TGO Challenge 2014 – A Sociable Route

Last year, I was pleased to meet Pete Varley at Pennan, and subsequently at our Fraserburgh finish, where we are pictured trying to maintain an upright position in the strong wind.

Pete was the fifth Challenger I met on my 230 mile stroll from Plockton.

This year I’ve drafted a much more sociable route, low level as last year, from Morar to Dunnottar Castle – 222 miles with 14,500 metres ascent, if it goes to plan, taking in 31 summits of varying altitude along the way, but less than 12 Munros and Corbetts – summits over 2,500 feet – so officially ‘low level’.

The route passes through numerous Challenge ‘hotspots’ so I’m guaranteed to encounter up to 200 Challengers en route this year, just by way of a contrast.

It’s basically as follows:

Morar (Friday) > Glendessarry > Torness (Sunday) > Glen Turret > Creag Meagaidh > Dalwhinnie (Wednesday)> Tarf Water > Bynack Lodge > Braemar (Saturday) > Ballater (Sunday) > Tarfside (Monday) > Mount Battock > Charr > Elf Hill (Fetteresso) > Dunnottar Castle (Thursday)

Thanks go to Colin Tock for vetting the route and providing words of advice and encouragement

Roll on May…