Before May 2014 I had never heard of The Great Outdoors Challenge. That May I was on a three day backpacking trip from Glen Finnan to Inverie in Knoydart with four friends. Knoydart is described as an area of wilderness so we didn’t expect to see many, if any other people. Two days of anticipated solitude before reaching Inverie and The Old Forge for a few beers.
On our first day we walked from the railway station at Glen Finnan via Corryhully Bothy to a wild camp in Strathan and the solitude we craved. On day two things changed dramatically. We were walking through Glen Dessarry to a planned overnight at Sourlies Bothy when we came across one or two small groups travelling east. On approaching a group of approximately ten we had to enquire about what they were doing. This was my introduction to the Challenge.
One of the group introduced himself as Martin Banfield and suggested we could find out more on his blog ‘Postcard From Timperley’. Upon returning home I did my research and was hooked. I had plans to undertake my initial Challenge in the first year of retirement, but having a very understanding wife my first Challenge took place in 2016 at the age of 57.
So what exactly is TGO Challenge?
Sponsored by The Great Outdoors magazine it is a non-competitive self-supported walk across Scotland that takes place in May each year. It aims to encourage fellowship amongst walkers fostering a relaxed atmosphere in which participants can enjoy Scotland’s wild and remote places as well as the company of other Challengers.
What makes the Challenge unique is that there is no TGO Challenge route. All participants plan their own route starting from one of 14 start points on the west coast and finish on the east coast between Fraserburgh and Arbroath.
Route plans have to be submitted for vetting and must contain enough detail to be followed on a 1:50k map. In certain cases there are requirements for ‘foul weather alternatives’.
15 days are permitted in which to complete a crossing with the majority completed in 13 to 15.
For safety reasons a first time applicant must submit details of their backpacking experience and all participants must pre-plan a minimum of 4 phone calls to Challenge Control during the event.
The popularity of the Challenge means that places are typically gained by ballot.
History
The idea came from writer and mountaineer Hamish Brown. He had crossed Scotland on foot by himself and felt that similar crossings could be accomplished and enjoyed by others within the framework of an organised non-competitive event.
In autumn 1979 Hamish presented the idea to Roger Smith, then the editor of The Great Outdoors magazine, and the first event was held the following Spring. Since then it has become a hillwalking institution. That the Challenge has been held every May since 1980, format unchanged, is a tribute to Hamish’s original concept. It has been sponsored by TGO magazine since the outset but was originally known as The Ultimate Challenge after the first co-sponsors, Ultimate Equipment Ltd. The only year in which a full Challenge was not held was 2001, when an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease led to severe restrictions and now once again in 2020 due to Coronavirus.