Author Archives: Michael Friebe

Had a nice dinner at the FIVE ARMS HOTEL in Braemar … one of the best hotels in the UK … they also have an excellent Bar/Restaurant that I visited several times in the last years.

Awesome setup and really decent food. The bar was completely filled so they placed the lonely walker in a side room that I have not been before.

I checked my OURA and saw a weird pattern. Everytime I staid at a hostel my sleeping was not so relaxing and my body temperature was high … and fine when I slept in the tent ⛺️ … interesting, isn’t it?

Anyway will stay again in a hostel in Ballater … let’s see if the pattern continues. The two remaining nights will be tent 🏕️ camping again.

The day looked a little boring on the map with lots of street walking … well, it was luckily more exciting and less dangerous.

Braemar was filled with TGOC participants and several also followed my obvious route … met them several times throughout the day.

First needed to climb the mountain at BRAEMAR and then was positively surprised to see that they build a very nice path a little above the road that brought us directly into BALMORAL FOREST … beautiful old trees.

And then I saw BALMORAL castle … some tourists, but considering that it was Sunday today and the weather quite decent (at least around noon) it was not bad at all.

Talking quickly about the weather … it was my first short pants walking day (8 degrees). Till 2pm it was quite nice and then started to rain pretty continuously till I arrived in Ballater.

After leaving the immediate BALMORAL grounds with destination ROYAL LOCHNAGAR WHISKY DUSTILLERY I passed a very gourgeous golf course with absolutely no one playing … maybe exclusively reserved for the royal family???

The king apparently prefers Macallan but the DIAGEO owned distillery ROYAL LOCHNAGAR is on his property.

This was after roughly half the distance which was followed by about 7km road walking with very little traffic.

At a track junction into the forest I found that little sign (from the place that I am staying tonight 🥳).

The box contained delicious homemade cookies 🍪. I found a second box closer to Ballater.

Lots of storm damage along the River Dee till I crossed the old pedestrian bridge only allowing a max of 4 people on it 😱

The last 5k led through a very nice forest into Ballater, a place I visited several times in the past. Many restaurants and quite busy.

After setting in at the Hostel I went to the BARREL restaurant and ordered CHICKEN BALMORAL (filled with Haggis) … the walk must have inspired me I normally never order chicken.

Less than 100km to go!

🚶‍♂️: 10 – 8 of which were TGOC Participants

🦌 : –

Learnings: 

• A live without challenges and with a high degree of certainty is boring and likely not fulfilling … at least not for characters like me.
• Living without risk taking … see above.
• Said that before … keeping your body in shape should be an obligation for everyone … and keeping your mind fit is ultimately key … a waking trip like the TGOC covers all aspects.

Magical Moment:

I was actually hesitant to write about that, because it destroys my reputation as a tough guy 🤨.

Actually happened to me during last years trip as well.

I started having tears 😭 during the walk … not because of sadness, but because of happiness and personal satisfaction. This is really weird and you probably experience that only (I at least) when you are for a longer period of time alone with yourself and have time to reflect. This is reason alone to to that – or something like it – again and again. Reflection is so valuable … I also finetuned my new plans and my career #4. You will hear about it soon!

Had a little bit of a problem finding a decent campsite yesterday … but quite happy with the one I eventually setup.

After that I walked along the River / Glen Lui towards Mar Lodge, now owned by the Scottish Trust. The TGO has a meeting spot there.

The walk went through ancient forest and passed by some hunting relicts from another time (Derry Lodge … and later see the ballroom at the Mar Lodge).

Before coming to the stables I walked by the ballroom and the Mar Lodge itself … they were preparing for a wedding and I was quickly invited for a beer (noon 😊).

Do you want to see what is behind these doors?

See here!

I signed off at the TGO whiteboard and went for the last 7.5km towards Braemar first crossing the River Dee and eventually entering Braemar. I walked by the house that we rented in 2021 and where I wrote part of my book NOVEL INNOVATION DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE OF HEALTH … in the meantime downloaded almost 60k times from the SPRINGER site.

🚶‍♂️ : 25 – 15 of which were TGOC Participants

🦌 : –

OURA: Readiness 80 (wow!), Sleep 86 (more wow!), Activity 75 (did too much)

Only 19km today and 400 altitude meters …

Learnings: 

• Increasing excitement the further you get to your goal … especially when things work out well.
• I knew that before, but realised it again in the last days: I am rather introvert … prefer to be alone than to be with lots of people. But certainly enjoy the company of friends and my family.
• Nice to come back to places that you enjoyed before and that still are as good as they were.

Magic Moments:

I was talking to a young participant of the short TGOC … and asked him if he would do the complete one next year … his answer: If I get off time from work!

I am soooooo lucky and happy that for 10 years+ now I determine my schedule and my time off and that I also have the financial freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want. Does not mean I work less than before – on the contrary – just means that you do not have to follow other people’s agenda! Very satisfying!

And another magic moment was passing by Mar Lodge that prepared for a wedding and one of the attendees handed me a GERMAN beer!

And last … I met another DUOLINGO Scottish Gaelic student like me among the TGO participants.

Felt very refreshed and strong 💪 this morning. I managed to get everything dried … even the tent (I was hanging it up in my room turned the heater up and opened the window 😱).

BTW – more than half of the days and distance completed!

Left around 09:30 after saying goodbye to my TGO fellows and the host and went straight to the BEACHHOUSE which promised to have breakfast starting at 09:00 … GOOGLE was right this time. Two breakfast rolls … that’s all for the day … no food till I arrive in the evening.

BTW: My OURA still says I am sleeping well – Readiness 64 (I am not worried at all!), Sleep 84, Activity 84.

I was unsure which route to take and eventually decided to go through Lairig Ghru … the mountains got a lot of snow yesterday and that was not an alternative. The only other route would have been through beautiful Glen Feshie, the tour I did on my first TGO in 2022.

The weather forecast said 0% chance of precipitation … completely off! Around 3-4 hours of hail and snow again! The pictures don’t show that … because one preferably takes pictures when the weather is nice 😊.

To get there I had to first cross the Feshie river and then walk for about 12k through the Rothiemurchus forest — very nice old trees … reminded me of the Feshie valley.

And then the Ben Macdui and the Cairn Toul showed their white top. Yesterday was heavy snowfall … my original tour (planned on the weather assumption from last year — 15 – 20 degrees and sunshine 😇) would have led me over the ridge and I would have camped on top of Cairn Toul. There is probably one meter of snow up there right now with temperatures of around -10 degrees. I am neither technical prepared nor have warm enough sleeping equipment.

But Lairig Ghru was difficult enough … completely rocky on top, fully snow covered and a not distinguishable track.

It was a great tour however … very glad that I did it and I am sure that you agree looking at the pictures and video.

I continued passing Corrour Bothy … looked like it was full already. Further down I met one of the wardens of the bothy on his way to check if everything still works.

My original camping spot was taken 🤦‍♂️ … so I had to walk for another 3k for a total of 36k and 1000 altitude meters today to set up my tent at this wonderful spot.

Tomorrow ist a short walk (20k) to Braemar where I will stay at the Youth Hostel and eat at the Five Arms bar restaurant 😊.

🚶‍♂️ : lots (>20) – about one third TGOC Participants that I passed

🦌 : nothing really … but honestly did not intensively look … and why would a deer be in the cold if it can be further down 🦌 

Learnings: 

• Having more than half completed gives you renewed energy to complete everything.
• It does not take much to motivate one again … I am sure … you just need to find what it is and be able to apply it. This is a personal thing!

Magic Moments:

It was all in all a wonderfully stimulating day.

I had that last year too that I felt very happy and content with my live during this trip — live is wonderful and I really have had a great one so far … don’t want it to end, but if it would I could not complain!

Let me start by saying that after a really bad day there can be an even worse one … at least weatherwise.

Luckily I only had 22km to go because I added about 8km yesterday.

I was lucky that I found a decent campsite and was able to pitch the tent in the only 30 minutes of the day when it was not raining.

It was a little like yesterday, first a decent path and then kilometres crossing the wet bog. This time in continuous snow and hale showers. I was absolutely soaking wet … actually everything was wet. I was really fighting to day.

Several times I had to cross a river that was impassable without taking your shoes off … and even then quite dangerous due to the fast and deep water … all of that in rain and getting back into wet and cold shoes.

In between I found this beautiful bothy … I stopped there soaking wet, made myself a hot coffee and felt better.

But everything has an end … in my case crossing the infamous A9 … the lifeline of Northern Scotland and ending up at the FORCES MANOR after 22km and 850altitude meters.

A superfriendly owner and dog greeted me and offered there dryroom 🙏🥳

Three other TGO participants joined and we had a wonderful evening at the local pub around the corner with food brought from a chinese restaurant in Aviemore.

I feel strong and motivated again!

Stats:

Readiness 76 (surprisingly good)

Sleep 80 (see above considering the rain and low temperatures)

Activity 77(also relatively high)

🚶‍♂️ : 4 – all TGOC Participants – no one else

🦌 : >100 

Learnings: 

• What starts bad can turn quite positive!
• There are always moments when you consider giving up … you should at least wait to the next event and then reconsider.

Magic Moments:

The Forces Manor had a lovely owner with an extremely playful Golden Retriever … Monty, I will be home soon!

And even better the place had a DRY ROOM – I am back in business!

And also extremely magical the owner of the adjacent pub spoke German with family in Münster (only about 45 minutes from my home).

And last but not least I had dinner (and a lot of drinks) with 3 other TGOC‘ler … very enjoyable company and great stories. 🙏

And really lastly now the first rainbow on this trip … and even a double one.

This day had it all … weatherwise for sure. And it ended up my longest day with around 37km (48km in total, but around 10km by speedboat) and a total of 11:30 hours walking.

My readiness is down to 49 now, expected with no recovery time, sleep was 73 and the activity dropped to 79, which is also normal based on the OURA algorithm.

Anyway I am still feeling fine despite today’s tough walking.

First I had to walk about 4km to the harbor to catch the boat across Loch Ness that was organised by the TGOC. There were 12 TGOC‘ler that magically appeared to be placed in one of the two „speed boats“.

What a fantastic (cold though) ride and spectacular with the two boats next to each other.

I knew several people from previous TGO events … and I was recognised by others. Very nice to meet some familiar faces at different locations.

On the Foyers side I first went by the falls … the spectacular lower falls I missed however. 

Then onto the excellent Cameron Cafe. I was a little early but then the first who got served – Full Scotish!

It already rained on and off before I hit the Monadliath Mountaibs … then was nice again … then quick rain … you could not put the raingear on fast enough.

Almost at the top I saw a small green hut … entered and saw some familiar faces. 

And then it started to heavily hale, that later turned into snow. I waited here for about 2 hours, made a coffee and had nice chats with the others who decided to stay since they had managed to get the oven going. I was quite tempted to stay as well. But a short sunny spell made me decide to continue.

What followed was a several km long walk through extremely boggy terrain in heavy snowfall. 

Once I reached the top the water started to quickly collect and I could see the development from a small creek to the powerful river Findhorn in a mere 3 or 4km.

I had quite a bit of problems to cross a couple of the side creeks due to their waterload.

By that time I also had caught up to Janneke, Dutch programmer who actually lives with her boyfriend not far from my scotish home. We walked together for about 15km with several more snow/hale and rain showers.

I found a good camping spot close to the Findhorn and Janneke went on for a couple of kilometres.

Had to set up the tent in rain and was happy to see that not everything in my backpack was wet.

Cooked my noodles and hope for a good sleep and better weather tomorrow on my way to Kincraig, where I will stay at the Forces Manor in a single room 🥳. 

Because I made up some kilometres I hope to arrive there by 14:00/15:00 to give me some time to dry my stuff.

No reception here … so will send from Kincraig.

🚶‍♂️ : 12 – all TGOC Participants – no one else

🦌 : 2 

Learnings: 

• A comfortable first goal and results should not stop from continuing to your set destination.
• The little water from the rain, developing rapidly into a powerful creek and an even more powerful river is of course an analogy to developing an idea, starting a company and scaling. I requires funds (rain), ideas must meet a market (merging creeks), and speed (decline of the water).

Magic Moments:

Well, the hut right before the hale and snow started was pretty amazing.

Well it did happen! MY MAGICAL MOMENT OF DAY 3!

About 2km before my camping destination I came by a pretty run down building but with an intact roof … made me stop ✋ … door not closed … so I went in. Right side pretty dreadful, but why not look at the left side anyway.

Nice little bothy room and with that I quickly decided to change my plans and stay here instead. 

There are quite a lot of people who stop by here … yesterday Graham Brook #27 of this years TGOC (the german that I am I corrected his year error).

And now it starts to rain … thanks 🙏 for that magical moment!

Off I went for a mere 20km (that turned out to become 23km because I had to revert) that were more exhausting than I imagined.

But recalling last years event I was also particularly tired and worn at day 4. No real food and no shower and no real drink since 4 days either. Today I was thinking continuously about the LOCH NESSS BUNK INN … and my dinner reservation at 6:30pm.

Remember what I wrote yesterday about taking detours?

Well, I did it again — I walked (on the map from the right) towards Corrimony and saw on the map the FALLS and the CAVE … well just a couple of hundred meters off the track and the promise of seeing something spectacular with a footbridge bringing you even closer and faster to your destination.

Found out it was impossible — while the map showed some decline it was a perpendicular wall. I made it to the falls that I believe are some of the most spectacular that I have seen in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 – but since it was impossible to go down I had to return through almost impenetrable forest. But better than killing yourself.

Corrimony has many ancient monuments with the most notable being the chambered cairn several thousand years old.

The next 10k following the Affric Kintail trail were rather boring and I finally made it close to my destination walking through amazing trees and forests (Balmacaan estate and forest).

Then on to DRUMNADROCHIT and first in the local Co-Op buying supplies for the coming days and then on to my resting place … the Loch Ness Inn!

Dinner to come – will show some pictures tomorrow, but here one from the bunk room … 4 beds, till now the only one, but am sure that it will fill.

Tomorrow I am off for an early start as I need to walk for about an hour to catch my ferry across Loch Ness at 08:30 …. no there is normally no ferry, this is a private tour organised for the TGOC participants … no idea how many will show up.

🚶‍♂️ : 3

🦌 : 0

Total of almost 23km and 800 altitude meters

Readiness 78

Sleep 83 — not bad! Thank you bothy!

Activity 91

Learnings: 

• You need to feel confident about making a decision despite having not enough information.
• If you get to a point where it is too difficult do not be too proud to turn around.

Magic Moments:

Up to now the Cider that I enjoy at the Bar of the Loch Ness Inn and the fact that they have 70 different Whiskeys … including 2 from Glenwyvis (some know that I am a voluntary director of that distillery).

Weather has greatly improved – actual ideal for walking except it was very cold this morning (freezing) and I slept in half wet clothes / sleeping bag. So surprised that I slept at all.

Yesterdays campground was at the parking lot of the River Affric … even had a toilet. Camping was not allowed … but there were 3 other tents there already when I came 🤷‍♂️.

I left around 09:30 and was planning to go to the Tomich Hotel for a lunch drink and snack (found out later that it was closed 😢). First I walked for about 10km along the KINTAIL AFFRIC trail (nothing really beautiful and not really a trail rather a highway – nothing that I have to ever do). 

Here I met Graham, a seasoned TGOC‘ler, but who was struggling a bit because of yesterday’s bad weather.

Than i went over the mountain to get into the next valley … upon checking my map I saw the PLODDA FALLS marked about 5km away (detour of around 9km) and decided to go there (you will see the loop on the map).

What a great decision! First I walked by the ruins of the GUISACHAN HOUSE showing fortune and failure in just one generation.

But did you know where the GOLDEN RETRIEVER comes from?

I did not … was originally bred here … there is even a GOLDEN RETRIEVET statue in the small village of Tomich.

Then I went through an ancient and  most beautiful forest with huge scotch pines to eventually reach the Plodda Falls … impressive 40m drop and georgeous surroundings. Often worth taking a detour!

On the way to the Tomich Hotel I passed the already mentioned Dog Statue to find out that there is no beer / food due to closure of the hotel 🤦‍♂️.

I wrote this report here just in case there is no reception at my campsite.

🚶‍♂️ : 1 – TGOC Participant – Graham

🦌 : 2

Total of almost 30km and 800 altitude meters

Readiness 70

Sleep 76

Activity 93

Learnings: 

• Pivoting often leads to surprising and valuable results … so does the experimentation! Be bold!
• Turn back every once in a while and have a look at what you just saw / did and what you can learn from it (which is what i do with my learnings 😇). 

Magic Moments:

None up to now, but I will still have to walk another 8km … lots can happen!

As nice as yesterday was as dreadful was today. Raining all day long and much heavier than forecasted. I was soaking wet by the time I made it to my campsite magic happened … and my fancy new backpack promised to be waterproof … it ain‘t … sleeping bag is wet and many other things 🤬.

And, I did not make it up the Carn Eighe range – for the second time already – last year I was not fit enough and this year the weather was too bad … all day 5 degrees (which felt like 0), blistery winds at times and rainy. Up there 👆 who knows … could not see the peaks and likely significant sub-zero temperatures and snow fall.

I circumvented the range, which ended up over 34km and almost 10 hours of walking time.

I sincerely hope that tomorrow is a better day and that I can get some of my stuff dried.

It was around 0 degrees yesterday and I woke up a couple of times freezing.

But my overall sleep score (OURA) was 85, Resilience 80 and Activity 95 — not too bad!

Tomorrow is another camping 🏕️ day and another day without any village. But Tuesday!

🚶‍♂️ : 0

🦌 : >250

Learnings:

About half of today’s path I walked before, but just because you do it again does not mean it’s the same. This analogy is of course also true for start-ups or business ventures.

Magic moments:

You will laugh … but I am on a long streak learning Ghailig on DUOLINGO … and no connection all day … but at my campsite magic happened and I was connected. Juhu 🍾

It was surprisingly tough … on the map it looked rather easy … but no paths for a good part of the walk and on top of that additional deer fences.

Anyway, took me 7:30 hours for around 30km and about 800 altitude meters. Feet are fine and the new backpack wears OK.

Weather was exceptionally good … sunshine pretty much the whole day … cold (8 degrees) but I walked the entire day just in a 👕.

I found a very nice campsite right beside the river … there are sheep around including there „shit“, but that is part of outdoor camping.

There is no cellphone reception , and therefore this report will

be delayed by one or possibly even two days. 

Tomorrow is the crossing of the Carn Eighe range planned (2.600 altitude meters 😱), but depending on the weather I may decide to drop down earlier or to even go around.

The Inverinate Estate (250 km2!!) by the way is owned by the Ruler of Dubai for over 20 years already. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverinate – interesting what you find out.

🚶‍♂️ : 1 (Walkers met)

🦌 : >20 (Deer seen)

What did I learn today?

While I have done the TGOC / Crossing three times already starting again (from different locations and walking different routes) is always an unknown and is scary and exciting at the same time — just like starting another company. I may have done that several times in the past, but it is never the same and there are always different issues.

If there is no path there is likely a deer pass … animals pick the easiest route which is often not the most direct one. Again, startups should look for the most direct path for success / proving that the problem that they are trying to tackle really exists and is worth solving. But that requires to understand what the easiest pathway is, which is often not the most obvious one.

Magic Moments:

Some of you know that I have a brewing & distilling degree from HWU in Edinburgh and that I am very interested especially in the craft segment. So my first magic moment was walking by and talking to the owner / brewer of the PLOCKTON BREWERY … 300m after I departed. Nice guy!

Just signed out at THE PLOCKTON HOTEL for DAY 1 … 26km easy start (😌) with 800 altitude meters.

Weather is much better than expected … let’s hope it stays. Tomorrow is a MUNRO day.