Journal
Trip reports, 2016 to 2021
The archive from my old blog, kept as it was written, including the day-by-day diary of the 2017 TGO Challenge across Scotland.
2021
2020
Lake District: Blencathra by the edgesLockdown being gradually reduced meant getting out there on one of the best days of the year
Lake District: Scafell Pike round from Seathwaite (inc Glaramara)Clear weather made a Scafell Pike round a superb prospect
Lake District – A Coledale HorseshoeAn end the blustery winter season with a fantastic day out on the fells
2017
TGOC 2017: Day 13 – Dunnottar Castle to Montrose, the Challenge dinner and musingsDawn at the East Coast. Finally.
TGOC 2017: Day 12 – Charr Bothy to Stonehaven (and the finish)Every film series has that inevitable part which gets – for want of a better phrase, A Bit Rubbish. It’s inevitable, really, you just can’t keep up that non-stop action without the plot not making sense, and you end up…
TGOC 2017: Day 11 – Tarfside to Charr BothyWith the gathering at Tarfside over, we head over the hills to Charr for our first bothy stay of the trip.
TGOC2017: Days 9 & 10 – Braemar to Ballater & Ballater to TarfsideWe take the easy route to Ballater, then decide to head back over the tops to Tarfside, probably biting off more than we can chew..
TGOC2017: Day 8 – Derry Lodge to BraemarWe had done the hard bit, with two-thirds of our Munros climbed, some massive hill days and the huge effort needed to catch ourselves up. Now, beginning to slow ourselves down was starting to bear fruit. All that was now…
TGOC2017: Day 7 – Rothiemuchus Forest to Derry LodgeA promising start to the day turns awry by the time we pull up in to camp, with difficult choices to make.
TGOC2017: Day 6 – Aviemore to the Allt DruidhOur rest day has an unwelcome surprise, before we head in to the Cairngorms and the Lairig Ghru tomorrow..
TGOC 2017: Day 5 – A resurgence. (Upper Findhorn to Aviemore)We take our FWA to join the Burma road, and return to civilization.
TGOC 2017: Day 4 – Drumnadroicht, Loch Ness and the MonadhliathMarching to the Drum Our 5:30 am alarm had been (rightly) ignored, turning it off immediately and catching a few more precious minutes – but by 6 am we knew we should be moving. Why bother doing 95% of the…
TGOC 2017: Day 3 – The epic (Carn Eige to Drumnadroicht)When planning our route we were not only seeking to complete the coast-to-coast, but we were seeking a challenge which would test us physically and mentally – and it seemed things were coming to a head to offer us exactly…
TGOC 2017: Day 2 – A ridge too far. (Falls of Glomach to Carn Eige)We head up what was to be the highlight of our trip, but it wasn’t going as intended.
TGOC 2017: Day 1 – Dornie Daundering (Dornie to Falls of Glomach)Time to sling the backpacks on and get our Challenge officially started..
TGOC 2017: Day -1 and 0 – Starting our coast-to-coast across ScotlandSeven months in the planning, we arrive in Dornie, Scotland.
Lake District – Pre-TGO warmup hike. Bowscale Fell to Skiddaw roundAs part of our training for the TGO, we penned in a few weekends to improve our fitness and slowly cull intended kit (there is a huge pile of stuff we ‘may’ take but don’t want to carry!) to ease…
Hiking — Route Approved for Scotland Coast-to-Coast 300km challengeHere’s where we’re headed..
Scotland and the TGO – About the hiking route planning process and gearThe fastest way between two points is a straight line, right? If only it was that easy..
2016
The Great Outdoors Challenge 2017: Accepted!Scotland beckons
Yorkshire Dales – A Mallerstang Common roundA late summer horse shoe taking in six nuttalls.
A jaunt through the HowgillsTwo days in the Yorkshire Dales answer to the Lake District fells
OnwardsThe best journeys begin without knowing the destination.