Time for
yourself
AS OTHER CHALLENGERS rush across the
sand towards the North Sea, one stands
back. Previously ebullient, he is now quiet
and tears begin to well. In response to an
enquiring look, he says: “When I dip my toes
in the water it’s over.” A brief touch on his
arm and a shared half smile lets him know he
is understood. He need say no more unless
he wants to.
For most participants the TGO Challenge
is the enjoyable culmination of many hours
of winter planning. They will return home
with a sense of elation at having completed
something most people wouldn’t dream
of attempting. But there is a signiicant
minority for whom those two weeks are a
longed-for release from dificult home lives.
Perhaps they are carers, have stressful or
tedious jobs, or are suffering with mental or
physical illness.
It feels as if the number of Challengers
suffering with poor mental health is
increasing, but we suspect what has
changed is the willingness to share – a
welcome indication that the stigma of
mental health conditions is reducing,
possibly due to an increasing number of
celebrities and mental health campaigners
talking about their experiences.
In 2017 Alex Staniforth cycled, kayaked
and walked 4,700 miles to stand on the UK’s
county tops raising awareness and funds
for Young Minds UK. He talks freely about
his personal experience of depression,
anxiety and bulimia, showing not only
people can live fulilling lives “with” rather
than “suffering from” mental illness but that
experiencing remote and wild places can
actively improve their health.
Natural England recently commissioned
a report which showed that one in four
people will experience symptoms of mental
illness every year. People are increasingly
recognising that among those who live
with mental illness are their own family and
friends – and possibly themselves.
Many studies have shown that walking
can reduce symptoms of depression and
anxiety, and the National Institute for
Health and Care Evidence (NICE) now
In the run-up to the 40th TGO Challenge this
May, we are running a series of short articles
on the inest backpacking event in the world.
This month, Challenge coordinators Sue Oxley
and Ali Ogden discuss the mental health
beneits of a multi-day trip into the wilds
recommend regular physical activity not
just for chronic physical illnesses but also
for mental health problems (Ed: see page
16 for some fascinating data on the beneits
for women in particular). Largely, though,
NICE are talking about walking around
the park for an hour or so – not walking for
eight to 10 hours a day, sometimes through
horizontal rain. There is good evidence that
exposure to “green spaces” is beneicial but
not so much for gloopy brown bog...
We can’t ind any studies speciic
to backpacking, but our ive years as
coordinators of the TGO Challenge – and
several decades as Challengers – lead us to
believe there are beneits to backpacking
in general, and the TGO Challenge in
particular, above and beyond simply putting
one foot in front of another.
While some backpackers are natural
athletes, many are not. Challengers come
in all shapes, sizes and ages. You don’t need
to be exceptionally coordinated to walk
up a mountain or have a geography degree
to read a map. Just a little perseverance
and a few essential skills can get you
places many of your friends will never
venture. Self-esteem is an issue for many
people, particularly those with symptoms
of depression or anxiety, so inding out
you can do something others won’t even
contemplate can be wonderful. Throw
in the skills to wild camp without leaving
a trace and that sense of self-reliance
rapidly grows.
The Challenge is more than just two
weeks in May. There are months of route
preparation, gear selection and practice
walks. After the event, there are photos
to edit, blogs or diaries to write and then
of course all those ideas you have for next
year’s route need crystallising before the
whole cycle starts again. Throughout theprocess, we and other Challengers are
always available with an empathetic ear and
during the walk itself Challenge Control
offers bucket-loads of encouragement and
support. The Challenge is non-competitive- the focus is on getting across and many
will go out of their way to help those who
are struggling. So when you enter the
Challenge, you join an encouraging and
supportive community.
Solitude is vastly under-rated. There
are plenty of opportunities to mix with
other people on the TGO Challenge but
often the person we need to connect with
most is ourselves. Wandering through the
landscape at your own pace lets you process
your thoughts at your own speed, often
helping you establish what you really think
rather than what others think you should.
You are not going to solve all your problems,
but you may well see a way of tackling the
ones that matter most.
A few years ago a Challenger came
and shook hands with us on Control. As
he departed, he said: “I found something
important during these two weeks – the
real me.”
CHALLENGE NEWS
The Loch Quoich landslip should be cleared
by Easter and there are plans to replace the
River Carnoch bridge in late April/early May.
However both projects are weather dependant
so completion cannot be guaranteed by the
beginning of TGOC19.Photo: Ian CotterillThe Challenge can offer
the perfect opportunity to
reconnect with yourselfTGO Challenge Partners 201920 The Great Outdoors Spring 2019
ALMANAC