2017 TGO Challenge Days 8 and 9
Day off in Braemar - Friday May 19th
Braemar to Loch Callater Lodge - 5.25 miles - Saturday, May 20th, 2017
Total Trip Miles: 129.25
Braemar to Loch Callater Lodge - 5.25 miles - Saturday, May 20th, 2017
Total Trip Miles: 129.25
Friday:
A nice leisurely day off in Braemar was had. Lunch at the Bothy restaurant, lots of snacks and fruit (ice cream, strawberries, grapes...things I can't carry in my backpack). Once I checked into my B&B I took a nice long shower and then made sure my poor pinky toe was clean and dried thoroughly. I kept it unbandaged so it could breathe. I also went to the chemist and got some blister plasters to use on my toe once I started hiking again. After going through my resupply box and getting my laundry done, I had dinner at the Fish and Chips shop before going to the Invercauld Arms to hang out with the other challengers. I ended up not staying too late as I was exhausted and just wanted to relax in bed.
Saturday:
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| Day 8 |
I left Braemar about 1pm by the golf road. The weather was not looking good, but I only had 5 miles to walk and I had heard it was an easy jaunt up to the lodge. It was sprinkling as I left town and by the time I got to the golf course, about a mile or so out of town, it was a decent downpour. The rain was on and off for the rest of the walk up to Callater Lodge.
To get to the bridge over the Clunie Water that takes you to the A93, you have to travel around a section of barbed wire fence. When I stepped up onto a rock next to the barbed wire, my trekking poles strapped to my backpack got caught under the wire and a barb gouged a chunk out of the handle. Luckily it didn't snag me or my expensive backpack, which would have really upset me.
From the parking lot along the A93, the path to Callater Lodge is a pretty well maintained land rover track. I saw quite a few people coming back from the Loch, despite the rain. It was a nice relaxing stroll up to the lodge, and just as I crested the hill and saw the Lodge and the Loch come into view I captured a really extraordinary picture with amazing lighting and it definitely would have won awards. You may be asking yourself where this picture is...read on, reader!
I arrived at the lodge where I was greeted warmly by everyone there. This is one of the big social stopping points on the TGO. Everyone who was there helping out and giving their time and energy to providing for all the challengers was truly wonderful! They provide meals, drinks, massages (for a donation) and places to sleep for as many as they possibly can. I was given one of the beds upstairs for the night. Thanks to Michael, Bill, Ali and Jeanette!! (I'm pretty sure I got all the names correct. If not, let me know in the comments. Thanks!!
In the evening, someone mentioned that if you had Vodaphone there was signal at the lodge. I decided to get my phone and check to see if anyone had tried contacting me. When my phone turned on it went crazy, almost like someone was constantly tapping the screen in random places. I managed to get it into airplane mode and it seemed better, but as soon as I turned that off the phone started freaking out again. Then it suddenly restarted, and each time it booted back up it restarted again until the 4th or 5th time when it rebooted and had done a factory reset (like if I had just bought the phone) asking for my account info to set the phone up.
I had been using my phone as my primary camera since about day 3 when my actual camera battery died. I had been enjoying using the phone as my camera so didn't bother charging the camera. At the time I didn't know if any of my pictures had been saved, I just had to hope that when my phone was on the wi-fi at the B&B the night before it had synced my pictures like it's supposed to when on wi-fi. I tried re-entering my account info, but it needed wi-fi to activate the account. Unfortunately this means no pictures from the walk to Callater Lodge.
Despite the phone issues, we had a fun night hanging out, and I managed to get upstairs to sleep at not too late of an hour.
In the evening, someone mentioned that if you had Vodaphone there was signal at the lodge. I decided to get my phone and check to see if anyone had tried contacting me. When my phone turned on it went crazy, almost like someone was constantly tapping the screen in random places. I managed to get it into airplane mode and it seemed better, but as soon as I turned that off the phone started freaking out again. Then it suddenly restarted, and each time it booted back up it restarted again until the 4th or 5th time when it rebooted and had done a factory reset (like if I had just bought the phone) asking for my account info to set the phone up.
I had been using my phone as my primary camera since about day 3 when my actual camera battery died. I had been enjoying using the phone as my camera so didn't bother charging the camera. At the time I didn't know if any of my pictures had been saved, I just had to hope that when my phone was on the wi-fi at the B&B the night before it had synced my pictures like it's supposed to when on wi-fi. I tried re-entering my account info, but it needed wi-fi to activate the account. Unfortunately this means no pictures from the walk to Callater Lodge.
Despite the phone issues, we had a fun night hanging out, and I managed to get upstairs to sleep at not too late of an hour.
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