The Great Outdoors Challenge - New Website and Pictures

Camp in the Gaick Pass, 2008

That unique backpacking event The Great Outdoors Challenge has a new website with details of the 2016 Challenge, masses of information and lots of inspiring pictures.

I'll be doing my sixteenth crossing of the Scottish Highlands next year and I've been thinking back to the previous ones, right back to the first Challenge in 1980 in fact.  It really is a great event and one that has been important to me for over 35 years now, which I find somewhat astonishing.

I took photographs on all the Challenges but I haven't scanned any of the films used in pre-digital days (note to self - I must do so) so I can't post anything from the 1980s or 1990s. I changed to digital in 2004 since when I've done six Challenges. Photos from these have appeared in posts before but I've gathered some together here. On only one of these crossings did I have a companion and I always seem to choose routes that mean I rarely encounter other Challengers so there's rarely other people or other tents in my pictures. Most are of camp sites. For me, the camps are as important as the walking and it these pictures that bring back the strongest memories.

2004

Camp somewhere in the Central Highlands

On the edge of the hills, a day's walk from the East Coast.

2007

Camp in Glen Affric

Camp with another Challenger at White Bridge in the Cairngorms

2008

Camp on the summit of Ben Nevis

Beside Loch Treig

2009

Camp in the Western Highlands

Challenge tents on the camp site in Montrose on the east coast

2012

Snow on the Glen Affric hills

In Glen Feshie

2014

Tony Hobbs in Gleann Gaorsaic

Camp with Tony Hobbs in the Monadh Liath