Jessica and Chris’ TGO Challenge Part 1: Shiel Bridge to Drumnadrochit

Our TGO Challenge began at 8.50am on Saturday 12^th May at the Kintail Lodge Hotel at Shiel Bridge.

We used this challenge as an opportunity to raise money for two charities: Bliss and Scottish Mountain Rescue

We had spent the previous night at the Ratagan Youth Hostel, which was lovely, and a very kind man had given us a lift from the hostel to the start point, which we were extremely happy about.

It was a pleasant morning and we had a quick chat with the first pair of Challenegers we met outside the hotel before setting off along the road. We found the start (or end depending on your point of view) of the Affric-Kintail Way and headed into the hills. Glen Lichd is an incredible pass with a clear land rover track, and although it was pretty cloudy, it wasn’t raining which was a great start!

Looking west through Glen Lichd

We had prepared pizza for lunch, which was delicious, and the views were superb. Beyond Glenlicht House the track becomes a path and climbs quite steeply through a much narrower part of the valley. We stopped to cool our feet in a stream flowing over the path above three waterfalls that fell from different directions into the Alt Grannda.

The path is steeper and the valley narrower as you approach the waterfalls

We passed Camban Bothy but stopped to investigate the Alltbeithe Youth Hostel, which is the most remote hostel in the UK. Rucksacks lined up outside suggested that we might find some challengers inside and we did! There was soup and scones on offer but our bags were pretty heavy with all the food we were carrying, so we resisted; we did stay for a chat and a drink though. We carried on through more open landscape towards Loch Affric. We found lots of butterwort and some tiny sundew, two species of carnivourous plants, and a large puddle teeming with baby newts.

Having seen a few people entering a building at Athnamulloch, Chris went to investigate and discovered that it was a private bothy but received a recommendation to carry on a bit further to camp at the jetty. As we made our way there, we struggled to find some nice water to top up our water bottles  for the evening and were happy we’d brought filter bottles and purification tablets. It turned out to be a lovely spot, behind the sandy shore of Loch Affric, and even had a newly built hut with an overhanging roof that was perfect for sheltering from the rain whilst cooking and eating dinner.  We had a tasty dinner and chatted to a group of girls travelling the opposite way.

A rainbow over our first camping spot beside Loch Affric on the second morning

In the morning, it was bright and warm for breakfast and we were able to pack up in the dry but it started to rain as we left, creating a lovely rainbow over Loch Affric. It was too warm for waterproofs so fortunately it didn’t get any worse and the sun soon came out properly. We followed landrover tracks through the mixed woods above Loch Affric and then along Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin, before turning east and climbing uphill into conifer forest.

Affric Lodge

We then descended out of the forest and into the sunshine and farmland before walking into Tomich, where we stopped for our first pint of the trip at the hotel.

A hard earned pint in the sunshine at Tomich

We then had a steep climb onto moorland to our planned camping spot between Loch a’Ghreidlein and Loch na Beinne Moire; however, we decided to carry on a bit further and reduce the distance we had to walk the following day. Normally the forest path should have been a nightmare of bog but the weather had been so dry it was no problem at all. We stopped to camp beside the River Enrick, near a bothy where four other challengers were staying. We had dinner in the sunshine before joining them in front of the fire to hear stories of past challenges and challengers.

Our planned camp site for the second night, which we didn’t use in the end

It was lovely again in the morning, reminding us why we love camping! However, we were woken by a very strange bird with a bubbling call interspersed with shrieks like a strangled cat!

Wild camping is lovely when your hands aren’t freezing off and it’s not pouring with rain!

The previous evening the back of my ankle was tender and swollen but it seemed to have gone down. Our third day of walking wasn’t so fun: new landrover tracks took us north-east to Corrimony, followed by road then when we rejoined the Kintail-Affric Way more forestry tracks uphill. The views were limited and it was hard going; my ankle was getting quite uncomfortable by the end. The walk down into Drumnadrochit was nicer but we were tired and hot; we did see an owl in the woods though!

Finding our hostel was the hardest navigation yet but we still arrived  much earlier than we had expected. The staff were very welcoming and we did some washing and collected our food parcel. Note: the Lochness Backpackers Hostel doesn’t have a drying room or phone signal for most networks, which makes arranging the ferry for the next day tricky!

We made a huge dinner of chilli and smash and spent a the evening chatting to other challengers and worrying slightly about how much my ankle was hurting.

We had completed the first section!

 

Day 1

24.4km / 9 hours:  Kintail Lodge to Athnamulloch ( we actually camped at the jetty about 1km further along)

Day 2

24.1 km / 9 h 40 mins: Athnamulloch to Loch a’Ghredlein (we actually carried on to the River Enrick about 3.5km further)

Day 3 

26.1km / 5 hours: Loch a’Ghredlein to Drumnadrochit (actually from River Enrick to Drumnadrochit)

*Planned distance / actual journey time: Planned route (actual route)