TGO Challenge 11/05/26

Day 5, Glen Nevis to Staoineag bothy.

It was a cold bright morning with plenty of sunny intervals during the day. A cold north wind when there was no sun but when the sun did come out it felt very warm.

The road in Glen Nevis 

It was a straightforward walk today, up Glen Nevis to the watershed and about five miles down the other side.

The Mamores

The first section is on the road as far as the lower falls car park. A very pleasant road with little traffic and lovely hills all around.

Nevis Gorge 

A path goes up beside the river before rejoining the rod just before the top car park where there were the usual large numbers of cars and people who were walking up the Nevis gorge as far as Steall Falls. Who could blame them, it's a beautiful place.

Steall Falls

Water levels are fairly low so the falls weren't spectacular but there were a lot of people looking.

Looking back down the glen 

The path continues to climb up through the now wide glen with ever improving views to the snowy hills behind.

Gate to nowhere 

The closer to the watershed that I got the boggier it became and my feet were wetter from the bog than from the rivers I had to cross.

Looking back to Anoch Beag

I stopped at the top of the pass in the sunshine for lunch and took out my tent to dry in the wind and sun. A beautiful place to sit and do nothing.

Luibeilt in the trees

On across the squelchy ground until at last the pass starts to drop down towards Loch Trig and the path became drier and better defined.

Looking back to the pass

Soon after the bothy appeared on the other side of the river but there are good stepping stones so my feet got no wetter.

Heading for the bothy

There was another person at the bothy who just enjoys going to bothies tidying up, doing odd jobs and, in this case, collecting firewood.

Staoineag bothy.

I seem to have picked up a cold, probably from Inverie bunkhouse, which has had me sneezing all day but I will be in a separate room in the bothy. I expect it to be a cold night again tonight, I'm glad I bought the sleeping bag liner.

TGO Challenge 10/05/26

Day 4, Glensulaig bothy to Glen Nevis.

Another beautiful, bright, cold morning but the clouds started building in the west and by the time I reached Fort William the drizzle had started.

looking down to Glensulaig bothy 

 (in the little clump of trees)

Another steep climb up from the bothy to the end of the Druim Fada ridge. This long ridge has a number of tops along it, none of them rising much above the average level until I reached the high point at the eastern end.

Loch Eil and the first view of Fort William 

Lowering cloud 

The high point in the distance 

I could see the rain slowly approaching from the west but it moved south towards Fort William and I stayed dry.

A bit boggy on the descent 

Down to the road and canal

After a steep drop there is a long slightly boggy spur descending slowly to the Caledonian Canal. The Scottish motorcycle trials had obviously used the line of the path for their event this year which made following it easy and indicated the deep boggy bits very clearly.

Tunnel under the Caledonian Canal 

I had to walk along the road for about a mile before taking the tunnel under the canal to reach the towpath on the east side.

Canal towpath 

The air was becoming damper and when I reached Banavie at the bottom of Neptune's Staircase I stopped to put on my waterproof jacket but it remained drizzle rather than rain.

Fort William 

I went into Nevisports in Fort William and bought a warm sleeping bag liner as I think either I'm becoming a wimp or my sleeping bag is getting worn out. The cold nights and my decision to take an ultralight tent probably don't help either.

Damp campsite 

I collected my parcel at the campsite and set up the tent in the rain. At least there is a good restaurant here.

TGO Challenge 09/05/26

Day 3, Gleann Camgharaidh to Glensulaig bothy.

The weather was perfect today, bright and sunny with big cumulus clouds floating over. Perfect visibility with only a few rain showers about, luckily not near me.

Leaving in the morning 

Last night was not so good. The tent was pitched on the flattest bit of ground that I could find but it was still lumpy and sloping. The temperature dropped to freezing and I kept sliding down the mattress (which also has a slow puncture) pushing my feet against the frozen tent. I slept quite well considering.

Looking down towards my camp 

The blood was soon circulating as I clambered 600 meters straight up the side of the hill to get over into the next corrie. There was a tiny snow patch where I crossed the ridge before descending into a beautiful rocky bowl below Gulvain.

Still climbing

El Tejido thought he might try skiing 

A short climb up the other side to reach the long rounded ridge that took me out to the first top of the day, Mullach Coire nan Geur-oirean.

Gulvain 

Ben Nevis in the distance 

It was a glorious day and the view to Ben Nevis and surrounding hills with quite a lot of snow cover was beautiful and the rain showers all stayed to the north west.

Descent before the climb to Meall a' Phubuill

Back along the ridge for a while then before descending diagonally into the next glen for the climb up to Meall a' Phubuill.

Track below Meall a' Phubuill

A very steep descent to a track that took me to the, empty, Glensuilag bothy.

Glensulaig bothy 

I managed to light the fire before discovering some firelighters but there wasn't very much wood about. At least it took the chill off the room before bedtime. This is not an MBA bothy and, while being just as good, has no sleeping platforms.

Fire in the bothy

TGO Challenge 08/05/26

Day 2, Sourlies to Gleann Camgharaidh

It was very showery overnight and the showers continued in the morning but became lighter by the afternoon and there were plenty of sunny intervals.

Looking back to Loch Nevis

I was about to take the tent down as a heavy shower swept in so I sat inside it until it passed and emerged to a hint of sun for the steep but good climb up from Sourlies on a mostly dry path to the two lakes near the top of the pass which, as usual, were beautiful.

Beautiful lake

It is actually only one lake, it just looks as if there are two when you are walking the path. Up to the top then and down the other side on a rather boggy path until reaching the trees when it becomes a stoned (mostly) track.

Into the woods

The MBA are installing long drop toilets at a lot of the bothies and I noticed one at A' Chuill as I passed. Both A' Chuill and Sourlies bothies are well used by Cape Wrath Trail walkers so it makes a lot of sense.

The way to Glenfinnan, Streap is the hill ahead

There used to be a short section of horrendous bog down through the trees at the turn off to the bridge over the River Pean but no more! A proper little dry track, no wet feet here now.

Climbing up to the ridge

I went up the path towards Glenfinnan for about a mile before climbing up the open hillside and over to Gleann Camgharaidh.

Looking down to Gleann Camgharaidh

There was a quad bike track that went down the glen which made the walk easier than I expected and I was soon down to my planned camp. The ground conditions weren't as good as I had hoped from looking at the map but I found a flattish bit next to a burn and stuck my tent on it quickly as it looked a bit like rain. 

Lumpy, sloping camp

The rain didn't arrive and for most of the late afternoon and evening there was bright sunshine.

TGO Challenge 07/05/26

Day 1, Inverie to Sourlies

A cloudy day with plenty of wind on the tops but the sun did appear from time to time as well as a little light rain.

A beautiful morning leaving Inverie 

It was nice to get a shower at the bunkhouse and I slept well in a comfortable bed, no snoring!

The high lochan that supplies the water for the Knoydart hydro power

Breakfast eaten, control informed and I was away up the road that I came in on yesterday. This time I turned off and climbed the steep track up to the hydro intake at the end of Loch Bhraomisaig.

Looking down to Mam Barrisdale 

And out to Rhum

The route then went up beside the burn to find a gap in the cliffs to get up onto the ridge leading to the first top. The ridge was exposed to the full strength of the wind and quickly removed the excess heat that I had built up.

The top of Beinn Bhuidhe 

Down and along the ridge then before climbing over a couple of lumps to the main top, Beinn Bhuidhe.

Looking back at the tricky descent 

The descent from the next top was interesting, I'm not sure how I would have managed in poor visibility. The route involved finding a way down to the right of the cliff which prevented a direct descent.

Looking down to Camusrory and the head of Loch Nevis 

After reaching the Mam Uchd I had intended to climb over the next top to reach the "normal" path over to Sourlies but Camusrory was visible below on the shore of Loch Nevis.

Motor yacht and other vessels moored off the Camusrory jetty

Camusrory house

The hillside down to it didn't look impossible so I thought I would go down that way. There were a few little cliffy bits but I was able to bypass them all to arrive at the little jetty that is the only access to Camusrory.

Estate buildings ahead, Sgurr na Ciche is the pointy hill in the background 

There was a nice motor yacht moored in the bay and a couple of working boats. I walked the mile or so along the access road to the Lodge, which looked empty, and the estate buildings nearby where there was activity in the fom of a tractor moving about.

New machinery shed 

The buildings were all well kept and there was a new looking workshop/garage with some nice machinery.

Carnoch bridge

I walked on the track to the Carnoch bridge to cross the river although if I hadn't wanted to keep my feet dry it would have been easy to wade lower down.

Evening view down Loch Nevis 

My feet were almost dry by the time I had crossed the swampy ground and seashore to arrive at Sourlies which after a few hours was looking like Challenge tent city.

The cludgie

There is a long drop New Zealand style toilet here now, very useful for the numbers using the bothy. Unsurprisingly toilet paper is not provided.