The Outdoors Station

The day starts with the unique Dawn Chorus that only Tarfside can provide, before everyone gathers their thoughts and belongings before heading down to the Retreat cafe for a slap up breakfast.

7.40am and the Tarfside campsite is almost empty I can never understand the rush to get away. It’s a slow a steady walk to Edzell and then Northwater Bridge which is located only 13km from the coast.

However the 70 or so tents were soon packed up and the site was virtually clear by 9am.

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Although we all had a good social night in Aviemore the lingering tiredness from the previous long days had taken their toll and so when Tony suggested we change our route from Ben Macdui to the lower Larig Ghru, none of us really protested.

So after a large breakfast at the Cairngorm Hotel we slowly made our way along the cycle path towards the Rothiemurchus Forest and the start of the climb.

Every time we leave Aviemore we suffer the same issues. We’ve had a large breakfast, the food parcels have been added to our packs along with random shopping and there seems to be a lethargy linked to the amount of consumption the previous evening.

Plus our memory is beginning to play tricks on us all. We have walked this route togther many times and each time we assume it is just ‘an hour or so to here’ when in actual fact, it is more like 2, or more hours to wherever. So much so the day strated to drag out and this combined with fine walking conditions of bright sunshine and a light cool breeze meant the destination of Derry Lodge was not going to be the early finish we promised ourselves.

The Larig Ghru is a boulder field which needs to be passed with care. There’s no quick and easy route. The higher you get the larger the boulders become. As the boulders get bigger and more unstable, concentration is required to cross and not fall between the cracks, or off onto another equally unstable block. At one stage Tony slipped and his pole dropped between two rocks as he fell, the pole naturally took the pressure and bent. It could easily have been his leg. He was slightly rattled but no harm done. After this simple slip we all took even more care.

Continued with photos on the website

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After a good night in St Augustus, a reasonable breakfast in Morags Lodge we were set for the long trek up Glen Doe. There is a new path now heading out of Fort Augustus which leads walkers off the dangerous hairpin road along the much software aspects at the edge of Loch Ness before crossing the road and zig-zagging its way to link up with the construction path.

So far so good. It is a long haul up that path, but not different in many ways to the alternative route along General Wades Road. Both laborious but easily ignored when you have good company and endless banter to take your mind off the long uphill slog and the previous nights beer.

The last time I came up here a couple of years back, there was just me, the dam and some bitter wind. However now once you crest the highest point, there’s 12km of heavy duty wind farm construction. The track which used to be one vehicle wide, is now the width of a motorway. The land has been landscaped by bulldozers, rivers diverted and infrastructure installed which includes communications, helipads, concrete plant, repair sheds and countless portacabins. I lost count once I passed 80 wind turbines and all the various access roads to them. There must be closer to a 100. All of which made my mood darken substantially as we reached our goal at Chalybeate Spring.

Even here it wasn’t sacred and one of our party Mick had established this was to be the centre of another turbine zone. in the next phase So this time next year, this once quiet hidden little spot could be no more.

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It was no good, I just couldn’t take it anymore!

Too much enforced hanging about the previous day and dozing while it rained in the morning had refreshed me, but bored me to death. There’s only so many books you can read on the Kindle after all.

So I packed up in the rain which gradually petered out and set off over the col to head for River Doe and then along the established track to Ceannacroc Lodge. The dull overcast morning gradually changed into bright sunshine once again and I found myself walking an easy path and descent to River Doe. If anyone reads this, don’t be tempted to cut over the deer fence into the wooded area, but do what I did and take the fence line directly down the the river. A bit slippy in places, but compared to the wooded area, much more direct and better visibility.

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And so we are onto the second podcast from the TGO Challenge series which includes massive disappointment, naked podcasting and boredom.

It was an early start for me, once my nose became aware of how cold it was my body naturally followed and well, once I was up seeing to watering the Roses, I was up!. So I brushed the ice off the tent, made a brew ate some porridge and got started hitting the road at 7.30.

Leaving the others behind still slumbering I was in no hurry, sauntering up the track which passes above the lower section of Loch Affric, where the sun was rising ti wake the few challengers who had camped there on the shore. It looked a lovely spot and something to consider in the future.

I was in no rush and soon I had the company of Tim Medforth and we enjoyed the type of casual chat one does on the challenge. Of life, families, gear, death and the universe.

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This is the first podcast from a series of seven which covers the TGO Challenge 2018, where some 350 participants walk the 200 miles from West to East Coast of Scotland.

It was to be the tenth crossing for both Andy and I and we decided to produce the last podcast series relating to the topic. After all there are only so many questions and conversation you can have walking the same direction for 10 years!

It was a challenging start for those intending to leave from Strathcarron as they were greeted at the door of the hotel by the owner who announched that they had no chef and therefore no evening meals. However the canny Challengers rose to the occasion and someone hitched a ride to the nearest fish and chip shop to save the day.

Andy and Kate had arrived early at Strathcarron and so had plenty of time to chill out and talk with friends new and old about the forthcoming event. William Burton from Barbados has to cope with challenges long before he sets foot in Scotland. There are no ‘Outdoor’ shops in Barbados, plus there are very few hills to use for training. As you’ll hear it gives you a slightly different perspective on what someone from overseas has to face after filling in tthe application form. He still keeps coming back though on this his fifth crossing.

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Once again our European correspondent Roman Ackl visited the show for us and gave us a complete round up of items he thought would be of interest. Roman is a keen lightweight backpacker and has visited the show with us and for us, for many years.

Things are changing next year as the organisers of Outdoor who hire the venue are moving it to Munich which could open up all kinds of options. Although not as an attractive a location the financial practicalities for visitors will be much more affordable. One of the many criticisms of the past few years.

All details on the podcast and more images on our website.

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July 2018 and Rose has now completed the Pennine Way, during what turned out to be the hottest, driest period of weather the UK has experienced for many years.

As you’ll hear on the podcast tackling it attached to Pip the Spaniel proved to be one of the many limitations, as the heat meant carrying water was priority and continual checking the dogs health when walking to blistering hot stone paths and tracks added even more to the challenge.

Rose can only carry so much weight and so decided to not take any cooking gear, relying on posting ahead museli for herself and dog food as her daily rations. Unless she could find food on route at pubs or accomodation, this resulted in her living off bars and fruit, or whatever she could buy in the villages.

The weather changed everything, the terrain became harder, the climbs became steeper and Pip pulled continually weaving from side to side on the track, making each step inconsistent.

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So on the Bank Holiday Monday we decided to crack on from Portree after a good days rest and hit the trail heading for The Storr via Ben Dearg. Although I had done some research on the route before we left, every piece I read spoke of talking the alternative coastal route which on reflection would have been (a) a walk with a view and (b) so much nicer and quicker underfoot.

That stretch as you leave Portree is just boggy common ground. So it was heather bashing for hours before we even got the Ben Dearg. Plus we had 3 tall barbed wire fences to negotiate with no crossing places that we could see for half a kilometer either way. So even so there way a vague path marked on the map, nothing on the ground made for easy walking.

More on the website ....

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