Team Monster on a Recce

Being on the events team at Maggie’s, working on our outdoor challenge events like Monster and coming from deepest darkest Africa,  you would think I was ‘at one’ with the outdoors.  However, my weekend activities consist more of shopping, eating out and enjoying a glass of wine or two with friends.  So you can imagine my surprise when the team decided to do a recce of the last 18 miles of Monster along the Great Glen Way!

At first I thought, this will be great fun.  Then it dawned on me that the end of November in the Highlands is not all sunshine and highland coos, especially with the weather forecast for high winds and torrential rain. So off to the shops I went to get kitted out with thermals, all over waterproofs and literally tons of plasters and Compeed.  Huge thanks to my lovely colleagues who very kindly lent me other hiking essentials, most of which I had never even heard of!  Trading in my usual subway ride into work with my own two feet and walking shoes to get a bit of practice in.  And with that I was ready for an adventure in the great outdoors!

For a change, the weather predictions were spot on but with the old saying of “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” ringing in my ears we were ready to set off.

After a hearty cooked breakfast and figuring out how to put on gaiters (an extra measure to keep the rain out!) we set off on our hike from Drumnadrochit to Inverness.  Fiona, our Mountain leader from Wild Fox Events; George, our outdoorsy Events Manager; and me...looking much like the teletubby Tinky Winky (that’s the purple one – see picture of me in my get-up!)

A couple of miles along the road and then up into the forest which gave us a bit of shelter from the rain. Up and up we went, zig zagging to the top of the hill with breathtaking views of the loch.  At this point I was feeling pretty good.  We carried on along the dirt track and arrived at the Abriachan Woods Community Centre with friendly faces and a welcoming warm fire!  Having gone 6 miles, we walked  on through the woods for another couple of miles all on the flat.  This brought us onto a tarmac road for 3 miles which was much  harder on the feet after having been on the soft dirt/grassy path.

My feet were feeling rather tender at this point so before being led back onto the path we stopped for a spot of lunch on a rock.  Soggy cheese and ham sandwiches never tasted so good!  Before I knew it we were over half way already.  The path led us back into the woods for a few miles.  Feeling rather pleased that I had managed to keep my walking shoes dry thus far by skipping over the puddles I managed to land both my feet right into a puddle of mud!  Here, I would stress that waterproof walking boots are a must for this type of outdoor adventure!  After a small tantrum and change of socks I squelched onwards.

It wasn’t long before we reached a clearing that overlooked the city of Inverness – the end is in sight!  This last stretch was a bit longer than I had anticipated but it was all downhill from there, past the old hospital, through a housing estate on nice thick soft grass (suppressing the urge to lie down for a rest because there would be no getting up after that!), past the golf course and along the canal, then a hop, skip and a jump to the Aquadome Leisure Centre, finally the finish...

For Fiona from Wild Fox, a walk in the park.  For George and I, we have aptly adopted the phrase ‘Masters of Endurance and Exertion’!

Looking back, it was so worth it and I am glad I did it.  Agreed, I haven’t completed the whole challenge but it has given me a bit of insight into what our participants will be experiencing and how we can best support them along the toughest miles of the hike.  I have only admiration for anyone who takes on Monster, whether it be to Bronze, Silver or Gold – they are each an incredible achievement!

Things that kept me going:

• Platypus water pack
• Double lined thick socks – I didn’t get any blisters with these!
• Wine gums to nibble on along the way
• Waterproofs – although not flattering, you’ll be thankful for being dry
• Woolly hat and thick gloves – it got pretty cold up there when we weren’t in the protection of the woods. Although bear in mind Monster is in May not November!
• Most of all Fiona and George – my trusty walking companions whose encouragement and fabulous chat along the way kept me going!