TGO Challenge 14/05/26

Day 8, Innerwick to Glengoulandie.

It was a showery night which continued for a while in the morning before drying up in the afternoon but starting again in the late afternoon. It was also very cold with a strong north wind.

Innerwick War Memorial 

Fresh snow on the hills

I had planned to go over two hills to the north and back to the road a short distance from where I was camping. I was all set to do it until I got out of the tent and felt the wind strength and temperature. A look at the cloud covered hills and, discretion being the better part of valour, I headed down to the road.

River Lyon

Having made the decision of course the weather improved but it was still very cold and windy. The right choice I think.

Road down the Glen 

Walking down Glen Lochy on the very quiet road was delightful with the new leaves on the trees and various spring flowers appearing.

Pigs by the roadside 

A section of track on the other side of the river was through fields full of lambs and their mums enjoying the sunny periods.

River Lyon

Very fertile land here and beautiful farms and other houses. A delightful place.

5000 year old Yew tree

I reached Fortingall but the hotel wasn't serving lunch so I had to make do with coffee and a bag of crisps.

5000 year old Yew tree 

After inspecting the 5000 year old Yew tree in the neighboring church yard I had to decide what to do next.

Is the finger pointing the right way?

The plan from here was to head north on a track and find somewhere to camp below Schiehallion but with the cold windy weather I was a bit doubtful.

Outside a sculpture workshop 

The problem was solved when I looked at the map and discovered a campsite beside the road I would be crossing tomorrow. Not much more sheltered but at least it would have a level pitch a more importantly, hot showers.

Very quiet 'B' road

A good campsite, not very sheltered as I expected but the shower was great.

Glengoulandie campsite 

TGO Challenge 13/05/26

Day 7, Gaur power station to Innerwick.

It was a cold morning but dry and bright although the showers soon started with hail higher-up.

I was camping behind the power station near the fish ladder which is going up in the centre of the picture 

I had plenty of layers of clothes on when I started the walk although the outer layers had been removed by the time I had walked down the road to Bridge of Balgie.

Near Bridge of Balgie 

The weather stayed good as I walked up the track towards Meall Dubh in fact I was enjoying everything so much I completely missed the path that I had intended to take to cut round the hill.

Up the track 

The clothing all went back on as some hail showers moved over making it feel very cold. The high hills in the distance all had an extra covering of snow last night.

The long way round 

No problem just extra distance but it was on a good track rather than the probably boggy path.

Looking back down the hill

At this stage I am about half a day ahead of my original plan and when I got to the place that I had planned to camp there was nowhere really suitable. Ideal for a lunch stop though.

Towards Loch Rannoch 

I climbed over a deer fence by a locked gate and discovered a vague track marks going diagonally up the exactly the way I wanted to go. It always makes it easier when there is something to follow no matter how vague and boggy it is.

The top of Cam Chreag

I reached Cut Lochan and then faced a steep climb to the humpy ridge before today's high point..

Coming off the hill

A little further along the ridge then a short, steep drop to a track that wound down the glen. There was a tin shed where I met the track with a picnic bench inside, obviously for grouse shooting. It would be a useful shelter in bad weather

Looking back

The track made an easy descent of a long glen that would have been very awkward without it.

Camping space

I found a sheltered spot in some trees for the tent where there was a fire ring. And various wooden 'things'. Looks like it is or was used as an encampment of some sort.

Cold but happy 

It felt very cold when when I was sorting everything out and I was happy to get into the tent. There was some bits of sunshine later which made it very pleasant.

TGO Challenge 12/05/26

Day 6, Staoineag bothy to Gaur power station.

I slept well last night despite the wind and rain showers, the bothy is in a rather exposed position. No mice.

Looking back to the bothy

There were a few fairly heavy showers as I made my way down to Loch Treig before starting the climb up the track, then path, to Corrour station.

Rain shower over Loch Treig 

The café was full of cyclists but, after waiting, I was served a lovely second breakfast.

Corrour Station 

It was nearly lunchtime before I left, it would have been quite easy to stay there all day. There was another shower as I climbed up the track to Peter's Rock but after that, while there were showers about, none of them affected me.

Loch Ossian Youth Hostel 

There were some good misty views towards Glencoe and Rannoch Moor as I walked the long track to Rannoch. I met no other walkers but there were quite a lot of bikepackers.

More rain coming over Loch Ossian 

Looking back to the Mamores 

Rannoch Moor and surrounding hills

I joined the road and continued walking east wondering where I would find a reasonable, sheltered place for the tent.

Loch Eigheach

The area around the Gaur power station looked on the map as though it could be ok so I turned off the road and walked round towards it. There is a big fish ladder to bypass the dam that runs down by the road and when I reached the power station a nice flat spot sheltered by trees, perfect.

Fish ladder

I was hoping to get my shoes and socks dry but they didn't get long enough before a rain shower forced me to bring the smelly objects into the porch.

I wonder if my "cold" yesterday was really hayfever as today, apart from the odd drip, I was fine.

was fine.

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.