TGO Challenge Journal 2010

TGO Photographs

I've finally gotten around to sorting out my photographs from this year's TGO Challenge.

As you may remember from a previous post; I left the SD card for my camera behind and had to take most of the photographs with my video camera.

If you click on the link below the picture, it will take you to the TGO Challenge album.

St. Cyrus beach

From My TGO Challenge

Thanks

I just like to say a big thanks to all the people who have commented on the video's; here and on Twitter.

I'm glad people enjoyed them and hope it gave the flavour of my TGO crossing.

After the disasters with both the stills camera and the phone; this was the best way to capture the crossing and my thoughts at the time.

I also found is to be a much easier medium to work with than writing up the trip each night; although editing the clips together was harder work than writing :-).

TGO Challenge 2010 Day Eleven/Twelve

In which our Hero starts to think about the end, has a gentle walk by the river, has a problem, bounces along a bridge, a mini disaster is averted, arrives at St Cyrus, has a final moan and plays out the final act.

TGO Challenge Day Ten Video

In which our Hero makes a dash for a bed, walks along Loch Lee, gets attacked!, meets the Mason's and finally sleeping in a bed.

TGO Challenge 2010 Day Nine Video

In which our Hero finally leaves Braemar, sees a special bothy, meets Carl, plays hide & seek with a bothy, and camps at the stable.

TGO challenge 2010 Day Seven/Eight Video

In which our Hero muses about wild horses, challengers, crosses a wobbly bridge, has his peace disturbed, finds a snake and visits Mar Lodge

TGO Challenge 2010 Day Five/Six Video

In which our Hero is unsure of what to do, meets Merv again, visits the local history, arrives in Glen Feshie and finds a wondrous seat.

)

Best seat in the house

TGO Challenge Day 2010Three/Four Video

In which our Hero walking with the pylons, gets on the wrong side of a bridge, takes a tour, gets upset with walking and finally gets to camp.

)

TGO Challenge 2010 Day Two Video

In which our Hero battles with the rain, gets lost! and meets Bill & Merv.

TGO Challenge 2010 Day One Video

As most know I like to video most of my walking trips; and the TGO was no different.

I have edited around 600 video clips and this has ended up with about 80 minutes of video.

The idea of videoing trips has always be as a record mainly for myself.

The video's also give a good representation of how I was feeling and my thoughts at points through the day.

More Pictures

Broken Bridge (Glen Feshie)

Bridge across Allt Darraire

Rapeseed

Long Man

Some Pictures

Loch Duich

Athnamulloch

Loch Affric

Wood

Ruthven Barracks

Glen Feshie Camp

500 miles

Or The Dad Dance :-)

*@^! It!

I`m back home after finishing at St Cyrus at 11.00 am on Wednesday.

At present I am trying to get my phone sorted out as between Virgin and Orange they have really ballsed it up.

The computer is chugging away processing the 600 or so video clips I have taken.

One little mistake (apart from the phone) was I forget to put a SD card in my still camera and carried it across Scotland unable to take any pictures with it! DOH!!! Luckily the video camera can take stills as well; so I got some pictures.

I not sure how I'm going to proceed with blogging about the trip, as I have some mixed feelings about it. I'll take the rest of the weekend to decide what to do.

While that is ongoing here is a clip from day three.

TGO Day 2 Tales from the riverbank

We had rain again during the night also strong winds. I was away by 8.30 once I could pack between showers. Again the track was good but this time I was on my own, I reached the Cougie turn off about 10.30 and followed the map, which ment crossing a stream; the terrocs at great for this, wet feet yes but they do dry quickly.

At this point things started to a bit wrong; I was struggling to find the second path East. After an hour of faffing about I decided to go back to the start and take the longer but easier track around.

As I was backtracking I bumped into two challengers and explained my problem; This seems I didn't need to cross the stream as the path stays to one side, bloody OS maps.

Anyway we made it Cougie by 2.15 and had lunch there.

I explained to the owners I wouldn't be staying and they were fine with it.

I carried on into Sunday's route and started climbing up the pass to Fort Augustus. For all thee snow they have had up here the pass is pretty dry, I was finding it hard to find any decent water.

I finally bumped into kate & Tim Wood camped next to a stream; so I've set up camp too GR292207.

It's now 20.15 15 May

TGO Day 1 I feel fine

Fairly good day's walking although it was a day of sunshine and showers so waterproofs on and off.

The walk up Glen lichd saw nice but the climb up to Fionngleann was a killer even though I know it was there.

Most of the day was spent leapfrogging two or three groups.

Camban bothy was a welcome sight as by then I was feeling quite tired but after a good rest and food I felt better.

Again following the crowd to Alltbeithe YH. From here I had to path to myself as most were staying at the YH.

I pushed on to Athnamulloch as the vetter told me that there were some flat pitches here; that's not strickly true as there is a lot of tussocks about but have found a pitch and am just waiting for dinner to cook.

The sun is now shining again and things look pretty good; only probrlem is tomorrow, I can't decide to go to Cougie as planned or push on into Sunday route and make the walk into Fort Augustus easier.

The walking today was better than expected.

It now 19:32 14 May; I'll post as soon as there is network.

Ready, Set....

After the panic from earlier in the week; everything is now packed and waiting for tomorrow.

Pack weight is around 11.5kg

I'm going to try and blog while on the trip but this is dependent on a phone signal, and so far tonight I haven't been able to send any updates, as Orange are having problems with their network.

As the posts will be via email they may end up being out of order, but hopefully they will make some kind of sense.

I will also be making use of Twitter; this will just be short updates but maybe easier than full posts every day.

So if anyone is interested in following along that way; just click the Twitter icon on the right and sign up.

So that's it for now; hopefully the next post will be from Scotland.

It's Official...

I have hit PANIC! mode.

Yesterday was spent on shopping trips to get last minute bits and pieces; gas, food, watch.

Yep; I don't own a watch. And although this trip isn't about timekeeping I do need to make sure I'm at certain places to make the right connections. See PANIC!

Yesterday I also realised that for some reason I can't fit everything in the GoLite Pinnacle, O.K. that's not strictly true; everything in the picture below fits into the pack, this is everything I am taking, minus food. But that's the problem, with all that lot in the pack there is no room for my maximum of 4 days worth of food. PANIC!


Now I say all that lot but it isn't that much; honest. The only piece I don't normally carry is the synthetic jacket, but I think I'm going to need this.

I've swapped the GoLite out for my Six Moon Designs pack, which has given me more room, in fact probably enough to get 4 days food in.

The weight is only around 11 kg but it seems as I'm having problem with bulky items.