TGO Challenge 2010

  
The time has come…

I set off in a few hours time to the fleshpots of Lochailort, where around 40 out of a total of 300+ Challengers will be assembling before starting their walk across Scotland on Friday morning.

I’ve not had time to produce the usual web page, so my planned route will be revealed here on a day to day basis.  I’ll be setting off in a southerly direction, unlike the vast majority of those starting at Lochailort, who I suspect will be heading east.

For now, you’ll have to make do with the outline shown below; a route of 360 km (225 miles) with around 18,100 metres of ascent.  It’s highly unlikely that I’ll be able to meet this Challenge despite the encouragement of my vetter (who I thought would ‘rubbish’ my plans).  So it’s just as well that I have an alternative ‘Foul Weather Alternative’ (FWA) which comes out at a mere 320 km with only 8,600 metres of ascent.  The disadvantage is that it omits the 28 summits (2 Munros, 20 Corbetts, 5 Grahams and a Marilyn) that are included in the longer route.

Realistically, I hope to make at least 10 of those summits

Day 1 – Lochailort to Lochan Feith Easain (NM 817 792)
Day 2 – to Lochan at High Col (NM 885 750)
Day 3 – to Lochan below Beinn na h-Uamha (NM 911 664)
Day 4 – to Edge of Forest (NN 075 645)
Day 5 – to Meall na Cruaidhe (NN 249 627)
Day 6 – to Path Junction below Sron Smeur (NN 435 609)
Day 7 – to Duinish (NN 617 669)
Day 8 – to Loch Tummel Inn (NN 818 602)
Day 9 – to Watershed at NN 974 656
Day 10 – to Loch Beanie (NO 156 685)
Day 11 – to Glen Clova Hotel (NO 326 731)
Day 12 – to Tarfside (NO 491 797)
Day 13 – to North Water Bridge (NO 649 662)
Day 14 – to Montrose (NO 732 603)

My best wishes go to all the other Challengers, including the Proud Scotsmen amongst them and the various bloggers – think of them as they stand aloft Scottish peaks trying to transmit their hastily compiled words over the course of the next two weeks…

My previous three Challenges are described here, just in case anyone is interested.