The cacophony from birds was rather special in this area. Through the night a cuckoo called continuously. Occassionally an owl. And at dawn as the cuckoo stopped a hundred other birds took over. I started off early and soon caught up Charles and Brian, senior TGOers who stayed in the right place – a bothey […]
2012 TGOC day 11 mountains’ end Read More »
The weather had set fair so the night spent at the top of the Geldie burn was cold but not threatening. My plan for last night was Mar lodge down in the valley. I got there about 11 this morning after the last TGOers that stayed over had left. Its nice to see signs specifically
2012 TGOC day 10 Braemar Read More »
We have to call ‘Control’ regularly so that our progress is monitored and to pickup messages about weather and conditions. We were told ‘too much snow on top of Cairngorms please use foul weather alternatives’. This suited me and my poor feet. A gentle stroll on the track up the Feshie valley and down the
2012 TGOC challenge day 9 to the top of Feshie Burn Read More »
The route out of this area involved some pathless navigation up one valley to the plateau and then down another valley eventually to join a track about 10km away. In theory this sort of navigation should be relatively easy driven by the direction of the valleys. In practice, on the ground, it is not so
2012 TGOC day 8 to Kingussie Read More »
I woke to whiteness outside. The rain had turned to snow. There’s a big water project at this end of the Monaliadth. A project that has gone slightly wrong. So the reservoir on my map was empty of water. Instead through the cloud and snow flurries I could see earth moving equipment with flashing lights
The Great Glen Hostel has good facilities and it was possible to do some washing and drying as well as access the internet. The Great Glen Way follows the Caledonian canal at the point, and I joined it to Fort Augustus at the end of Loch Ness. One of the first sights at Fort Augustus
2012 TGOC day 6 – the joy of packing standing up Read More »
Day 5 was another one of two different halves. First a long trek along a valley following tracks and paths partly in forest. The next part was to follow a ridge of tops leading over to the next valley and civilisation of a hostel. Catching up the lost kilometres from yesterday took more than two
The greenhouse miraculously had an old but partly functioning gas heater so I could dry much of the contents of my pack. Did I mention my little mishap? Towards the end of the yesterday I came to an unusually wide stream to cross, made furious by the rains. And there on rocks on either side
Morning came with no let-up in the weather. We had been asked to prepare ‘foul weather alternative’ routing. Both my routes for day 3 started with the pass over to the next valley Glean Unndalain This pleasant path had many swollen streams crossing it. The bigger ones to be waded in Crocs. In fact every
Day 2 started three hours or so behind the plan. This was made a little worse by an unscheduled rush up a top towards the end of the ridge from Tarbet. Its easy to forget that its not only time that is a constraint but also energy and body wear-and-tear. Daylight hours are very long
2012 TGOC day 2 reprise Read More »