SEVEN ferries in 2024

 Yes ... that's right. You didn't mis-read. My crossing in 2024 is going to include SEVEN ferry crossings. And it's going to be FUN. And I think it's going to be EVEN MORE absurd than my phone-in from London ... 

Here's a rough outline.

FRIDAY 10 May. Start and Kilchoan and take Ferry # 1 to Tobermory. End the day at campsite by River Ba.

SATURDAY 11 May. Make my way through the hills to Craignure. Ferry #2 to Oban. Overnight at Oban Youth Hostel.

SUNDAY 12 May. Ferry#3 to Lismore ... walk Lismore. Ferry #4 to Port Appin. End the day at Ballachulish.

MONDAY 13 May. Through North Ballachulish and Onich to Corran. Ferry #5 Corran Ferry back to north side of Great Glen, lochside road and ferry #6 Camusnagul ferry into Forth William

TUESDAY 14 May. Great Glen Way to Glas-dhoire

WEDNESDAY 15 May. Great Glen Way to Invermoriston

THURSDAY 16 May. Great Glen Way to Drumnadrochit, ferry #7 to Inverfarigaig, and overnight at Ault-na-goire

FRIDAY 17 May. Over the hills to Red Bothy

SATURDAY 18 May. Burma road to Aviemore and old logging road to Glen More Youth Hostel

SUNDAY 19 May. Past Ryvoan and Bynack More into Glen Avon and glen Builg, camping at south end of Loch Builg

MONDAY 20 May. Into Ballater

TUESDAY 21 May. Deeside Way to Dinnet then Firmounth Road and Fungle Road to Tarfside

Route from Tarfside to the coast, and finish point TBA; but with 3 days in had there should be no difficulty with that.

I have a cunning plan!

 So I've sent my entry and paid my fee for the 2024 Challenge.

What??

He's a teacher ... teachers can't do the Challenge because it's in May and their holidays aren't. What on earth is going on, I hear you ask?

Well, like I said ... I have a cunning plan!

I plan to be "between jobs" in May ... I will be leaving my current job at Easter at the latest, and will be looking for a new job to start in September, surviving on my pension and tutoring and maybe some supply and GCSE examining over the summer. 

That will mean that I am free in May, and can attempt my 12th crossing. I miss it ... and right now I need it ... so I'm going to do it. And my route is going to be quirkier, zanier than ever. (Spoiler ... I plan not just to beat the record for the most ferry crossings in any one Challenge ... I mean to absolutely SMASH IT TO PIECES!!!)

Mad? Me? You've all met me, right ... 

So what happened in 2017?

 Well, I entered the 2017 Challenge ... destined to be my last for a while as I was planning a career change and due to go to Warwick University to re-train as a teacher. And teachers cannot do the Challenge due to its timing. 

I duly completed my 11th crossing ... but where from and where to and what I did along the way I cannot rightly say. You see, what with all the hassle of moving to Coventry (and NO ... before you say it, or even think it, I was NOT sent there!) and gettibg set up for my course and all that stuff ... I never actually uploaded all the photos I had taken onto my computer. And as for my maps and route notes, where are they now? I cannot rightly say.

So let's just say I did my final Challenge in 2017 and leave it at that, shall we?

Well ... no ... read on, dear reader!

The 2016 Challenge, Retrospective

So that was that.

My first failure to complete, in 11 starts. I'm still ahead of the curve, but not by all that much. The important point, though, is that I got up and dusted myself down, and carried on ... and that before I was done I was back up in the hills.

Spiky mountains remain to be attempted again, but really I don't think I'll have too much difficulty there. I have beaten the demons, and the dreams have subsided. It takes more than a glissade to keep me away from the hills ...

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (8)

We then drove back to Cortachy, where Bob and Heather made us as welcome as ever.

We stayed a couple of nights at Cortachy House, then went to the Park for the Friday night dinner, before returning to Cortachy House for a couple more nights. Well, that was the plan, anyway. But on what was supposed to be the last day of our Scottish holiday we went to the Blair highland gathering, where we both picked up a dose of really violent food poisoning and had no option to stay a couple of nights longer than originally intended. Heather was absolutely brilliant, though. THANK YOU, Heather!!!

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (7)

After a pleasant afternoon enjoying the sunshine in Kirriemuir, I met my wife at the statute of Bon Scott, the lead singer of AC/DC (Kirrie's other famous scion).

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (6)

... and one who was still going strong.

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (5)

I shared a table and some chips with a couple of other Challengers who had not completed the crossing ...

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (4)

Bby the time I had moved on to Barrie's birthplace, I began to realize that maybe this little town was a bit of a one-trick pony! I was also beginning to feel a bit peckish, so I headed into the centre of town to see what the cafes had to offer.

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (3)

There was also a rather fabulous Peter Pan-themes children's play area. Oh to be 7 again!!!

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (2)

I then went up to the cricket pavilion which Barrie gave to the town. There is a camera obscura in that little turret, and this is marked on the OS maps ... but it is only open at weekends so I couldn't go inside.

The 2016 Challenge, day 13: it's all over now! (1)

It was a strange feeling, waking up the following morning, nowhere near the East coast, but knowing that I didn't have to walk if I didn't want to.

Well, that's not quite right. I needed to get to Cortachy, and that meant getting down the Glen. I either needed a lift, or I needed to walk. I took a leisurely breakfast, settled my bill, then set off down the Glen. I was still in the hotel car park when a builder who had been doing some work for the hotel came out and got into his van. I stuck my thumb out, and he welcomed me aboard.

I didn't need to be in Cortachy until late afternoon, so I asked him to take me into Kirrie. Then I texted my wife and asked her to reset her satnav for Kirrie rather than Cortachy and meet me there. This gave me a long day in Kirrie, a town I had never really had time to get to know before.

Now, Kirriemuir is particularly proud of its association with J. M. Barrie, the inventor of Peter Pan ... so my first port of call was Barrie's grave.

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (14)

We reached the Clova hotel, and I checked in. I rang Challenge Control to confirm safe arrival, and Ally confirmed (as if it was necessary) that because I had not gone back and walked the section of road that I had travelled by car after my glissade, this would not be counted as a crossing even if I continued all the way to the coast.

That was fine. My wife was coming up to join me at Cortachy House the following evening, and if there was no point in my spending the following two days tramping the roads to the East coast, we could have an extra two days' holiday together in the Angus Glens. I'd need to make the necessary arrangements with Heather (she thought she was getting just Kathy for a couple of nights ... ) but that would not be a problem.

And so I had a bath and dinner, and went to bed. I may have had a drink or two in the bar, as well, at some point.

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (13)

And beyond the woods, it was road all the way.

I stopped for a breather and a glug at the Ranger Centre (and to use their flushing toilets), and Rob caught up with me there. We walked together from the Ranger Centre to Clova, and the miles soon sped past under our feet.

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (12)

Once on the valley floor, I entered the woods.

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (11)

Soon enough the worst of the descent was over, and I was on the gentle slopes down into the valley floor.

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (10)

Half way down, I caught up with Rob. Now Rob is a really interesting character. This was only his second Challenge, but his first was all the way back in 1991! Try not to leave it another quarter of a century before doing your third, won't you Rob? I don't think you'll be able to sustain that pace for very long!

Anyway, Rob was sitting by the path, enjoying the sunshine, and taking the opportunity to dry off his kit. It was all spread out around him, and it included ... A WET SUIT!!!

Now this was very definitely a first for me. Most of us carry waterproofs, Rob, not wet suits ... but Rob explained to me that he carried this with him so that he could go for a swim in every suitable river and loch that he encountered on his way across.

I was impressed! I mean ... who wouldn't be?

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (9)

The descent of Jock's Road was as stunning as ever. There's not all that much to say about it, really , that hasn't been said on this blog previously - so I shall just leave the picture to speak for itself.

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (8)

Once I was back on the right track (and following a fresh line of cairns) the clouds kindly lifted, and gave me some visibility that I no longer needed. It was nice to have it, though.

I stopped at the top of Crow Cragies at 1.30, had my lunch and changed my socks, and then headed on to the descent of Jocks Road.

The photograph was taken off to my left as I came off Knaps of Fafernie and skirted round to Crown Cragies, and shows Loch Esk with the Craigs of Loch Esk behind it and Glen Moulzie beyond that.

The 2016 Challenge, day 12: Over to Clova (7)

The little rocky mound had a really rather impressive cairn at the top of it ... the sort that people build at the top of Munros ... and my GPS fix suggested that I was only just off the bit of map I had and at an altitude of about 1010 metres.

And all of that information could only mean one thing.

I had just accidentally climbed a Munro I hadn't even been aiming for ... Cairn Bannoch! I hadn't recognized it because last time I had been up here the weather had been even closer and I hadn't really had a chance to clock it properly. But that was where I was ... and I now knew where I needed to go to get back to Fafernie.