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Geoff Reed is returning to the TGO challenge this May, after ten years away from the event. He has fond memories though, and shares some of them from his 1995 crossing in the TGO Challenge section. Follow Geoff and his pal, Dave, as they make their way from Oban to Auchmithie, surviving trials by Guinness, lost maps, stag party, a wedding and finally being fire bombed on their way to successful crossing.

Just back from a great 'break out of winter' week end in the Lakes, admirably reported by Alan Sloman. As Alan says, we kicked off the weekend with Friday night at the Old Dungeon Ghyll, where, bizarrely, we were surrounded by exactly the same people who had been there on 20th October - six female students from Hull, and a beardy chap in his forties desperately trying to entertain them all with the manic intensity of a game show host on speed...just trying far, far too hard.

They were stunned that we not only remembered them, but the exact date of their last visit. But this time one of the girls was on his knee, and Alan, with the diplomacy and tact which is his hallmark, warmly congratulated him on scoring (and with a pretty one), as we had completely written off his chances last year.

Alan takes a photograph against the sun

Our 'irregular' campsite by Stick's Gill

Alan sizes up another great shot

The new rucksack purchased in Ambleside was not a total success, however. My first brush with a fixed back length and whilst I thought it fitted OK, a full day's fiddling revealed the truth - it didn't.

Back home a tape measure confirmed that I have a back length of 20.5", whereas the sack only adjusts to accommodate a 19.5" maximum. It's surprising the difference this makes, and a bit of a disappointment as the Millet Peuterey 40 is a great little sack. Oddly, Alan is slightly taller than me and his fits like a glove, but he has long legs and a short body, whereas I am the opposite. Ah well, just goes to show what the lure of a bargain can do - £85 down to £70 made this a snip compared to the expensive and (I thought) rather overrated "lightweight" packs. It holds far more that its nominal 40 litre capacity implies and will easily cope with a 30lb load.

I have offered it to someone I know, but if they don't want it, it will be up for grabs - and at an excellent price. Miss Whiplash will permit no more gear purchases until the rucksack/funds situation is rectified, so I am a desperate man.

No, not the sort of gear that has Mr. PC Plod knocking on your front door early one morning, but the lightweight variety, beloved of challengers everywhere. With May fast approaching it seems everyone is trying to reduce their rucksacks weight, the challenge message board is full of advice on and requests for info on how to cut pack weight down or what lightweight down jackets and food dehydrators to use. While old hands are cutting their weight down by other means, such as Terry L. who is not carrying Stefan this year, but getting himself carried across by Richard B. instead.

Last summer after finishing the Tour of The Jungfrau Region we visited the first european Mont-Bell shop in Grindelwald, the shop was full of interestingly designed light weight kit. I had used a Mont-Bell Thermawrap jacket on the challenge last year and found it coped well with cold nights on high camps, despite its low weight. So, on seeing a gilet Thermawrap in the store I immediately bought one for this years challenge. The weight of the gilet is low (around 169 grms), lighter than some base layers, and it takes up hardly any space in my pack and my initial impressions are good, so hopefully an ideal top for the fickle weather of the challenge. Of course others will have their own idea's on whats their ideal challenge wear, a discussion I recently had with Phil L. at The Challenge Reunion last October, while Mr Sloman tried on womens tights and other garments in the Ice Factor outdoor shop at Kinlochleven.

Some new pictures on a winter theme from Roger Boston are now in the gallery - Roger has sent in some superb photos, so we'll feature some more in a couple of weeks.

The debate surrounding the petition to extend the CRoW act to allow wildcamping continues, and the argument against the nay sayers is well put by John Manning . Throughout this debate both pro and anti views have been expressed reasonably and cogently, which reflects well on the outdoors community.

I think it has been good to have the debate carried out in a relatively low key way at first, allowing the arguments on both sides to be aired and tested outside the national media. However, presently the debate is mainly being carried out on the web, by outdoors bloggers and forum users, and clearly needs to break out into other media to gain momentum. It will be interesting to see how it is covered in the national magazines such as TGO and Trail. Hopefully this will be the route for the story to become mainstream without ill informed reporters for the general press going off at half cock. Even so the Daily Rant will no doubt predict waves of itinerant vagabonds pitching up in their readers gardens!

Next Friday I'm off for a couple of days backpacking and wild camping "somewhere in England", with Alan Sloman, so watch out for a dispatch from the front line!