I COULD JUST SENSE that the great outdoors was fast becoming the great indoors. No matter that I live in the Scottish Highlands; a young family and a full-time teaching job meant personal time and space were being squeezed from all angles – and to get my weekly fix of fresh air, I would need to be more inventive with my time.
As my children grew older I realised I could steal progressively more time at the start and end of each day for my commute to work. I’m lucky enough to live in Lochaber’s Great Glen, where some of Scotland’s finest mountain biking routes are located, and I started out by making use of them for my commute from my home near Spean Bridge to Fort William – a distance of about nine miles. But the idea slowly came about that this journey could be used for some even bigger outdoor adventures – ranging from the relatively gentle (kayaking along the Caledonian Canal) to the very challenging indeed (the epic 15-hour, seven-Munro walk that is the Lochaber Traverse).
So this would be my challenge: to commute to work in five different ways over the course of a year: mountain bike, walk, swim, kayak and ski. I knew it would be great fun – and, what’s more, it would be a great source of inspiration for the teaching day.
Commute one – by mountain bike
It started with my daily cycle to work. The A82 is not necessarily the best or the worst road for cyclists; but to the side of it are fantastic routes such as the Great Glen Way and the Witch’s Trails, so I got on my mountain bike and went ‘off-road’.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of The Great Outdoors.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 edition of The Great Outdoors.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Practice Makes Perfect
Preparation is key if you want to enjoy, and not simply endure, the TGO Challenge. Organisers Ali Ogden and Sue Oxley look at how to be ready for the demands of a long-distance walk
More Ways than one
Roger Smith calls for more clarity around the increasing proliferation of named trails
THE LONG PATHWAY
Kat Young and Liv Bolton both walked New Zealand’s South Island from north to south via the country-spanning Te Araroa Trail. Here they each describe a section of this spectacular and life-changing route
THE CRUX
Last summer, self-confessed ‘average adventurer’ James Forrest completed all 282 of Scotland’s Munros in an intensive six-month push. Here he describes the most knee-trembling part of the journey – Skye’s famous Inaccessible Pinnacle
A HAPPY RETURN
For more than 30 years, Chris Townsend dreamed about doing a long walk through the high reaches of the Colorado Was it everything he hoped for?
Happy When It Rains
With an unpredictable winter approaching, here are TGO’s tips for enduring – even enjoying? – our ever-changing climate...
Mind Boggling
Rising rivers, quaking bogs, ferocious winds, possible thunderstorms and annoying theme tunes – will Paul Beasley be able to take all this in his stride and successfully cross Dartmoor?
Errigal
Donegal’s highest mountain is a sight to behold – unless, as Jim Perrin discovered, the weather has other ideas…
Commuting: Lochaber Style
For Many Of Us, The Daily Commute Can Be A Chore. But, For Neil Adams, Living And Working In One Of Scotland’s Finest Mountain Landscapes Gave Him The Opportunity To Turn It Into An Adventure...
The Depths Of Time
James Roddie goes under the surface of Assynt to discover a whole new dimension to an extraordinary, ancient landscape.
