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Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Thanks Scott!

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Glad you asked, Meredith. I too will be a first timer on the TGO from the US (Maine and White Mountain region of New Hampshire for backpacking). I look forward to a successful journey and enjoy challenges with quieter, but still social, paths. I appreciate the suggestions you've gotten and maybe I'll meet you on the journey.

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Just a reminder for anyone thinking about the Fetteresso, especially first timers.

https://www.keepandshare.com/doc9/22563/fetteresso-guide-pdf-1-6-meg

lots of maps and other info in the same directory.

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Hi Brian, thank you for sharing the notes and maps. Looks like lots of thought and many walks gone into preparing this pack. I will definitely incorporate them into my planning if passing through this area. Thanks again.

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Beth - Glad to hear it! Hopefully we cross paths - We decided to start out in Mallaig. You?
Brain - that looks very interesting but unfortunately I can't download it. Does the site allow more downloads in 24 hours? I'm not familiar with the platform.

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Rats, there is obviously a limit on my free account.
The guide is 16meg, if your email server allows it I will send it direct to you.

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Yes it does - please do, thanks! Meredith.janke@gmail.com

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Meredith, it should be in your inbox right now. Obviously putting a link on the message board caused a flurry of download attempts which exceeded the daily bandwidth limit. If you, or anyone else want anything else sending direct before the daily limit is reset, please let me know.

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

I'm reading and learning at this point; and quite overwhelmed. Mallaig is under consideration for sure.

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

I've only ever seen one person carrying an ice axe on the Challenge.

That having been said ... I have encountered a number of high level snow fields, and had one Challenge cut short by a nasty glissade on a snow field that took me by surprise as I was trying to make it to safety off the Lawyers ridge in deteriorating weather. These things can happen ...

My one piece of advice to new Challengers is:

(a) don't try to do everything on your first crossing. There will be plenty more crossings (trust me on this one ... there WILL!) ... so choose one or two things that you REALLY want to do and make sure that you include them

(b) don't go thinking of it as a 14-day hike ... think of it as four hikes of 3 or 4 days each, strung together. This will help your route planning as, once you get the maps, you'll see that there are obvious sections as follows. Section 1: start point to the Great Glen. Section 2: Great Glen to A9. Section 3: A9 to Braemar. Section 4: Braemar to the coast.

(c) don't finish at Blowup Nose, however enchanted you are by the name

(d) don't plan a route of high level beauty with low-level Foul Weather ALternatives. Plan a route of low-level beauty, with high level Fair Weather ALternatives that you can take if you feel up to them. (Ignore this at your peril ... there's nothing worse than being unable to do your high level route due to the weather, and finding that your FWA consists of days on end of tedious road-slogging in the rain. Your FWA NEEDS to be a route that you will happily do even in foul weather!)

(e) don't plan a FWA for each high-level day - plan a FWA for each ascent effort. You may have no difficulty getting over the first planned mountain of the day; but if the weather deteriorates between that and your second ascent effort, you need a FWA for your second ascent effort

(f) ultr-lightweight gear can be surprisingly heavy if you pack too much of it. Be brutal about rejecting gear that you don't really need. But don't compromise on safety OR comfort. 14 days is a LONG time to be out in the wilds if you are uncomfortable and miserable.

(g) take a hip flask with plenty of your favourite tipple, If you find you have more than you need ... there will always be other Challengers happy to help you lighten your load.

(h) make sure you're in Montrose for the Thursday dinner your first time ... but after that, you may find you enjoy the Friday dinner, which is a much more relaxed and informal event. Plus, if you're around when they're packing away on Saturday, you may be able to help them by carting off some of the surplus merch ...

That will do for now.

Enjoy ... and before you know it, they'll be making you a Leg-End of the Challenge!!!

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Hellooooo Jezza!

How are you ol' fruit? It's lovely to see you on here. How's tricks? When will we see you on the Challenge again?

Oh - and Perfect Advice (and the capitals are important here) Every first timer should take note.

Get back to me!

Cheers
Alan
:grinning:

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Good to hear from you too, Al.

Assume that my teaching career will last another 15 years, and that I shall not be on another Challenge until that is done and I have retired for a second time.

That having been said ... my school is very keen to get me heavily involved in their Duke of Edinburgh programme (it's not every day, after all, that a NQT pops up with ML(S) on their c.v. and a desire to get involved in the expeditioning ... ) and once we have a Gold group up and running, I'll try to make sure that they're doing something in the Challenge area every May, so I might be able to catch up from time to time.

Here is a report of a conversation with my Principal in the second week after I started at the school. I think it might amuse you.

Principal: We want you to help on the DofE, so can you find yourself a BELA course and get booked on it.

Me: Why?

Principal: Because BELA is the award you need to lead the expeditions.

Me: Um ... Steve. I don't need BELA at all. I'm an ML ... and I think you'll find that means I'm qualified to TEACH the BELA course ...

Principal: Oh!

Re: Recommendations for first timers?

Brilliant!!:joy: