A Visit to Dot

On Thursday, Sue and I enjoyed a visit to Eccleshall, to try to cheer up Dot, who is injured from a fall and unable to walk to the shops. We hope she recovers quickly.

We spent a happy hour or so in her garden before spending an hour and a half chatting to other drivers on the M6 after we got trapped by an accident. Looking at some of the tailgating going on on the other side of the road, it’s perhaps not surprising that some drivers are unable to retain control of their vehicles.

Another half hour delay greeted us in Altrincham, where a lorry had killed a pedestrian and in a separate accident a police car had crashed, blocking the ‘diversion’ route. Luckily, we didn’t really suffer apart from being slightly delayed. In fact, we regard ourselves lucky not to have been involved in the accidents.

It was also distressing to see parkrunner Jeanette arrive on crutches this morning, having tripped in the street and broken a kneecap. Thankfully race director Alan took pity and relocated Jeanette’s marshalling point from the ‘far bridge’ to somewhere closer. Thanks for your shouts of encouragement as we passed you Jeanette, I did a reasonable time though I was only third out of seven in my age group. Sue and I wish you a speedy recovery. (Results are here.)

Wednesday 3 June 2015 – An Evening Walk with SWOG – Godley

32 stalwarts from SWOG (Stockport Walking and Outdoors Group) assembled near Godley railway station and the entrance to Vincent Park. Sue found a friendly horse, and I found a pretty tree.

We set off along a disused freight line now utilised by the Trans Pennine Trail.

There are some fancy signs.

.. and some fancy gestures from someone who should know better (see slideshow)

We reached the Peak Forest Canal and its muddy towpath. After a while Old John needed a break where the towpath changed to the other side of the canal. Poor chap, his leg has gone wonky.

We enjoyed the lovely evening light.

32 people created quite a long crocodile.

We left the canal near Hyde Central Station and wound our way back to Vincent Park along minor roads and ginnels (see map below).

We passed this castellated pigsty, which I noted when we were last here on 6 August 2014, dates from 1767. (Previously we walked from a different spot in the opposite direction, on a similarly pleasant evening.)

We passed this tree house with window boxes.... Campbell lives here, we concluded, though he tried to deny it.

Here's the flattish route - a little under 8 km in an hour and three quarters, ending on this occasion with beers at Godley Hall Inn.

An excellent outing, there’s a slideshow (20 images) here. Click on the first image, then click ‘slideshow’.

Sunday 31 May 2015 – Resurfaced Towpaths on the Bridgewater Canal

First, I’m pleased to discover that Windows Live Writer is now working again.

Having received some positive information from Jan Williams at Saturday’s parkrun (congratulations to Sue on breaking her PB, by the way), I decided to cycle towards Manchester beyond Waters Meet, from where I know the Bridgewater Canal towpath has been resurfaced as far as the swing bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal.

I had thought the resurfacing on the Rochdale Canal link via Castlefield ended shortly after Waters Meet, so I expected to encounter mud fairly quickly. It was therefore a surprise to discover that the towpath has been resurfaced all the way to Castlefield. Great. If I was still working in town I could now cycle mainly off road on a firm surface and be at my desk within an hour, which is the time it used to take me by car.

No wonder I seem to be encountering more and more commuting cyclists when I go out at certain times. I just hope they remember that they are not the only users of the towpath and they respect others, especially dog walkers, who shouldn’t be expected to keep their charges on leads.

The top picture shows the new surface heading towards Castlefield from Throstle Nest Bridge, where the towpath crosses the bridge.

As I passed through Sale I noticed these ‘hooligans of tomorrow’ being herded in large numbers by their obnoxious parents.

If only we were allowed to trap them, I’m sure they would provide some tasty snacks!

Shortly before reaching Castlefield I decided to try to find an off-road route along the northern side of the Ship Canal, to get to the swing bridge and return home alongside the Bridgewater Canal. Taking a convenient bridge, this worked fine for a while, but beyond the BBC studios a short section of road was needed before the pavement incorporated a cycle track. The final section into Eccles was also along a road.

This ride does provide a good route from Timperley that doesn’t involve any mud. The path I took is shown below – it was over 32 km, but if the exploratory diversions are ironed out it would be about 30 km from Timperley Bridge.

Thanks to Jan for alerting me to this, and to Mike’s excellent ‘Mad Cycle Lanes of Manchester’ blog that Jan also put me on to. Anyone keen on cycling off-road in Greater Manchester could do worse than take a good look at some of Mike’s postings.

Chardonnay chicken with artichoke hearts

This chicken casserole goes well with creamy mashed potato or basmati and wild rice.
There is plenty of sauce so the recipe is very flexible, so you can do 2 thighs per person,
or add more to serve more people.

These ingredients will serve 6-8 people

 

12 chicken thighs, on or off the bone, skin removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
15 gm / ½ oz butter
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp caster sugar
25 gm / 1 oz plain flour
300 ml / ½ pint Chardonnay or dry white wine
225 gm / 8 oz small chestnut mushrooms, whole
1 x 400 gm can artichoke hearts
2 tbsp full-fat crème fraîche
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method
1       Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large deep frying pan (we use a Le Creuset casserole pan) and brown the chicken thighs all over, using more oil/butter as needed. Lift out onto a plate.
2       Add the onions, garlic and sugar to the oil remaining in the pan and cook over a low heat for about 15-20 minutes until tender.
3       Turn up the heat and allow the onions to brown. Sprinkle in the flour, thoroughly blending, add the wine and stir well. Bring to the boil, stirring until thickened.
4       Return the chicken to the pan with the mushrooms, season and bring to the boil. Simmer (covered) over a low heat, or transfer to a slow oven at 160°C/325°F/Gas 3 and cook with the lid on until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes.
5       Drain the artichokes, cut them in half, and add to the chicken. Heat through gently then add the crème fraîche, check the seasoning and stir in most of the parsley.
6       Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with creamy mash or basmati and wild rice

cook now, eat later TO PREPARE AND COOK AHEAD
Prepare to the end of step 4. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Reheat until piping hot, stirring in the artichokes towards the end of reheating. Stir in the crème fraîche and parsley to serve.

TO FREEZE 
Cool quickly and freeze at the end of step 4 for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot. Continue with steps 5 and 6.

Recipe From Mary Berry’s Book
’Cook now, Eat Later’

Note:
This entry was triggered by a complaint about this recipe from our topwalks.com website that I received whilst on the TGO Challenge. The person concerned claimed there was not enough liquid. I usually use greater quantities, which may make a difference, so on return from Scotland I cooked a batch exactly as prescribed by the recipe. There was plenty of liquid, as you can see from the picture. I don't know what the complainant was doing wrong; perhaps she left the lid off the casserole...

The Trent and Mersey Canal

The missing image at the top of the last post is intrinsic to that post, but I don't like to see that at the head of my blog.

Some of the images in the 'Cruising' trip that I've adjusted here by clicking on 'HTML' and changing the pixel size are now showing at a horribly low resolution, so I've tried to provide an improved version of one of them above.

The lower image has been added at the pixel size of 550 width and 410 height that I use when composing in WLW - I had to adjust it in HTML in Blogger to get this, and it's after 'Save for Web' using Photoshop.

The upper image has not been 'saved for web', simply saved into the folder I use for posting to the web, at a size of 1.3Mb. When inserted into this posting using Blogger's 'X-large' setting, it was too big for this page, so I found the size by clicking on 'HTML' and I reduced the width from 1600 to 1400 and the height from 640 to 560. This seems to have worked well.

At least viewers now see images rather than a black cross, and I hope my efforts may be useful to someone - probably you are already loading images in the manner I have just discovered! I suppose I ought to go back to the 'Cruising' images and reload them by the method that has produced the upper image, but I have other priorities just now...

Windows Live Writer (WLW) – A Test Post

Following comments and emails after the previous posting, JJ spotted this web page, which includes the following text:

“Small Workaround to Post using Windows Live Writer

Well frankly its not a straight way to hack into and make once again live writer compatible with blogger but you can write down your posts using it and post it using blogger by copying its HTML content, check how.

1. Write down your full post in Windows Live Writer.
2. Now shift to the Source TAB below.
3. Copy the whole thing and use Blogger > Posts > New Post.
4. Click on the HTML Tab and paste, this way all your formatting with remain the same.
5. Now for the images it can be uploaded directly on blogger, or if you want to format it live in live writer then you can upload it to some outer hosting (which I don't recommend) like Imgur and many other.

You can preview your posts, then add all those search description and custom permalink, then post your content.”

I actually tried this on Tuesday (26 May) when I first encountered the WLW problem. It didn’t work for me then, I think because of problems with the images, but I’m ready to give it a go again. The picture, if it transmits, is of the 241 runners assembling outside Wythenshawe Hall for this morning’s parkrun (the results of which are not shown here at the time of posting, but they are on the ‘latest results’ page.

Conclusion (added later):

This seems to work for the text but not for the image, for which the correct amount of space is given, as well as the Alt tag, but the image isn't shown. Playing with the HTML for that seems unsatisfactory, so it looks as if the images need to be added separately, which for me is a real pain. So whilst this approach does seem to be a solution for text only postings, inclusion of images at the correct size remains a difficulty.

Here's another go at inserting the image, and I've tried to adjust the size by using the HTML code screen. It looks hopeful, but you need a calculator to work out the height adjustment once you've adjusted the HTML code to the desired width (550 pixels in this case).

I've now (July 2019) also added the image to the top of the screen, where originally intended, this time adjusting to X-Large before reducing to 550 width; this gives better resolution as you can see.

Windows Live Writer and Blogger

 

I've been using Microsoft's 'Windows Live Writer' (WLW) as my desktop blog editor for years. I find the Blogger interface, being used for this entry, tedious and unsatisfactory, especially where copying and pasting from other documents, and image sizing are concerned. WLW is, by comparison, a delight to use.

 

I've encountered problems in the past. Uninstalling and re-installing the software has usually solved the problem.

 

On Tuesday 26 May I drafted a long post about our 'Cruising Trip' on Sunday. When I tried to post it I received a series of error messages, the first being the one being shown at the bottom of the image above.

 

I then spent several hours trying and failing to fix the problem, by way of a series of quite complicated (for me) procedures. 

 

I found a website that held reviews of Desktop Blogging Software (here). It rates WLW as head and shoulders above other software for a Windows computer.

 

I had another go at solving the problem yesterday. Failed.

 

This morning I discovered this website, from which I've reproduced the latest entry in the image above.

 

It appears that "Google have removed the ClientLogin endpoint which is what Windows Live Writer depended on to auth with", thus disabling what may be the best desktop editor for those of us who have 'Blogspot' blogs.

 

I'm not a techie, but I'm willing to have a go at solving easy problems. It seems now that Google have robbed me of several hours of my life.

 

I hope others have fared better, but I'm still in a quandary as to what to do next. Is any of this software worth installing?

 

I also wonder whether my sudden need to repeatedly refresh Blogspot blog pages to view images is something caused by Google.

 



Sunday 24 May 2015 – Cruising on the Trent and Mersey Canal

 

This is a short entry to report back on our ‘wind-down’ from the TGO Challenge, by way of a barge trip. We joined the usual gang – Robert, Lyn, Louise, Gerry, Chris and Stuart (minus Roger who was attempting the LDWA ‘100’ event, he did 89 miles) for the last full day of their three day trip from Etruria. 

There’s an annotated slideshow here. Click on the first image then click on ‘slideshow. 

Here’s the area we were in – the Professionals (Sue and I were just visitors) sailed from Weston to the centre of Stoke during the day.

Stuart had produced a huge slab of shortbread. We ate it all. There was lots more food.

 

Louise spent some time trying to drive the vehicle – you can just spot her head – and Robert obtained photographic evidence of a rare occasion when she managed to get the boat straight. 

 

(Just joking!)

Buttercups and daisies lined the towpath. Typical English countryside.

 

We passed this home that used to be owned by our family and which brings back happy childhood memories. I remember spending time here one Christmas, sleeping top to toe in a bed with my cousins. The living room was home to a pianola on which we played music by way of perforated tapes.


Chris (‘Photographer’) produced a microscopic tripod that was used to capture the ambience of the occasion by way of a self-timed photo!

As the day progressed, the sun came out and the late afternoon light was lovely.

 

Robert and I finished up by running 5 km as part of the process of getting our respective cars into the correct places, and whilst it was a leisurely day, my Garmin gadget did clock up over 17 km of walk/run activity during its course! 

The slideshow is here. Click on the first image then click on ‘slideshow’.
 

That’s it for now. I’m returning to trying to catalogue our TGO Challenge pictures, to which I’m putting links from the daily postings that I made during the course of the Challenge. I’m currently up to ‘Day 1’ so there’s lots more to do!

 

Note: I’ve battled for hours on Windows Live Writer (WLW) to send this posting. It seems that Google may have done something that affects the ability to post using WLW, but they will probably blame Microsoft. In the meantime my playing with the settings, uninstalling and re-installing etc may have upset things as well. The Blogger interface is truly awful, which is why this posting may look like a mess when it eventually gets through as a result of lots of cutting and pasting and indeterminate sizing of images and the failure of the software to left-align or produce a consistent type size. Moreover, there seem to be issues with images not appearing on some of my postings; if that happens to you try to refresh the screen and they may appear. Ho-hum.



Cruising

A great way to wind down after the excesses of the TGO Challenge....

Day 14 - TGO Challenge 2015 - North Water Bridge to Nether Woodston

 

Date: Thursday 21 May

Route: as planned

Distance: 17 km (Cum: 327)

Ascent: 300 metres (Cum: 11100)

Time taken: 4.5 hrs including 0.7 hrs breaks - (Cum: 109.4 hours including 22.2 hours breaks)

Weather: drizzly

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

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2015.html

It rained overnight and continued drizzly, but not unpleasantly so, all day. Waterproofs came on and off and we eventually gave up with them.

Leaving the campsite at 8.20, we headed across the busy main road and over the narrow bridge across the River North Esk.

Soon we were on quiet country lanes and tracks in pleasant farming countryside. We were following Rob Slade and his three cohorts, with Barbara and Ellie close behind us. They were the only Challengers we saw before reaching the sea today, despite there having been loads at the campsite.

A partridge ran ahead of us for a while, pheasants replaced the previously ubiquitous grouse, and hedgerow plants like red campion, bluebells and comfrey lined the verges.

We joined Rob's team briefly, and we chatted to Barbara and Ellie for a while during a vergeside interlude before walking with them up to the turn to Tangleha, their finishing point.

Whilst we were sitting on the verge a car drew to a halt beside us. After a brief explanation of what we were doing we were invited back to the man's 'tower', a distinctive building on our road into Montrose. I wonder what he would have said if we'd turned up!

Anyway, we didn't. Sue and I headed on past a friendly local man to the beach at Nether Woodston, where a helpful couple took the picture featured in the previous entry, and we took the selfie which is the bottom of the self explanatory photos for today.

Sadly the café at St Cyrus was closed, so we caught the bus to Montrose for a sandwich in Greggs before signing in at Challenge Control. This year's goodies are StrideOut foot oil, an aquapac drysack, Nikwax garment cleaner and proofer, a white Hanwag t-shirt and the usual fridge stickers kindly donated by Mark Storey.

Thanks go to all the sponsors, especially Hanwag and The Great Outdoors magazine.

I'm ending this entry from the luxury of the Links Hotel (it's the first time we've not used the campsite) at around 5pm, before adjourning to what is guaranteed to be a most sociable evening next door at the Park Hotel before we travel home tomorrow in first class luxury.

Another great Challenge event. Thanks and congratulations go to all those involved in the organising of the TGO Challenge and its peripheral activities. 

There's a slideshow for the day (34 images) - here. Click on the first image, then click 'slideshow'.

Like Lemmings to the Sea!

 

On the beach at Nether Woodston, 12.10 - 21 May 2015.

Another Challenge completed!

Day 14 - North Water Bridge to Nether Woodston

Day 13 - TGO Challenge 2015 - Tarfside to North Water Bridge

 

Date: Wednesday 20 May

Route: as planned except that thanks to Ali Ogden we crossed a new bridge over the River Esk at NO 580 740 and then followed the 'Blue Door' route towards Edzell. We also found a satisfactory back road into North Water Bridge thanks to Bob Cartright, by turning left then right after passing Dalladies, later passing Northgate.

Distance: 29 km (Cum: 310)

Ascent: 300 metres (Cum: 10800)

Time taken: 9.0 hrs including 2.7 hrs breaks - (Cum: 104.9 hours including 21.5 hours breaks)

Weather: sunny - t-shirt weather, cooling and clouding in the afternoon

Click on the link below (Day 13) for details of our planned route:

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2015.html

A much easier day along good tracks and paths, not to mention a little bit along roads.

I didn't sleep as well on the hard ground in the vicinity of snoring bodies as I had done in our isolated wild camping spots, but never mind - we've slept very well on this trip.

The camping ground woke slowly, and we were away fairly early at 8 am on a fine morning. After only fifteen minutes we reached The Retreat together with Richard and Rosemary.

They had opened specially early for us. Full breakfasts all round. Excellent.

Making way for more customers, we strolled off down the road, soon diverging from R&R's route by heading up to St Andrew's Tower (pictured - top), a masonic masterpiece built in 1826 with a room that holds three people - a refuge in times of bad weather.

We strolled on back to the road just as the others passed by. Barred from crossing the obvious, but private and locked, bridge, we doubled back with Barbara and Ellie to cross the next bridge upstream.

After the first off-road stage across moorland, we now moved to picturesque farmland paths beside the River Esk (second picture), down to the new bridge that was duly crossed. The path soon led to a road and thence to one end of the highly recommended 'Blue Door' walk.

A lovely waterside stroll all the way to a footbridge to Edzell followed. Sue is pictured at the southern end of the Blue Door walk, and the woodland we then passed through is also shown.

The Tuck Inn café in Edzell is a favourite with Challengers. We spent a good hour there in the company of Vicky and Toby and others before making way for a large contingent led by birthday girl Lynsey, who appeared to be gaining quite an entourage.

Lots more were at the pub, soon after which we picked up Graham Brookes for the easy walk to the campsite at North Water Bridge.

The breeze from the sea was now cooler, so fleeces were donned as tents went up and soapless showers were enjoyed. We've been using baby wipes and dry wash gel, and this was the first time we'd noticed soap was absent from our possessions.

Our good friend who lives in Aberdeen, Jon Metcalf, had been waiting for us at the campsite. We had nearly run out of provisions, with nothing for tonight and just enough in our bags to see us to the coast tomorrow, so the cold buffet for four that emerged from Jon's vehicle was both a treat and necessary sustenance. The four picnic chairs added to our comfort, to the envy of others drifting into the campsite after eventually having torn themselves away from the fleshpots of Edzell.

Our party was complete when Alison arrived with the beer. Alison gives us a bed and a car parking spot when we travel up to Montrose by car and get public transport to the start of the Challenge. That was not needed this year, so it was great to see Alison here.

The cold buffet provided by Jon was extensive. You are a star, Jon. There was enough to provide a few titbits of sandwiches, mini pizzas and dips, etc, to other Challengers in the vicinity, and whilst Lynsey already had a selection of birthday fare, the large chocolate cake provided by Jon meant that none of her gathering cluster of friends went short.

The weather held, and the birthday party continued outside whilst Sue and I dozed, replete, in the comfort of our cosy sleeping bags.

A lovely day, crowned by the superb buffet supper. Thanks again, Jon and Alison. 

There's a slideshow for the day (38 images) - here. Click on the first image, then click 'slideshow'.

Next Day - Day 14

Day 12 - TGO Challenge 2015 - Broom Hill to Tarfside

 

Date: Tuesday 19 May

Route: as planned except:
1) we walked beside Water of Unich from Wester Balloch, rather than go between the two Watery Knowles, and
2) we omitted the final hill, Hill of Rowan, (tut-tut) as Sue was desperate for a cuppa at Tarfside

Distance: 31 km (Cum: 281)

Ascent: 800 metres (Cum: 10500)

Time taken: 10.1 hrs including 1.5 hrs breaks - (Cum: 95.9 hours including 18.8 hours breaks)

Weather: sunshine and occasional showers; cool

Click on the link below (Day 12) for details of our planned route:

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2015.html

A tough day, on which the first seven hours to Hunt Hill were pathless with frequent peat haggs, groughs and grikes. The final three hours were a little easier despite our being followed at times by spitting rain through a weak sun, but after an 8pm sitting for dinner at St Droston's it was midnight before we left the sociable gathering at the Masons.

So this entry is written hurriedly. Tomorrow.

We didn't see anyone until we passed Freddie and Darren, then Mr Grumpy geocaching and complaining he was "past it", a hundred metres from St Droston's.

But we did see two grouse nests, one with eggs, the other with chicks, lots of hares, lizards, a ring ouzel, grey plovers, lapwings and oystercatchers, skylarks and meadow pipits, lots of lbjs, clumps of milkwort, bog asphodel and a buttercup like flower that I'll call 'bog buttercup'. Great crested grebes were seen on a high lochan, with tufted ducks on Loch Lee. After a brief respite, cuckoos are back with us in Glen Esk (the home of Tarfside).

A highlight was the remote summit of Wester Balloch, where a visitors book had been placed in October 2014. We were the first to sign it.

Otherwise it was seven hours of hard going over scenic terrain, including the delightful but pathless Water of Unich valley, followed by three hours of easy going, also over scenic terrain.

A great day, and great to meet up with friends old and new at Tarfside, where there are about 50 Challengers' tents pitched on the village green.

Today's pictures:
Top - our final 'wild' campsite of this trip, near the top of Broom Hill
Middle - descending beside the Water of Unich
Bottom - the Water of Lee from Hunt Hill

Fine views, all of them.

There's a slideshow for the day (31 images) - here. Click on the first image, then click 'slideshow'.

Next Day - Day 13

Day 11 - TGO Challenge 2015 - Braemar to Broom Hill (NO 281 798 - 700 metres)

 

Date: Monday 18 May

Route: as planned

Distance: 26 km (Cum: 250)

Ascent: 1100 metres (Cum: 9700)

Time taken: 9.2 hrs including 2.1 hrs breaks - (Cum: 85.8 hours including 17.3 hours breaks)

Weather: after early sunshine, a showery day with variety - snow, rain and hail; little wind but below freezing on the summits

Click on the link below (Day 11) for details of our planned route:

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2015.html

Our earliest start yet. We left the cottage at 7.15 just as overnight rain was exhausting itself. It started again before we reached Lochcallater Lodge, shortly after we'd bumped into Morpeth (Peter Shepherd) trudging back to his car after a wild night in the Lodge, where Denis Pidgeon was still in residence. Bill and his mate were most welcoming and Sue's tub of shortbread was traded for bacon butties. Richard Fuell was nursing a hangover, having enjoyed a night of revelry. Rosemary was making herself useful whilst Richard sought sufficient feeling in his legs to attempt walking, JJ and Margaret were about to leave; others demonstrated inability to hold their drink. Apparently Ian Cotterill filmed the proceedings. That should be a top seller!

Anyway, we enjoyed our 45 minute sojourn. John S arrived just as we left; we wonder what the first timer made of Lochcallater. If Simon and Kat, who we again thank for the use of their cottage in Braemar, are reading this - Bill sends his best wishes and hopes to see you all soon. He has happy recollections of Simon flying in for a cuppa.

After unexpectedly bumping into Italian pin-up Biagio Pellegrini (not doing the Challenge this year), and despite following a trail of Challengers along the path up towards Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, we saw nobody else all day apart from two folk on Broad Cairn whilst we were nipping between Munro Tops, and Graham Brookes who poked his head into our tent at around 6 pm. He's had a disappointing Challenge summit wise having only been able to summit 18 Munros and Corbetts - more than we have ever done I think.

After easy paths over today's three Munros and three Munro Tops, notwithstanding the hail and snow that turned everything white, the day ended with a tough, bouldery descent from well named Broad Cairn, and after a short stretch of track to get up Sandy Hillock, a landscape of peat haggs greeted us, across which we had to stumble to gain the summit of Broom Hill. I fear there will be lots more peat haggs tomorrow.

A good spot to camp revealed itself just after that, so here we are at 700 metres relaxing in our final wild camp of the trip.

How fast the time flies by! (But who knows when there will be sufficient phone signal to post this entry?)

Today's pictures:
Top - on the sunny approach to Lochcallater Lodge in Glen Callater
Middle - lunch in view of Lochnagar (in cloud) on the descent from Cairn Bannoch
Bottom - ascending Broad Cairn in the snow

There's a slideshow for the day (25 images) - here. Click on the first image, then click 'slideshow'.

Next Day - Day 12

Day 10 - TGO Challenge 2015 - Glen Luibeg (NO 020 937) to Thornbank Cottage, Braemar

 

Date: Sunday 17 May

Route: as planned from a little beyond Luibeg Bridge

Distance: 17 km (Cum: 224)

Ascent: 300 metres (Cum: 8600)

Time taken: 5.2 hrs including 1.2 hrs breaks - (Cum: 76.6 hours including 15.2 hours breaks)

Weather: showery at first after overnight rain, improving to a sunny afternoon

Click on the link below (Day 10) for details of our planned route (we took an easier alternative today):

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2015.html

An easy day. After a lie in we left our excellent camping spot (pictured - top) at 8.45 and strolled down to find John pitched in a more sheltered spot by some trees. He had found a good place.

We continued to the new temporary bridge that we had been assured was in place (pictured - middle), near where John sploshed across the river in his skirt and Innov8s to join us for the rest of the day's walk.

Mar Lodge provided as much tea, coffee and biscuits as we wanted in return for a small donation. This is where the Lairig Ghru route joins the Glen Feshie and Glen Tilt routes that funnel Challengers into Braemar. I won't try to enumerate everyone we met there or later in Braemar. Jacqui and Tony Ford joined the  three of us for the pleasant walk to Braemar through the Birkwood Forest. A route much better than the road walk most Challengers endure. The other four are pictured by the orientation table before the descent to Braemar at Tomintoul.

JJ and Margaret were Challenger spotting from the window of The Old Bakery, so we joined them for a natter before they headed off to Lochcallater Lodge for a night of revelry.

Our afternoon at Thornbank Cottage, which Simon and Kat have again kindly let us borrow for the night, was all too short. Then it was back to The Old Bakery for a meal with John S, Jacqui and Tony, and Graham Brookes (on another of his customary mega routes), before adjourning for wine and chat in front of a log fire at the cottage.

Excellent.

There's a slideshow for the day (22 images) - here. Click on the first image, then click 'slideshow'.

Next Day - Day 11

Day 9 - TGO Challenge 2015 - Aviemore to Glen Luibeg (NO 020 937)

 

Day 9 - TGO Challenge 2015 - Aviemore to Glen Luibeg (NO 020 937)

Date: Saturday 16 May

Route: planned back up route over the Lairig Ghru to a little beyond Luibeg Bridge

Distance: 29 km (Cum: 207)

Ascent: 900 metres (Cum: 8300)

Time taken: 8.3 hrs including 1.0 hrs breaks - (Cum: 71.4 hours including 14.0 hours breaks)

Weather: sunny periods and very occasional light wintry showers

Click on the link below (Day 9) for details of our planned route (we took an easier alternative today):

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2015.html

Despite Alvar's concerns at Challenge Control expressed yesterday, today's walk over the Lairig Ghru proved to be a most enjoyable experience with no difficulties whatsoever.

I'd not previously walked through the Lairig Ghru, always having preferred the tops, but on a day like today when conditions high up looked dubious, this well marked trail served us well.

We started late. Ellen's B&B breakfast was served at 8.30, a meal that lasted us all our walking day apart from a tin of fish and a round of cheese for lunch.

So at around 9.30 we plodded out of Aviemore and onto the Coylumbridge road in weather that required a few changes of overgarments, ie sunshine and showers. There was no sign of the predicted 50 mph winds. They didn't materialise, though conditions above 1000 metres looked challenging, so we were happy with our decision to stay low.

The stroll through Rothiemurchus Forest (Sue is pictured here) was a delight, despite the absence of bells on the majority of mountain bikes. A brew stop in the forest provided a welcome break before the long, gentle ascent to the 835 metre Lairig Ghru pass that leads towards Braemar. Here we were further reassured by a comment from Andy Dawkins concerning the bridges on the approach to Linn of Dee. Thanks Andy.

We met several folk coming down having crossed the pass, and bumped into a couple of lads going over to Corrour bothy for the night before returning to Aviemore.

Sue is pictured (middle) ascending, with our original objective, Braeriach, in the distance on the right. Not pictured is the nearby family of ptarmigan - one male trying to keep both his wives happy, oblivious to our passage.

I must admit, I'd expected the route - not allowed on the TGO Challenge as a foul weather alternative - to be harder. I didn't expect to find an obvious and well marked path all the way, albeit it is a cairned path over some small boulder fields. There were a couple of snowfields to cross, but that was no doubt easier than going over the rocks below the snow.

I took a photo of Sue at the top of the pass - pictured bottom. She turned and exclaimed "OMG, a bus driver in a skirt!"

A little further on we encountered John Sheffield, first time Challenger and devotee of lightweight equipment. He had gone up to the first Munro top before taking the judicious decision to retrace his steps and go over the Lairig Ghru pass instead. We enjoyed a most pleasurable walk with him all the way down past Corrour bothy and on beyond Luibeg Bridge to our camping spot in the open. Here John decided to continue a little further to below the tree line where any wind will have less impact on his cuben fibre tent. Apparently it's a great tent, but noisy in wind!

We got our tent up on some nice flat, well drained ground just before a light shower.

Three backpackers soon strolled past with a friendly wave. Challengers perhaps; perhaps not...

Up at just 500 metres, this is one of our lower campsites of the trip, though it is also one of our coolest. Hardly May weather, but we are very cosy in our Rab 400 down bags.

Erratum: in a previous entry I think I may have referred to Ted and Jenny Spiller being on the ferry across Loch Ness. If it had been them I'm sure they'd have been at the correct pier! The couple we met at the wrong pier were Gordon and Jenny Selley.

There's a slideshow for the day (35 images) - here. Click on the first image, then click 'slideshow'.

Next Day - Day 10

Day 8 - TGO Challenge 2015 - Carn Caol (NH 770 155) to Vermont Guest House, Aviemore

 

Date: Friday 15 May

Route: as planned, including the last 3 km of yesterday's planned route

Distance: 25 km (Cum: 178)

Ascent: 600 metres (Cum: 7400)

Time taken: 6.7 hrs including 1.4 hrs breaks - (Cum: 63.1 hours including 13.0 hours breaks)

Weather: starting sunny and calm, gradually clouding over with increasing cold SE/SW wind, with a light shower as we reached Aviemore around 2 pm

Click on the link below (Day 8) for details of our planned route:

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2015.html

It was one of those rare nights like our first night above Iron Lodge. Perfectly calm with just the distant gurgle of a spring and the occasional 'grousing' of grouse - no doubt squabbling over their domestic duties.

The sun was on the tent very early, so getting up at 7 seemed like a long lie in. Blue skies greeted us, and it felt warm in the calm conditions despite being only 7C - we were after all up at nearly 700 metres.

It took us just 45 minutes of yomping over grikes full of hiding hares to reach the bothy by the River Dulnain - a good spot, but with no record of any other Challengers having passed by this year. Sue is pictured on the approach to this bothy.

On the way down to the Dulnain valley we saw a pair of large birds of prey. They had fringed white diamond shaped tails and white on the tops of their wings. But for the white on the wings and our distance from the west coast we'd have guessed that they were sea eagles (white tailed eagles). After a few minor acrobatics they soared off to the south west. Wonderful!

From the bothy an easy walk along the left bank of the river took us to a track for the last few hundred metres to the Red Bothy, another splendid spot. We paused here for a brew and concluded that we must be very lazy Challengers as many had already passed through - some of them three days ago. Sue is pictured again here - being very lazy.

Visitors had included Rob Slade, who we remember meeting at the start of his first Challenge in 2008 (he's now addicted), Steve Chesterton, Peter Stickler, our old friend Mick Blackburn, Andy Gerrard, Emma who set out with us from Dornie, and Nicole who liked Alex and Janet's cereal.

An uneventful stroll up the well maintained Burma Road track was brightened by the mountain scenery and by some text messages. Alan R, who passed this way on last year's Challenge, thanked us for our card. "But we thought you were getting married next week" we replied. "Yes, but Sheila wanted to open the cards!" And why not? We hope all goes well on the big day, Alan, and Sheila.

We also heard from Markus Petter, who armed with a fresh flysheet is heading along the coast north of Torridon past Craig, where there's a youth hostel that we used to enjoy visiting. I understand it's now a bothy. Shame on SYHA.

Approaching the col at the top of the Burma road, we nearly encountered a couple of mountain bikers who were heading towards Red Bothy. We'd turned off to dump our bags and ascend the last kilometre to Geal-charn Mòr without any encumbrance. A lady who was descending chatted with us for a while - the first person we'd spoken to since yesterday morning's gamekeeper. Good views of the Cairngorms from the summit were diminishing by the minute as grey clouds swirled in.

It's an easy walk down the Burma road past a dead slow worm (it was too slow) to Aviemore. We paused en route for lunch in a sheltered place by a burn, surrounded by mink traps. (Yesterday we saw a carrion crow in a cage trap, waiting nervously to be dispatched.)

Café life in Aviemore was thriving. Everywhere was full until we reached The Coffee Pot. We did get served, but everyone working there was intent on leaving at 3pm.

As this is our eighth day since starting from Dornie a launderette beckoned and later we enjoyed a very hearty meal in the Cairngorm Hotel. TGO Control seemed a bit concerned about our revised plan for tomorrow - we hoped to camp at the Wells of Dee (1200 metres) but gale force winds are forecast and there might be  an ice sheet at that height, so we are simply heading through the Lairig Ghru. I'm more concerned about the bridges, or lack of them, in the Derry Lodge area. So far as I'm aware the main problem has been temporarily remedied, so I'm sure we'll get through.

There's a slideshow for the day (26 images) - here. Click on the first image, then click 'slideshow'.

Next Day - Day 9