Hello,
and welcome back to my blog. The blog that's been dormant for quite
a while now. And what do I have to tell you? Well, first of all,
that I might not be around for the next few days …
The
TGO Challenge is an annual self-supported walking event across the
Highlands of Scotland, west coast to east coast. It started in 1980
and was the brainchild of the well-known writer and mountaineer,
Hamish Brown.
The
Challenge is held every May and is sponsored by TGO, the walkers'
magazine, in partnership with Rab, the outdoor equipment specialist.
Challengers
are responsible for planning their own routes; all routes are checked
by experienced vetters, who offer comments which may assist in final
planning. Routes can be high or low level or a mixture of both. This
flexibility in the route you take, combined with the large
geographical area available, is one of the unique features of the
Challenge.
I
first heard about the Challenge while listening to a podcast called
The Outdoors Station. The host, Bob Cartwright, produced several
series' worth field recordings and interviews in all types of weather
and surroundings. Somewhere along the way, I said to myself 'you
know, I fancy a crack at this'.
I'm
not knew to endurance challenges, or, indeed hiking. I've been on a
few long distance treks, even getting to Mount Everest Base Camp
(17,500 feet above sea level) in 2009.
But
this will be the first time I've ever gone on a self-supported
expedition. I'll be carrying everything I need on my back. Along
the way I may make use of a b&b or two but for the most part I'll
be carrying my home on my back in the form of a tent, sleeping bag,
small stove and all the other bits and bobs you need to survive in
the great outdoors.
Luckily
for me the fiercest beasties I'll be meeting along the way will be
the Highland Midges who will no doubt conspire to make my life a
misery.
On
Friday 11th May I set out from Dornie, a small fishing
village in the Kintail district in western Ross-shire and begin a traverse of Scotland which will – hopefully - end on Monday 21st
May at St Cyrus in South Aberdeenshire.
Now,
the trouble with trying to tell the story of this journey as it
happens is all down to poor mobile coverage in some of the wild areas
I'll be passing through. Let's face it, mobile coverage in the
Highlands is bad enough at the best of times.
But
I will do my best. I will blog when I manage to get to a computer.
Otherwise, if I get a signal, I will attempt at least a daily
Facebook update (follow me at www.facebook.com/gdwscottwww.facebook.com/gdwscott).
I
leave Tiree on Wednesday, travelling to Fort William. On Thursday I
will bus to my starting point of Dornie, where I will allow myself
the luxury of a hotel room and a good meal. On Friday, it all
begins.
The
weather forecasts for the start of the Challenge is still changeable
and vague. There will be rain at some point, that's for sure. But
at the end of the day it doesn't matter: I'm committed to going and
all I can do now is … well, get it done.
There
are another 300+ challengers taking part, all setting off from their
own start point of choice. Along the way, I'm bound to meet quite a
few of them and I'm looking forward to sharing the 'craic' in the
great outdoors with kindred souls.
