Route Day 7 : 34 km
After six days of relative solitude, pitching for the night on a grass verge amongst a small sea of TGO challengers in Dalwhinnie marked a watershed. By the end of today, and one last stretch walking alone, I’d enter the sociable side of the challenge and begin to realise what makes the TGO so special. Continue reading
Miles walked: 810 (short of my 1000 mile target, but doesn’t include 266 miles of evening TGO training walks)
Longest trip: 220 miles on the TGO challenge
Nights under canvas: 22 (not nearly enough)
High point: Laughing over a pint with the Chuckle Brothers until it hurt, in Braemar on the TGO **
Low Point: Doing an accidental back flip into a deep peaty ditch on day 1 of the TGO
Best days walk: Second day of the Limestone Lion from Malham to Grassington on a gloriously sunny spring day
Most expensive piece of kit purchased: Z-Packs 20 degree sleeping bag
Best piece of kit purchased: Vivo Barefeet ultralight trainers
Piece of kit I actually didn’t need to buy: All of it…it’s pure indulgence
Gear purchase excuses I used : (I) Orange is no longer fashionable. (ii) My life may depend on it, (iii) This one goes to 11
What I did too much of : Looking out of the window and deciding to wait until the weather was better
What I didn’t do enough of: Getting out while the weather ‘was’ good ** Not the Chuckle Brothers, obviously.
Looking from balcony Camp 2, Korzhenevskaya Peak
Sometimes a piece of kit comes along which becomes so much a part of you, that it’s more like a comfort blanket or childhood teddy bear than a rufty tufty piece of outdoor gear.
The Buffalo Belay jacket has been one such piece of kit, and so much more. But sadly after 20 years of faithful and devoted service it’s entered a final chapter of decrepitude, and it’s now time to say a fond farewell to the old chap. Continue reading
This is the life……
The sun continued to shine over the next two days bringing a spring to my step and seeing the miles fly by. Even after cramming my rucksack full to bursting with a resupply parcel at Spean Bridge I was still able to kid myself that I was ultra-lighting…..relatively speaking ! Continue reading
