TGOC2014....The Plan so far

Plans are coming together for next year's Challenge.

I try for a Challenge shake-down trip a week or so before the crossing but I rarely manage a really appropriate warm up. A couple of years ago I managed to squeeze the West Highland Way in the week before the Challenge - that was VERY appropriate 'cos it rained quite a lot.

Next year I'm planning a slightly longer pre-Challenge walk.....about 4 - 5 weeks longer.

I've had LEJOG on the backburner for a while but family commitments have made it all but impossible. A change in my circumstances has now given me the chance to, er, get out more.

I reckon that if I walk to John O'Groats from home and incorporate the Challenge into the trip it would make for a reasonable compromise. The longer range Plan is to walk from home to Lands End. (HoLE?) - but that might have to wait until the following year.

So there you have it...well part of it.

The Challenge part of the trip is likely to be from Torridon, incorporating Struy ('cos Terry said I'm not a real Challenger until I go through Struy), the fan-filled Monadhliath, Aviemore....then it goes a bit blurry until Braemar. That will be because of Denis. After Braemar, well it's likely to be a variation of the trade route, finishing at Kinnebar rather than St Cyrus.

Kinnebar, for those who don't know, has the best tea room in the world.

In the meantime here are some pics from my bit of TGOC2013 (Tarfside to Kinnebar) whilst in the company of people that I've only met up with through the Challenge.

They're not just people, they're all friends now.

It's not just a walk, it's the people y'see.

The Challenge isn't just any old backpack, it's a whole separate world for two weeks, two weeks where the 'other' world just doesn't exist.

But if you're a Challenger you already know that.