Today on the Blogger Network, we feature Mike Knipe’s TGO Challenge from the blog Northern Pies
Mike Knipe is an experienced Challenger, and this year his crossing of Scotland involved 205 miles, around 28,000ft of ascent, and nine wild camps. He also completed his crossing in a kilt (read an interesting write-up of that experience here). In his latest post, Mike writes up some details of his route, and shares a few photos:
My original route went as far as Black Corries and then high above Rannoch Moor, back down to Carie and then to Aberfeldy, Pitlochry, Glenn Shee, Glen Doll, Tarfside, Fettercairn and Tangleha. I followed my original route from Kilchoan, over Ben Resipol, through Glen Gour to Ardgour, to Corran, West Highland Way through Kinlochleven to Black Corries and then low level to Rannoch (it was bad weather anyway, so I would have gone this way in any case) – to Kinloch Rannoch – Aberfeldy (back on route) – to Grantully – Kirkmichael – Glen Isla – Memus – Brechin – Johnshaven. So the main difference was a diversion from Grantully and I avoided the very fine hill-walk over Cairn Mairg. I’d decided, at some point around Kinlochleven, that I would be making my route a bit easier somehow and since JJ had not received his maps for the rest of his route, it wasn’t a hard decision to team up – I had the maps and he had an easier route than my original, although we were a bit ahead. So, after some initial route-marches, we calmed down and did a couple of shortish days to put things right.
Notably, Mike says the weather was the best he’s seen on the Challenge since 1998!
Read the full post here.
