I’m sorting gear out for a trip to the Cairngorms. The intention is to base myself in Rothiemurchus camp site and do day walks. I will be meeting up with Phil Turner for 1 night, he will be running around in his new snow shoes.

I’m taking the gear for a multiday trip, plans are vague so unsure what I’m doing yet. I packed everything into a 50l Osprey Atmos which suddenly seamed very empty, wondered if it would fit into the 25l I’m also taking for day walks. To my amazement everything fitted in, its a bit of a squeeze but its all in. This is when I started to wonder what I’ve forgotten and thought I better unpack it and write a list. Here goes…

Pack

Distance: 9 miles

A walk with the parents to Thornley and Harperley in the snow.

It was a good test of the Keen Targhee II Mids I just bought. Very happy with them, they are by the far the most comfortable boots I’ve worn. I usually wear Trail running shoes so I normally really feel the weight difference when I have to wear boots, luckily not in these.

I have also ordered some Kahtoola KTS Steel Crampons & an Ice Axe for my trip to Scotland at the new year.

Below are a few pics from todays walk.

Unfortunately I haven’t done any walking over the weekend, the snowman picture above was taken on Friday between Cowshill and Allenheads with the iPhone. I wasn’t in the best of moods, so left work early and went for a drive. Snow and hills are probably the best medicine to cheer me up.

Further along the road above Killhope I could see a lot more snow on Cross Fell, which set a plan in motion to walk it on Saturday. Unfortunately when I got up, there was a pea soup fog. I walked Cross Fell once before in 2005 when I could see less than 6 feet, I had no desire to repeat it. So the bed called me back and for once spent the day doing house work I’d been putting off.

My parents asked if I wanted to go walking with them today along old railway lines near Langley Park, but I couldn’t due to work commitments.

Hopefully next weekend will be more successful.

I finished drawing my TGO Challenge route a few days ago, when I say finished I haven’t submitted it for checking yet and I haven’t drawn the Foul Weather Alternatives (finding this hard to do). I posted the route a couple of days ago on Twitter, but hadn’t broken it down into days.

These can now be seen in the table below, had to hand code that HTML Table (WordPress did I miss the WYSIWYG Table tool?)

The GPX File I posted on Twitter can be found here, the rounded figures above total 172 miles (short for the challenge). All of this could change before I submit it and very likely after its checked.

I’m not really sure if it’s the “done” thing posting your route in advance but quoting from the challenge outline “foster good fellowship among walkers”. In my experience walkers like nothing better than talking about routes, other than maybe talking about gear.

Now off to work out the Foul Weather Alternatives!