My latest blogs
- Day 12 (Arrival in Stonehaven) — TGOC 2025 — Happiness and GratitudeIt actually rained during the night and even shortly in the morning … so i had to pack up a wet tent ⛺️ Made my last tea and off for the last 21km. Was glad when I could finally leave the Feteresso Forest where heavy logging was going on combined with a closure of exactly the road and path of where I wanted to go … so I ignored the signs … not sure what else I could have done…More
- Day 11 — TGOC 2025 — tough (last mountains), interesting countryside, and another surprising meet-upLeft St. Drostan (again not a very good night) after waiting in line with many challengers for a beacon roll. I was ready to go at 08:30 … pretty early for me, but this second to last day was my longest (35km) and sounded with 1200am also quite strenuous. First time I took this route out of Tarfside … goes up pretty steep to eventually reach the last corbett (Mount Battock) with beautiful 360 degree views. Before reaching the top…More
- Day 10 — TGOC 2025 — back in Tarfside … being among people againOn paper an easy and fast day — only 21km, but as I did this before, with a very steep incline up from Glen Doll to Loch Brandy (what a fantastic name) that looks a little like a volcano … and maybe it is … need to check! But the good part this morning was my stay at the Clova Hotel … ate well in the evening … did some of my laundry … and was offered a full breakfast…More
- Day 9 — TGOC 2025 — first and only Munro — back at the ClovaThe plan (and I made it) was to leave Lich Beannie and actually pass two hill ranges (Glen Isla and Glen Prosen) before steeply descending into Glen Doll. In 2023 I came down the infamous Jock’s road and this time the Kilbo path down the Shank of Drumfollow. But before that I had to first climb the one and only Munro (hills over 3000 feet), the MAYAR and the opposite DRIESH. Not a spectacular mountain but a great view and…More
- Day 8 — TGOC 2025 — revisit DalmunzieLong trip ahead, but about half of it known to me as I went it before. The first part from the Tarf River campsite to Glen Tilt is apparently not often walked … I lost the path several times. But beautiful views from above and below. From Glen Tilt the path lead up to the beautiful Fealar Lodge … apparently the highest altitude hunting lodge in the UK. I also passed my campsite from 2023 and once I reached Loch…More
- Day 7 — TGOC 2025 — this cannot be true!Look easy on the map … how wrong was I. If you see the grass bushes on the map it indicates marsh / bog terrain. And I had to go 15km through that today … All in all I was completely exhausted and spend 11 hours walking … and people who know me also know that I typically do not take breaks or only short ones. Saw lots of frogs and beetles today though … on the positive note 😉…More
- Day 6 — TGOC 2025 — a typical challenge day?Why do I say “typical” challenge day? Because it had ups and downs, frustrations, but also bright and surprising moments … and “magical” support from other challengers. You need to understand that around 300 people do this challenge, but they start at 12 different locations on the Atlantic coast several hundert kilometers apart from each other. You can also start at different days and can pick your individual route taking up to 15 walking days … and last but not…More
- Day 5 — TGOC 2025 — from Fort Augustus towards DalwhinnieWell first let’s talk about the sleeping experience in a full 6 bed bunkbed room. I have a (long passed) military and german alpine hut background where you sometimes slept with 20 or even more people in one room. There is at least one who heavily snores and/or someone who is simply loud. We had one of those as well … actually a person snoring and not behaving well … and it was not me. I brought earplugs and a…More
- Day 4 — TGOC 2025 — cold / warm / not so nice but with a great ending (25 km, 750 am, 6:30 hours)I started relatively early this morning to make sure I would make it in time to buy supplies in Fort Augustus. Very cold and misty in the morning! I walked through an old forest following a small path up … till it ended and then 5km through boggy terrain … very exhausting. The sun came at around noon and showed the not so beautiful path following massive power lines and clear cuts. But I had a rendezvous today which boosted…More
- Day 2 and 3 — TGOC 2025 — Total of 64 and 1.800 altitude meterWhat a beautiful campsite I left, but spoiler, the day 2 one was even more beautiful. I was initially planning to take the originally planned route over the mountain, but decided against it and went around – added 8 km l, but likely saved a couple of hours and also allowed me to visit the falls of glomach. Lots of path less walking today with plenty of deer sightings (no walkers though) and really low water levels. The river ling…More
- Day 1 (11.05.2025) – TGOC – Torridon to Lochan Fuara (N57 23.6525 / W005 21.8344)Total of 28km, approx. 1.100 altitude meter. Phantastic mountain range starting in Torridon – approx 7km and 600 AM up to see the first Munro (Maol Chean-dearg) that I pass without climbing 😎 and opposite to that a fascinating rock formation (An Rhuad-Stac). After the pass a steep descent into a valley leading to Stratchcarron. I passed the beautiful Mountain Bothy COIRE FIONNARAICH. After reaching the Strathcarron Hotel I stopped for a Cider and to listen to some Scottish Music…More
- Packed and Ready to GO!My packing list — quite happy with 11.5kg NET weight! WEATHER: likely to good and too hot … if it is hot for a long period in Scotland than the streams are low or even dry, which requires drinking water to be specially treated. And everything over 15 degrees during the day is very exhausting with 30 to 35km and over 1.000 altitude meters per day. We will see how it goes! 🥳 And, if you want to follow my…More
- One month to go — TGOC 2025Getting ready! My tour is planned and approved by TGOC challenge control starting May 11 in Torridon and planning to end on my 12th walking day in Stonehaven on May 22. Planned for roughly 320km and 11.000 altitude meters — or roughly 30km and 1.000 altitude meters per day. Also plan to climb 5 Munros – weather and physical shape permitting. Will attempt to write a daily report, but especially in the first half there is very sparse cellphone connection,…More
- DAY 12 — TGOC 2023 – St. Cyrus to Challenge Control in MontroseWhat another great day — weather and mood wise. I left my camping site at around 09:30 and was at the CHARLTON FRUIT FARM about an hour later for a full scotish breakfast and a strawberry tart. Then I walked down to Kinnaber Links where I ended up last year and followed the beautiful and rather empty beach stretch to Montrose and the Park Hotel to sign out and receive my certificate, mug, and T-shirt. At 19:00 we have a…More
- DAY 11 — TGOC 2023 – Tarfside – St. Cyrus (finished a day early!)Wonderful day … excellent weather … and I am in good shape. My plan was to actually to go to the FETTERCAIRN DISTILLERY and a little further. I was one of the last yesterday evening and subsequent one of the last to leave the campsite 🏕️ … only 3 or 4 tents still build up after I left around 09:30. First I went down Glen Esk for about 15km, initially on the road and after crossing the Esk on a…More
- DAY 10 — TGOC 2023 – Glen Clova to TarfsideIt was a really nice walking day and the last with some challenging hills to cover. It ended up to be 23km and quite a bit of up and down plus a lot of path searching and about 3km through peat and bog. I felt really good and strong and left rather late … passing many on the way up to Loch Brandy. I did not take the standard route down to Loch Lee, but stayed high … amazing how…More
- DAY 9 — TGOC 2023 – Loch Callater Lodge via Jock‘s road to Glen Clova HotelAfter the Callater party that ended for me at 30 minutes past midnight I got up at 07:30. Already heard and smelled breakfast activities. Packed my backpack and had two wonderful Bacon sandwiches (never seen those in Central Europe) with brown and red sauce (whatever that is anyway, but they said you either are a red or a brown sauce person – I liked both and even without any sauce). And then it was time to say goodbye and leave…More
- DAY 8 — TGOC 2023 – North of Fearlar Lodge to Callater LodgeWeather was OK – initially dry and later some light drizzles that continued towards the next morning. Total of 24 km toda with a lot of up and down … first 200m up then roughly 5km in no-paths land. After that I went up 500 altitude meters to the Munros of the Glenshee ski area and then back down to the cafe where I wrote yesterdays report. After I left the cafe I had to go down the busy highway…More
- DAY 7 — TGOC 2023 – Blair Atholl up Glen Tilt and towards Cairnwell / GlensheeI felt much better today … pain is still there but reduced and manageable … and that stayed the way, so I even went up my first Munro after having pitched the tent. It really was a wonderful day and a very very beautiful countryside. 27 km to the tent site and another 3.5km up and down the MAM NAN CARN that also added 500 altitude meters. Left around 09:20 and received a UK army food set for a day…More
- DAY 6 — TGOC – to BLAIR ATHOLL via HOUSE OF BRUARThe campground was nice … went to bed at 21:30 and pretty solidly slept till 07:00 … I really sleep well in tents and nature! Today was planned to be the shortest and naturwise the least exciting day of the tour. First I walked to the famous HOUSE OF BRUAR … been there probably 10 times already (great outdoor and scottish clothing plus a superb food department) … to have my well deserved breakfast and ran into Paul again. If…More
- DAY 5 — TGOC 2023 – somewhere on Loch Rannoch to about 15k away from Blair AthollMade it because I decided yesterday for a detour along Loch Rannoch but met my original route again at the campsite … after 32km and constant – partly unbearable pain in my left foot. Saw the wonderful SCHIHALLION Munro – and the detour lead to one of the amazing CHALLENGE moments that people talk about. Last year I started off at Mallaig crossing with the ferry over to Knoydart. There was a German on board as well … don’t know,…More
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