By all accounts this year’s TGO Challenge was one of the best ever, no doubt due to the fantastic weather. I managed to get out and about a bit more this year, under the pretence of shooting video for our podcasts and the up and coming BBC television programme, and it was great to spend time with some old friends and meet so many new friends in Mallaig, Inverie, Melgarve, Glen Feshie, Braemar, Glen Callater and Tarfside.

I’ve managed to put together a couple of podcasts of video snippets, to try and give viewers a little taste of the atmosphere of the event and what it means to those who take part. I think what comes across most strongly is that the ingredients for the success of the event boil down to two main constituents - the magnificent Scottish landscapes and the Challengers themselves.

I would also add that another important factor is the organisation of the event and for that we have to thank our co-ordinator Roger Smith. While most of the Challengers will be taking a break and might begin to think about next year’s event in a few month’s time Roger has started work on the 2009 event, the 30th TGO Challenge, already. The entry form will be in the October issue of TGO Magazine and I have a sneaky feeling that the 30th event could be heavily oversubscribed.

I’ll let you know what date the BBC show goes out - probably sometime in early July.

Many thanks to my webman Martin for fixing the podPress feed that now allows my videos to play in iTunes. This has been a bit of a problem as the video titles were showing in the iTunes list but you couldn’t play them. All working well now so those of you who want to can download the videos from iTunes to your iPod. Check out iTunes music store>podcasts>sports&recreation>outdoor then enter The Wilderness World of Cameron McNeish.
Coming soon - a new photo gallery!

I travelled to Mallaig on Friday in the company of a BBC film crew who were filming the start of the 2008 TGO Challenge. Needless to say the 50 or so Challengers who started their 2-week odyssey were in great form and there was a party atmosphere on Bruce Watt’s ferry that runs across Loch Nevis to Inverie in Knoydart.

The film crew took the opportunity to chat to several Challengers and, not to be outdone, I took the opportunity of videoing some chat too for a TGO podcast. Thanks to everyone who gave us their time and especially to Kate and Tim Wood, Gus McKinnon, Mark Alvarez and Di Jerrard and Ngumu who delayed their start slightly to talk to the BBC. It was obvious they were all itching to get started, although it was also obvious there were a number of Challengers lingering with some intent in the Old Forge Inn at Inverie. Still, it wouldn’t be the TGO Challenge if there wasn’t a considerable amount of alcohol consumed on the way!

In the next few days I hope to get and about a bit meeting up with some of the guys and gals at various points on the way and I plan to get across to Braemar next weekend and find out how everyone is getting on. Keep your eye on this website for more news…

The image above is of Kate and Tim Wood being interviewed by Lindsay Cannon of the BBC at the start of their 10th crossing and the image below is a bunch of happy Challengers en route to Inverie.

This time next week over 300 intrepid souls will step out from various points on the western seaboard of Scotland intent on crossing the country to Montrose on the east coast. The TGO Challenge is the world’s biggest organised backpacking event and is grows from strength to strength. Approaching its 30th year the event is even more popular today than it was in 1979 when it began and I think that’s largely a reflection of the superb organisation of the event. Roger Smith, the co-ordinator, was one of the founders of the event and his enthusiasm, passion and knowledge of the Challenge is unsurpassed. He does a fantastic job every year for us.
Next Friday I’ll be with a BBC camera crew seeing some of this year’s Challengers head off from Mallaig/Knoydart. Some of the guys will be picked up at various points on their route by the camera crew and the film will eventually be broadcast on BBC Scotland’s Adventure Show later in the year. So, if you’re heading off on the Challenge this year, and you bump into a television crew at some point, have your stories and tall tales ready!
I’m looking forward to meeting some of you new Challengers next week, and of course, some old friends too. Best of luck to everyone!