Thanks, everyone, for your messages/comments. Keep them coming.
Nick - following your return to Europe (news that Stuart and Maria were pleased to hear) are you up for this (TGOC) next year?
Paul - the view from this camp site is to die for. It matches the one Sue and I had of Monte Viso on our IBR trip (go on - click that label!). You'd be very happy here, as well, Sue.
Susan.... next year?
Lyn - glad you made it home. I was wondering whether you would survive the ash. It was about 3 inches thick on my tent Glad you had a rewarding trip.
Alan - thanks for your comments. It's the usual score re Challengers heading east like lemmings (see below). It's actually good to have a few challenging days in the west and catch up with the rabble towards the end.
It was with some sadness that I escaped from the wild country of Moidart and Ardgour this morning. This is wilderness of the highest order, rarely visited because the hills rise to just under 3000 feet, denying them Munro status. Perhaps this is a good thing. They rise from the sea and are finer hills than many Munros. I commend them. But take your time - don't expect to move quickly.
It was t-shirt weather this morning for my 2 km descent to a bridge and track. Even that took well over an hour - there were all the normal obstacles, plus an unexpected cliff, to negotiate.
Eventually I made it down through the wet tussocks etc, past anxious wheatears and plovers, carefully avoiding the caterpillars and small jumping frogs amongst the lousewort, milkwort and wood anemones, all clinging on to the steep crags.
Lower down, more deer scooted off, whilst bluebells and lesser celandine joined the wood anemones in their struggle to fight a way through the bracken. Butterwort is also abundant, but not yet in flower.
It was a relief to get to the bridge and end the yomping for the time being. My progress east had been slow and needed some inertia. The main road to Ardgour is single track with passing places. Not busy. There were lovely reflections of the mountains in Loch Linnhe.
I took advantage of the phone signal and caught up with some of the other bloggers. Alan and Phil appeared becalmed in Lochailort (but have since resurfaced - bloodied but not beaten), and others seemed to be nervously dashing to the east rather than savouring the delights of the western summits. This dismays me - they are missing out on so much. These are world class summits with fine routes and views. Why dash past? This comment obviously doesn't apply to those who for medical reasons are faced with an extreme challenge in getting across at all. I thought about such folk yesterday when agonising about amending my planned route. That was easy for me to do, but others don't have such options. I admire their tenacity.
I discovered why they want to work on the Corran Ferry slipways when I watched a coach leave the ferry. The back underside of the bus scraped the ground, damaging the rear end.
A pot of coffee and a huge slab of chocolate cake went down well at the Corran Inn. My first human contact since Glenfinnan.
" Why don't you go by bus?" I was asked.
"My pass only works in England; yours will only work in Scotland" I countered.
A plan was hatched. I will become a resident of Corran. He will be resident in Timperley. We will get bus passes based on those residencies. We will travel free throughout the UK. Does that make us dual nationality? And what about Wales? Is it still a suburb of England in the world of pensioners' bus passes?
I continued on my way, along a short section of the A82, fortunately lined by a pavement. Goldfinches flitted in the hedgerow and some goats paused from their munching to watch me go past.
Beyond Inchree, a spectacular waterfall, mewing buzzards and a heron overhead, and an easy track to my planned camping spot at the edge of a forest. It was an idyllic location - flat turf in a sheltered spot beside a gentle stream. But it was only lunchtime. It rained whilst I brewed up. One of those annoying showers from an apparently blue sky. I'd just applied sun tan cream.
I continued on to join the West Highland Way for a few km. Easy going. I counted 11 (I'm sad like that) tourists. Most said hello.
I passed an information board about the Battle of Inverlochy. Inverlochy is up near Fort William, so this board is at the site of the retreating Campbells, defeated by the MacDonalds in 1645, commemorating the retreat of the luckless Campbells to the soup kitchens of England.
Soon my attention was drawn to the magnificent profile of Stob Ban, as I rounded a corner leading to the ruin of Lairigmor. Then it was a final ascent to the 796 metre summit of Mam na Gualainn, about 600 metres beyond which I am ensconced in this brilliant spot overlooking Loch Leven and Glencoe, whose mountain summits are arrayed before me. Brilliant. It's a lovely evening; I'll leave the door open tonight.
(I'm a bit ahead of schedule now; this afternoon's map will follow in the morning. Sorry about that.)
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Martin’s planned route and statistics for today are shown below:
1 Lochan at 690 metres
2 Beinn na h-Uamha (Corbett)
1 Lochan at 690 metres
3 End of track
4 Beinn Bheag (Graham)
5 Lochan at col
6 Garbh Bheinn (Corbett)
7 A861 road
8 Sallachan
9 Corran
10 Corran Ferry Jetty
11 Glean Seileach
12 Edge of Forest at NN 075 645 – 150 metres
Statistics
31 km
1533 metres ascent
14.0 hours
(2 Corbetts, 1 Graham)
Martin’s planned route and statistics for today are shown below:
1 Lochan at Col (NM 885 750)
2 Sgurr Ghiughsachain (Corbett)
3 Meall nan Creag Leac
4 Bealach
5 Stob a’ Bhealach an Sgriodain (Corbett)
6 Meall Mor
7 By Lochan Dubh
8 Carn na Nathrach (Corbett)
9 Bealach
10 Point 803
11 Bealach
12 Sgurr Dhomhnuill (Corbett)
13 Sgurr na h-Ighinn
14 Bealach
15 Sgurr a’ Chaorainn (Graham)
16 Lochan at 690 metres near Beinn na h-Uamha (NM 911 664)
Statistics
18 km
2453 metres ascent (oh dear!)
12.5 hours
(4 Corbetts, 1 Graham)
Martin’s planned route and statistics for today are shown below:
1 Lochan Feith Easain
2 Beinn Mhic Cedidh (Corbett)
3 Bealach a’ Choire Bhuidhe
4 Beinn Odhar Bheag (Corbett)
5 Beinn Odhar Mhor
6 A830 road
7 Glenfinnan Visitor Centre
8 Path junction at A830
9 Leave path to ascend
10 Sgorr Craobh a’ Chaorainn (Corbett)
11 Lochan at Col - 590 metres (NM 885 750)
Statistics
22 km
1883 metres ascent
11.7 hours
(3 Corbetts)
Away we go...
After saying goodbye to those at the hotel, and being snapped for the album by JJ, I set off alone.
Out of 44 folk setting off from Lochailort, I seem to be the only one to be bagging the three Corbetts (mountains of 2500 to 3000 feet in height, with at least a 500 ft drop between them) immediately to the south of the hotel. Maybe they have all progressed further in an easterly direction than my paltry 5 km!
Anyway, today went well and has left me with the (I predict rare on this trip) chance for an early night.
The day started cloudy and showery, gradually improving to excellent walking weather - not too hot, very little wind, etc.
My planned route suffered an immediate amendment when I realised I'd failed to incorporate a visit to the ocean (Loch Ailort). I met two of the Americans in Russ Mannion's team who had also appreciated that particular nicety of the Challenge, but I don't know whether anyone else actually bothered to start at the coast (bar someone who was almost camping in the loch!).
There was a thin, but unexpected, path up the Allt a' Bhuiridh valley, so I took the advice of Colin Crawford (my vetter) and by-passed Seann Chruach by taking the valley path. I just about got a view from An Stac, but had to descend in mist.
Rois-Bheinn was also in mist, so there was no point in visiting its western summit. That contributed nicely to my early finish, as did the terrain, which was not as rough as I had expected. Until, that is, the final knife edge ridge of Druim Fiaclach and the following sharp descent down steep ground with randomly placed small cliffs. The key to success on the ridge was to stay on the blade of the knife - quite entertaining at times. Good views too (see snap).
I'd enjoyed lunch on the summit of my third Corbett, Sgurr Ba Glaise, after a satisfying morning's walk. Here I received a message of encouragement from Geoffrey (who I promise to visit in Macc asap) and the first of two pairs of day walkers passed by. They are the only people I saw all day.
It's a lovely evening as I gaze from the open tent down Glen Aladale to Loch Shiel, as I tuck in to my pasta and tuna dinner.
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Martin’s planned route and statistics for today are shown below:
1 Lochailort Inn
2 Seann Chruach
3 An Stac (Corbett)
4 Col at 560 metres
5 Bealach an Fhiona
6 Rois-Bheinn (Corbett)
7 Rois-Bheinn – western summit
6 Rois-Bheinn
5 Bealach an Fhiona
8 Sgurr na Ba Glaise (Corbett)
9 Lochan at 810 metres
10 Bealachan Fhalaisg Dhuibh
11 Druim Fiaclach
12 By Lochan Feith Easain – 360 metres (NM 817 792)
Statistics
16 km
1783 metres ascent
9.6 hours
(3 Corbetts)
The time has come…
I set off in a few hours time to the fleshpots of Lochailort, where around 40 out of a total of 300+ Challengers will be assembling before starting their walk across Scotland on Friday morning.
I’ve not had time to produce the usual web page, so my planned route will be revealed here on a day to day basis. I’ll be setting off in a southerly direction, unlike the vast majority of those starting at Lochailort, who I suspect will be heading east.
For now, you’ll have to make do with the outline shown below; a route of 360 km (225 miles) with around 18,100 metres of ascent. It’s highly unlikely that I’ll be able to meet this Challenge despite the encouragement of my vetter (who I thought would ‘rubbish’ my plans). So it’s just as well that I have an alternative ‘Foul Weather Alternative’ (FWA) which comes out at a mere 320 km with only 8,600 metres of ascent. The disadvantage is that it omits the 28 summits (2 Munros, 20 Corbetts, 5 Grahams and a Marilyn) that are included in the longer route.
Realistically, I hope to make at least 10 of those summits
Day 1 – Lochailort to Lochan Feith Easain (NM 817 792)
Day 2 – to Lochan at High Col (NM 885 750)
Day 3 – to Lochan below Beinn na h-Uamha (NM 911 664)
Day 4 – to Edge of Forest (NN 075 645)
Day 5 – to Meall na Cruaidhe (NN 249 627)
Day 6 – to Path Junction below Sron Smeur (NN 435 609)
Day 7 – to Duinish (NN 617 669)
Day 8 – to Loch Tummel Inn (NN 818 602)
Day 9 – to Watershed at NN 974 656
Day 10 – to Loch Beanie (NO 156 685)
Day 11 – to Glen Clova Hotel (NO 326 731)
Day 12 – to Tarfside (NO 491 797)
Day 13 – to North Water Bridge (NO 649 662)
Day 14 – to Montrose (NO 732 603)
My best wishes go to all the other Challengers, including the Proud Scotsmen amongst them and the various bloggers – think of them as they stand aloft Scottish peaks trying to transmit their hastily compiled words over the course of the next two weeks…
My previous three Challenges are described here, just in case anyone is interested.
“Let’s go to Lathkill Dale” suggested the email from Graham.
So it came to pass that a dynamic quartet winged their way, in Polly – her first outing of this nature, to Monyash.
Luckily we arrived early. That meant we could enjoy a mug of coffee outside The Old Smithy. It was sunny and warm, or should I say ‘warm in the sun’ (cool elsewhere…).
Six others arrived. The route march commenced. I know I should be in training for the TGO Challenge, so I could just about keep up.
Mike The Bus fell back. “Only my second walk in 18 months” huff “New Camera” puff, etc, etc (I’ll try not to bore you).
Eventually we re-grouped by a field of brightly coloured flowers.
Dandelions.
Very photogenic.
The Boss had obviously fallen behind schedule as some road walking was now required. The pace picked up again and we were soon striding into Middleton, distracted only by a hungry horse.
Richard tried to make a getaway, but the old Rover 100 defeated his locksmith’s skills.
It was very green by the River Bradford.
A dizzy coot watched us fly by…”why so fast?” she squawked.
We were clearly in a race against the brown trout to reach the hostelries of Youlgreave in time for lunch?
We overshot.
Suddenly we found ourselves striding on into Lathkill Dale, full of Sunday afternoon hordes.
Surely now time for a break? A splinter group fell briefly behind, refuelling with chocolate caramel shortbread on the hoof. Our leader usually stops for this, but not today.
On we dashed.
“Can we stop, please?” bleated a weary soldier with a neck problem.
“Only 5 minutes, just around the next corner” was the response.
20 minutes later:
What a relief!
Afternoon – a simple solution, I just fell back and went slowly, occasionally chancing upon the route marchers who had decided to wait.
It took nearly as long to complete the afternoon’s 7 km as it had taken to walk 13 km in the morning.
We stopped to admire some flowers – they are flowering later than usual this year, but we did find one orchid by the path.
Tea/beer/hot chocolate/cakes all went down well at The Old Smithy, to which we had returned by 3.30, well exercised after this 20 km dash in 4.5 hours (Naismith would have taken rather longer) with 600 metres of ascent.
Here’s the route, which is not mandatory, ie footpaths to Middleton are permitted as an alternative to our rush along the roads, as is a pub stop in Youlgreave. Lathkill Dale is highly recommended.
There’s a short slide show here.
Thursday evening saw Sue and I setting out from Altrincham station at 7.30pm on another evening walk, without Andrew on this occasion as he has absconded to Lochinver.
Turning right down Stamford New Road, we soon reached the footbridge by Barrington’s Hotel. Over here, then down Oakfield Street, beyond which a ginnel leads into a large area of municipal parkland, including the sizeable King George V pond.
It’s pleasing to be able to walk straight into open countryside from the centre of a town, but we were soon having to concentrate hard to dodge the golf balls as we crossed an assortment of fairways, heading roughly south east along paths to the south of Timperley Brook.
This is Hale Moss and Heath, now a golf course and cultivated farm land dotted with ponds, spinneys and drainage ditches. It was much larger until the late C19, when gorse and turf were cut by locals for use as fuels, and part of it was used as a race course. One of the country’s earliest gasworks was built here in 1847, but only in the early C20 was the Moss and Heath largely drained and reclaimed, as the swampy stagnant pools had become a risk to both humans and grazing animals.
Paths led us past the north end of a garden centre and then on through Cheshire countryside to Davenport Green, where we joined Brooks Drive by an impressive mansion - ‘DGH’ – Davenport Green Hall – the oldest surviving secular building in the area. It may occupy part of the site of the ‘lost’ village of Arleton, mentioned in the Domesday Book but abandoned at or soon after the time of the Black Death (1348).
Heading south towards Hale Barns, past exclusive residencies that remind me of a street of embassies in a place like Cairo, we reached the main Hale road and crossed it to bimble our way through the ginnels of Hale Barns, slowly wending our way towards the Bollin valley.
Our original plan was to go down to the Bollin before cutting back up to Hale, but given the fading light we enjoyed a more direct route via suburban streets and narrow ginnels, reaching the fleshpots of Hale village, where, on the evening of the election, various parties were in progress. Judging by the array of vehicles parked in the streets, many costing more than the average house, these were not ‘election’ parties, perhaps more a sign of the end of the football season. This is premier division footballers’ country.
Such local walks have much to commend them. It’s good to explore local paths, albeit they sometimes do present an urban aspect.
We’ll be back for more, but here is Thursday’s route – 11km, 70 metres ascent, taking us 2.3 hours.
