Tag: Howe of the Mearns

TGO Challenge 2019 Journal #4

Tuesday 21/5

  • TGO Day 9 (take 2): Clova to Tarfside
  • Distance: 21km

After the previous day’s attempt to make any kind of distance was a failure, I mentally reset myself ready for the last few days walking with a night at home; hot shower, real food, and good night’s sleep in a real bed. In the morning I returned to Clova feeling much more sparky than I had the previous day.

tgo_10.1_small
Heading into the hills behind Clova. Are the blue skies going to stay today?
tgo_10.2_small
Loch Brandy, tucked neatly into a corrie above Clova, like the illustration in a geography textbook.
tgo_10.3_small
Looking eastward down Glen Clova from Green Hill.
tgo_10.4_small
The moderately-sized cairn on Muckle Cairn.

It turned out to be a good thing; putting myself a day behind my planned schedule for the Challenge meant I actually met up with more challengers than I would’ve otherwise.  I met a few on the track from Clova up to Loch Brandy, then picked up a walking buddy having navigation difficulties to cross the hills down to Inchgrundle and the end of Loch Lee.

tgo_10.7_small
Crossing falls and fords on the descent into Glen Lee.
tgo_10.8_small
Waterfall on the Burn of Tarsen.
tgo_10.9_small
Inchgrundle, at the western end of Loch Lee.

The well-trodden route from Clova to Tarfside is always busiest on the second Tuesday of the TGO, along with the other routes that converge into Glen Esk. It was also walking familiar very ground for me, bringing back memories of Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, walks on school trips, and camps with the Guides.

tgo_10.10_small
Invermark Castle.
tgo_10.12_small
Tracks around the Hill of Rowan.
tgo_10.11_small
Almost in Tarfside

After walking much of my route on my own, meeting up with friends at various points along the route, it was a little bit of a shock to the system to be amongst so many people in Tarfside. But it also showed me that one of the real highlights of the event is the other challengers that you meet on the way as you become part of the extended TGO Challenge family.

tgo_10.13_small
Tarfside tent city.
tgo_10.14_small
The pitching is starting to look better. Much less saggy. Still not in love with this tent though.

Wednesday 22/5

  • TGO Day 10: Tarfside to Garvock viewpoint
  • Distance: 33km

After an excellent night in Tarfside in the company of other challengers, I was back walking on my own again for most of the day. Everyone else seemed to be heading in the direction of Edzell and Northwaterbridge, but to reach my finish point at home at the Haughs of Benholm, I had to find a more northerly route and struck out over the hills to Fettercairn.

tgo_11.2_sm
The Modlach tower near Auchentoul in Glen Esk.
tgo_11.1_sm
Moody skies on the way through Glen Esk. Short, sharp showers through the morning, but the promise of sunshine later in the day.
tgo_11.3_sm
Safety third. Creative ways to cross the burns #2
tgo_11.4_sm
Looking across to Mount Battock, Clachnaben looking like a surfacing porpoise at the eastern end of the ridgeline.

I quickly discovered why few others took this route, after running out of hill tracks on Craigangowan and wandering into a huge bog cut with peat hags, and crossed by a deer fence. I waded, crawled, fell, and slithered for what was possibly only just a couple of kilometres, but it took me well over an hour (definitely due to walking conditions, not the hangover) to rejoin the hill tracks around Sturdy Hill.

bog_trousers_1_small
How deep is this bog? At least to mid-thigh.
tgo_11.6_sm
Sturdy Hill after what seemed like hours. So glad to be back on a hill track.
tgo_11.7_sm
First glimpses of the North Sea on the horizon. Not long to go to the end.

Once back on the road, after a coffee break in Fettercairn, I pushed on as far as I could keep going for, with less than 45 km to end up at home, knowing I’d be able to take the following day to recover. But as the day wore on I got slower and slower, plodding on up the hill before grinding to a halt and stopping for the night at the Garvock viewpoint. Completely tired out, but really pleased with the effort for the day. A distance of 33km covered, and just over 10km left to go to the end of the TGO Challenge.

tgo_11.8_sm
Fettercairn Distillery, on the edge of the village. Starting to feel close to home.
tgo_11.9_sm
The Royal Arch in Fettercairn.
tgo_11.10_sm
Road walking towards Laurencekirk.
tgo_11.11_sm
Looking back across the Howe of the Mearn towards the Angus hills from the Garvock viewpoint.

Thursday 23/5

  • TGO Day 11: Garvock viewpoint to Haughs of Benholm
  • Distance: 10.5km

The final day! Just a short distance to finish my TGO Challenge, after the huge effort I put in the day before. It’s only around 10km from Garvock hill to my home at the Haughs of Benholm, and after starting fairly late, I was all done and dusted by 10am. It wasn’t the best route choice, as to avoid lots of road walking I decided to cross a few fields

tgo_12.1_sm
The old kirk at Garvock.
tgo_12.2_sm
Tullo Hill windfarm and the usual yellow fields of springtime in the Mearns.
tgo_12.3_sm
The Haughs of Benholm viewed from the road bridge. Just a kilometre more to go!

My Mam put out a finishing line on the drive, and after dropping my backpack I left an order for a bacon butty and cup of tea, and went to dip my toes in the North Sea to make an official finish. Unfortunately, my arrival had coincided with the low tide, so rather than scramble over the shingle and seaweed covered rocks to reach the water’s edge, I settled for a paddle in a rock pool, and decided the sea could wait until I’d had breakfast.

Crossing the finish line at the end of the Challenge
On the way to the sea, before decinding theat the sea could come to me.
Dipping my toes in a convenient rockpool.

My 2019 TGO Challenge Stats

  • Total distance walked: 269km (167 miles)
  • Total distance walked in flipflops: 12km (7.5 miles)
  • Total distance crawled: 2km (1.25 miles)
  • Times that I cried: 3
  • The highest point of my route: Schiehallion summit, 1,083m (3,553′)
  • The highlight of my route: Finding a beautiful pool for a swim in the sunshine in a small burn on the side of Loch Etive.
  • Would I do this again? Absolutely!
tgo_12.7_sm
These boots were made for walking, but are ready for retirement.
tgo_12.8_sm
The 40th TGO Challenge, and my first, complete. The first of many more certificates to come?

Read the previous instalment of my 2019 TGO journal here, and find out more about the Challenge in this post.

pin_tgo_challenge_2019_4