TGO Challenge 2015...My Route Vetted!

This will be my 2^nd Tgo Challenge. I did mention to a number of people both as I neared  the end of the Challenge and when I got home that I probably wouldn’t do the it again for a few years.

 As I finished I felt somewhat underwhelmed partially by the extensive road walking I’d done on 3 of the days. (I’ve no one to blame but myself! I planned my route!)  But mainly I didn’t feel like I’d challenged myself enough. Obviously the weather was good last year, I’ve spent enough time backpacking in Scotland backpacking in Summer and Winter to know that!!

So I’ve tried to address these issues with this years route…the weather will be what it is.

I’ve tried to minimize any road walking, I wanted to climb at least 10 Munro’s like last year, and I didn’t want to walk any of last years route! (This years and last years routes coincide for about 200metres) As much as possible it had to be new ground to me.

So now I’ve had my route vetted and OK’ed I thought I’d outline my plan for next years TGO Challenge.

I’m starting from Mallaig, I’m very familiar with Mallaig but I’ve never taken the ferry to Inverie. My visits to Knoydart have always been via Kinlochhourn. So this will be a tick for me.

            As I shall be taking the ferry to Inverie the walking won’t actually start until I disembark. Then It’ll be up to the Mam Meadail for an ascent of Meall Buidhe, back to the Mam, down to Carnoch and round to Sourlies. There the plan is to camp, although if the weather is grim the bothy might well be welcome shelter.

Hopefully Saturday will dawn fine and dry! I hope to climb Sgurr na Ciche before following the ridge east over the Munro’s this has long been on the wishlist. I plan to camp on the wide col below Gairich.

Sunday and it’ll be over Gairich first thing then it’ll be “mainly downhill” to pass south of Loch Garry to camp at Faichem.

Monday will take me down to the Great Glen and a chance to buy a few goodies at the “Well of the Heads” Then its over into Glen Turret, there’ll be a bit of bushwacking on this stretch I think! I’ll then head down to Glen Roy before following the Burn of Agie. It’ll be a wild camp further up the burn under Creag Meagaidh.

Another good weather day required for a high level traverse of the Meagaidh  group another tick on the wishlist. I’ll end the day by crossing the valley at Kinloch Laggan and camping in the region of Lynn of Pattack.

Wednesday should see me crossing to Dalwhinnie via the River Mashie and the Allt an t Sluic. Across the A9 a definite milestone, and I’ll follow the aquaduct to the foot of Meall Cuaich. Over this solitary Munro and descend into Upper Glen Tromie and a wild camp.

A low level wander down Tromie and on through the forestry and tracks to Aviemore.

Friday and another chance to gather goodies for a stroll beside Loch Morlich, then through to Bynack Stable and over Bynack More. I climbed Bynack More almost 25 years ago, in appalling weather…lets hope things a rather better for the last Munro of this trip. I shall wild camp at Faindouran Lodge.

Saturday is a long day, the longest of my planned crossing! As I follow first the Avon then after passing Loch Builg it’ll be along way down Glen Gairn to Ballater and a night at Habitat Hostel.

Sunday and it’ll be virtually all new ground as I follow the Deeside way to Dinnet across the Dee and over to Glen Tanar to pick up the Firmounth Road and a wild camp.

Another good weather day required for a high level march over to Mount Battock and another required tick. I plan to drop down to the Water of Dye for a wild Camp.

Down the Water of Dye and across into the Fettereso, hopefully most of the work will be finished by next May! I have a planned wild camp here.

Wednesday morning will see me leaving the forest and strolling down the short distance on tarmac into Stonehaven. A major attraction for this finish in my mind!

I need to finish on the Wednesday, so that I can travel home on the Thursday ready for work on the Friday!  Arrrgh the thought of it!!

So there we have it, I fear it might be a rather anti-social route once out of Knoydart, but we’ll see. I’m pleased with the route I’m to walk and am looking forward to it immensely.

Hope I haven’t rambled on to much……..