Emails are starting to come in regarding my chosen route. I can’t always determine whether these are from people who want to avoid the podcast machine or people who want to meet up!
Vetter comments are not yet back but here goes.
I shall be starting in Dornie after a night in the Dornie Hotel. Anyone else going to be there?
From there I shall stroll into the hills camping at NH 212 217. This should set me up for the high route around Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan (or below in bad weather) and a slog on to Cougie. I haven’t yet decided whether to try Cougie Lodge yet or to camp at the Loch before it (where a couple of years ago I shared the ground with some magnificent black slugs).
Then it is into the Balmacaan Triangle for a couple of days, hopefully emerging into Drumnadrochit for beer and food. If anyone wants to hold hands through Balmacaan just shout.
An extended meander through the Monaliadth then follows a la Weightman, along the watershed, into Glen Mazaran, camping there for the evening, before turning south into Aviemore over the Burma Road. Mind you, somebody did send me an alternative to the road which I must seek out. I intended to go that way last year until some kind of flu bug struck. I’ll be at Coylumbridge on the evening of the 19th if anyone fancies a beer in the Hilton.
I then have a choice of joining Shirley, who will be walking in the wrong direction in order to find ghouls and ghosts. The vetter route will see me go from Coylumbridge to Glenmore for breakfast (20th) before going Glen Avon, Beinn A Bhuird and Quoich water and strolling into Braemar for breakfast (21st). I’ll be the guy in the red Paramo with arms removed reading the Guardian.
Some of you will know that I was planning to avoid Braemar this year completely. But Ibbotson convinced me that the trip wouldn’t be the same and I changed my mind. And now the blighter has skipped off to Arizona.
So, it’s fish and chips in the Hungry Highlander and Bingo Wings again on Saturday night I guess.
Then Ballater (never been there before) on the 23rd and a hop over Mount Keen to join the gathering of the revisionist Tarfside cell. And then Fettereso to Stonehaven. The Fettereso has been on each of my previous route sheets and I’ve not yet been there. I shall resist the temptation to simply slope into Edzell and the cafe. I will resist, I will.
Not the most original of routes I guess but one that was quickly put together. I worry that it won’t be lonely enough.
The Partisans at the Tarfside Cell will do their level best to hold you against your will – You don’t need the murk of the Fetteresso and all that slogging up hill by then Andy… Tarry awhile at the Mason’s. You know you want to…
Looks like we’ll be bumping into each other perhaps on the Ferry across Loch Ness, Braemar, Ballater, Tarfside or Edzell.
I’ll be at Cougie on the first Saturday, then Braemar, Tarfside but not sure which days I’ll be there
Baz/George that will be good. You might just make me stay at the lodge on Saturday George. Otherwise I’ll see you at Braemar. I bet you’re at Tarfside reasonably early — mind you it depends if you need to rest after the excesses of Braemar!
Oh, but you MUST join me at Ryvoan! I’ll be too frightened to sleep there, otherwise! And we were going to interview the ghosts together.
*sob*
Andy, I think you should check that first campsite Grid reference as i suspect it may be your second one!
ACV
May see you at Coylumbridge for a drink if not before!
Cheers, David
Thanks vetter, as you all know I’m nit much good at grid references, heights or distance. Completely bloody useless really
“Andy, I think you should check that first campsite Grid reference as i suspect it may be your second one!”
And here was I thinking that Andy was either superman or munching on an excess of Caffeine Pro!!!
And instead of that slog up the Burma Road you could take that alternative route I sent you last year!
Have dug the route again. Thanks Rob.
Hello Andy,
I’m a long time lurker on here, following your’s and Colin’s exploits. I’m also doing my first TGO in May and we have similar second weeks. I’ll introduce myself if I see you. I’ll be the one in the Duo-Mid, just a plain grey sil-nylon one, unlike your swanky shelter. Congrats with the dispatching of all your friends.
That makes three Duomids on this year’s event — at least.
Make sure to say hello in Braemar. It gets very mad in the Fife Arms — just assume I’m talking to nobody important and butt in!
I’m mooching across the Balmacaan Andy ,I’m booked in at Cougie so I may bump into you somewhere I guess, i’ll be the one with the confused look on my face.
Adrian — I’ll look out for you. But I guess you won’t be the only person with a confused look on their faces! At least Cougie will he Humphrey free this year and this should help things a bit!