Project 60-for-60

This is currently a work in progress!

So I had an idea I wanted to do 60 wild camps in my 60th year (ie between my 59th & 60th birthday, which occurs in late July). That's an average of 5 a month, or 15 a quarter... although the TGO Challenge 2026 ought to guarantee a dozen at least over its couple of weeks in May, reducing the pressure over the rest of the year to nearer 4 a month.

First three months: Summer into Autumn

August, September and October (and the last few days of July). A good time of year especially later on once the midge are past their worst.

#1: Bonaly Reservoir

It seemed important to get things kicked off on my birthday. As it was quite windy going high was unappealing, so we headed for the popular local spot of Bonaly Reservoir.

#2: Dun Rig

From Peebles (reached using the bus) headed round the Dun Rig horseshoe over a leisurely couple of days with a camp on Dun Rig.

#3: Cauldcleuch Head

A solitary Donald; went in and out from the west. A notoriously boggy hill, but I managed to find a dry (albeit lumpy) pitch on the summit.

#4 (1/2): Well Hill

First night out on a traverse of the Lowther Hills; Well Hill is a "New Graham" (using the new 600m+ criteria). Accessed by bus.

#5 (2/2): Louise Wood Law (Lousie Wood Law?)

Second night out on a traverse of the Lowther Hills.

#6: Crammond Island

Another local hit. The tide times were convenient for heading out in the evening and then getting off again in the morning.

#7 (1/2): East Cairn Hill

First night out of two on a three-day "extended Pentland Skyline", after starting at Hillend; the idea being to extend the normal "Pentland Skyline" route as far south and east as it'll go until the hills run out.

#8 (2/2): Mendick Hill

Second night out on an "extended Pentland Skyline" circuit, before finishing at Flotterstone.

#9 (1/5): Beinn Dearg (Blair Atholl)

First night out on a six-day trip from Blair Atholl to Aviemore (accessed using the train; Scotrail were running one of their "Club 50" offers). This was to get my last couple of Munros (and a Munro Top) in the area needed for my second round.

#10 (2/5): An Sgarsoch

Second night out on a six-day trip from Blair Atholl to Aviemore; this and its neighbour (gone over to get here) were the two remote Munros I'd still needed.

#11 (3/5): Ben Macdui

This ought to be on any summit-camper's wish-list. Conditions were perfect for it: light winds and inversion conditions. I didn't use the windbreak near the trig point platform: that'd have obscured the views.

#12 (4/5): Bynack More

Came over to this one from Macdui because I had no record of ever doing its Bynack Beag top. My memory of Bynack More's summit was that it's all very rocky and I was expecting to have to camp lower down, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice pitch just next to the summit cairn.

#13 (5/5): Lurcher's Crag

Another last night high in the Cairngorms and above the clouds before heading down through the forest to Aviemore the next morning.

#14: Meall Dearg

Out with the girls again, this time for a Graham summit camp (pretty easily reached by some meandering windfarm and moorland tracks, except for the last climb to the summit).

#15: Beinn Bhreac

Another train-accessed (Scotrail "Club 50" promo pricing again) hit on a couple of Grahams just west of Loch Lomond, during a brief window of better weather. First time out with a new toy: a Bonfus "Middus 1p" (with solid inner).

This camp meant I'd achieved the target of 15/quarter... but can that be maintained through the winter?

Second three months: the bleak winter

November, December and January can be awful in Scotland. Lows constantly roll in bringing front after front, gales, low cloud and the days are short. And it's unlikely to have been transformed into a winter wonderland, at least initially. I thought these months were going to be the toughest ones to keep the momentum going.

#16: Beinn na Gainimh

After a day doing the other couple of Grahams to the west, on a circuit from Amulree. Wet, but an interval of lighter winds needed to be taken advantage of.

#17: Tinto Hill

An easy one for a quick snowy hit during a brief weather window: 101 bus to Biggar, 91 to Thankerton (there's a stop through the village just across the road from the Tinto Hill Tea Room cafe) and then not much over an hour's walk to the top. Good flat grassy pitching near the trig point. Met office forecast for the hill was predicting a minimum of -7C overnight; I was glad I bought two sleeping bags up! Back down the same way in the morning, good breakfast in the cafe (opens 9:00, but closed Wednesdays).

New toy for this trip: a pair of Liteway "Choonie Apex" insulated booties helped keep my feet warm.

To be continued... !