2018 TGO Challenge Day 12

TGO Challenge Day 12

Loch of Aboyne to Fetteresso Wild Camp - 18 miles
 Total Trip Miles: 166.1

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018

Day 12 part 1

Day 12 part 2

We had to wait until 8am to check out so we could get our deposit back for the toilet/shower key at the campsite.  We were ready to go right about on time.  Our goal was to go beyond our planned stopping point to make it possible to finish our crossing the following day instead of Thursday morning.

We were still following the Deeside way for about 5 more miles.  The first section was through some farmland.  It was a cooler, cloudier day than we had had since day 3, I think.

After crossing a minor road there was a relatively steep uphill for a bit before a gradual descent into Kincardine O'Neil.  There was a post office/corner store there with hot food available.  Kenny and Ava had known food was a possibility, but weren't sure so they didn't say anything and disappoint me and Leslie if there wasn't food.  There were a couple small tables outside so we sat and enjoyed some hot food that wasn't camping food.  

Leslie's breakfast

The main street through Kincardine O'Neil

Memorial

Our next landmark was the bridge to Potarch that crossed the River Dee, which we had been walking on the north side of for the better part of a day.  We continued following the Deeside Way as it paralleled the road through a forest.  We came to a small parking lot where two women and their dogs were about to leave.  We ended up talking to them for a few minutes and playing with the dogs.  

Potarch map

Potarch history

About a km after the parking area we came to a small lane that we thought was the campsite.  There were a couple tables tucked back under the trees.  We decided to stop and have lunch there.

I wasn't allowed to eat at the same table as the others,
 so I had my angry face on

The lunch stop was relatively short because it never really warmed up at all today and we were all getting cold.   We walked most of the afternoon through moors and farmland, occasionally walking through some wooded areas.  We came upon a lamb whose head was stuck in a fence.  Leslie went over and helped him get free.  She finally got to touch a lamb.

Freezing cold selfie

We reached our planned destination near Moss-side (NO 699 917).  There was a nice field for camping and a water source, but we decided to push on another 3 miles to put us in position to finish tomorrow.  Originally the plan had been to camp near Dunnottar Castle and then finish our crossing Thursday morning, but the pull of a hot shower at the Montrose campsite was strong (or even a bed if we got lucky and found a hotel room). 

We walked through quite few fields of cattle and then gradually climbed into a clear-cut forest area before finally getting into the Fetteresso.  

In the Fetteresso

We took a left turn that swung us out of the trees for a bit, not realized the path we had been on had a connecting path to where we needed to go.  The left turn required us climbing over a locked gate and we walked through a bit of mud that could have possibly been avoided had we kept on the original path.  

We were all exhausted but kept pushing on to what looked like a flat area for camping at a river crossing (NO 722 874).  When we arrived there were 4 other tents already there.  The first tent was Brad, whom we knew from 2016 and ran into on Day 1.  We managed to find a few not-so-lumpy camping spots and went about our nightly chores. 

Campsite features a lovely view of the wind farm