Dog Blog – The Long Walkies 25.5.08
Well, to all those Righteous Rovers who told me it couldn’t be done........WE DID IT!
Yes, I led the team to certain victory in our little coast-to-coast walk in a splendid time of 18hours 45mins. They all showed dogged determination.
My 4-man cycling team assembled in Beauly, near Inverness, at 2.45am yesterday – about the time some team members usually go to bed. Then as rose-tinted dawn stole over the eastern portals and cameraman Des Glancy barked orders to the lycra-clad lovelies, Mr McPlod arrived. McPlod was anxious to know what a strange Irishman was doing in the centre of their town with a load of batteries and cable.
Terrorist alert over, I barked them off on their westerly road at 3am sharp. Batting order – Scott, Austin, Chris.......and my pal Al fighting a rearguard action. Mum and I soon overtook them in the camper van and headed for Glen Affric. They were with us by 5.30am all bright-eyed and bushy tailed. In fact, a bit like the many red deer they encountered on the road.
As they whacked into porridge and mum’s mega bacon butties I hung around looking pathetic. Austin kindly gave me his fat – you wouldn’t believe he was from Lancashire – and the others barely gave me a second glance as they pigged themselves.
God, they were slow to start. But I had them heading for the hills by 7.30am with me leading the way. Austin did a great impression of Long John Silver before limping back down the glen after an hour with his knee giving serious jip. Mum (Judy) led Des off to climb the catchily-named Toll Creagach while we headed for Tom a’Choinich. By the way, don’t try to pronounce any of these names as you’ll almost certainly be wrong. Gaelic is about as difficult as my native Hungarian.
Anyway, the day just got better and better. Early greyness gave way to a beautiful sunny day with a pleasant cooling wind as we arrived at our 2nd Munro (Scottish 3000ft peak) of Carn Eighe......and lunch. I dutifully downed my canine fare but all sorts of tempting treats started coming my way – bits of Mars bar, jelly babies, fruit, nuts, mum’s fruit flapjack. Forget the doggy dross, give me party food every time. Yep, Chris and Scott are good lads. Up and away then to Mam Sodhail and An Socach.
5.30pm – or 10 hours later - saw us back down in the valley at Alltbeithe, a remote Youth Hostel. Hmm, Dad kept this very quiet and I could see he had no intention of staying. I stretched out and pretended to be enjoying the sun but in truth I was a bit dehydrated......and knackered. Dad made my tea but I just gave it a wan look as if to say: ‘Hey! Where’s the party food again?’ It worked a treat. I was soon tucking into Mars bar, more jelly babies, tuna sandwiches, sausages, scotch egg (not sure about this one) and a whole host of finger food delights.
And so, as the sun began to sink slowly – very slowly – in the west, we strode cheerfully towards Loch Duich on Bonnie Scotland’s westerly shore. Oh, the excitement as we all legged it down the road into the setting sun towards our support team. 9.45pm! I felt just great......and team Aster members still had a little spring in their step too.
Highlights: just beating Scott to the top of every Munro (he may be a former British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Boxing Champ – but I can still teach him a trick or two on the hill). Lowlights: discovering that the party food seemed to end at Loch Duich. I noticed that I wasn’t offered any tempting mutton stew......or Champagne. Woof, woof!