Thursday 12 May 2011 - TGO Challenge Day 0 - Montrose to Oban

Despite Heather T-S's best efforts - text messages in the middle of the night relating a tale of rain in Lancashire - Chez Alison provided a good night's sleep before a stroll, with a rucksack that feels very heavy, to the station for the 9.18 to Glasgow in the esteemed company of legend Ron Reynolds and three generations of the Foulkes family, including Bernard and his big rucksack. Bernard will be 83 in a couple of weeks time. This will be his and Margaret's 19th Challenge.

The usual melée at Queen Street station was followed by a most sociable train journey to Oban, waved off by Messrs Smith and Shiel, in the company of the majority of the 57 Challengers who are starting from there tomorrow morning. I forgot to buy a baguette, so lunch included Stilton and crisps, washed down with a very palatable bottle of red wine, courtesy of Poor Michael (Mike) who turned up dutifully on the platform at Queen Street.

It has been a day of sunshine and showers. We suspect that the latter may prevail over the days to come.

Then Gordon managed to gather a quota of about a dozen Challengers in the Light of India restaurant here in Oban for an amenably sociable preamble to the walk.

Great to meet up with friends old and new, today. There's a bit more effort needed tomorrow...

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange