The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Can you go the distance?
The Cateran Yomp returns for a fifth year and will see dedicated fundraisers take on an epic hike through the rugged countryside of Perthshire and Angus. Gayle Ritchie is in training
In just 37 days, hundreds of people will set off on what could be one of the biggest challenges of their lives. The Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp sees teams of two to six people starting in Blairgowrie and hiking a stunning circular route which takes them through Kirkmichael, the Spittal of Glenshee and Kirkton of Glenisla.
Whether they are tackling the gruelling 54-mile gold route, the 36.5-mile silver alternative, or the 22-mile bronze option, it is going to be tough – both physically and mentally.
It is a unique opportunity to experience some of Courier Country’s most breathtaking scenery while raising vital funds to support ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, the Prince’s Trust and other Tayside charities.
Worried 37 days does not give you enough time to train? Ideally, you would have started months ago but if you are anything like me, you will not have had time. I completed the bronze route last year and I’m considering going for silver on June 13. Yes, the bronze was tough but more than anything, it was great fun.
A lack of training ahead of the 2014 Yomp – apart from walking the dog and the odd cross-training session – meant I was not exactly in peak fitness but this year I’m hoping I’ll be firing on a few more cyclinders.
What really let me down last year was the fact I was wearing cheap, inferior quality walking boots and I ended up with a dodgy ankle. I also got wind rash.
To combat this, I sought advice via 2015 yomp ambassador Polly Murray.
As the first Scottish woman to scale Everest, she knows a thing or two about gear and long-distance challenges.
Following a visit to Tiso, I got myself a spanking new pair of Salewa boots in a glorious shade of turquoise and a buff, a multi-use accessory you can use as a scarf, balaclava, hat and headband. While I haven’t consciously been training, I spent a week in Aviemore doing walks ranging from eight to 14 miles through ancient Caledonian pine forests, past lochs, bothies and windswept ridges and a jaunt up snow-capped Meall a’ Bhuachaille, a 2,657ft Corbett.
Back on home turf, I’ve been sticking to a plan of doing cardio three times a week, whether a four to five-mile run/ jog or a 50-minute cross-training session. The dog gets walked twice a day too. Weekends offer the perfect opportunity to get out into the wilderness and clock up some miles.
The beauty of this area is we’ve got so many fantastic walks on our doorstep. If, like me, you live in Angus, it is less than an hour’s drive to glorious Glen Isla and there’s Glen Clova, Glen Doll and Glen Prosen too. Perthshire’s offerings are just as stunning.
A fortnight ago, I trailed round Backwater Reservoir, a circular walk of about nine miles. Golf ball-sized hailstones marred an ascent up 2,440ft Mount Blair but when the sun finally burst through the clouds, I got a second wind and made it to the top.
With just over five weeks to go, I need to step up the training. And if there’s one piece of advice I can offer, it is to break in your boots. Your feet will thank you and there’s a greater chance of them remaining a blister-free zone.