SIX:               Luib Chonnal Bothy to Monarch Hotel, Laggan
• DAY SEVEN:         Laggan to Allt Coire Bhran Cheese & Wine party
• DAY EIGHT:          Allt Coire Bhran to the Top of the Geldie
• DAY NINE:             The Geldie to Braemar
• DAY TEN:              Braemar to Stan & Bill’s (Callater Lodge)
• DAY ELEVEN:       Callater Lodge to a bubbling caochan
• DAY TWELVE:      A Bubbling Caochan to Tarfside
• DAY THIRTEEN:    Bugger Brechin!
• DAY FOURTEEN:  To the North Sea

I’ve had fun putting this write-up together. I hope you enjoy reading it.

NOTE: If you are thinking of applying for the Challenge for the first time and would like to know a little more about it, or have anything you would like to ask, please feel free to get in touch. You can get hold of me by leaving a comment on this post. All comments are moderated by me on the blog, so if you leave me your email address in your comment I will get back to you by email. I will not publish your comment, as your email address will be on it.

That excellent fellow, Andy Walker, walked with Phil and me this year and you can find his excellent version of our Challenge by clicking HERE and looking for the menu on the left of his blog for TGO 2013.

It’s up to you who’s version you believe!

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 14: To the North Sea

The last day, eh?

So then. What are we expecting? Having abandoned poor Brechin (she’ll get over it) there was nothing for it but to head off to the coast. But first, us gurls have to look our best if we are to march into civilisation & the Park Hotel, so it was a hot shower, and a shave. Last night, Phil had kindly done a bit of washing, so there was a clean base layer, pants and socks. We would be okay now if we were to be run over crossing the A90, which is always likely given the incredible speeds the Scottish commuters drive at just to get to work.

TGO 2013: DAY 14 – CLICK TO ENLARGE

It was surprisingly nippy and there was one of those “steady, now, that was a bit rough” winds that pushed and pulled at you. Walloping showers suddenly sprang at you and then just as quickly as they had arrived, they galloped off again.

On the way to Marykirk we were passed by a column of three walkers, barely two strides apart, arms, legs (& poles!) in perfect unison. The leader was grim faced and not up for any convivial banter as they had obviously a very important rendezvous planned. All were sporting a similar uniform and the poles clicking & clacking obviously imparted that tiny bit of extra speed to help them meet their dreadful deadline.

I’m afraid Phil & I just burst into giggles as they gradually pulled away from our leisurely amble, the stabbing pains from their inevitable blisters probably gave them added masochistic thrills. The Challenge is made up of all sorts, so my evil twin promptly nick-named them “the Allsorts.”

Before too long, we were at the top of the cliff at St Cyrus, with the wind tearing at our jackets.

ST CYRUS: WINDY CLIFF TOP

I always like to pause a little here and take it all in. Thinking back, our start at Oban seemed like a year ago. The Upper Feshie, months and Lochnagar certainly over a week. Time spent ambling across Scotland slows to walking pace and all the crappy things that seem to fill your life before, have now all fallen away and are just about forgotten.

In a week or so’s time I would be checking in to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford for a kidney transplant, given to me by my incredibly brave brother, Dave. So all the crap I’ve had to deal with in terms of my health and not getting getting on with my life will soon be sloughed off and I can finally look forward to starting again and sorting a few things out.

THE NORTH SEA – CLICK TO ENLARGE

So, mind settled, I strolled off down the cliff-path to the wonderful beach, and, best of all the sun finally came out with some real warmth.

PATH DOWN THE CLIFF – CLICK TO ENLARGE

This year was Phil’s walk, really. It was his tenth crossing and so he had planned an absolute beauty of a route, which despite the dreadful weather of the first few days, we had largely stuck to. We had had some magnificent mountain days in blizzards, sunshine, cloud and rain but best of all we had had a brilliant time.

TEN-TIMER PHIL, ST CYRUS & THE NORTH SEA – CLICK TO ENLARGE

And here’s Andy, who had been great fun all the way across, and had waited patiently as Phil & I brought up the rear at our usual plod. I don’t really see the point of rushing across at break-neck speed – you miss the birds, leverets and otters that way -  and Andy adjusted his pace accordingly and I hope had a great time too.

EIGHT-TIMER ANDY, (HOLDING HIS TUMMY IN) ST CYRUS – CLICK TO ENLARGE

And here we are all together – Ooh! we seem to be in matching colour-ways – but don’t worry, none of us had any blisters and as you can see we are all grinning like idiots. And we hadn’t “poled” our way along the roads to the coast, either.

THE TEMPERANCE TRIO, ST CYRUS. 36 CHALLENGES BETWEEN US – CLICK TO ENLARGE

Vicky & Toby met us on the beach. I’m pretty sure we’ll be seeing them again on the Challenge. It sounds like they had done a cracking route and had had a great time. They certainly joined in at every available opportunity. A fun-loving, great couple.

VICKY & TOBY, ST CYRUS. GREAT FIRST TIMERS – CLICK TO ENLARGE

Then it was the yearly struggle back up the cliff to the halfway bench for the celebratory beer and Swiss roll. It was at the start of the climb that we spotted the notice saying that the cliff path was shut due to weather damage. Funny really, considering some of the hairy paths we had taken over the last two weeks. To a man, every single Challenger ignored these daft warnings.

ANDY'S PIC; CELEBRATORY BEER & SWISS ROLL, ST CYRUS CLIFF – CLICK TO ENLARGE

Tea and scones at the cafe, followed by the bus journey into Montrose, and then signing the finishing register in the Kinnaird Room at the Park Hotel. Shake hands with JM, thank him for his herculean efforts to arrange yet another successful event. T-shirts, certificates, badges, buffs and socks handed out and then a nice cup of tea and biscuits.

Oh, alright then – just the one pint before we set off for the campsite – which turned into a few. Meeting up with old friends Philip & Martin and countless others too numerous to mention. I hope you won’t mind if I have missed you out. It’s a riot of good humour, relief that it was all over, tinged with sadness that it was all over, tall tales and laughter.

Then off to put up the tents and a final spruce-up to make ready for the dinner in the evening. This was a big occasion, as Phil was getting his plaque for completing ten crossings, as was Norma, so we had to be on best behaviour.

Just prior to Phil marching up to get his plaque, Andy read out his wonderful poem that he had delivered at Stan & Bill’s. It went down a storm.

ANDY READING HIS CHALLENGE POEM, DINNER, PARK HOTEL, JM LOOKING ON

Here’s Norma getting hers, and

NORMA RECEIVES HER TEN-TIMER'S PLAQUE

Here’s Phil, getting his. Two lovely people who over the years have enriched the experience of countless Challengers who had met them on their walks.

PHIL RECEIVES HIS TEN TIMER'S PLAQUE FROM DANIEL

Sorry about the glare in the photo, but for some insane reason Rab thought it was vital that a really excellent summer base layer should have a great big shouty, fluorescent material stuck on it to ruin the photographs, to add to their heinous crime of selling fleeces designed to strangle the wearer.

Note to Rab: Think harder about this stuff. Take it for a walk before sticking it on the shop shelves.

***

So that was it for another year. All that remained now was the long trip back home, and a week catching up with some sleep.

Many thanks must go to Phil & Andy for a wonderful walk with two really lovely blokes.

***

THE SMALL PRINT: No Scousers were named or shamed in the writing of this blog. If you do find any mention of any part, smell or suggestion of Scouser herein, please write to JM c/o Challenge Control and report it immediately. However, I do warn you, the retribution from me & Mike will be swift and terrible, and on here.

That’s a promise.

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 13: “Bugger Brechin!”

By the time you get to Tarfside you’ve bumped into and rubbed along with any number of great new friends. You’re never short of a topic of conversation when on the Challenge. There’s where you started, your subsequent route, “where were you when we had the blizzard?” and “how are your blisters?” just for starters.

Then there’s the thorny question: Do you actually follow your planned route to the coast, or do you just follow the trade route down the North Esk?

Phil had planned our route to nip through the Clash of the Wirren and on to the White & Brown Forts and Brechin. Andy and me were fine with this, as neither of us had seen Brechin. Then, at the Masons’ the doubts began to creep in:

“Brechin? Are you sure?” and “What? Brechin Campsite? Is your gear insured then?” and “There’s no where to eat in Brechin,” “What a hole – it’s really run down” and lastly “I wouldn’t leave your tent and stuff at that campsite – It’ll all be gone by the time you get back from the pub”

It seemed no-one had a good word to say about Brechin. We eventually came to the same conclusion. As George V famously (almost) said:

“Bugger Brechin!”

Plan B was swiftly cobbled together: The Blue Door Walk.

DAY 13: RED PECKED ROUTE - CLICK TO ENLARGE

Phil & I must have woken about the same time and after a coffee and hot chocolate we discussed breakfast. Recently St Drostan’s has had a nasty habit of running out of beer & bacon at the most importune times – when we arrived in the afternoon for beers or no bacon for breakfast.

This year, we decided, we were not going to go without our pork products. So we nipped off early, before eight o’clock, to see if there was any bacon left. It was just as well we did, as as we arrived it was announced that the last bacon rolls were up for grabs. I think we had the very last bacon rolls. Alas, no seconds, so we had to make do with an egg roll. But the tea kept on coming – a vital rehydration regime. Then it was a wash & shave and clean teeth and back to the playing field to pack up.

By the time we had packed, Andy was still on his way to St Drostan’s (only to be bitterly disappointed) and Phil decided that he was off back to St D’s to have contact with porcelain. I mooched off slowly and we agreed that we would meet somewhere along the river bank before the bridge for the Blue Door Walk.

I popped into the Tarfside Church, to find the interior almost a replica of that of the church in Braemar. Very simple and peaceful.

Then I was off down the road to visit the sand martins’ burrows. I enjoy this most years but this year there were considerably less birds – it must have been down to the poor weather earlier in the month.

It was now beginning to warm up so I had a little snooze at a conveniently positioned fishing marker that make a good back rest. After a little while, the usual suspects turned up and we all sat watching the river bundle busily past.

PHIL'S PIC: CROYDON, ME, ANDY & GERRY, NORTH ESK

Then we were off once more, with quite large shower clouds brewing behind us, which before too long caught up with us as a gentle reminder that Scotland hadn’t finished with us quite yet.

We took the new bridge over the river and on the track the other side came across this little chap:

ANDY'S PIC: "SNAKE, SNAKE!" Hmmm SLOW WORM – CLICK TO ENLARGE

And then we were on the Blue Door Walk. Carved out of solid rock by French prisoners of war in Napoleonic times, this is a little gem. I know, gentle reader, that you have read this on here a few times before, but I am constantly amazed that Challengers would prefer to walk down the south shore of the North Esk when there is this fabulous walk to follow.

ANDY, PHIL & GERRY, BLUE DOOR WALK – CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

PHIL'S PIC: ME, BLUE DOOR WALK – CLICK TO ENLARGE

We had lunch at one of the larger semi-circular benches set into the rock wall, but Phil decided he was on a mission to have lunch at the cafe at Edzell and so carried on.

ROCKS OF SOLITUDE, BLUE DOOR WALK – CLICK TO ENLARGE

We trundled along, enjoying the splendours of the velvety soft tree canopy, the crashing waters in the gorge below and the cool mosses along the path sides. This place fills your senses.

BLUE DOOR WALK – CLICK TO ENLARGE

Every so often there are comfortable well built benches to tempt you to linger. I could happily spend a day here, sitting and listening.

BLUE DOOR WALK – CLICK TO ENLARGE

Eventually we cut away from the river, just before the suspension bridge, to nip up to Edzell and the Tuck Inn. Phil was already halfway through an excellent beef and ale pie with chips and vegetables,so after pinching more chips than he realised, I was tucking into the same. Phil then followed this with the biggest most piggiest knickerbocker glory I had ever seen in my life and then still had room to demolish a large pot of tea. The lad must have worms.

After a visit to the shop to pick up cans of beer, a Swiss roll and a fruit cake (a well balanced meal) I was off down the road to North Water Bridge. It’s a seventeen mile or so day, and the worst of it is this last stretch. It’s tarmac bashing in a dead straight line for miles and miles.

But soon, the tents are up, and you can have a gentle snooze before joining the benched throngs of hardened Challengers having the traditional last party before Montrose.

PHIL'S PIC: VICKY, TOBY & JAMES, NORTH WATER BRIDGE

Before too long I had reached my cold threshold once again (a kidney thing) and retired, so I missed Andy’s last  test of sobriety.  “If I can balance this full can of Guinness on my head for five whole minutes I must be sober!”

I’ll let you be the judge of that.

PHIL'S PIC: ANDY NORTH WATER BRIDGE

A lovely day, with two lovely blokes.

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 12: To Tarfside

Over breakfast Phil & I discussed the route for today. We had planned to head for Balnamoon’s Cave and onwards down the Water of Mark. However we were really concerned about Pete’s condition and so we decided instead to take the easier route over Muckle Cairn.

DAY 13: ROUTE BETWEEN THE RED CIRCULAR DOTS: CLICK TO ENLARGE

Pete arrived bang on eight o’clock. He looked in better nick than the previous evening, but his breathing was still very laboured and he had a very painful knee. We assured him that we would be sticking with him today. It’s not a long day – something just over twelve miles - with St Drostan’s Hostel as the destination, where Pete could be looked after and pampered.

We set off up the caochan to find that the Laser had been sheltering Toby & Vicky who were both in fine form this morning. Then it was a simple matter of threading our way through the peat and over to the Shieling of Mark. This is a wonderful little walk  and the trick is working your way up the little green lanes up through the peat with only a last minute bog hop at the very top and then a nice little green way down to just above the Shieling.

PHIL'S PIC: SHIELING OF MARK & ME – CLICK TO ENLARGE

At the Shieling we sat Pete down and Andy did some magic with his blue sports tape and painkillers while I set about making Pete some tea. There was plenty of time  today and so we were ensuring that Pete would have plenty of stops to rest.

Then we were off up over Muckle Cairn – again, the trick here is to follow the little caochan up the hill and follow the deer track and then veer left just before the top to pick up the track that take you down to the Stable of Lee. We were joined by Liz & Sue on this stretch – who we had started with us at Oban. They were having a grand time and had camped at the Shieling. We took plenty of little rests on the way up.

MORPETH, LORD ELPUS, LIZ & SUE, MUCKLE CAIRN, LOOKING TO SHIELING OF MARK & LOCHNAGAR: CLICK TO ENLARGE

The path off Muckle Cairn is a rubbly affair and it is far easier to work your way down through the burnt heather. This area is grouse country, which you can see clearly from the muirburn in the next picture. The Estates in these parts have an appalling reputation for Raptor persecution that the police service is having great difficulties trying to prove. When a Golden Eagle’s last known position is in Glen Esk and then is mysteriously found dead, with broken legs in a layby on Deeside, you have to wonder.

Last year a group of us had watched a pair of white Tailed eagles soaring over Glen Lee. Well you won’t be watching them any more as the local Invermark Estate has been accused of the deliberate cutting down a tree that was home to the Eagles.

I still cannot get my head round the sort of person who wants to dress up in tweeds, walk the glorious hills and go about shooting birds for fun. They are sick bastards. The fact that the Estate Keepers then go about trying to eliminate competing species, sometimes illegally with poisoned bait, sometimes trapping and sometimes just simply shooting raptors, reinforces just how disgusting this “sport” has become.

ANDY, DROPPING DOWN TO GLEN LEE – CLICK TO ENLARGE

With plenty of rest stops in the sunshine, we continued down the glen, bumping into more and more cheery Challengers, all making their way to the bacon butties and beers to be found at Tarfside. But all was not well with Pete.

When we got to the short-cut hill path over to Tarfside, I asked Pete which way he would like to go – over the hill or around the road, which was slightly longer but probably much easier for Pete to manage. Alarmingly, Pete couldn’t get an answer out – he was so short of breath that he couldn’t speak for a moment.

We sat him down, plied him with some water and came up with a plan. It was important to get Pete to Tarfside as soon as possible where he could get transport to Edzell to see a doctor. Andy – being the quickest of the three of us, was volunteered (thanks, Mate!) to nip over the hill path and let Tarfside know what was required and to bag a room for Pete where he could rest in the warm and dry in some comfort. If there were no rooms left, Andy was under instructions to turf someone out of their room  so Pete could get some rest.

Phil & I stayed with Pete to make sure Pete was fed and watered and then Phil nipped back to the car park at the road end to see if he could blag a lift for Pete from any of the cars parked up there. Unfortunately when he got there all the cars were unoccupied and so came back disappointed. Then there was a lucky break.

A HUGE articulated truck, that had been delivering kit houses to a large house up the glen rumbled down the tiny road towards us, filling it completely. Quick as a flash, Phil was on his feet in the middle of the road waving this huge behemoth down. Thankfully there was a massive hissing of air-brakes as the thing rumbled to a halt. I climbed up onto the driver’s step and explained that Pete needed a lift a few miles down the road to Tarfside.

The driver was an absolute star. He turned off the engine and we installed Pete and his rucksack & poles into the passenger seat a good eight feet above us and in the matter of a moment, in a whirl of dust and a bellowing engine, they had rumbled off down the road.

At this point, Andy had been gone for about half an hour, and we realised that he would be going like a rocket only to arrive at St Drostan’s to find Pete already there. I know it’s not nice, as Andy was being an absolute star doing this, but it did make us giggle. Naughty, I know, but well, we’re good mates.

So Phil and I, happy that we had done a good job, set off in the sunshine over the hillpath to Tarfside. Of course, when we got there we found Andy already on the outside of a couple of beers. The star had put by a couple of lifesaving beers for Phil & me which were quickly followed by a few more along with a couple of bacon butties.

Dave Pickles had very kindly given up his room for Pete, but we were surprised to hear Pete wasn’t due to go and see the doctor until the next morning, but he insisted that this was fine by him.

The three of us then walked over to the village playing field and flipped up the shelters, had a leisurely dinner and strolled over to the Masons’ for the evening.

All was well with our worlds.

POSTSCRIPT: I spoke with Pete yesterday. He has been under the doctor since getting home. He has had a really bad chest infection with a lot of fluid on his lungs. He’s been on strong antibiotics and his chest is almost better now – a month after the event. His knee is still very painful and so this game seventy two year old is off today to the Sports Injury Clinic to have it looked at. I wish the old sod all the very best!

TGO Challenge 2013: Day 11: To a bubbling caochan

Monday morning at Stan & Bill’s is a civilised affair. You wake at your leisure and by the time you stumble bleary-eyed into the kitchen, there’s tea on the go, and bacon rolls being served at impressive speed and quantity. It’s a well-oiled operation and folk are happy to sit by the fireside relaxing into the day after perhaps a difficult evening’s celebrations.

But the time comes when you really must drag yourself away as there’s the walk to be done. I always have a cuddle manly hug with Bill. You just do. We’ll meet up again at the Park Hotel in Montrose.

[MARTIN RYE'S PIC: CHEERIOS]

The weather was fine, but it looked likely that a front was due later in the day, so we decided that we would ‘suck it and see.’ This meant struggling up to the top of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor (a Munro!) and then taking a good look at things to see what was coming our way, as the view’s pretty good from there.

[TGO2013 DAY 11 THE RED ROUTE – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

On the way, we caught up with Morpeth (Pete Shepherd). I must have been up this hill with Pete almost a dozen times over the years, but this year neither of us was in that good a shape. When we had met Pete at Oban he was suffering from shortness of breath, from what he thought was a bad cold. He still had it seven days later when we bumped into him again at the weir in Glen Tromie, in fact, if anything it was worse and he was struggling.

Today Pete really was having difficulties and so I stayed with him, which suited me down to the ground, as the slower pace up the hill was fine by me. Andy, Phil and me were actually quite worried by his condition and we had this queasy feeling that perhaps this was a bit more than a chest infection. His walking partner, Croydon, had gone on ahead and we wondered whether or not he was aware just what a state Pete was in.

[LOCH CALLATER & TOLMOUNT – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Fortunately, by the time we reached the iron ‘Gate to Nowhere’ Mick was there, waiting for Pete. We had a quiet word with Mick to let him know our concerns. They both toddled off on the path around the hill and down to Glass allt Shiel, as we headed up to the top.

[PHIL, CARN AN T-SAGAIRT MOR – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We came across this little fellow hopping across our path. As soon as he saw us he froze, and stayed there until we had taken our pictures and moved away. His camouflage is pretty damn good!

[PHIL'S PIC, LEVERET]

The tops of these hills are wonderful underfoot, almost crunchy. We got to the top where it was quite windy but not too cold. Phil took the picture below with a tiny tripod and the time delayed shutter.

[PHIL'S PIC, CARN AN T-SAGAIRT MOR – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

And now it was decision time. The clouds were building quite a bit, as expected, to the southwest and already tails of mist were dragging over the tops all around us. But it didn’t look too bad – well – not to us rufty-tufty southerners! Phil looked at me and asked me how I was feeling. I felt okay. I reasoned that if it did get shitty when we were up on the next high bit, we could always bale out down to Glas-allt-Shiel before we got to Lochnagar as there’s an excellent path down that way.

Decision made then: We were up for it.

[ANDY'S PIC, PHIL & ME, CARN AN T-SAGAIRT MOR – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We slid off down the side of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and headed for the track up to Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach. I had a bit of a clothes faff at the stream at the bealach and made sure I had a good drink and filled my water bottle to the brim as there wouldn’t be much up there for quite a while.

[DUBH LOCH & BROAD CAIRN – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Before too long we hit the huge snow patches so at last we broke out the microspikes we had been carrying since Tulloch. To be honest, I thought they added bugger-all to the traction, as the snow was quite soft. I’ll not be taking them again.

I’ll let the pictures tell the story of the next part; They’ll do it far better than I can describe!

[PHIL'S PIC, ANDY, CARN A' CHOIRE BHOIDHEACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[PHIL'S PIC, ANDY, CARN A' CHOIRE BHOIDHEACH, RED SHOES – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY'S PIC, CARN A' CHOIRE BHOIDHEACH, PHIL & ME – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY, CARN A' CHOIRE BHOIDHEACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY, CARN A' CHOIRE BHOIDHEACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[LOOKING BACK TO CARN AN T-SAGAIRT MOR – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[WILLEM FOX'S PIC: PHIL, ME & ANDY CLIMBING UP CARN A' CHOIRE BHOIDHEACH – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We eventually made the big bald top – well to within about a hundred yards of the top, as it looked to be a bit of a lump, really. Phil & I both shrugged, (we’re not baggers) and we headed off instead over to what looked far more interesting to the north: The Stuic.

On the way over, we met this little fellow – a dunlin, I believe, who was perfectly happy to let us snap away at a reasonable distance, until she got bored by the whole affair and darted off to another clump a little way off.

[DUNLIN? ANY OFFERS? – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Yes. The Stuic was far more interesting. The views are quite wonderful all the way to the Cairngorms to the north and the Atholl hills to the south west.

[ANDY, THE STUIC – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We had a spot of lunch on top of the Stuic and bumped into Willem & Marianne who had been chasing us up the hill. Willem took this picture of us – you’ll note that Andy has his evil twin with him!

[YOU’LL NOTE THAT ANDY IS WITH HIS EVIL TWIN!!! – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[PHIL'S PIC: LOCH NAN EUN & LOCHNAGAR FROM THE STUIC – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[FROM THE STUIC – CLICK TO ENLARGE}

Then it was time to set off again, but first we had to make a decision; Were we going to go all the way over to Lochnagar and do it justice with Cac Carn Beag or do we drop down via Glass Allt? The weather certainly seemed to be closing in now but it still seemed a little way off. We might just get away with it.

Lochnagar it was then!

[LOCHNAGAR FROM JUST BELOW THE STUIC. WEATHER BEGINNING TO CLOSE IN – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

It’s glorious underfoot up here, with a well-blazed track to follow and soon we were grunting our way up to the huge cairn of Cac Carn Mor. Andy was going like a train again, so Phil & I just bimbled along at our own pace.

In no time at all we had clambered up to the trig point on Cac Carn Beag at the northern end of Lochnagar That’s another Munro! Ooo Err! That’s three today, if you count Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach (which we didn’t quite get to the top of, because, well it was a bit boring)

[PHIL'S PIC, CAC CARN BEAG – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

After a little while Willem & Marianne joined us on top. They had been a bit smarter than us and had left their packs at Cac Carn Mor, which they would retrieve later on the way back down.

[MARIANNE & WILLEM, CAC CARN BEAG, WITH CARN A’ CHOIRE BHOIDHEACH & THE STUIC – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Looking back to Cac Carn Mor we saw that thick cloud was now spilling up the cliffs and onto the plateau. Time to get a wiggle on, then. We might just make it off before we got covered.

[CLOUDS ABOUT TO OBLITERATE THE VIEWS, CAC CARN MOR – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

On the way back we met Toby & Vicky. We liked them instantly. They were belting along, I think having arrived here from Braemar. Vicky had had a bit of a mauling on the Challenge Message Board after asking a perfectly reasonable question and getting chapter and verse with very little humour in return. However, she’s a feisty lass and gave far better than she received in a firm but polite manner. We knew we would like her before even meeting.

We were losing our race with the cloud, and before too long we were nicely wrapped in the stuff. Route finding’s not difficult though; we were following the cliff-edge path rather than the main drag as it was going to be more interesting. After that, there’s a well cairned route to follow up and over the eastern end of Lochnagar.

[LOCHNAGAR CLIFFS]

There was one brief break in the clouds before they finally sealed us in for good, when there was a wonderful view to the south east across the huge trench of Glen Muick to the hills beyond:

[FLEETING VIEW S.E. OVER THE TRENCH OF LOCH MUICK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

 

[ANDY'S PIC: LOCHNAGAR ABYSS – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

Then it all got quite interesting for a short while. At this point we were in a group of Challengers that included Willem & Marianne. The well slabbed path takes you nicely down the first section quite steeply and then you are abandoned in a boulder field with the boulders the size of small family cars. We were in thick cloud and could only see down about ten metres or so and couldn’t see the bottom end of the boulder field or the path afterwards. There didn’t seem to be any well worn route and so, conscious of the bloomin’ great cliffs to the left of us we steered a right-ish course down.

With full packs this was quite a tricky do at times, with quite big stretches and awkward handholds. Far easier to clamber up, i would imagine, especially if you could see where you were aiming for. However, we all made it down and onto a path once again, still in thick cloud and mightily relieved that that was over.

Time was ticking on at this point, and aware that things usually went pear-shaped for me at around this time in the day I called a halt just beneath the clouds and we snacked and finished off what little drinks we had. It did the trick as for the rest of the day everything went well.

On the long rubbly track that takes you down to the Spittal, Toby and Vicky went flying past us, with Vicky complaining about her blisters. It did strike me that if they went a bit steadier, she might not have those blisters in the first place, but in a rare moment of self control I thought it wise to keep quiet. There’s a first, eh?

Glen Muick was incredibly gloomy with the cloud sealing it off like a huge pressure cooker lid. Andy had gone off like a terrier chasing cars, (well, Willem & Marianne, actually) and so Phil and I strolled down to the Spittal together and came across the resident deer and managed to get a few shots, but in the poor light and with flighty deer this was the best I could manage.

[SPITTAL OF GLENMUICK DEER – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

We stopped off at the Visitor Centre, looking forward to hot soup and hot chocolates from the vending machine, but by the time we arrived all those lovely things had gone!

Woe, woe and thrice woe!

All these bastard Challengers that had got there before us had emptied the machine of all the precious things! I drank my “hot orange” a tad grumpily and then main-lined hot black coffees to give me the necessary “oomph” to get up the next bit of the day.This was supplemented by Marathon and Mars bars.

I love the stroll up the Allt Darrarie. It’s a gentle plod that if taken at a measured pace is an absolute delight. It’s a bit gloopy in places, but never “over the top of your boots” stuff. We passed Willem & Marianne putting up their shelter and then I noticed a Scarp 1. I just sort of knew it was James inside so a few “hellos” brought his head out of the tent. He was doing well and his twisted ankle was now a whole lot better.

We plodded on and then came across a green Akto – that I recognised instantly as Pete Shepherd’s (it’s the peculiar way he pitches it). Sure enough, inside tucking in to some mashed potato was the man himself. There was no sign of Mick. Pete had had a very hard day and looked bloody glad to have stopped, so I decided there and then that tomorrow he would be walking with me.

Earlier in the day (on top of The Stuic) Phil and I had decided that our day would be quite long and so the Shieling of Mark would in all likelihood be rammed by the time we were to arrive, with few decent pitches left. So we had settled on the caochan just before the hop over the peat hags as a good stopping point. We let Pete know that we would be just half a mile further on, and that we would be setting off abut 8:00am next morning and that we would be expecting him. Pete was happy with this; It looked like he needed a bit of moral support.

[CAMP ON THE CAOCHAN WITH INCOMING WEATHER – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

By now the weather was really closing in and the wind was getting up to “quite blowy really” so we got our shelters up quickly to get out of the worst of it. Sally went up a treat and soon I was munching on another pasta with mushrooms in cheese sauce from Adventure Foods c/o “Outdoors Grub.” My favourite meal of the Challenge. Andy and Phil popped over with flasks and it was all quite jolly.

Just a little further up the way there was a little Laser pitched up and we could see someone moving about, but to be honest, I was all snug and settled and couldn’t be arsed to go and have a chat in the gloom and blustery weather.

I slept like a log, totally pleased as punch that I had managed quite a big day – a brilliant Challenge Day.