TGO Challenge 2013: Strathcarron to Montrose
Thursday 9th May: Arrival at Strathcarron.
Anticipation built up on the way to Strathcarron with the increasing numbers
of Challengers – a few at Queen St Station in Glasgow, hesitantly greeting each
other – “TGO Challenge?” – more flocking on to the train at Perth and Inverness –
noise levels increasing with every greeting.
There were many anxious looks out at the weather, which seemed
to be deteriorating as we travelled west.
Strathcarron Hotel was friendly,
welcoming and comfortable – my last night in a bed till Kincraig, last time I’d sit
at a table too. Everyone was friendly, welcoming first-timers, discussing the pros and cons of routes, comparing gear.
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| Strathcarron Hotel |
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| Drinks outside - it was still dry on Thursday evening! |
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| The west coast - though well inland at the head of Loch Carron |
Friday 10th May: Strathcarron to Gead Loch
The weather was fine at first, dry with
some sunshine.
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| Loch Carron from above Achintee |
The first part of the route was familiar –
I had done it in reverse on a big stravaig 5 years previously.
The views back to Strathcarron and
Loch Carron constantly changed. Looking back, I also saw a line of overtaking Challengers. I didn’t worry - I am much slower than most on the Challenge, but experience has taught me what I can
and can’t do, how much I can do in a day - my days are just longer and more leisurely than most.
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| Lochan Fuara |
There was pleasant walking over remembered
high moorland with its lochans. Over the Bealach Altain Ruaridh I had my first
sight of Bendronaig in its quiet strath. The route from the bealach down to the Bendronaig track was as rough as I remembered it. There was a lot more water in the Ling than there had been in the heatwave (remember those?) of 2008.
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| Sheasgaich and Ben Dronaig |
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| Ling from bridge |
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| Challengers nearing bothy - clouds thickening |
Rain was coming on as I reached the bothy. Lots of Challengers were inside having lunch and hoping the rain would go off. It
didn’t. Waterproofs on for the rest of the day – and for much of the rest of the Challenge. The wobbly
bridge after Bendronaig was interesting – no evidence of how the slats were attached
– I had stepped across a trickle of a burn last time.
Loch Calavie was grey under a leaden
sky.
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| Loch Calavie - weather getting gey dreich |
I had planned to camp where a shieling was marked
at the east end of the loch.
“Shieling” on the map often marks a good camping place – it tends to be level, sheltered, with a good
water supply, as it is a relic of historical transhumance, when cattle were taken up to the high pastures in the summer. The practice still happens in some mountain countries like Ladakh. However, it was too early to stop so I decided to go on till
I ran out of reasonable track, or energy. Les and Issy were pitching at a good
spot – I went on a bit further and found flattish spot above the Gead Loch -
the Blairgowrie team were going on further – I hoped they’d find some flat ground among the deep heather.
It was still at first then the wind rose,
rustling the tent.
Saturday 11th May: Gead Loch to Strath Farrar
I had read of the pathless slog to Pait
and it was a slog, as was the stretch from Pait over the bealach to Strath
Farrar. Knee-deep heather that grabbed the ankles, and peat hags, wet and
slippery, dotted with pine roots. Every time you thought you’ve picked a good
line you hit another black oozing trench. Weather dreich, rain on and off.
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| Approaching Pait |
Negotiating the high gate from Pait on to
the hill was probably the most dangerous bit of the whole trip. The hinges no longer attached the gate to the gatepost, so I decided to climb over at the other end, where a chain attached gate to post. The gate wobbled violently when I was half-way over, so I grabbed the top of the gatepost - mistake! the base had disintegrated and the post was even more unsteady than the gate.
I had planned to go up the west bank of
the Allt Riabachain and cross high up but spotted a bridge lower down and used it.
Jay was pitched just upstream from it. We both decided that contouring round the north side of Meallan Buidhe and up to the bealach between it and the hill to the east, was the best option.
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| Approaching the bealach |
The bealach was the usual boggy morass,
but at last I was down in Strath Farrar, first on a path, then a track which
eventually became tarmac. Burns were full, with dramatic waterfalls. There was snow high up on the
big hills at the head of the glen – it was still winter up here.
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| High up in Strath Farrar - still snow on hills above |
As I crossed the
Monar dams, icy wind was turning wave tops white. I met Jay again at a sheltered spot below the dam.
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| Further down the glen, vegetation greener, and a moment's sunlight |
As I went further down the glen it
became flatter and greener – more like the spring which hadn’t yet reached the
high glen. Weather was improving. Cuckoos called, woodpeckers drummed, a pair of
wheatears chased each other in the grounds of Braulen Lodge.
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| Near Braulen Lodge |
Approaching the area where I
hoped to camp, I thought it didn’t look promising – the knoll between track and river was
rough, steep and heathery. However, a few yards further on, a lovely level grassy
meadow was revealed on the east side, beside the Allt Uchd Rodha. Perfect. A
short while later Emma and Stan arrived. A dry, pleasant evening, in contrast to
the previous one.
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| Inchvuilt Wood from camp |
Sunday 12th May: Strath Farrar to Strath Glass
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| River Farrar at camp |
A showery day, as I wandered down
the lower part of Strath Farrar, spring advancing as I descended, everything
gradually becoming greener, beech and birch leaves translucent in the sunlight.
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| River Farrar looking downstream |
The number of trees increased, some of them so ancient that it was a wonder they still stood.
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| More and more trees as I went further down the glen |
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| Some of them incredibly old |
There was much evidence of former occupation of the glen. Many ruined houses, that once must have housed a lively community - not such a lonely life as one might think, though in those days the glen must have been more isolated than it is now - several vehicles passed as I walked. But perhaps not a life for a family - read "Isolation Shepherd"
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| A memorial to a resident of the glen |
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| One of several ruins in this part of the glen. |
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| This tree dominated the view down the glen for some distance |
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Monday 13th May: Strath Glass to Drumnadrochit
The morning weather alternated sunshine and showers as usual. On this trip I was taking the advice of a 2011 Challenger who assured me that bundling a sopping wet Laserlite into a poly bag and attaching it to the outside of the rucksack was the way to go in wet weather - no need to keep the dry inner and wet outer separate - it worked! As promised, the inner dried in minutes after I put the tent up in the evening.
A lovely grassy track at the start soon
gave way to felled forest – I checked the GPS every so often to make sure I wasn’t on the wrong track, after finding a sizeable lochan not on the 1:50,000 map, which was a bit unnerving.
I met the Beauly to South-East England power line construction site just
before the Glen Urquhart road – lots of “Keep Out” notices despite assurances from the administrative staff about rights
of way.
The walk through Buntait, avoiding the main road, is lovely – spring had really arrived here. It's a popular area, with several new houses.
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| Buntait road |
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| River Glass |
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| Shewglie |
I decided I had to visit Shewglie,
which turned out to be large baronial-style edifice in a rather startling shade of
peach – lots of construction work going on around it, and lots of brand new
wooden gates.
A pleasant walk led along grassy tracks through
fields, then there was a half-hidden entrance to a very old and little-used track through
woods – a great alternative to the forest track which it eventually joined, which went all the
way to just above Drumnadrochit.
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| Entrance to the old track not very clear |
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| Pleasanter walking than a hard forestry road |
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| Challengers vanishing into the distance |
I stopped at Lochletter after spotting a notice inviting Challengers to a nearby farm cottage for tea, coffee and cakes – I met the Dunsires and Marianne and Willem there. What a lovely idea, an open invitation to us all!
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| Felling operations give a clear view of Glen Urquhart |
I got funny looks from lots of “short stroll” walkers on the track. The route down from the main track into Drumnadrochit was not very clear, mainly due to new signed paths through woodland, but it was pleasant walking. The last bit through Drumnadrochit to Borlum was a bit of a slog.
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| Loch Ness appears in the distance |
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| A pleasant path in woodland above Drumnadrochit |
Borlum, with stables and a camp site, was nice and friendly. They had kept a food parcel for me. Being around horses brought home to me how much I was missing my own. My friend Lisa
arrived from Inverness and we went to a pub and caught up on news. She had brought her new dog, a charming pointer called Daisy. It rained heavily that evening with a high wind blasting the tent - slept well just the same. I would have to be up early in the morning to get to the ferry for eight o'clock in case I could get a place on the first boat.
