THE TGO CHALLENGE 2014.....DAY 5 (Bears, Hikers and a severe lack of woods)

By Definition, you have to live until you die. Better to make that life as complete and enjoyable an experience as possible, in case death is shite, which i expect it will be.

Edinburgh gadgie 1996

Day 5 Loch Treig to Bhienie 17 miles

Three sausage wraps this morning, two for breakfast and one for lunch (im a growing loon after all),  they were ok taste wise,  but It didnt take long to discover that I had picked up the wrong ones in Spean Bridge, I would have been just as well not going shopping and I'm starting to see why i never get invited on the weekly Asda jaunts anymore, (before anyone starts it has nothing to do with all those rangers and celtic cakes being accidently squished....).

Anyway it seems I had picked up richmond Irish skinless sausages, they tasted fine enough, but they were a nightmare to fry off without the skins, chunks of them stuck to everything, by the time they were smothered in brown sauce and wrapped up, they looked like the amputated bits from badly frost bitten toes. Maybe worth taking along a sachet or two of HP if you have any everest plans.

As I was packing up after breakfast, I was rather surprised to see a lad marching past in the corrour direction, he was actually on the railway line, maybe this is the done thing around here but the way I walk, (with my head in another place) the 

Caledonian sleeper would have a fancy new bumper ornament by the time it pulled into Fort William.

A swift and short wee climb from day fours bivi site opened up the views across the moor with corrour station being the odd bit out, a great view and a huge sky that just went on and on forever, corrour and Leum Uilleim always conjour vivid visions of Renton, Sickboy, Spud and rather dirty sheets (more to follow on that, literally).

Lovely light this morning, passing the hostel theres a really bonny view, but it looks like its been placed in midgie heaven. There's a lot of road "improvements" going on here just now with some heavy duty machines preparing the area and tracks for three new hydro projects.

Look at the size of that sky, the start of a pleasant climb away from corrour up to peters rock, again I was feeling really good and thoroughly enjoying the experience, remarkably enough I hadn't seen another challenger since I left last nights spot.

Just about up at Peters rock and pretty much the last climb for a day or so

A few boggy bits on the climb up to Peters rock, nothing major, I actually found the road to the isles route to be some of the most enjoyable underfoot conditions of the whole trip, the glorious weather probably helped.

Peters rock, 29 years old, far to young, I was intrigued and googled it to get the full story, unfortunately the full story will never really be known.

 A carlsberg lunch for me and a new pal, as I went to sit down a wee moose dived into it's wee lodge. I braved the wrath of the rannoch beast and sat down next to it. Boots and socks were quickly removed to get the benefit from the sun and unusually for a lunch stop I got the cooker out and knocked up a fine brew.

Treats today, the extra sausage wrap from breakfast, a spicy salami stick thing and a 6 pack of oreo biscuits, I shared the wholemeal wrap with my wee moose pal, he (or she) seemed to prefer wrap to biscuit crumbs,  its a sad day when even the mice have gone all "health freak".

Everything seems to be going just fine, lovely day and nothing around for miles, well as they say, nothing lasts for ever. Lunch suddenly decided to make a surprise reappearance, just not in the form it went in.

It's very very open up here and the distinct lack of trees doesn't help the modesty situation either. A quick check and there didn't seem to be anyone about (mind you, how many times has "no one around" turned into "furry boots did they all come from" ), clench cheeks, break track, and penguin walk/dash to a big boulder up the hill, how bloody hard is it to get your bergan waist belt unbuckled in these situations, if id had a bowie knife on my hip I would have cut it. Mind you the eventual relief is a wonderfull feeling, even if you cant actually move for ages, your thighs are about to give way and you realise your boulder is in reality an ankle high stone leaving you bare arsed to the world, literally. Thankffully nobody came along the the track and eventually I managed to get going again, albeit with a slightly different gait.

Back down to signs of civilisation again

Just before this pic I scared a couple of capercaillie beside a wee plantation, either scared or they smelt me coming.

Another of those signs, so far I could have walked the entire way by following sign posts, so no maps required in future (except in train station car parks), another great piece of weight management. Rannoch station is just up the road a wee bit, im heading the other way,  down towards Rannoch.

Three miles after reaching the road I came to the general area I had planned to stop, Coille Bhienie. I found a cracking spot well away from the road and right beside the river, I came pretty much face to face with a fox here, beautiful dark red colour, I'd seen more wildlife today, than id seen in the previous four days.

A ready made bath, after getting the tent up it was kit off and get in time, it wasn't to cold, very refreshing and much needed, everything got washed and a much nicer smelling gentleman retired to the tent for a swift glass of red (it was actually a swift swig or four from an old juice bottle). Yellow chicken curry boil in the bag and a tuna and lime foil packet for supper tonight

View from the scarp patio prior to getting the kindle out and zipping up for the night.


Day 5 Thoughts and impressions

I was expecting a wet ground day, it wasn't, in general it was very good underfoot,  that fuckin cuckoo is back, spicy sausage should be included in weight loss programmes. Bergans should have an emergency unbuckle  pull cord fitted.


CLICK FOR DAY 6

THE TGO CHALLENGE 2014.....DAY 4 (Right Planet, Wrong Grid)

Day 4 Spean Bridge to Loch Treig (a couple of miles beyond actually) 13 miles

This was the day that before i left home i thought might just be a right ball buster, not through what lay ahead on the day, but more the mental attitude after a porcelain toilet, a good night in a hotel and being 4 days on the road. I need not have worried, it turned out the only problem i had that morning, was full Scottish or healthy? aye that was a major decision right enough, so, both it was then with heaps of coffee and fresh orange to boot. 

Ian also appeared at breakfast and wasn't in great spirits having decided he was going to pull out with his knackered shoulder. A great shame after all the prep and planning that go into taking part. I must be a jinx as I'd also spoken to a lad on day 2 who had also decided to walk out to Fort William and withdraw with a goosed hip. Dont speak to me if you value your health it seems.

 After checking out and parting with 50 of my hard earned sheckles, (happy with that tbh) it was back on the road with a jaunty spring in my step, a wee bitty too eager perhaps as i had forgotten to go to the shop, a quick about turn and back to the Spar shop then. Arrgghh No steak, so only Richmond sassages and wholemeal wraps were purchased and packed away for tomorrows breakfast, there were another three or four other challengers darting up and down the aisles or getting a breakfast from the hot counter. 

Finally with less spring this time I headed off again, sound, the routes even signed, a piece of cake this navigation lark.  A few hundred yards later I came to the train station,  in fact the train station car park, pretty decent as station car parks go but the distinct lack of exit rung some "this doesn't look right" bells. I got the 1.50 map out, it wasnt much kop, even less so without my specs, a couple of dog walkers pointed me in the right direction,  "back the way you came" oh the shame, map reading instructor lost in a one horse town car park, even worse, I passed a couple of young ladies in hiking gear for the 3rd time, best I stride out a bit and exude confidence like I'm some sort of seasoned adventurer.

 Someone knew I was heading this way then, seriously, there's sign posts appearing everywhere these days. It was also about here I realised I hadn't bought my sweet ration in the spar, i do like my snickers each day, I sure as hell wasnt going back though.

 Still a decent skelp of snow about up high

 The wee meenister, wishing luck and safe travels to all, even tourists (but not including caravanners)

 Some pics of Lairig Leacach, another of Scotlands stunning mountain passes, i had noticed this morning how fit I felt, it was almost like I had walked myself into shape, it was remarkably easy going up through the glen this morning.

Just before I got to the bothy a major mountain rescue incident occurred, as I followed the winding track I was vaguely aware of the only ewe and lamb for miles around wandering in between some low humps, when i rounded a corner a few hundred meters away there was another wee lamb standing by a burn bleating away like a maddie and shaking like a leaf, I think it had been in the burn and it was now cold, wet and split from its mither (or it had had a great night out), being a softie at heart I spent the next 10 minutes doing the one man and his Lekki pole thing, shepherding it through between the wee hillocks, finally both parties spotted each other and were reunited, as I left both lambs were getting a spot of brunch from mother. I expect this gallant act will go well with my MBE application. 

 I decided to stop in the bothy and have an early lunch, I hadn't seen any challengers since Spean Bridge, although I did walk for a short distance with a lad who was aiming to do a couple of corbets, just as I was getting some water everything went all European, first Nicole appeared, then 5 minutes later Markus and Philipp also turned up, an Austria/German invasion by stealth (spooky eh), having lived in germany for 12 years im pretty decent at the old deutsch, but I didnt let on, from what I made out they thought I was very intelligent and rather cute, Fact........ this revelation caused me to spill the whole cup of coffee id just made, all over the bunk and me, I wasn't thirsty anyway, much. 

I wandered off on my way up to loch Treig on what was going to turn into a bit of a man made bog fest.

 The naturally boggy path had been ripped to shreds by a motorcycle trials competition the week previously,  the ground was saturated anyway and it was hard enough going, but some sections were a nightmare to get past, it was like this from the bothy right up to the loch.

 I loved this narrow wee ravine,  in one side from the glen, out the other side to the loch. I slipped on my arse in the middle of it though, its becoming a habit. 

 New bridge, biker friendly too

 Christ, they really are everywhere.

 A nice evening over a full loch, I had planned on pitching at the old lodge, but it was still early so I pushed on to the track and railway crossover a mile or so further on.

 I was rather surprised to find this large spot empty, I had a wander around and picked what I thought was the best patch and settled down to camp routine, I was later joined by another challenger and a few passed by on there way to corrour.

Finally, the one and only attempt at shit food, ainslies cous cous (I love it at home) and matesons smoked sausage, if its any consolation it did taste as bad as it looks, thankfully I had a tomato soup and salami stick in reserve. I think the rain came on and it was a case of sleeping bag and kindle for half an hour before unconsciousness took over.

Day 4 impressions

Pay attention to your route, stick to steak, sausages and boil in the bags, next time find out about the 6 day trials routes and go somewhere else. Furry boots has the cuckoo gone.


CLICK FOR DAY 5