Two kilts & 3 lungs across Scotland

 

In the beginning:

This year’s TGO Challenge very nearly didn’t happen for me: Covid-19 being responsible for he cancellation of last year’s event, and delaying this year’s. Also, I’ve been firing on just one lung for the last 2½ years, and very recent surgery to try to kickstart my non-functioning lung had been, well, very recent – just a few weeks prior to the Challenge start date.

Whatever..

At stupid o’clock on Thursday morning I boarded the train to Preston to connect with the awful Transpennine Express ‘First Class’ service to Glasgow Central – the only thing that was first class about it was the comfortable seat. No reserved seating, no refreshment service – nada, nothing, nowt. 

At least I had the foresight to buy some decent reading material before boarding the train.

 

Note to self: Avoid Transpennine Express in future.

 Me and Judith at Glasgow Queen Street (Mike's photo)

I met up with other Challengers at Glasgow, and along with Judith and Mike, we navigated our way to the recently ‘improved’ Glasgow Queen Street station for the next leg of our journey to Oban. The improvements included no refreshments. Great. Fortunately there was a Greggs not too far away.

On arrival at Oban it was felt that Mike and I should improve our levels of hydration to help prepare ourselves for the coming Challenge. Six hours later we rolled out of the pub, completely rehydrated and in high spirits. It was great to see musician buddy Lindy (who now lives in Oban) and fellow Challenger Ian in the pub.

We spent a comfortable night in Oban’s SYHA, waking to glorious weather – warm, sunshine, gentle breeze…all rather lovely really. We headed back to, er, the pub – for breakfast and a goodly amount of coffee.

The view from our hostel window

Brekky down the pub

The obligatory Great Wetting Of The Feet

Try as we might, we couldn’t delay our departure any further. First waypoint on our route was McCaig’s Tower, above Oban. ‘Above’ meant this was the first climb of our Challenge –  the climb out of town was a bit of a rude awakening!

View from McCaig's Tower

Men in Kilts at McCaig's Tower

After a quick photo-shoot (and a pause for me to catch my breath) we meandered out of town along the long and winding road that is Glen Lonan.

Much tarmac followed. And there was an eagle. And a very fine and erect standing stone. Oh, and a blockage.

One for AlanR

Ask Mike, he knows what they're called.

After a load of very accurately measured kilometers and ascent we pitched up next to Eas Mor Burn where there weren’t many midges at all. Or ticks.

I’d treated my clothing to a good dose of Permethryn prior to setting off, I also carried Smidge, a midge jacket and a head net, plus (and I’m very grateful to Dawn for her recommendation) Citronella incense sticks, produced by Stamford. They very successfully kept midges out of my tent for the entire trip.

In an attempt to reduce my pack weight I opted for a lighter-weight tent this year, I’d obtained a second hand. pre-loved, previously owned or whatever, Scarp 1 in good condition. It’s rather lighter than the Akto, in addition the inner is larger and it has two porches – although individually, they’re smaller than the Akto’s single porch. It took me a few days to get used to having two porches and making optimum use of them.

I always thought the Akto was quick to put up, the Scarp is even quicker – a boon in wet weather.

There are a few minor modifications I’ll be making to the Scarp, but I can safely say that it’s a keeper – although not for the depths of winter, that’s where the Akto scores.

I had a lovely tea of home-made and home dehydrated lamb stew – very tasty.

The first day had gone well. Although there were no hills to speak of, my one functioning lung was strutting it’s stuff – maybe all this walking will encourage the other lung to join the party. I know I’ll never regain full lung function, but owt is better than nowt.

MSR Titan Kettle Burny Fingers 1st June 2021

I’ve been using my MSR Titan kettle for a good few years, it’s favourite bit of kit. I like it because it’s titanium and therefore very lightweight, and I can store a gas canister and a Primus windshield inside it when I’m packed.

I’ve used it with various stoves: a Caldera Cone meths burner, a Pocket Rocket clone, and an Optimus Nova multi-fuel stove.

Points are knocked off because it’s so expensive (but that’s titanium for you), and burny fingers: the metal wire handles get seriously hot, especially when I use it with the Caldera Cone. I have the scars to prove it.

I recently spotted a solution on a post on an outdoorsy FB page: slip a length of silicone rubber sleeving over the metal wire handles – it works perfectly!

 

Pre-Modification 

 

Apres Modification

I also flipped the handles round so that they’re ‘upside down’ compared to the original. This has two advantages: I find the kettle handles easier to grip, and because the shorter part of the handle is now closer to the heat source, it heats up less.

If you want to do this mod yourself, the wire handles are 3mm diam. I sourced the silicone sleeving from Amazon, 3mm ID x 6mm OD., it’s available from other suppliers too, search for:

‘Sourcing map Silicone Tubing 3mm ID x 6mm OD 10ft Flexible Silicone Rubber Tube Air Hose Water Pipe for Pump Transfer Red’

Shutlingsloe…not 16th May 2021

…well not for everyone

Another little After Eights walk, led by Suzanne and one of her doggies.

The day was bright and clear, but with a promise of showers later in the day.

Our small group met up at Clough House car park, Wildboarclough, ready to leave at 9.30am.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Bridget at the car park, she was with a different walking group but we managed a quick chat before we went our separate ways.

 

We set off north, on tarmac, then to follow Clough Brook and around to Bottom-of-the –Oven.

Here disaster struck: one of the walkers, who professed that this was her first walk, had a little dog with her. We entered a field of sheep and lambs….the dog wasn’t on a lead – you can guess the rest.

I’d had surgery a few days before and was trying to take it easy, I dropped my pack and ran as fast as I could after the errant dog – who was only following her instincts.

The dog, “she’s never done that before”, was chasing a sheep and it’s two lambs, uphill and down dale….the poor things must have been terrified. I managed to catch the dog and return it to it’s owner – who then decided it would be a wise move for her to abandon the walk.

It was indeed wise.

We continued, minus one dog and one walker: following tracks into Macclesfield Forest, but not before a pleasant sit-down and tiffin share at Forest Chapel.

We passed the closed Leathers Smithy pub, then around the southern edges of Ridgegate Reservoir. We could see over to the layby on the north side of the reservoir, it was crammed with cars.

Shutlingsloe soon came into view, some took the easy climb to the top, others chose the lower route around the eastern side.

 

Then it started to rain, this is England after all, an English walk without rain well, it just wouldn’t be right.

The rain proved little more than a shower, an April Shower – in May. The weather *has* been rather unseasonable.

Crag Hall

A couple of girls stopped us, they were trying to find Three Shires Head by following a route description. They had no map or compass. They photographed my map, I hope they found their way.

We were soon back at the car park. We’d had a very pleasant stroll, marred only by the unwelcome doggy incident.

Where we went:

8½ miles with, according to Viewranger, 1400ft of ascent….I’m not sure about that though.

 

 

Blogger changes…not for the better

I’ve long suspected that Google is trying to dissuade use of their Blogging platform (limiting compatibility with the excellent LiveWriter, and subsequently Open LiveWriter), this announcement on Blogger has done nothing to change my mind:

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Hale – Knutsford Circular 30th April 2021

Kay, a regular with the After Eights walking group, was keen to do a slightly longer walk than the group usually do. She’d proved her mettle on a 10 mile Peak District walk some weeks earlier so I had no hesitation in suggesting this little bimble to her.

We left Hale at around 9am, it was bright and fresh (= cool), and joined the footpath heading east, that more or less followed the course of the R Bollin, under the M56, past the golf club, through Rossmill, and out almost as far as Castle Mill.

It was now getting rather warm – although we were moving at a fair old lick. Time to take a layer off.

Climbing out of the Bollin Valley, we followed a short stretch of tarmac to pick up more footpaths to eventually go under Manchester Airport’s Runway 2 via the rather magnificent River Bollin Culvert.

River Bollin Culvert, under Runway 2

For Helen H, aka 'Bat Lady'

 

One of the few planes seen that day

After a gawp at the tunnel, we wandered SW(ish) alongside the runway to eventually roll up around the back of Mobberley…where we we treated to hailstones and snow. Nice.

Waterproofs were quickly donned, and we were off – no time to linger. Well not for long anyway.

Crossing the Chester - Manchester line

A short stretch of tarmac took us, via a brief stop to say hello to friends Brian and Linda who live on this route, to a quiet and secluded entrance into Tatton Park. It’s one of those places that you’re unlikely to know where it is unless you know it’s there. If you know what I mean.

Kay posing by Tatton Mere

Prior to WW1 this area was cleared of trees to allow aircraft to take off and land. 

It was later used as a landing zone for No1 Parachute Training School in WW2

Tatton Deer

North through the park, initially following the eastern side of Tatton Mere, then to the No 1 Parachute Training School memorial….where we stopped for butties and a brew.

As I munched my butties, and Kay chomped on her ever-so healthy Rivita, we watched a plane come into land at Manchester Airport. Only the 5th or 6th plane we’d seen all day – testament to continuing Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Suitably fed and watered, we marched on, passing Tatton Hall and exiting the park by the Home Farm entrance (exit?) on the Tatton Mile. Which isn’t a mile at all.

Next came Rostherne, reached by following a Church Path, which is defined as  'A path, often crossing fields and designated as a customary right of way, leading or shortening the way to a parish church’.

There. Don’t tell me this blog isn’t educational. Even if the rest of the content is appalling. 

Kay and Rostherne's Village Pump

St Mary's Church, Rostherne

Another brief break, this time in the churchyard of Rostherne’s St Mary’s Church. The church is Grade 1 listed, and a church existed here as far back as 1188. So it’s a bit old.

Off again – Kay had ants in her pants and wanted to get moving.

Rostherne Mere

We followed the concessionary path around Rostherne Mere, which exists on the ground but doesn’t appear on the OS map. The path, not Rostherne Mere.

More tarmac followed, until we took to paths to take us back to the M56.

All was well until….

We weren’t going to let a little thing like a life-threateningly dangerous bridge put us off. Apart from anything else we were only a couple of miles from our cars, and we were damned if we were going to follow some airy-fairy footpath diversion….of which we saw no sign anyway.

We scrambled over the barrier, avoided falling into the river, and over the next barrier to safety.

 

A footbridge over the busy M56 (easy to see the effect of relaxing the Covid-19 lockdown) and more footpaths took us back into Hale and our cars.

‘Twas a good day out, I needed the exercise (I always need exercise), and Kay got her longer walk in: win – win!

Where we went:

Around 18 miles of Cheshire flat(ish)ness.