There’s always Plan B
Paul D’Ambrogio from Wirral scrambled to rework his plans along with the TGO team after a certain virus almost derailed his crossing
I finished preparing for the 2021 TGO Challenge by January 2021. However, what I didn’t anticipate was my daughter testing positive for Covid shortly before I was due to set off on June 17.
My isolation period would end on June 24. The Challenge was due to end on 2 July. This would give me eight days to complete the route.
Would it be possible? I had previously done the Challenge within 11 or 12 days, but never eight. My daily distance would need to be a minimum of 30 kilometres (18.5 miles). It would require early mornings and late nights. There could be no rest days or easy half days. But this was exactly the sort of Challenge I needed.
I took another look at my route sheet and decided to start afresh. With the help of Challenge Control – Ali, Mick and Gayle – I came up with a fresh route within a few days.
I dealt with each day one at a time. I couldn’t look any further than that day’s problems. On one day I was forced to walk 48 kilometres because I couldn’t find a suitable camping spot. However, it did mean that I arrived in Blair Atholl early for a welldeserved beer and shower (in that order).
For me, this was what it meant to undertake the Challenge. It was supposed to be challenging – not only physically but also mentally.
I cannot express how euphoric I was in entering Montrose. However, even my last day was not without incident, as I was reprimanded by a ScotRail employee for walking on what I thought was a disused railway line.
Would I do the TGO Challenge again? Try and stop me!
This was Paul’s seventh TGO Challenge.
“It’s an exercise not only in knowing the landscape but in knowing yourself, and creating something for a future you to enjoy.”