In the last week I have made a decision on my start location for my 2012 Challenge – I will be starting from Dornie!
Over the course of the last couple of months, since finding out that I have a place on the Challenge for 2012, I have been reading and absorbing loads of information about where I would like to walk and what I would like to see. I ended up sketching out a number of routes that I liked the look of and suppose ultimately are similar to those that other Challengers have walked in the past. I knew that I would be happy on any route really and actually choosing one would be a compromise.
I really fancied Torridon but it’s a long way up and I did not want to do a long route for my first Challenge (hopefully I will be allowed to do it again!). I’ll save Torridon for another time. Acharacle and Lochailort both appealed because I quite fancied going across the Grampians. I could have made a route, that I would be happy walking, from any start point!
In the end though I decided that I would head a bit further north and start at Dornie. After a short walk up the road I’ll be straight into the mountains on the track beside the River Glennan. I plan on doing the An Riabhachan ridge on day two followed by a couple of gentler days until I cross Loch Ness and then its up and over to get to Aviemore and across the Cairngorms [big grins]
So there we are. Dornie it is, the B&B is booked and I’m busy filling in the details of my proposed route. My excitement-ometer is off the scale and I can’t wait to get started :) 106 days to go!
Blog posts in this series:
- TGO Challenge 2012 Preparation – Part 1
- TGO Challenge 2012 Preparation – Only 120 days to go!
- TGO Challenge 2012 Preparation – Dornie start it is then!
Like this post mate – hopefully i’ll be sticking my route in once I have the nod.
When do you need to get your route in by?
Big grins for the Cairngorms? – what’s exciting you there mate – you got plans?
Being a first timer I have until the end of Feb to submit my route.
Big grins generally I think and I’m looking forward all of it. I’m planning on getting high on the tops by the Lairig Ghru if the weather is ok and wild camp up really high too. I’m really excited about wild camping day after day :)
nice to read your preparation, I am on my way to deside to do my first Challenge 2013…… used to flat area in the netherlands is 20 km a day in the wilderness of Scotland a really Challenge, but I will send my entry form in!
Thanks Helen. Yes, send your entry form in if you fancy 2013 because if your entry is not in there is no way you’ll be doing it :) You had better start some training with a stepper, or stepping up and down a low wall, so those Scottish mountains don’t feel too bad on your legs.
I have my fingers crossed for your entry, thanks for stopping by.