TGO CHALLENGE
ACROSS SCOTLAND
After crossing Scotland on foot following their own bespoke routes, graduates of the TGO Challenge Class of 2025 tell first-hand tales of heatwaves, high camps and bog-trotting through the landscape on this truly unique long-distance journey
Camped on Sgùrr Chòinnich Mòr
Photo credit: Tim Day
WHAT IS THE GREAT OUTDOORS CHALLENGE?
The Great Outdoors Challenge is a self-supported, non-competitive backpacking coast-to-coast walk across the Scottish Highlands, held annually over 15 days in May. There are 14 dedicated start places on the west coast from which each participant – walking solo, as a pair, threesome or group of no more than four – creates their own route, be it high-level or lower-level or a mixture of both. The route is then passed on to the experienced route vetting team for checking and advice as required. Walkers may finish anywhere on the east coast between Fraserburgh in the north and Arbroath in the south before finding their way – transport now allowed – to check out in Montrose where the Challenge Central Control is based. Challenge Control is there to receive at least four required phone calls or texts from participants during their crossing, and to offer support and advice if needed.
It very much isn’t a race. The focus is on savouring your environment, exploring places you can only reach by foot and enjoying rather than enduring the experience. There are no accolades for particularly high or fast routes. If medals were involved, they would be for those special moments that live long in the memory. Although a reasonable level of fitness is needed, you don’t have to be a super-fit, honed athlete to participate. What you do need are some backpacking, ‘leave no trace’ camping and navigational skills; but just as important is a strong reserve of resilience, determination and adaptability – and an ability to see the funny side when things don’t quite go as planned. The following articles from Challengers provide a fuller flavour of the Challenge experience in 2025. We hope they inspire Challengers old and new to join us in 2026!
TGOC 2026 entry information
TGOC26 dates: 7-22 May 2026
Entries open: noon BST on 4 October on a first come, first served basis
Entry fee: £110 per person tgochallenge.com
The Challenge organisers would like to thank main sponsors Ultralight Outdoor Gear for giving a £50 voucher to all Challengers whose articles have been published here, and for providing this year’s TGO Challenge T-shirt. Thanks also go to Darn Tough for providing socks for all TGOC25 finishers, to The Great Outdoors magazine for continued support, and to OMN for providing digital mapping to Vetters and Challengers.
Sue Oxley, Di Gerrard, Ali Ogden & Mick Blackburn
Sue and Ngumo at Acharacle
Photo credit: Sue Oxley
wonder how difficult I might find it. The good weather made things that much easier, and having a competent and rather laid-back walking partner certainly helped. Ngumo took everything, literally, in his stride – his only mild complaint being the plummeting overnight temperatures. On one morning camped by the River Tromie we emerged to find both tents covered with frost!
We met several Challengers along our route who were generally in very good cheer. Even those with sore feet and blisters found stopping for a paddle in a burn or river to be cool relief.