TGO Challenge Day 6 - 17 May 2022

Walking 8.25am to 6pm

Distance walked 15.5 miles

Distance remaining 99.5 miles

Had such a good night's sleep on the bothy floor but the upstairs floorboards were very creaky, although I was only aware of this after 5.15am when I surfaced and heard the others moving about.

I was the last to leave the bothy and gave it a good sweep out, being rewarded for my effort by finding a wrapped Snickers bar on the floor, only recently dropped.

Looking back to melgarve bothy

 

Most of the day was easy walking on good vehicle tracks and all low level. After nearly four miles I passed by Garva Bridge which had been my overnight stop on my planned route. 

Today's coffee stop

 At Laggan the store was still operating (I think it had been for sale) but today was its weekly closing day. I'd planned to buy tomorrow's breakfast there. My intended path out of Laggan at NH615945 led just to some properties with a sign saying no public right of way so I road walked along the quiet A86 for a little over a mile to go through the open gates leading to Cluny Castle (site?) and went through the grounds and behind a very nice large house to reach a bridge at the back. I think there may have been another access to this from the road.

Anyway, a track took me northwards skirting Sliabh Bàn and into a wide valley with level walking for a couple of miles. 

Just past a small bothy the path crossed a river very easily and then followed the river east for a mile. The path was indistinct at times and quite wet and boggy. One stream crossing had to be waded but my feet were already wet anyway. 

Bothy at Dalballoch (ruin)

I've pitched at NN673988 next to part of a broken wall. Also here when I arrived was Barbara who I met on Day 1. It's now raining quite hard.