Friday 10 May 2013 - TGO Challenge Day 1 - Plockton to Loch nan Gillean

Route: More or less as planned

See http:/www.topwalks.com/tgoc2013.html Day 1 for map

Distance: 23km (Cum 23)

Ascent: 1150 metres (Cum 1150)

Time taken: 8 hrs including 1.4 hrs stops

Weather: sunny for the first couple of hours, then gradually wetter.

And wetter. 

Challengers encountered: none after  leaving the start. In fact I've seen nobody since 10am this morning. 

An interesting first day. I was first of the ten Plockton starters to sign out - spot on 9 o'clock on a perfect sunny morning. I left John, Sue, Jane, Graham and Tina to their breakfasts. Sadly Louise, although reportedly in Plockton, wasn't about so it'll probably be a while before we meet up. 

Andrew kindly guided me out of town along his favourite lochside path beside the shimmering waters of Loch Carron. Then I was on my own. All day. 

After an easy start past beds of wood sorrel and chirping birds, the section of jungle beyond Loch Achaidh na h-Inich came as a bit of a shock. It wasn't the first non existent path on today's map. After muscling my way through the dense forest and locating a lovely old forest path that circumvented some forest operations, I came upon the sight of Auchtertyre Hill directly in front of me.

I can't say I would recommend climbing Auchtertyre Hill from the west. If you do choose that route, take care. The contours are very close together.  The heather is deep and much of it had recently been burnt. When I was half way up it started to rain. Now both my walking gear and my waterproofs are streaked with black lines from the charred heather. If I encounter anything harder than the steep gully near the top on this trip I'll be even more out of my comfort zone.

The view from the summit would have been better if it hadn't been raining.

It was much easier on the other side, though the 60 metre ascent of the day's second hill, Maol Mor, was pretty abrupt. 

The route I'd chosen followed that of the old A890, when it was single track.  It's amazing how things can change so much. Bushes - Juniper perhaps - presented an impenetrable barrier at times.  Progress was slow,  but road walking was avoided.

Then came an easy 5km of forestry track,  with wrens, cuckoos and small warblers in attendance as well as the ubiquitous chaffinches. 

That section ended all too soon, when the ongoing route beyond point 7 on the map (see link above) proved to be absent from the ground. So I batttled through some more jungle and then wandered up to an unplanned high point of the day,  the 486 metre summit of Carn nan Iomairean. 

After admiring the diminishing views,  I trotted down to Loch nan Gillean and by 5pm was putting the new tent up in increasingly heavy rain. Having chosen a spot with a view, the cloud came down and I can't see a thing. 

It proved a good time to stop. I'm having a pleasant evening in the tent, which luckily and most surprisingly has 'phone reception. 

Alan R - S3 spell checker?

Sent from my TNSC2's first wild camp at NG 922 355

TGO Challenge 2013 - Getting to the start

Sleep didn't come easily.  The 5.15 alarm wasn't needed.  I enjoyed breakfast with Sue, who kindly rose early and dropped me at Piccadilly station, before heading off for work, only five minutes away.  So she may have had quite a long day!

The 6.33 am First Trans-Pennine express to Glasgow was quiet and on time.  Not a Challenger in sight.  Not in the executive compartment, anyway!

The blue skies and tree greenery slowly diminished as we headed north.  Our swifts are back, but I don't think I'll be seeing any during the next couple of weeks. 

Later...

Plockton (is designed by) is bathed in late afternoon sunshine.  The 10 hour journey went without a hitch, much of the time being taken with renewing old acquaintances and chatting with new ones.

Whilst I haven't spotted any other Challengers in Plockton, Andrew and Rosemary were here to greet me with tea and cake, and there's the mouth watering prospect of a meal at Shores restaurant to come shortly. 

Raising Funds for Levana School Partnership

Please bear with me for a quick plug for this small charity, Levana School Partnership.

Sue and I are delighted to be able to help raise a bit of cash for this township primary school in Cape Town.  We know that over the years the funding received from the charity has made a big difference to the school.

We are joining my son Mike, and our friend Roger, in a sub team of four.  The event is the Manchester 10 kilometre (6 miles) race, which will be held on Sunday 26 May.  We’d like to have exceeded our sponsorship target of £750 by then.

Every little helps, so please don’t be embarrassed to donate just a fiver towards this worthy cause, should you feel inclined to support it.  Our Just Giving site, in Mike’s name, is here.  Our thanks go to the 31 people who have already donated – your contributions are much appreciated.

My daughter, Kate, is also taking part, but in a rather more leisurely fashion due to pregnancy.  She’ll be walking.  There are still a number of places available in our team of 20, so if anyone out there would like to take part, either walking or running, they should contact Nell at nell.banfield@ntlworld.com as soon as possible.

Our ‘sub team’ will all be trying to break the one hour barrier, and I promise to go as fast as I can despite tired legs from the TGO Challenge and not having been running for a month or so.

TGO Challenge 2013 – Final Preparations

I’d like to be able to post a picture of some neatly laid out gear, but I can’t.  These snaps were taken just before it was thrown into a sack a week ago, since when it has been wending its way to Plockton.  I hope to be reunited with it tomorrow, when I should be whisked up to my starting point, leaving Manchester’s Piccadilly Station at 6.33am and arriving in Plockton for afternoon tea sometime after 3pm, via Glasgow and Inverness.

That’s the theory, anyway.

There’s a web page with my planned route, kit list, and links to previous Challenge exploits, here.  This may be helpful to anyone who decides to follow my progress over the next couple of weeks.  You’ll have to bear with me a little on that score, as mastering the complexities of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is more than a trifle taxing!

Good luck to others who have been lucky enough to get places on this year’s Challenge.  I hope to see some of you in Plockton, and then maybe en route to Montrose (via Frazerburgh in my case).

Have a good one…

Tuesday 7 May 2013 - Curry Club at ‘This & That’

Looks a bit of a mess, but very tasty, and only £5.50.

This was a nice little jaunt by a slightly odd route, with Rick, JJ, Alan R and Viv.

We met outside Timperley station. 

“We are on the wrong side of the road” I observed, spotting the others in an unconventional spot.

“I have a cunning plan” announced JJ.

So saying, we headed off towards Altrincham, which those familiar with the geography of Timperley may recognise as being in the wrong direction for ‘This & That’, a curry house in Shudehill.

We strode on through Altrincham, past the Budenberg Haus Projekte.

Altrincham’s bluebells were wilting in their unaccustomed sunshine.

The Bay Malton signalled our departure from the Bridgewater Canal, in favour of the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT).  The TPT follows roads as far as our local hi-tech waste disposal centre, so JJ carefully directed us along some pleasant alternative footpaths.

The TPT then remains off road past Carrington Moss and beside the Carrington Spur to reach the River Mersey, by which time Alan hadn’t much idea of his whereabouts. 

Cake kept him going, as it did the other three.  They had all suffered yesterday at the hands of R Norman, the master plumber from Horwich, on one of his short guided walks.  17 miles or so.

A heron was vying with the kingfishers to stab the fish on the salmon leap.

Alan soon relocated himself as we crossed about ten lanes of the M60 motorway on our journey back to the Bridgewater Canal in Stretford.  Luckily a footbridge was provided. 

The locals seemed to know JJ.

We walked past a pub.  (It was shut.)

A few metres further on, JJ spotted a Metrolink tram station.  “It’s gone 12.30, time for a curry” he announced.  So we all jumped on a tram to Shudehill and enjoyed said curry.

A delightful outing of about 14 km (around 9 miles), with not much ascent at all, in about 3 hours.  Thanks go to JJ for organising it.

Tales from the river bank

Sun worshippers by the River Mersey.  In search of curry.

Sent from the river bank

Sunday 5 May 2013 - Mellbreak and Hen Comb

Rain this morning kept us and eleven others company for the ascent of these two hills, following which Sue and I were joined by Richard and Jenny for a sunny stroll around Loweswater.

The picture should show walkers crossing Mosedale Beck, on the descent from Hen Comb.

We did about 11 miles and conquered five Birketts.  Others did more.

Sent in a hurry from Martin's Mobile

Saturday 4 May 2013 - A Bank Holiday Bimble

Overnight rain didn't persist beyond breakfast time at Dalegarth campsite at the end of Buttermere.

On a cool morning Sue and I parked up at Rannerdale and headed up the road beside Crummock Water.  Wheatears attentively monitored our progress.  Soon a crocodile of fourteen people appeared ahead of us.  Dave's birthday party had escaped from the Kirkstile Innovative.  We soon caught up.  Graham was there.

The weather cleared and we enjoyed an excellent stroll over the west and east tops of Whiteside, Gasgale Crags, Hopegill Head, Ladyside Pike, Sand Hill, Grasmoor (lunch), Crag Hill, Eel Crag, Wandope, Thirdgill Head Man, Whiteless Pike and Rannerdale Knotts. (Thirteen Birketts, twelve miles.) 

An excellent outing in the best of company,  with cake from Tove as well as the usual shortbread and brownies.

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A new phone

At last! But I'm not finding it easy. Please bear with me.

Sunday 28 April 2013 – A new bridge at Jackson’s Boat

Last Sunday I enjoyed another bike ride along the Bridgewater Canal to Stretford, then along the Trans-Pennine Trail to join the Macclesfield Canal between Woodley and Hyde, returning home via the Cheshire Ring canal system towpath.

It’s a shade under 40 miles, depending on which route you find through Stockport – a good four hours’ exercise.

Early on, the River Mersey is followed past the old inn called ‘Jackson’s Boat’, named in the 1700s after a nearby ferry operated by a man called Jackson.

The pub has a rich history, involving ghosts and Jacobites, and there’s been a bridge (not the same one, predecessors have been washed away) to provide pedestrian access from the Manchester (Chorlton) side of the river for nearly 200 years. 

The Metrolink line to Manchester Airport has given rise to a new bridge that has been under construction for some time now.  Luckily, so far as I can see, diversions have been kept to a minimum whilst the bridge is under construction.  It’s quite a substantial affair when viewed from the banks of the Mersey…

Later, near Sale, I spotted this early brood of Canada Geese chicks.

That’s all for now – a Backpackers meal beckons.

Jacob’s First Bike

Jacob’s second birthday was last week. 

These days that means a youngster is ready for a bike, though I think in my day it may have been time for a rudimentary pedal car.

Anyway, he seemed to like the balance bike, and it wasn’t long before he’d mastered the grip and could move along without falling off too often.

Well done kid…and thank you to Great Grandma Dot for providing the venue for Jacob’s First Bike Ride on Saturday.

Not Quite Spring in the Peak District

Yesterday Sue and I enjoyed a brief stroll from Upper Burbage Bridge, over Burbage Rocks to Burbage Bridge, returning over some slightly boggy ground on which Higger Tor marks the high point.

Only 6-7 km, in around an hour and a quarter, but a good dose of fresh air after a lengthy visit to ‘Outside’ in Hathersage, and a reminder that winter is not over – there was a cold wind and we could see hail showers, though none got us.

Higger Tor is the high point above Sue’s head (above) and I am pictured there, below.

Mission accomplished:  Sue now has some new boots, Superfeet, and replacement t-shirts, so she won’t be evicted from the GR10 (Pyrenees) party…

Thursday 25 April 2013 - Lantern Pike

The long days of April bring with them the pleasure of enjoying our regular evening walks .... in daylight.

Tonight's 7 km stroll up Lantern Pike from the Pack Horse in Hayfield was certainly a pleasure. The six of us who turned up were blessed with good company, fine views to the sunlit edges of Kinder Scout above Hayfield, and a lovely sunset.

It was warm, but not quite warm enough to sit outside the pub when we got back to Hayfield.

It's an easy route to follow - Sett Valley Trail to join the Pennine Bridleway just beyond Birch Vale, then climb the track until turning left beyond a wall to gain Lantern Pike's summit, where today the inaugural batch of Timperley Crunch Biscuits was scoffed. Continue onwards to rejoin the track that skirts the hill to the east, and follow that almost as far as Blackshaw Farm. Turn sharp right (about 340 degrees) as if in fear of the Blackshaws, and follow the thin paths, above Little Hayfield, all the way back to Hayfield. Allow about 2 hours.

Gayle - you'll notice the old phone lives on. I tried to change it today but the need to 'prepare', and the prospect of a lower tariff in May, meant the attempt stalled.

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Trekking in Greenland - The Arctic Circle Trail, by Paddy Dillon

Sue and I had the pleasure last night of attending a talk/slideshow by Paddy Dillon at Stockport Walking & Outdoor Group’s weekly get together.

The presentation was slick and precise, as must have been his packing in order to get 18 kilos of gear and food into his 50 litre rucksack for the 7-10 day route that comprises the Arctic Circle Trail.

You can get a fair idea of what it’s all about from the Cicerone website, here, and Paddy Dillon’s own website, here.

It’s for seasoned backpackers who are able to carry around 20 kilos or more.  It’ll cost you €600 for the flights between Copenhagen and Greenland, plus the cost of getting to Copenhagen and back from wherever you live.  All you’ll need to buy once you get there is fuel for your stove.

The season is less than three months, from mid to late June, to mid September.  The mosquitoes die down with the first frost in mid August, so the best time for the trip could be late August/early September.

Some people camp, and it may be wise to take a small tent, but most stay in the small red huts that punctuate the 100 mile route.

Paddy will be at a Backpackers Club event in Ulverston this weekend, and I’m sure will be delighted to chat to anyone who has a penchant for this sort of trip…

It was good to meet Paddy.  We’ve used a few of his guide books and wondered what he was like: a consummate professional.

Apennine Spring Flowers

We are still enjoying the pleasures of sunny Rome, with little to report since the bull died.

So the above pictures are a taster - a full 'Apennine Spring Flowers' list and slideshow will appear in due course.

We go home tomorrow, so the airwaves may be quiet for a few days. We hope readers enjoyed our reports on this trip, and we thank you for the comments and emails, some of which we know still need a response.

Ciao.

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A Postcard From Rome

A lovely warm sunny day here.

Went to a big stadium to see some racing. The red chariot won.

Then Sue decided she wanted a reminder of her sore foot, so she got an old boy to copy her big toe in stone.

Then we went to watch some more sport. The amphitheatre fitted 75,000 people. The gladiator in green and the griffon vultures won. The Bull lost, we think because it was tired from pulling the red chariot earlier.

This afternoon's earthquake was a bit of a shock. It seriously damaged the Colosseum (pictured below Sue's toe). Several tourists and around 20,000 children had to make a quick exit. The streets were full of them.

Last night we popped into Monte Carlo for a pizza, but tonight we are eating in. Beer (as you can perhaps tell) is on the menu, together with Bull fritters.

We went a fair distance today - 12,820 of your Roman Emperor's metres in 8.7 of your earthly hours.

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Back to Rome

As ever, last night's hospitality was superb. At Agriturismo Ponte alla Villa, Marco and his wife Sonia, and her sister Erica, fed us with tasty home-made traditional dishes, and Marco was delighted to be able to test Sue's command of the Italian language to its limits.

It was a pleasure to see Martins and Swallows hoovering up insects outside our room, and to hear the familiar screech of a flock of Swifts for the first time this year.

Marco is a mountain biking guide and was expounding on the high quality of MTB routes in this area. He also confirmed that there should be no evidence of trial bikes on the GEA after Montepiano. Their very existence on paths anywhere seemed rightly to upset him.

Regarding paths generally. Although we were on the GEA and 00 paths, it was clear that the area has an extensive and well waymarked footpath/bridleway/MTB route network. Perhaps it is well populated with all of those later in the season. We saw an average of one walker each day, and no horses or mountain bikers at all, despite some perfect weather.

Marco confirmed that this is the first week of good weather after a prolonged wet and windy spell, as evidenced by landslips and the many branches we have seen on the trail, in bud despite being detached from their hosts.

The arrangement at the Agriturismo was typical of half board accommodation in the area - €50 per person 'all inclusive' - including wine and beer. Some places charge a bit less and you pay for beer and wine separately. A couple of large beers and a bottle of wine will usually set you back less than €10.

We often order a half litre of wine with our dinner. Hereabouts, this still results in a bottle being brought to you. You are then charged for what you drink - usually the whole bottle, the 'house' wine is very good. To our taste, anyway.

This morning's bus ride to Prato (Sue is pictured waiting at the bus stop) was simple enough, excepting the fact that we didn't have tickets, which are supposed to be bought in advance and validated on the bus. Where would we have bought a ticket though? In Montepiano? Anyway, when the buses changed over in Vernio the driver helpfully sold us tickets to Prato.

Prato is a city with an interesting centre that we explored only briefly, in between topping up with coffee and cash, and looking in vain for a shop from which to purchase the four maps needed to complete our GEA traverse at a later date.

After an hour or so on the Trieste to Rome train, we called at Arezzo, the starting point for many a GEA adventure. All that effort for an hour's journey!

The scenery that was a uniform brown when we arrived is now many shades of green. The season has completely changed in ten days.

It's lovely and sunny in Rome, where we have a homely apartment just around the corner from an architectural masterpiece (pictured) from Emperor Hadrian's era - it was finished in 125 AD.

After being on our own for so long, Rome is a complete contrast - we have to be careful not to get separated in the crowds.

Just as well we aren't coming home tomorrow - there's a transport strike.

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Wednesday 17 April 2013 - GEA - Day 10 - Montepiano to Agriturismo Ponte alla Villa, via Rifugio Pacini and Cantagallo

Our final day on the GEA trail on this trip dawned sunny, as usual, in the pleasant village of Montepiano.

We enjoyed lovely paths to Rifugio Pacini - 18 km and 6 and a quarter hours of pure delight. Unmolested by trial bikers and only mildly scarified by wild boar.

Views are becoming a little hazier due to the continuing warm weather, so the snow-capped peaks to the WNW don't really look much closer, as we march towards them!

It was perfect walking weather again - sunny, calm, 20-25C, no insects, with good views through the unfurling tree canopy.

Snow still adorns some northern slopes above 1000 metres, and today we found ourselves striding across several snow patches in the sun.

We had two maps* (all that I could find in the UK, and not the ones recommended by Gillian) for this trip, one of which started 5 km into the walk on Day 1, and the second of which we fell off the western edge about 5 km before we reached Montepiano yesterday. Perhaps that's why we made a minor, inconsequential, error at the end of yesterday's walk. So today we had no map, but luckily the signposting (until the end of the day) was good so all that we lacked was the 'peripheral vision' that a map would have provided.

To cut the c**p, anyone planning to stay here should, on reaching Cantagallo, telephone Erica on 00390574956244 and ask to be collected. We walked, and succumbed to a badly positioned signpost that led to us covering an unnecessary 3 km, bringing our total for the day to 29 km in 9 hours 30 minutes. The celebratory beer was indeed most welcome.

Later: fantastic hospitality here, from lovely people. Not unexpectedly, we are the only guests.

Alan R - I think it must have been a 3HP Massey Harris Mower, as there were three cow tags hanging off the front! (Sorry, I should have mentioned them!)

Jules - 2014 - go for it - feel free to borrow our maps and to consult further.

Today's photos:
Top - the lake at Montepiano
Middle - Sue takes a swig from Fonte del Canapale (cup on a chain provided)
Bottom - a view WNW from the Apennine crest.

*Our maps - Kompass 1:50000 numbers 2459 and 2453 were adequate for sections 1 to 11 of the GEA.

[Apologies if today's. Entry seems. A bit. Disjointed - keyboard. Problems. First job when home is toreplace phone.]

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Tuesday 16 April 2013 - GEA - Day 9 - Passo del Giogo to Montepiano

Another great day's walking, mainly on the Apennine crest. We met two Germans who were walking a route from Bologna to Florence. We met nobody yesterday.

The Germans were encountered at Passo dell'Osteria Bruciata, where the triangular marker (picture - top) relates the history of this 'Burnt Inn Pass'. A few years ago an enterprising chap set up an inn here, to meet the needs of passing pilgrims. Meat was always on the menu, but sadly a pilgrim or two would regularly disappear. The locals put two and two together and burnt the inn down.

Nearby, I found an Alfa Romeo (Alan R can correct me if necessary) on which to make my bid for freedom from Sue's ongoing foot problems (middle picture).

Yesterday we passed a massive quarry that in summer would largely be concealed by foliage. We heard about a dozen blasts then, but only a couple today. The area is renowned for its marble quarries.

The main issue with the last couple of days' paths is that for much of the time they have been shared with trial bikers, who (except for two brief encounters on Sunday) remain invisible. So noise is not an issue, but their knobbly tires tend to be unkind to the ground. This is an observation, not really a whinge, but anyone choosing this otherwise brilliant venue for a trip should embark on it in the knowledge that some of the paths are shared with both trial bikers and mountain bikers - the latter of whom we have seen no evidence whatsoever.

By the time we went down for breakfast this morning, Sonia had returned, cleared our debris from last night, and put the coffee on. Some of 'last night's debris' was put to good use by way of our most sumptuous packed lunch to date, and we were off by 9am, having apologised for the plumbing disaster (blocked toilet) that occurs at some point on nearly all of our trips (and regularly at home as well).

Today's route, admirably described in Gillian's guide book, subject to a few minor amendments (mainly that the route along the road from Passo della Futa has been superseded by a non road route accessed from the north of the WW2 cemetery - allow an extra hour), enjoyed the usual 'crest top' scenery, but it was noticeably more difficult to grab the wider views as the beech leaves seemed to be unfurling by the hour.

Readers planning a visit should also note that the GEA now follows the direct '00' route over Monte Gazzaro, so far as we could see. An excellent revision, as it's too hard for trial bikes. Be sure to visit the panoramic viewpoint.

We spent just under 9 hours on the trail today, in our now de rigeur shorts and t-shirt uniforms, covering little more than 29 km, every one a delight.

Tonight's hotel, the Margherita, came highly recommended by John Hayes, who bimbled through these parts last October. Vito (our host) remembers John - he spent some time fixing accommodation for him in an out of season period. He also remembers John's courtesy and his thank you letter. Today, Vito's 'customer assistance' has been more onerous. He and a colleague (sister?) at the hotel were pressed into service as witnesses. Nick and Maya arrived here from Romania a week ago. For one night. They liked the place. They liked it a lot. They stayed. They were in love.

Today they got married here. They have us for company for dinner. (Not at the same table.) The food is superb. There's a birthday party going on in the adjoining room. It feels as if the season has started, although Vito admits that business is slow.

What a contrast to last night, when we were left alone in our hotel on the pass!

The lower picture was taken in tonight's hotel before we realised we weren't revisiting the Marie Celeste!

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Monday 15 April 2013 - GEA - Day 8 - Casaglia to Passo del Giogo

Last night we enjoyed a lovely meal outside Casaglia's Posto Tappa, formerly the village school, as the sun went down. But inside it was just 11C and a bit clammy/cold - in a period of adjustment after the heating has been turned off but before the summer warmth has kicked in.

We managed fine.

We'd been told to phone to confirm today's booking at Il Giogo Hotel the day before we arrived. We phoned - "we are closed tomorrow" was the reply, "you need to phone Sabine when you arrive." Anyway soon after that Sabine phoned us to confirm that the hotel would be closed, but.... "The key will be under the mat, and would you like us to bring a cold dinner when we arrive after seven o'clock?" Well, beggars can't be choosers so we went along with that.

As usual we set off around 9 on a brilliantly sunny morning, and we enjoyed rising back up to the crest of the Apennines, on an ancient path through elderly beech woods.

An area of mown bracken (pictured-top) revealed Alpine Squill and Crocuses being amongst the first to take advantage of the light at ground level. I wonder whether they will succeed in controlling the bracken?

Snow-capped peaks to the WNW are getting noticeably closer. I think we'll save those until later.

Today we travelled in an arc, heading north as far as Poggio Roncaccio, then wending our way through a complex valley system with quaint old buildings (pictured-middle), rejoining the main crest shortly before our destination.

It was hot. Sue's feet were playing up. The keyboard of this infernal phone is playing up. So I'll be brief.

Weather and scenery wonderful. Quite a long day with fab views. 28 km in 9 hours 20 minutes. Arrived at hotel after 6 to discover Sonia. She'd been waiting since 5 (when we said we'd arrive), obviously reluctant to leave key under mat. She showed us to our food (pictured-bottom) and our room, accepted Sue's "you are an angel" compliment, and drove off.

Sabine has not arrived, but we are replete, and masters of our universe - the legendary "albergo-ristorante il giogo" www.passodelgiogo.it that happily takes in English backpackers even when it's closed.

Tomorrow is a longer day, so the posting should be even shorter.

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