Tonight I realised that I have an absolute fascination with grid references.
For some reason they capture my imagination and compel me to put them down on paper. I have a couple of those notebooks with the black elastic strap on them, a bit like the Moleskine ones you can get for posh journalists.
So I have spent this evening logging every key point of every day of my intended route for TGOC 2012. Starting from Strathcarron in the west and finishing in Montrose in the East, going via Gordon Menzies' boat to Inverfarigaig and over the Monadhliath wilderness down through the Cairngorms via the committing Lairig Ghru to Derry Lodge. On to Braemar then heading either over Lochnagar after a pause at Loch callater lodge or down Jock's road into Glen Doll to Tarfside, Edzell, North Water Bridge and St Cyrus before walking South along the coast to Montrose.
I have picked a relatively low level route for most of my challenge because I want to break myself in to it and enjoy the experience rather than ruining myself after tough days in the high mountains. I want to finish and be able to want to come back again for another go.
As for the grid references I now have pages and pages of waypoints written down by hand, checked by computer and committed to my notebook which will come with me on the challenge.
At any point I will look at where I am and know exactly where I will be heading to next. My GPS will aid me in difficult situations but largely my faith will be put in my navigational ability and my map and compass so that I can truly soak up all that the physical reality of the grid references present.
Who would have thought that a couple of letters followed by a few numbers could have such an impact on a journey across Scotland?
Does anyone else out there have an obsession with the minutiae of route planning or mapreading?
Any other little obsessions with regard to logistics or cataloguing?
I'd be interested to hear....
I'm of to bed, dreaming of NH 9734 0131
Nighty night.
- Posted using BlogPress
No comments:
Post a Comment