TGO Challenge 2017: Day 2

Day 2: Saturday, May 13
Planned: Sourlies bothy to Kinbreack bothy
Actual: as planned

Distance: 18 km
Ascent: 750 m

Second day of walking started as half sunny, half overcast, but no rain. The path from Sourlies zigzagged along the Finiskaig river and all was well. Our team of three trotted happily onwards.

In the afternoon we reached Glendessary and parted ways with Anna, who continued towards Loch Arkaig. Greg and I fought our way up the path along All na Feithe, and fight we most certainly did. Mostly it felt like walking on a giant, squishy sponge. No complaints about the scenery, though, and it didn't even rain. The air was so moist, though, that it felt like it did.

When we got to Glen Kingie, it turned out the ground was even wetter. The path kept disappearing, as did my boots, into this brown, wet, boggy thing that is Scotland.

Finally, after 11 hours of walking (and resting, and half swimming in the bog) we got to the Kinbreack bothy. Greg slept in the bothy, I pitched my tent next to the ruined building on the left, and in the morning found out that apparently everyone treated it as an outhouse.

TGO Challenge 2017 in pictures (Flickr)

TGO Challenge 2017: Day 1

Day 1: Friday, May 12
Planned: Mallaig to Sourlies bothy
Actual: as planned

Distance: 15 km
Ascent: 700 m

Greg and I in Mallaig

To get walking, a ferry had to be taken from Mallaig to Inverie (cost 10 GBP). I embarked with an old friend I  had never met before, Greg, who is part of my international Fjällräven Polar family.

On board, we met Anna from Germany and the three of us walked together for the rest of the day.

Home for the day was Sourlies bothy, where we arrived after a bit of rock scrambling (due to missed low tide and a possibility to walk around the last of foreland before the bothy). We didn't sleep in the bothy, but pitched our tents outside to enjoy fresh air and magnificent scenery.

Gorgeous night at the bothy with the joyous Manchester gang (Lindsay, Paula, Rob, Rebecca, Tim, Carl, Andy and Faz - if I remember correctly).

What I liked:

• company
• scenery
• walking
• weather (just a little bit of rain, not too warm, not too cold)

What I disliked:

• my Smartwool X-heavy mountaineering socks that looked like they came from Pippi Longstockin's closet after wearing them for five or six hours, completely lost their shape and fit
• forgetting to buy any snacks in Mallaig (thanks for being such a great walking companion, Greg, and special thanks for your supply of trail mix)
• my too-heavy pack

TGO Challenge 2017 in pictures (Flickr)