TGO Challenge 2012 - My Crossing of Scotland

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pauljm116

Native
May 6, 2011
1,456
5
Rainham, Kent
Thanks for sharing your amazing journey and congrats on your modship. Would love to do the challenge but need some serious fitness work and to stop the pasties. Will you be going again next year?
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Excellent thread Rich and congratulations on completing your trek :)

Nice trip, lovely pics, thanks for sharing!

Top man, Shewie, :35: great read.

Cheers lads, thanks for the nice comments

Thanks for sharing your amazing journey and congrats on your modship. Would love to do the challenge but need some serious fitness work and to stop the pasties. Will you be going again next year?

I doubt I'll do it again just yet Paul, it takes up too many holidays which leaves me short for the rest of the year. I'll defo be doing it again though, probably a solo attempt next time.
 

bilmo-p5

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 5, 2010
8,168
9
west yorkshire
Brilliant!

Well done for completing it and for taking the time to document the whole thing from the prep through to the finish.

Thank you.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
That was a great read!
Have your feet recovered yet?
When I walked fro Lands End to Co Durham (many years ago!) I was not fully comfortable until I reached Bristol - but by the time I got to Dovedale I could happily jog with my pack for miles at a time :)
Mind you - that is one of the reasons that my knees are rubbbish now....
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Brilliant!

Well done for completing it and for taking the time to document the whole thing from the prep through to the finish.

Thank you.

Cheers Ian

That was a great read!
Have your feet recovered yet?
When I walked fro Lands End to Co Durham (many years ago!) I was not fully comfortable until I reached Bristol - but by the time I got to Dovedale I could happily jog with my pack for miles at a time :)
Mind you - that is one of the reasons that my knees are rubbbish now....

Thanks John, not quite as epic as your LEJOG attempt but it was a great experience

The feet have just about healed, plenty of lazy canoe camps planned for the autumn and winter months.
 

Dannytsg

Native
Oct 18, 2008
1,825
6
England
I admire you and Mick for doing this and sharing it with us. It looked like a once in a lifetime journey. Thanks for sharing.
 

tartanferret

Full Member
Aug 25, 2011
1,865
0
barnsley
Fantastic write up Rich, definitely something to think about doing in the future,

Ps, I can almost smell them blue trainers from 'ere;)
 

Spaniel man

Native
Apr 28, 2007
1,033
2
Somerset
An absolutely brilliant read Rich, thanks for taking the time to write it up in such detail, and congratulations on finishing an epic stroll!
I'm sure you'll get tons of questions on the kit choices you made, but can I be the first to ask how the Salomons trainers held up?
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Fantastic write up Rich, definitely something to think about doing in the future,

Ps, I can almost smell them blue trainers from 'ere;)

Lol, you should have smelled them before they got washed, I think they could have finished the walk on their own.

Wonderful write up. I have really enjoyed reading it.
Is there anything about your kit or route that you would change?

Thank you, looking back I think the only thing I'd change was the decision to continue on day 2 instead of stopping where we had originally planned. Saying that we were grateful of the shorter following day. Kit wise I wouldn't change a thing, maybe the addition of some cheap Croc copies would have been nice for around camp. Shelter, sleeping and clothing all worked really well in all weathers.

An absolutely brilliant read Rich, thanks for taking the time to write it up in such detail, and congratulations on finishing an epic stroll!
I'm sure you'll get tons of questions on the kit choices you made, but can I be the first to ask how the Salomons trainers held up?

They were great Giles, I can still make out the little spikey bits on the soles from the moulding, there's some slight wear on the heels but you can hardly notice it, I'd say they'd cope with at least another Challenge if not two. I dunked them in a bucket of Persil for a few days when I got back and they've come up like new again.
 

andythecelt

Nomad
May 11, 2009
261
2
Planet Earth
That sounds pretty grim Andy, I pitched my tarp at Fort Augustus on the Sunday lunchtime before Mick mentioned we should try for a room in the lodge.

Did you go through Glentruim? I think we saw a solo Challenger arrive but he was gone earlier than us the next day.

Yes I went through Glentruim too but you'd have been long gone by the time I hobbled in, I think I was the last challenger to arrive that night.
I'm glad it's not just me that found the stretch from Feshie to White Bridge tough, it was basically sloppy mud with rocks buried in it. I camped next to the same block of woods as you because all the pitches as White Bridge were taken and I just couldn't go any further. I'd not been able to bend my knee for 8 miles, my ankle injury was just starting to get into serious pain killer territory and my feet were bruised and sore. It was a very tough day.
 

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