If you are reading this, you might like to follow the page and see updates everyday of one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced.

I applied on a recommendation in September 2018, giving some detail on my past experience of long-distance trekking, wild camping and navigating in the wild. The whole principle of the application is if they consider you have suitable experience, you are placed in the ballot for one of the coveted 400 places allocated every year. You then wait until October to hear if you are successful.

Just a little shocked, but really pleased to have been successful, and so began the planning.

It’s not a route already defined. It’s not a race. It’s not a run. It’s not marshalled. It’s an opportunity for you to plan your own west to east crossing of Scotland, solo or as a small team. And Leave. No. Trace.

Rules

• You define your own route and submit it for approval. If your route is not vetted on time, you don’t participate in the event. Simple.
• You must start at one of 14 start points on the West coast of Scotland on or after 10^th May 2019. These are spread out form Loch Fyne to Torridon: https://www.tgochallenge.co.uk/2018event/start-points/
• You must walk all of it.
• You cannot take your dog.
• You must mostly wild camp, but it’s accepted that every few days you might want to take stock at a bothy or hostel or B&B.
• You must finish on or before 24^th May 2019, at any point on the East coast of Scotland from Arbroath to Fraserborough, like these places: https://www.tgochallenge.co.uk/2018event/finish-points
• You must sign the register in Montrose by 5pm on the 24^th May for your crossing to count.

Here’s the full list of do’s and don’t’s: https://www.tgochallenge.co.uk/about/challenge-dos-and-donts/

It took the best part of three months to devise my route. 320km from start to finish, and over the next few weeks you will see some insight in to the final prep before my big off.