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 …

Here is a working draft of my 2010 TGO Challenge Route across Scotland. I realize that this probably just looks like a bunch of Gaelic place names right now, but I’ll be expanding the detail considerably over the next few weeks, with …

The MSR Reactor Stove System is not the lightest weight backpacking stove available or the most flexible because it can’t simmer, but it boils water really fast and is 40% more efficient than most other pot & canister stove combinations. Those two properties make …

Humphrey Weightman convinced me to try wool sock liners. Well not exactly, but that was the end result. We were having an email exchange over  New Years about the gear and clothing he thinks is best suited for hiking across Scotland in …

Connecticut Appalachian Trail My work-hike balance has been seriously off kilter the past few weeks, but I got back into the groove this weekend with a 1 night backpacking trip on the Connecticut Appalachian Trail, my first foray into the state. Spring …

The problem with many pyramid-style shelters (such as the MLD Duomid, the Solomid, and the Trailstar to name a few) is that they suffer from low angled walls which reduce the amount of usable interior space inside. Granted, all lightweight backpacking shelters …

If you want to hike in Scotland, you need to learn some basic Gaelic words so you can read a map. The maps of Scotland published by the UK’s Ordnance Survey are full of Gaelic place names like Lairg Ghru, Beinn Bhreas, …

I'm pretty psyched about my new Superlight Bivy Bag from Mountain Laurel Designs (6.8 oz) and I'm looking forward to using it in Scotland next week in combination with my Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid pyramid tarp. I got this bivy bag because …

The Hilleberg Akto is one of the lightest weight, single person, 4 season tents ever made. First introduced in 1995, Akto was the gold standard by which lightweight ( 3 pounds 8 ounces) expedition class solo tents were judged for more than …

Trail Shoe Epiphany I love my new Inov-8 Roclite 320 trail running shoes. Having endured hiking in wet leather Gore-Tex lined boots for years, I can’t convey to you the freedom that I feel being able to splash through any puddle or …

Thinking back to some of the mistakes I made as a novice backpacker makes me shudder. Did I really suffer that much? Yes I did! With no instruction or mentors I learnt initially by trial and error, mostly the latter. Sleeping out …

  Introduction As I’ve mentioned before, the TGO Challenge is a 14 day coast-to-cost walk across Scotland running from May 14th – May 29th, 2010. I’ve been accepted into this year’s event from a field of international applicants. I’m in the final …

The TGO Challenge is an annual self-supported hiking event across the Highlands of Scotland, west coast to east coast. It started in 1980 and was the brainchild of the well-known UK writer and mountaineer, Hamish Brown. The Challenge is held every May and …

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, …