Afternoon all,

Just to let you know where we're at with route submissions for those whom like to keep a tally (everyone needs a hobby!).

To date we've received around 44 routes, or 20% of the total.

To those who've already submitted, many thanks indeed. As that figure suggests, there's likely to be a logjam and resultant backlog between New Year and the closing date for routes – the early submissions have helped minimise that somewhat and are greatly appreciated.

Currently, vetters' comments are being returned within a fortnight, in some cases even overnight.

I'm very keen to encourage the other 80% to get their routes to us as soon as you're able. Don't rush – please try to ensure they as near to perfection as possible before sending them in, which might save revision, correction and amendment later! On the other hand, tarry ye not! The sooner we have your route, the more time the vetter might be able to lavish on it, hopefully resulting in you having an even more enjoyable crossing.

The checklist provided on the rear of the acceptance letters seems to have worked pretty well, and (without wishing to sound like a teacher!) standards of presentation have greatly increased for the 2014 season, which is great - again many thanks.

The newsletter will go out in January or February (likely to be email-only, other for those who don't use email). That'll include info on withdrawals and standby list movements, matters such as the Tomdoun (if anything is known) and more.

A few folks seem to be retrieving several-week-old Challenge emails from their spam folders – please add tgoc@ and john@ outdoorsmanning.com addresses to your address books to help avoid this.

If anyone has found a bottle of 12-year-old Ardbeg abandoned on their post office counter, please return it to the co-ordinator.

Thank you.

Update:

Routes received: 62 (29%)
Awaiting assigning: 5
"Good to go": 37
Back for pre-vet revision: 0 (fantastic!)
Back for post-vet revision: 4 (also fantastic)
Being vetted: 16

Many thanks to all who have submitted their routes so far. The rest can't be far behind!

Don't forget the deadlines have been brought forward for TGOC14.

Please remember also to double-check that you've completed every aspect of the route form as requested – the checklist on the reverse of the acceptance letter should help and indeed seems to have done so.

Any problems, the co-ordinator is just an email away… and the message board seems to have many answers!

Things are starting to warm up again.

Update:

Routes received: 75 (35%)
Back for pre/post vet revision: 4 (three of which are the same as per the last update)
Being vetted: 20
"Good to go": 51

If you've still to put pen to paper, think of route planning as tax return avoidance!

What a difference half a day makes:

Routes received: 75 (35%)
Back for pre/post vet revision: 7 (three of which are the same as per the last two updates)
Being vetted: 15
"Good to go": 53

Have a good weekend folks!

No time for a full update but here's a half-pint:

Routes received: 83 (35%)
Back for pre/post vet revision: 6
Being vetted: 2 (including one returned for a pre-vet Jock's Road FWA to be supplied)
Routes to be assigned to vetters: 8
V2 routes received: 2
Comments to be returned: 7
"Good to go": 58

… and a bundle of comments to be processed and returned over the next couple of days.

Please be aware that Christmas and New Year might delay the return of comments slightly. Please also be aware that routes received on Christmas Day (it does happen) will not be acknowledged immediately!

A slightly clearer picture emerges, as the wee backlog starts to clear

Routes received: 83 (35%)
Back for pre/post vet revision: 10
Being vetted: 2 (including one returned for a pre-vet Jock's Road FWA to be supplied)
Routes to be assigned to vetters: 8
V2 routes with vetters for approval: 2
"Good to go": 61

If you're among the 65 per cent still to submit, please be sure to read the Planning Notes and check your route to ensure it complies.

Recurring errors include:

• failure to provide FWAs for Jock's Road and the Lairig Ghru
• giving Scottish Hill Tracks route numbers on the route sheet
• not providing FWAs for potentially dangerous river crossings (eg, the Loyne, the Fords of Avon)
• not sending the co-ordinator his bottle of Ardbeg
• giving phone-in points that are too close to the start of the walk, or actually on the east coast
• not giving 1:50,000 Landranger sheet numbers
• not sending the co-ordinator his bottle of Ardbeg

All that said, the standard of routes this year has been bloomin' great and, in the majority cases where revisions are being requested, it's on grounds of safety and clarity. Which is fantabulous!