Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019

Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019
On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca

Thursday, 22 May 2014

Thursday 22 May 2014 - TGO Challenge - Day 14 - By Hill of Roughbank to Dunnottar Castle and Stonehaven

Route: as planned, mainly on forest tracks, with minor variations

Distance: 29 km (Cum: 341)

Ascent: 550 metres (Cum: 12400)

Time taken: 5.5 hrs including 0.7 hrs breaks (Cum 115 hours including breaks)

Weather: dull, cool and heavily overcast, a prelude to heavy rain after I finished

Click on the link below (Day 14) for details of my planned route:

With rain forecast, I decided to start early and enjoy the best of the day.

So by 4.15 am I was tramping the forest paths towards my destination, enjoying solitude apart from the very vocal dawn chorus. In situations like this I often vow to rise early more often - it brings great rewards.

Today I was rewarded by avoiding the rain, so my tally of walking in the rain to any extent on this trip is limited to just the first Saturday morning - brilliant!

The forest paths were fine, but I hastened along them, forgetting to take a picture with the phone, so today's image is of the Queen's Well on the way to Tarfside - I'd previously tried and failed to send it. 

At Dunnottar I managed some self-timed images before Kirsten turned up and kindly took the picture on the previous posting.

A nice coastal walk to Stonehaven was followed by a bus to Montrose and the usual erecting of tent and a hot shower and fresh clothes at the campsite, then it was off to the Park Hotel to sign in and enjoy lunch and reunions, before heading to Balmedie beach to collect a rather bedraggled Sue O at the end of her walk. At least I'm assuming she's bedraggled, given the present downpour. She hasn't arrived yet. 

That's it for now. I'll maybe do another posting on statistics and a few anecdotal stories after tonight's dinner - but that posting can wait.

So - the end of another successful Challenge, with just the dinner to enjoy and Alan R and Graham B to return to their loved ones tomorrow. 

Sent from Balmedie Beach

4 comments:

Gayle said...

I confess that when you told me earlier how far you walked today, I did think you were pulling my leg (given the timing of your finish photo). I stand corrected.

Well done on your crossing (well blogged too!). You win weather wise this year; our first 3 days were rather damper than yours, although we did then enjoy a sunny beach holiday.

Martin Rye said...

Well done Martin.

Eddie Linsell said...

Congratulations on another completed challenge and thanks for the excellent blog. It was good to catch up with you.
Eddie, Heather and wee T. Bridge of Gaur.

Phreerunner said...

Thanks everyone. It was great to see you all, Eddie. We hope you have an enjoyable and profitable summer.
And well done Gayle on doing a sterling job at Control, along with the rest of that crack team, especially the 'tea machine'.