THE TGO CHALLENGE 2014.....DAY 8 (the long and winding glen)

Below the braes o' heather, and far alang the glen,

The road rins southward, southward, that grips the souls o'men


Day 8 Blair Atholl to White Bridge (just short of) 16.7 miles

Another nice day by the looks of it, and what a fine change waking up in crisp sheets, even nicer getting a roasting hot shower prior to partaking in a rather spiffing full Scottish breakfast.

Last night hadn't really gone as planned. I had checked in and recieved the mandatory safety/village nightlife brief on the etiquete in the village pubs and clubs, i was fully intending on heading out for a meal, a pint or two and maybe even a wee jig. So after a long shower, 20 minutes prising a three day old compeed plaster off without the attached skin and doing a washing, I lay on the lovely soft bed for 2 minutes rest before getting the dancing gear on,  7 hours later I woke up, had a glass of water and got between the sheets properly, bloody great night out that was ...........

Anyway, fully rested (13 hours, I think the final total was) and fed i checked out and wandered round to the wee shoppie to buy the next two days rations, steak and wraps for tonight, proper sausages for tomorrow,  I also treated myself to a can of diet coke, some snickers and the cheapest bottle of red wine they had,  the wine was quickly decanted into a couple of 500ml plastic bottles, you just cant buy class.

Today was hopefully going to be pretty straight forward,  straight up Glen Tilt and hud going for as far as possible,  the more done today,  the sooner I'll get a wee treat in Braemar tomorrow, talking of wee treats, yesterday afternoons little guinness and burger session suddenly came back to haunt me, deja vu, oh yes and right in the middle of the bridge of tilt too, luckily ive gained a bit of experience at this lark and I quickly reverted to the clenched waddle, a perfectly legitimate and effective walking technique in these situations. Bridge of Tilt is a mere spot on a map and I was soon able to familiarise myself with the local greenery, apologies to any dog walkers.

A fine morning and a lovely leafy start to the glen, walking alongside the tilt was fantastic I really enjoyed walking up the glen beside the burn, id read before hand that its a fair old hike, it was but being so long it really doesn't seem like your climbing.

I was having a five minute break when an auld lad pulled up on his bike, we had a great chat for 10 minutes, he was making his annual pilgrimage up the glen to the Falls of Tarf, he eventually got back on the bike and headed off. I had seen two loaded down mentalists a good bit behind me at various times and thought they would pass by, but no one else appeared so I assumed they had also stopped for elevenses.  

The wind was getting up a wee bit, but it was on my back so caused me no problems at all, probably the only day in the whole trip I can recall a wind of any sort, rather unusual for two weeks in Scotland. 

 These two obviously havent heard about my reputation. 

I thought it was a rather unusual washing line too. 

As I was nearing  forrest lodge, a wee workies flat bed truck thing came racing down the road, throwing up clouds of dust, give them their due they slowed when they saw me and waved on the way past, they were in good spirits, must be an early louse and happy hour in Blair on a Friday.

As I continued on I noticed something bulky lying in the middle of the track, either a body or a very large sack of money, quids in either way I thought, sadly it turned out to be a bag of cement and just as I got to it the workies reappeared behind me, it seems going fast with an unsecured load on a flatbed isnt condusive to an early finish,  I chuckled away as I wandered on, the "not finishing as early as hoped" crew passed me again a few more times stopping each time to pick up a bag or two, ah well morale comes in all shapes and sizes.

I came around a corner and immediately spotted a lone adventurer just up the track, god knows where he had appeared from as I didn't think I was exactly motoring along and hadn't noticed anyone ahead all morning, I would suspect (but never accuse) that someone had been having a wee lie down in the sun perhaps...

He spotted me and waited while i dragged my sorry ass up the track, I knew the face but until he introduced himself as Gordon Green I couldn't figure out from where, so much younger looking without the helmet on... I'd followed his blog for a while, it was one of many excellent blogs id used for ideas and inspiration to finally attempt the TGO, I was star struck and forgot to get an autograph, next time though (shit, that's the first time ive actually thought about doing it again, it was meant to be a one off) . We chatted as we wandered, Gordon hadn't quite enjoyed Blair Atholl as much as me, but to make up for it, he was heading to some posh gaff to wash his socks, the tarf hotel or something,  hotels out here, now iam impressed,  doubt if it'll catch on though.

Just after Gordon turned off to his all inclusive hotel the auld chap id been talking to earlier came cycling down the glen, again we had a wee five minute muse before we wished each other well and headed off in opposite directions. Soon after that the falls of tarf bridge appeared before me, it was still early afternoon so I had no intention of staying but it looked like a lovely spot for an overnighter.

Just before crossing the bridge the LR track turned into a typical hill path, i climbed the first and pretty much only rise, at the top opposite the path that heads away east to Fealar Lodge, I found a wee spring in a nice sheltered dip and decided it was time for a proper bergan and boots off break. It was a fine chilled break completely hidden from the breeze, As I lay there I watched some sort of hawk about fifty meters away working the steep gorge opposite my spot, I had no bad experiences of any note (other than maybe the motocross section) on the challenge but it was times and days like this that made it an absolutely fantastic experience.

Heading along the Dubh Alltan just before arriving at the watershed

And a wee look back down Glen Tilt for the last time

And finally the watershed just ahead, this felt like i was entering my part of the world, probably only two plus hours to my house (as a car drives) and the area im most often to be found wandering and camping in. The watershed itself was actually my planned bivi spot for tonight on my vetted route, but it was such a grand day and I was in good spirits so I just kept going, I had an alternative site that id used a few times previously just a few miles ahead.

  Although I didn't stop there was loads of scope here for anyone bashering up, lots of big dry flat patches and a fine crystal clear burn bubbling through.

 All that remains of a vegetarian, meat is good.

15 umm, not only a strange (but pure Holywood hip) name, but also a pretty random place to be buried or maybe its 15 Miles to somewhere, Braemar or Blair Atholl? I could have checked the map I suppose.

Bynack lodge, another decent option for an overnight spot and without getting a map out to double check id hazard a guess that the prominent gap in the hills is the Lairig Ghru, with McDui to the right of if.

 A couple of river crossings were required before I got to my spot beside the Ruigh na Clach wood, the first couple were easy enough and a couple you don't actually need to do as you can bypass them. 

Unfortunately the Geldie burn is a stiffer challenge,  it wouldn't have been if I'd taken the sensible option and put my river crossing footwear on and rolled up my breeks, but I was a mere half mile from my supper and sleep spot and a wee bit puggled and couldn't be bothered changing. I also didn't really want wet boots, so went for the old step and ballance technique, after a few false attempts I eventually managed to get to the other bank, well until just at the last step I managed to put both feet in over boot depth, ach well its nae counted as a river crossing if you remain dry.

A furtive check to make sure I hadnt been spotted scrabbling from the burn and I was on my way to the evenings rest platz, it had been a long but  fantastic day

Day 8 Thoughts and Impressions

A fantastic day, no cuckoos, fine folk and its all downhill from here (ish)

CLICK FOR DAY 9

THE TGO CHALLENGE 2014.....DAY 7 (Mad cows and MBE three)

Here's to them that like us

Them that think us swell

And here's tae them that hate us

Let's pray for them as well

Here's to the heath, the hill and the heather, 

The bonnet, the plaid, the kilt and the feather! 

Here's to the heroes that Scotland can boast, 

May their names never dee

That's the Heilan man's toast! 

Day 7 Loch Errochty to Blair Atholl 14.8 miles

Because I had pushed on the previous day, today's route was more like 12 miles rather than the 14 odd quoted above. 

Usual beans and sausage BiB and coffee for breakfast this morning, and again I thought it prudent to split the scarp down, a combination of rain through the night and condensation had it pretty wet this morning,  its no big deal in reality as it splits down in seconds and goes back up just as quick.

Big day today though, civilisation (well perthshire, so civilisation of a sort) on the horizon after being out and about for 4 long days, there was even a very faint whiff of guiness on the breeze as I crossed the errochty dam.

 I'm decent enough with the bigger raptors, but the wee ones leave me guessing. As i was crossing the dam this one kept buzzing me while screeching a god awful racket (so we've determined its female then........), i presume its nest was nearby and it was giving me the gypsies to keep walking.

A steep but not unpleasant drop down from the dam towards Trinafour passes under the Beauly-Denny power line, it was only a few months ago that i passed on the nearby road and these pylons were all in various stages of construction.  The original line can be seen to the left in the tiny wee clearing, quite remarkable the size difference between the old and new, I really  wish all this could be under ground though.

And right on que, the old power lines to, i wonder if these are due to be taken down?

Only twenty minutes after leaving the dam i was down at Trinafour and all ready to walk on down through glen Errochty to old Struan. Suddenly (very very suddenly) I needed to do the bear in a wood thing, this is becoming a bit of an embarrassing theme, at least this time there was warning.
Unfortunately all the woods here had lovely houses in them and  I'm unsure what the MCoS advice note is in regards to village greens and manicured lawns, hence I thought it best to just clench, turn around and waddle back up the hill, just as I thought I was safe to break out the trowel, two bloody balfour beattie vans came up the hill behind me and stopped just ahead, some got out and gazed at the pylons while the rest got the flasks and news papers out, so I trudged on.
 35 minutes after leaving the dam I was just about back at it, what do you have to do for a bit of piece and quiet around here.
And another 20 minutes later going back down the hill for the second time I gave my best smile as I passed the vans again, I can just imagine all the hilarity and comments in the vans "thats the second time hes passed us, bet hes lost", "at least hes stopped walking like a bloomin penguin" "gosh he smells a bit" "I think hes lost weight" and such like.

TGO Challenge 2014 MBE nomination No3, Seriously folks,  This really has got to be the clincher, if Liz hasn't called with the good news by Monday then im voting YES. 

Wandering down the glen happily doing stomach tightening exercises between every other telephone pole (speedos and beach holiday soon) I noticed a wee lamb by itself in this field, and heaps of ewes and lambs in the other field,  as I got closer it started battering into the fence trying to get through to its mother,  I could see that the gate was slightly ajar, with a lamb sized gap, but the daft beast kept banging into the fence. So I dumped the bergan at the roadside, jumped the fence (ok, fell/flopped over the fence) and walked down, I hoped it would move naturally down the fence line and back through the bloody obvious gap. It didn't work, it moved down ok, but between running into the fence it typically went straight past the gap. All the ewes in the other field moved away and I was left with mum on one side and the wee lamb on my side, both doing the afore mentioed female thing (non stop bleating :-)) so I opened the gate and did my Lekki shepherd impression for the second time on the challenge, amazingly it worked straight off, no messing the daft wee thing was through like a shot. I shut and secured the gate with a florish that the one man and his dog team would have been proud of, then looked around for my new pals, the pair of them had ran off off and disappeared into the crowd, no thanks, no flowers, nothing.

 My entry in the gormless of the year picture, taken walking along side the river garry,  between old Struan and Tomban. To continue the James Herriot challenge 2014 theme, this herd all came running over (stampede esq) as I passed, right inquisitive beasts, I was getting nudged and sniffed (thinking about it now, maybe they thought I smelt familiar) constantly. I actually had a full blown conversation with then for the next 10 minutes or so as we walked together, they were pretty noncommittal about most stuff tbh.

If looks could kill, this was just after we discussd the possibility of Aberdeen winning another trophy in 2014/15 season

Listening intently to me waxing lyrical on the merits of english mustard over german with certain meals, although I think we both agreed that if only they had stuck to mustard (and tea) we would like them better

I had just passed under the A9 (phase 2 complete), a decent enough path between Old Struan and Blair Atholl, better then I had hoped for  at this point both path and road were quite close,  but in a wee bit you cross over the road again and move away from it until you reach Blair.

Possibly a bit of the old/original A9 road

This section is as close as you get to the road, thankfully it only lasts about 200yds or so, then you dart across like a fleeting gazelle and head back into the low hills to the south, the thing on the right is some nutter protesting about something that obviously matters to him, I believe hes been there for months, living in his car, my car looks lived in too.

Getting closer....... Blair Atholl castle, home to the Atholl highlanders, I believe the only private army in the UK/Europe, if I dont get a guinness soon, they’ll be on peacekeeping duties tonight. After getting away from the A9 the going is really good, a couple of farm tracks initially,  then a very faint path for a couple of miles through some pleasant parks, eventually you arrive opposite the village and make your way down to the crossing point

And finally, the bridge into Blair Atholl, the path down to the A9 is easy and quite obvious, theres also a stile at both sides of the road and a wee, but quite overgrown path from the road down to the bridge, unfortunately some bright spark has put a fence across the main path, a wee bit of  jungle training is handy to break through to the bridge.
I crossed over and wandered happily through the village, at some point I happened to look left to see the best sign of the challange so far "BOTHY BAR" being old school at heart I play by the rules (if they suit) and I believe CHALLENGE Rule 1a states " a challenger should never ever ever pass an open bar, especially on a Thursday"

Thank god for rule 1a and it being a Thursday (i think)
Angus steak burger and liquid refreshment, now this is surely the real reason for walking halfway across Scotland. The secrets out, im coming back next year.
The barman in here was ace, every time I got halfway through a pint he enquired if sir would like another poured, in hindsight he was maybe just keeping me away from the lovely smelling tourists at the bar. I bet he was really chuffed i had sat down near the roaring fire too, I did debate taking the boots off and chilling right out, they will never know how close they came.

On a serious note, if you are ever through Blair Atholl, give the bothy bar a go, maybe I just like the simple things in life but I thought it was nice and relaxed, the food was really fine and the staff were a credit to the place, you might even get the pleasure of sitting beside a smelly challenger if you play your cards right.

After quite a few pints and a nice feed I headed over to the bridge of tilt to find my B&B, a bit of luxury tonight,  shower, dhobi, sheets,  ace.


Day 7 Thoughts and impressions

Glen Errochty is very pleasant, I really detest cuckoos now, I need to get a new suit for the palace investiture, the next lamb in distress is going in the bergan, Guinness is nice.


CLICK FOR DAY 8