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Crossing a Scottish Peat Bog

How to Hike Across Peat Bogs: Fear No Moor

We don’t have peat bogs in the continental United States and it’s difficult to learn the skills for safely hiking across them in Scotland, England and other parts of the world without first-hand experience. While you can avoid peat bogs and stay on well-defined paths or tracks that circle around them, you are missing out [...]

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Coire Fionnaraich Bothie

Bothies and Baked Beans

Mountain bothies are small buildings that can be used by hikers and backpackers as shelters or a place to get out of bad weather and warm up. Many are old buildings on hunting estates that the owners have set aside for use by walkers and are maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association, an organization that [...]

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Isaac at the Devil's Point

TGO Challenge 2013 Trip Report – Part 2

Days 7-13 (goto Part 1) Although our stay in Aviemore was brief – just the one night – it was good to get a hot shower, dry out my gear, and refuel at the Indian Restaurant next to the Youth Hostel. Aviemore has a well-stocked Tesco supermarket in town, making it an excellent spot for [...]

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Dipping our Toes into the Sea - Loch Torridon

TGO Challenge 2013 Trip Report – Part 1

I got back from the UK a few days ago after a 3 week hiking trip which included backpacking across Scotland with my friend Martin Rye in the 2013 TGO Challenge and a trip to the Lake District to visit Heather and Alan Rhodes of Pacerpole. I had a fabulous time and can’t wait to go [...]

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The Lairig Ghru

TGO Challenge Tips for Yanks and Non-Residents

Lessons Learned If the thought of hiking across Scotland in the TGO Challenge appeals to you, here are a few lessons learned for first timers such as Americans and non-UK residents. People who walk in Scotland regularly know all this, but if you live abroad it’s hard to foresee these issues until you’ve completed your [...]

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Background - Liathach

Torridon Hills: Liathach and Mullach an Rathan

Liathach is probably the most famous of the Torridon Hills, a cluster of mountains located in a remote section of the Western Highlands on the Atlantic Coast side of Scotland. Meaning The Grey One in Scottish Gaelic, Liathach dwarfs the tiny hamlet of Torridon, its slopes rising near vertically in a series of terraces above the the [...]

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Heifer in Peru

Please Help Section Hiker Raise $5000 of Charity for a Heifer Gift Ark: Hiking For Charity in the TGO Challenge

I will be backpacking across Scotland this May in the The Great Outdoor (TGO) Challenge, hiking 200 miles in 15 days. Many Challenge hikers raise charity to commemorate their participation in this annual event and this year I will be raising money for Heifer International, a charity that my wife and I have been sponsoring for [...]

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