TGO 2017 Strathcarron to Stonehaven How it all began You could say it began 25 years ago when the Shrewsbury Rambling and Hillwalking Club organised a winter week in Glencoe. Now I had started as a rambler and gradually progressed to the hillwaking bit - but this sounded a bit serious. Janet they said - get yourself an ice axe and crampons. We will have plenty of trips Snowdonia before we go to Scotland. We will show you what to do. So I got an ice axe and crampons. And I went to Scotland. February 1994. High pressure. Superb snow conditions - hard crisp nevee. Bidean nan Bian. Ben Nevis via number 4 gulley. Buchaille Etive Mor. Beinn a Bheithir. It was the start of my love affair with Scotland. I have kept going back in winter in the fond belief that Scotland is always like that (despite many experiences to the contrary). And the next trip to Scotland that they organised - this time a summer one to Skye - I was the first to sign up. There came ...