I had never heard of the Challenge till 08, which rates with 1976 in my memory of glorious summers. The BBC made a film about the Challenge for the Adventure Show, which we always watch and we thought "that looks fun". It was sunny, people were relaxed and happy. Didn't see a single gritted tooth.

I have thought about how much fun it looked a number of times since: on the E side of Ben Resipol in the snow on night 1 in 2009; heading along THAT road to North Water Bridge with trees falling all about me on Windy Monday in 2011; crossing Eskadale on Stormy Sunday in 2012.

I was lured in under false pretences and now I find I can't escape.

I was lured by the very same show. Still have it on recorded. Absolutely hooked, line and sunk.
Wouldn't miss it!!

Me and Jim starred in that there Adventure Show. The production dudes made us walk backwards and forwards through a forest we weren't passing through near Kingussie to get the shot right - don't believe what you see!

But yes, the weather was magnificent. Waterproofs were most used as a pillow and used just once in anger on a late walk out of the Cairngorms to White Bridge. The usual warnings about crossing the Kingie near Kinbreack were comical as we couldn't actually find the Kingie!