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Hiking the TGO Challenge – Our 2020 Route Plan

TGO Challenge 2020 Route Plan

I’m headed to Scotland again in May to hike from the west coast to the east coast in this year’s 2020 TGO Challenge. This is an annual backpacking event, now in its 41st year, where 400 backpackers, hiking solo or in small teams, attempt to hike cross country in 15 days. Scotland is one of the few places where you can hike across an entire country without worrying about private property boundaries because there are access laws permitting use without prior permission, which makes an undertaking like this feasible.

There’s no one set route or trail that everyone follows. Instead, you have to map out a route of your own design and submit it for approval ahead of time. It’s reviewed by a handful of experts who are familiar with the terrain to ensure that it’s safe and feasible. Much of terrain that you need to traverse is quite mountainous and remote, and the route vetters as they’re called, provide very valuable advice about dangers that may be encountered and alternate routes that can be used to avoid them. These include washed out bridges, rivers in flood, high wind, cliffs, and the usual hazards of hiking and backpacking across exposed and mountainous terrain.

This will be my third TGO Challenge and I’ll be accompanied by my friend Ken, who’s a very experienced mountaineer with an impressive record of ascents in North and South America, Europe, and Japan. We get up to all kinds of mischief together in New Hampshire and I’m confident in his ability to overcome any challenges we’ll encounter. He’s never been to the UK or Scotland, but I’m sure he’ll be impressed.

We’ve planned out a moderately challenging route that’s 185 miles in length with 37,000 feet of elevation gain. That’s if the weather cooperates and there isn’t a prohibitive amount of snow on the higher peaks. You have to walk from one coast to the other in the allotted time, even if you have to modify your planned route. The use of a vehicle for any portion results in disqualification.

Download Our TGO Challenge PDF Route Sheet

We’ll be camping out most nights in the hills since our route is quite remote and only crosses through two towns until we get to the east coast. We’ve built in plenty of off-trail, cross country portions because we both enjoy and teach compass and land navigation, with plenty of Tenkara fly-fishing opportunities along the way.

Here are some of the highlights of our planned route to give you a taste of what it’s like to hike in Scotland and participate in the TGO Challenge.

The ridge south east of Sgurr an Lochain
The ridge southeast of Sgurr an Lochain

On our first and second day, we plan to traverse the South Glen Shiel Ridge, a ridge that has seven mountains over 1000 meters in height, called Munros. This includes a high camp on the ridge after the first peak.

Caledonian Canal The track alongside the canal is used as part of the Great Glen Way long distance route from Fort William to Inverness.
Caledonian Canal – The track alongside the canal is used as part of the Great Glen Way long-distance route from Fort William to Inverness.

After marching cross-country and bagging some smaller peaks, we’ll walk alongside the Caledonian Canal on the Great Glen Way into Fort William to resupply on day four.

Water of Nevis Looking downstream. Ben Nevis fills the background.
Water of Nevis
Looking downstream. Ben Nevis fills the background.

From Fort William, we’ll hike through Glen Nevis at the foot of Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, and camp beside a Loch (Lake) at the base of Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil. Ben Alder is the 25th highest Munro in the UK. Conditions permitting, we’ll climb both.

Ben Alder
Ben Alder

From there, we’ll traverse another ridge called the Fara, before descending in Dalwhinnie, a small town without any food shops, where we plan to send a resupply package. We’ll take a day off here to rest and to visit the famous Dalwhinnie Scotch Distillery.

Beinn Bheoil and Loch Ericht
Beinn Bheoil and Loch Ericht

From Dalwhinnie, we’ll hike east, largely off-trail for two days, bagging another two or three Munros along the way, before reaching Loch Callater Lodge, a rustic house owned by Prince Charles, where Challengers converge for “refreshment.”

Loch Callater
Loch Callater

From there, we climb back into the hills and bag two more Munros, including Lochnagar, a huge mountain made famous in a poem written by Lord Byron.

Lochnagar

Lochnagar will be the last high peak we climb. From there, we’ll walk through Glen Lee to a convent in the tiny village called Tarfside, where Challengers converge as they near the east coast. We’ll head into the hills from there for two more days as we make our way to Dunnottar Castle, on the east coast, where we’ll finish our route.

Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle

More about the TGO Challenge

11 comments

  1. What a great trip!

  2. What does TGO stand for ?

  3. This looks amazing! I took a one-day bus tour of Scotland way back in 2001 and when we drove past the Dalwhinnie distillery the driver said it was one of the most important places in Scotland. Can’t wait to read your trip report.

  4. Ahhh. lucky fellow. I’ll be there too late for the TGO this year. What gear will you use; in particular, tent and pack?

    thx for your inspirational posts, as always

    PS Searlaid is Gaelic for Charlotte

  5. This will be an exciting walk; you have chosen a challenging route especially in inclement weather, wind and rogue snowfall will be on the cards. I wish you both the very best of success and look forward to the trip report and photos in due course.

  6. Imagine my surprise when I was Googling this trek the first link I opened by random was written by Philip and mentioned Ken a very good friend of mine. Awesum guys and sounds like a wonderful adventure. Best of luck to you both.

  7. I’m guessing the TGO has, like everything else here in the UK, been cancelled. What a disappointment for you. As of a few days ago, the Outer Hebrides was the only part of the UK devoid of covid 19 cases. Now no non-essential travel to the islands. No hill walking permitted unless you can do it from your own front door. All National parks closed. Oh well the hills will still be there when this is all over. I hope you can get over for next years event.

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