The Road goes ever on and on; Down from the door where it began;
Now far ahead the Road has gone; And I must follow, if I can;
Pursuing it with eager feet; Until it joins some larger way;
Where many paths and errands met; And whither then? I cannot say.

[JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings]

Tuesday 11 June 2013

TGOC 2014: I Have a Cunning (/Mad) Plan!

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I finally downloaded this year’s photos. This was a good pitch! And the blue sky belies the squally/snowy weather which had prevailed for much of the day.

Until now, I have never planned a TGO Challenge route until our entry has been made and our place secured. This year, perhaps as an antidote to my grumpiness when we arrived home, I started plotting almost the minute we walked through the door. At the time I was unsure that the route I was planning would become a Challenge route, but not only am I now certain that our application will be duly lodged in September, but I’m also very happy with the route I’ve plotted and positively looking forward to walking it.

One of my main reservations about the intended route was that it goes completely against my view of the Challenge as a social event. Starting in Torridon, ending in Fraserburgh, and staying as far north as the Challenge area permits, it’s pretty unlikely that we will meet any other Challengers after Day 2. Then I came up with a cunning/mad/genius (delete as you see fit) plan.

Putting the details of my plotted route into a spread sheet, I concluded that we could walk it in 10 days, with us arriving in Fraserburgh early on the Sunday at the start of the second week.

Having finished our Challenge so early, we will then be at leisure to get public transport down to Edzell, from where we can wander up to Tarfside, in time for the peak of people passing through, to join in with the Challenge chat and socialising that we will have missed out on during our Challenge proper.

That will still leave us a couple of days to spare before the usual festivities in Montrose, so we will fill those with walking out to the coast for the second time, hopefully getting to chat with a goodly number of people on the way.

So, we get to walk the route that I really want to walk, and we get to socialise with other Challengers for four days afterwards. Cunning, mad or genius? I don’t much care – it’s a plan that works for me.

17 comments:

  1. I think it's an excellent plan ;-)

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    1. And I haven't even disclosed the *really* mad element yet!

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  2. You do realise you might get crushed in the stampede for the coast!!
    "Walk the walk you want to walk" thats what I say...but only when sober!
    Hope you get accepted for 2014.

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    1. I don't think we'll be crushed in any stampede toward's Fraserburgh ;-)

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  3. Your walk, you enjoy it, we get to read about it, everyone is a winner.
    Sorry as ever i won't be able to apply to join you folks as i hopefully will be carrying out my own mad/cunning/novel variation on a walking theme.
    enjoy.
    Cheers J.P.

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    1. Look forward to seeing what you come up with as your own mad/cunning/novel plan.

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  4. Nice. I am plotting a English route and maybe a TGOC one ;) Go for it.

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  5. Different, for sure!
    :-)
    You could also help out in Control at Montrose or at Tarfside if you finish on the Sunday.
    Then of course, Mick would look great in a waitress's pinny and could help out thirsty Challengers at the Masons - delivering trays of drinks to seated Challengers who by then will have had enough of being on their feet.

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    1. Did you not witness when Mick donned a pinny and undertook the role of Tea Monitor at Mar Lodge in 2012? It was a sight to be seen...

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    2. Alan, I'm slightly concerned with you thinking about me in a pinny. Side-effect of your recent op, perhaps?

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    3. It's the Tramadol.
      My brother has had his wife chasing the ducks out of the bathroom. Then there was the spacesuit that was leaking...

      Wonderful stuff!

      High heels?

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  6. Spooky ..................

    I too thought about a Fraserburgh finish - especially as my last finishes have all been near Montrose, er, like St. Cyrus x 3!

    But, my start was to be Ardrishaig.

    I've drawn a straight line between the two and am piecing together an outline.

    This could be a bit more sociable, but, initial looks make for a different, but interesting crossing.

    Work in progress ............ :-)

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    1. I think that your route may finish up being rather longer than ours!

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  7. Lilo enjoyed the north coast. Very windy and cold this year. Recommend Cnoc Hotel and Culloden Visitor Centre. You certainly won't see many people if you aim to finish so early!

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    1. We won't see many people on that route no matter what speed we go at. Hence the cunning plan.

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