TGO Challenge - anyone done it?

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 15:29:35 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I read about the Challenge in this month's edition of TGO. Has anyone
done it? It sounded very exciting to me, and I immediately photocopied
the application form in the hope of getting in for next year. However,
when I got to filling it in I was a bit stymied, as I don't have much
recent experience of walking in Scotland. It's still sitting on my
desk.

I wondered whether anyone here has done it?

Best wishes,

I apologies for my ignorance, but what is TGO

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 16:04:09 +0100, Andrew Gill
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I read about the Challenge in this month's edition of TGO. Has anyone
done it? It sounded very exciting to me, and I immediately photocopied
the application form in the hope of getting in for next year. However,
when I got to filling it in I was a bit stymied, as I don't have much
recent experience of walking in Scotland. It's still sitting on my
desk.

I wondered whether anyone here has done it?

Best wishes,

I apologies for my ignorance, but what is TGO

My fault - it's a magazine: The Great Outdoors.

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On 26/9/04 3:29 pm, in article [email hidden],

Peewiglet said:

I read about the Challenge in this month's edition of TGO. Has anyone
done it? It sounded very exciting to me, and I immediately photocopied
the application form in the hope of getting in for next year. However,
when I got to filling it in I was a bit stymied, as I don't have much
recent experience of walking in Scotland. It's still sitting on my
desk.

Don't you have to submit your route at some point? I think they take quite
a lot of notice of this.

--
Andy Howell
Birmingham, UK

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 18:52:08 GMT, Andy Howell

andy.howellNOSPAM@ecotrendDOTorgDOTuk said:

Quoted message said:

I read about the Challenge in this month's edition of TGO. Has anyone
done it? It sounded very exciting to me, and I immediately photocopied
the application form in the hope of getting in for next year. However,
when I got to filling it in I was a bit stymied, as I don't have much
recent experience of walking in Scotland. It's still sitting on my
desk.

Quoted message said:

Don't you have to submit your route at some point? I think they take quite
a lot of notice of this.

You do, but the mag's at work so I'll have to check tomorrow to see
whether that happens before or after acceptance onto the walk.

Thinking about it, I have done the West Highland Way in the last
couple of years, but somehow I'm not convinced that's the sort of
thing they have in mind...

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 15:29:35 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I read about the Challenge in this month's edition of TGO. Has anyone
done it? It sounded very exciting to me, and I immediately photocopied
the application form in the hope of getting in for next year. However,
when I got to filling it in I was a bit stymied, as I don't have much
recent experience of walking in Scotland. It's still sitting on my
desk.

I have done the walk, but not the challenge. Spent a very enjoyable
16 days crossing from Shiel Bridge to Stonehaven, via Knoydart ,
independently as several hundred do every year..

It can be varied in difficulty, but you will be away from the shops
for longer than you would on say the Pennine way.

Its a different experience, the river crossings alone elevate it to a
new level of difficulty.

Dont be put off.. If you dont get in, do another Scottish walk and hit
them with it next time

Good Luck

Richard Webb

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 19:02:48 GMT, [email hidden] (RJ
Webb) wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

It can be varied in difficulty, but you will be away from the shops
for longer than you would on say the Pennine way.

Interesting!

Quoted message said:

Its a different experience, the river crossings alone elevate it to a
new level of difficulty.

Even more interesting!! Here's a daft question... Are they generally
the sort of river crossings that involve stripping down to undies and
floating kit across in a poncho, or is there a different way?

Quoted message said:

Dont be put off.. If you dont get in, do another Scottish walk and hit
them with it next time

Thanks - I may well try that!

Can I just ask what time of year you did it? Part of the reason I've
had v. little experience in Scotland since I was a student is that the
midges were so utterly appalling that I vowed never to return. I think
I saw a reference to midgies and the TGO challenge recently, although
I can't remember whether it was here or in TGO: here, probabaly.

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Its a different experience, the river crossings alone elevate it to a
new level of difficulty.

Even more interesting!! Here's a daft question... Are they generally
the sort of river crossings that involve stripping down to undies and
floating kit across in a poncho, or is there a different way?

Hopefully a different way.. usually a simple paddle, but then there is
the rain...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Dont be put off.. If you dont get in, do another Scottish walk and hit
them with it next time

Thanks - I may well try that!

Can I just ask what time of year you did it? Part of the reason I've
had v. little experience in Scotland since I was a student is that the
midges were so utterly appalling that I vowed never to return. I think
I saw a reference to midgies and the TGO challenge recently, although
I can't remember whether it was here or in TGO: here, probabaly.

Late may, about 10 days behind the challenge. Was a good year for
midges, hardly bothered. As you have found out, the midge season and
camping are a bad combination.

Richard Webb

Peewiglet said:

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 19:02:48 GMT, [email hidden] (RJ
Webb) wrote:
.......................................... Part of the reason I've
had v. little experience in Scotland since I was a student is that the
midges were so utterly appalling that I vowed never to return.

Midges are generally worst in the west than east.
Usually start to appear in the west from towards end of May, though I've had
a few bites in early May (eg. Achnashellach Midge Sanctury). In the east,
its OK until later, eg. end of June.
The midges tend to die out after the frost appears in the autumn.

--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 19:59:22 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't you have to submit your route at some point? I think they take quite
a lot of notice of this.

You do, but the mag's at work so I'll have to check tomorrow to see
whether that happens before or after acceptance onto the walk.

You'll prolly have had a chance to read your mag now but, to me, the
way to interpret what they're asking is to anticipate that all they're
/really/ wanting to do is make sure you're not a n00b.

The app form *does* ask each applicant to specify their "Scottish
experience" but, imho, you don't have to go to Scotland to shown the
kind of competences that you obviously have and that, I preusme,
they're looking for.

Don't miss the point, as well, that the app form only gives you two
lines to fit it all in; they'er looking for competence rather than a
tick list, I reckon.

Quoted message said:

Thinking about it, I have done the West Highland Way in the last
couple of years, but somehow I'm not convinced that's the sort of
thing they have in mind...

Why not?

As well as the PW; displays multi-day experience in abundance.

Re.: your midge fear ;-) Midges are seasonal; the end of May is prolly
just a tad too early and, istr, that the Challenge is early- to
mid-May. Besides, Jungle Juice works ;-) failing that Avon's "Skin So
Soft" does too and its not even a midge repellant (its a skin-care
product)

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I read about the Challenge in this month's edition of TGO. Has anyone
done it? It sounded very exciting to me, and I immediately photocopied
the application form in the hope of getting in for next year. However,
when I got to filling it in I was a bit stymied, as I don't have much
recent experience of walking in Scotland. It's still sitting on my
desk.
I wondered whether anyone here has done it?
Best wishes,
Peewiglet

Done it eight times so far, and enjoyed every one. The beauty of it is,
there are eleven different starting points on the western seaboard, from
Oban up to Torridon, so you can plan a different route through different
parts of Scotland each time you do it. It never gets boring.
And May is considered by many as the best month for such a walk. The
weather is usually good (though I've experienced arctic conditions!),
flowers are coming into bloom, birdsong is brilliant (except for the ruddy
Cuckoo!) and there are next to no midges.
You don't have to camp wild all the time. You can have the occasional
B&B if you're one of those who must have a shower. You can make use of the
various bothies en route, or bunkhouses - besides having free membership of
the SYHA for the duration of the 'Challenge'.
I'll probably be doing it again next year.
Get that form filled in and go for it.
Cheers,
Gordon.

Runningfox said:

birdsong is brilliant (except for the ruddy
Cuckoo!)

Think of it as your natural alarm clock :-)
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

"Phil Cook" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Runningfox said:

birdsong is brilliant (except for the ruddy
Cuckoo!)

Think of it as your natural alarm clock :-)
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

"Phil Cook" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Runningfox said:

birdsong is brilliant (except for the ruddy
Cuckoo!)

Think of it as your natural alarm clock :-)

At 4 o'clock in the morning? After a twenty mile day us wrinklies need
our perishing sleep!
Cheers,
Gordon.

In article <[email hidden]>, Runningfox
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Get that form filled in and go for it.

I'm curious - what makes the TGO Challenge an event?

If someone didn't enter but still walked across the Highlands within the
TGO C limits of route and dates, how would the experience be different?
I understand there's a dinner in Montrose where completers can meet,
celebrate and exchange stories, but is that it?
--

Russ Clare

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:55:35 +0100, SteveO wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Thinking about it, I have done the West Highland Way in the last
couple of years, but somehow I'm not convinced that's the sort of
thing they have in mind...

Why not?

Because the path is well marked and routinely travelled. I was
thinking they might be looking for evidence of being out in the wilds,
but I may well have got the wrong end of the stick. I hope so, anyway!

[...]

Quoted message said:

Re.: your midge fear ;-) Midges are seasonal; the end of May is prolly
just a tad too early and, istr, that the Challenge is early- to
mid-May. Besides, Jungle Juice works ;-) failing that Avon's "Skin So
Soft" does too and its not even a midge repellant (its a skin-care
product)

I've heard this about "Skin So Soft" before, but I'd forgotten. I must
seek some out! Thanks for the reminder 🙂

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 20:15:06 GMT, [email hidden] (RJ
Webb) wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Even more interesting!! Here's a daft question... Are they generally
the sort of river crossings that involve stripping down to undies and
floating kit across in a poncho, or is there a different way?

Hopefully a different way.. usually a simple paddle, but then there is
the rain...

Ok - that sounds slightly less... cold! 🙂

[...]

Quoted message said:

Late may, about 10 days behind the challenge. Was a good year for
midges, hardly bothered. As you have found out, the midge season and
camping are a bad combination.

Fingers crossed for a good one next year, then 🙂

Thanks!

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:22:39 GMT, "Runningfox" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Done it eight times so far, and enjoyed every one. The beauty of it is,
there are eleven different starting points on the western seaboard, from
Oban up to Torridon, so you can plan a different route through different
parts of Scotland each time you do it. It never gets boring.
And May is considered by many as the best month for such a walk. The
weather is usually good (though I've experienced arctic conditions!),
flowers are coming into bloom, birdsong is brilliant (except for the ruddy
Cuckoo!) and there are next to no midges.
You don't have to camp wild all the time. You can have the occasional
B&B if you're one of those who must have a shower. You can make use of the
various bothies en route, or bunkhouses - besides having free membership of
the SYHA for the duration of the 'Challenge'.
I'll probably be doing it again next year.
Get that form filled in and go for it.
Cheers,
Gordon.

<fx: squeak!!!> I'll apply tomorrow. How extremely inspiring! Many
thanks - my fingers will be crossed until they've dealt with the
applications! :-)

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 18:18:48 +0100, Russ Clare
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

I'm curious - what makes the TGO Challenge an event?

If someone didn't enter but still walked across the Highlands within the
TGO C limits of route and dates, how would the experience be different?
I understand there's a dinner in Montrose where completers can meet,
celebrate and exchange stories, but is that it?

I can't really say, not having done it, but I enjoy the idea of
knowing that there are a few hundred other people out there doing it
at the same time - I suspect it might help to keep me going. A sort of
camaraderie at a distance thing 🙂

Best wishes,
--
Peewiglet

On Mon, 27 Sep 2004 18:40:42 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

<fx: squeak!!!>

shouldn't that be <fx: squeal !!!>, if you're being true to species,
o'course ;-)

Quoted message said:

<fx: squeak!!!>I'll apply tomorrow. How extremely inspiring! Many
thanks - my fingers will be crossed until they've dealt with the
applications! :-)

s'kinda kewl the way a certain young member of the Suidae fambly we
know around here gets so genuinely excited over things :-)

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk