Mixed emotions today.  20 miles completed to just north of Mauchline, so some of the distance made up.  I think we are back to about 5 miles behind the original plan, and I’m not going to beat myself up for 5 miles in 320, especially as we have added miles for good reasons.  Weather was good too although the 15mph wind from the south didn’t help 😦

 

The not so good was that Mike couldn’t walk today because of major foot issues.  For movie buffs think Mel Gibson in Porter and the roast beef reference.  Louise came and picked Mike up this evening so he won’t be escorting me out of Scotland after all.  Thanks for the company and sharing the experience Mike.  I hope the feet recover quickly and that the trip to Moscow with Hazel wasn’t too stressful.

 
I’m now firmly into the border country with the mountains left well behind.  This is rolling countryside and farming land, so not too much to report on other than I am back to connecting with nature.

 

More of the same tomorrow I think.

I can’t close without a mention for last night’s accommodation; Burnhouse Manor Hotel.  Everything delightful.  If you live close to this part of the UK and happen to be looking for a wedding venue, afternoon tea, or an evening meal then you should definitely give this place some thought.  Thanks.

A strange kind of day today.  We were off to a good start just after 9am from yesterday’s stop point but quickly came into the Glasgow suburbs and pretty much spent the whole day crossing Glasgow and out the other side to Neilston.  A good 20 miles on the road left the feet a bit sore, plus we stopped about 7 miles short of the original target at Stewarton.  The main reason for being a bit behind was a last minute change of route.

 
At dinner yesterday evening we sat next to a local couple who were interested in what we doing and where we planned to walk.  They painted a pretty grim picture of the Clyde Tunnel, and pointed out that we wouldn’t see anything of the city because we would be underground.  We therefore altered the route and walked into town via the canal and then alongside the River Kelvin, crossing the Clyde by the Clyde Arc bridge, and out of town passing Glasgow Rangers football ground.  4 miles further but well worth it.

Lastly, a big thank you to David Welsh of D. Welsh Builders Ltd. In Uplawmoor, for putting Hazel back on the right road after a short stint of being lost.

300 miles completed and back into the countryside tomorrow to start heading for England.

A much better day today.  Mike and I completed the Loch Lomond section and actually enjoyed it.  From there it was back onto the roads, following the A809 to just north of Milngavie (pronounced Milguy apparently).  18 miles done against a target of 16, so 2 miles made up of the deficit caused by the snow detour last week.

 

 

More nice scenery, and this interesting chap.  Otherwise an uneventful day.  Hoorah!  Tomorrow brings the magnificent prospect of Glasgow city centre and the dreaded Clyde tunnel.

 

 

P.S.  The observant will have noticed an issue with the Tracker yesterday.  As we were under wet trees for much of the afternoon the tracker could not transmit via the satellite network for several hours.  All working again now.

After the high of yesterday (what a great pun) I’m afraid today was a bit of a nightmare.  Things started ok with the 60 mile drive back to our starting point done without incident and we hit the road about 10:30.  The highlight was supposed to be the track running along the banks of Loch Lomond.  Sadly, the condition of the track was anything but ‘bonny’.  Tree roots, boulders, and frequent up and down clambers meant that it was very hard to keep up any kind of pace.  This went on for miles.  The net result was Mike and I got way behind schedule.  By 4pm we had made it as far as the Inversnaid Hotel.  We stopped and looked at options but the only thing that made sense was to carry on and complete the next 7 miles of the track to Rowardennan, where we could meet Hazel at the hotel.  Thankfully the track improved and we completed an exhausting 20 mile day at 6:30pm.

 

Not all bad.  The views of Loch Lomond were amazing and the heavy rain combined with melt water from the recent snow produced some spectacular flow in the mountain rivers and waterfalls.  And we were both speechless when in the middle of the almost impassable track came 2 young women carrying mountain bikes.  Bizarre!

And we passed the 250 mile mark.  Yipee.  Here’s hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Short blog today.  Ben Nevis.  The photo probably says it all.  I should introduce Mike Huggan who has foolishly offered to walk with me down to Ambleside.  Even more foolishly he wanted to start with Ben Nevis.  We obviously made it up but we also got down again thanks to our fantastic guide, Dave Bucket of the Highland Mountain Company.  Thanks Dave.  We could not have done it without you and the loan of the crampons and ice axes.

 

Not much to show as we were in thick cloud most of the way up.  We met Dave at the Ben Nevis Inn in Glenn Nevis at 08:00.  We made it to the top at about 12:15, and were back down by about 15:30 for a cheery greeting from Hazel and Louise (Mike’s wife).  The crampons were an absolute must, although there were plenty of people trying to get up with just regular boots.  The snow was 5 or 6 feet deep near the top and will stick around until late June or even July according to Dave.

 

 

Anyway, we made it, and today’s ascent is dedicated to Maureen Kerr.  I hope things are going well for you.

 

Back to the walking tomorrow along the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond.  Someone should write a song about that.

I’m not including any of the 3 peaks data in the tracking statistics for the walk, but for those who like numbers this is what the Garmin made of today:

Distance covered:                            15.1Km
Elapsed time:                                     7h 25m 30s
Moving time:                                     5h 28m 37s
Stopped time:                                   1: 56m 53s
Average speed (moving):              2.75Km/h
Overall average:                               2.03Km/h
Max height:                                        1345m

As Friday 13ths go, we got away lightly, with one mix-up that has proved to be great learning.  More on that later.  We woke up to yet more snow as the view from the bedroom window shows, but bright with sunny spells.  Still cold though at -2 degrees C.  Because we missed yesterday’s goal Hazel had to drive me quite a way back to the start point.  A crisp morning and a good road with little traffic so it seemed like an opportunity to try and catch up some of yesterday’s short miles.  First 5 miles done in 1 hour 20 minutes.  Phew.

 

We lunched in Tyndrum after an uneventful stroll down the West Highland Way.  The path basically follows the A82 and the railway, so no dramatic cross country experiences to report.  The lunch stop was full of bikers heading up to Kinlochleven for the motorcycle trials.

After lunch I stuck to the footpath which took me through a forest and should have been labelled “Mountain Goats Only”.  Talk about nasty surprises.  Steep ups and downs, but not too long at a stretch so I shouldn’t complain.

Which brings us to the day’s lesson.  We had agreed that I would stop where the path crossed the main road and would wait for Hazel to pick me up, unless I was tired in which case I would stop at Crianlarich and wait at the station.  No phone signal for either of us for the rest of the day so poor Hazel tried to shuttle between the two possible stopping points.  Somehow we missed each other for over an hour.  No panic but worry was setting in all round.  Hazel – “Where can he be?  What to do?”, and the same questions from me.  In the end I hitched a ride back towards Crianlarich and we saw Hazel in a layby.  A good outcome and no domestics, but we will not have an ambiguous end of day plan again!

Rest day tomorrow for Ben Nevis on Sunday.

A lot to cover today.  We woke up to light falling snow which led to a big question.  Heavy snow was forecast from lunchtime and I was supposed to go up and over to a height of about 600m.  Walking alone on an exposed mountain path that I didn’t know!  If the snow came early things could get tricky, especially on a section called ‘The Devil’s Staircase’.  To go or not to go?  In the end I decided to trust the weather forecast and if the snow came heavy early I could bail out onto the A82.  So long as I could get the first 6 miles done things should be fine.

 

Certainly exciting as the snow did indeed get heavier as I climbed and the path started to disappear.  Fortunately, there were quite a few people coming the other way and just when I was thinking of turning back someone told me the top was only 100m ahead.

 

 

 

Having successfully found the A82 I followed it to the King’s House Hotel where Hazel was waiting.  A good 1 hour stop with some hot soup got me warmed up.  We also met 2 lovely ladies from the USA, and had an unexpected encounter with some 4 legged friends, one of whom got up close and personal.

 

The afternoon was a no brainer.  The snow was falling heavily so no way was I going across the Rannoch Moor (bleak), so down the A82 was the only option.  5 miles further but at least I knew where I was going.  Hazel and I played leap frog; she driving a mile or so ahead and me walking to her and making decision to go on or stop.  The extra distance meant we fell short of the original goal of Bridge of Orchy but I have to be pleased with the 18 miles achieved in those conditions.

 

Hazel came across one other interesting thing; a cairn made out of stones taken from 3,000 foot peaks.

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I hope things improve tomorrow.

The first real day of cross country walking today for the 16 miles from Fort William to Kinlochleven on the West Highland Way.  Nowhere to meet up until the destination.  Some quite tricky hills, especially the long downhill section at the end of the day.  Downhill really can be harder on the legs than uphill.  Weather was mostly kind with some light snow and one prolonged bout of hail.  Tomorrow looks much colder 😦

 

 

The walk out of Fort William was via Glen Nevis which offered some stunning views of Ben Nevis.  The closer you get the bigger it looks.  Gulp!  While I was drinking in the view the phone rang.  BBC Radio Berkshire – could we do a quick, live update on progress?  This will probably remain one of the more surreal moments; standing halfway up a mountain trail, looking at Ben Nevis, and chatting live with Anne Diamond.  Who’d of thought it?

 

 

The walk itself included some interesting aspects including an ancient fort, parts of the track that were so steep they needed steps, and a bit of a local tiff between the MacDonalds and the Campbells.

Loch Leven is very picturesque and is home to the National Ice Climbing Centre.  It is also the setting for an annual motorcycle trials event which brings thousands of people and is happening this weekend.  Hazel must have done magic to secure us the very last room in the village.

More fresh snow overnight and noticeably colder setting out in the morning for the 11 miles from just south of Clunes to Fort William station.  I made it by 1pm so a rare opportunity for an afternoon off.  A bit of everything from the weather; some sunshine, some hail, some rain and some snow.  The odd windy squall also passed through but all over quite quickly.  Looks like this is the kind of weather for the next few days.

 

 

Lovely walking along the canal with some great views of Ben Nevis.  My guide, Dave, sent me a message yesterday evening to say we should be ok for the ascent on Sunday.  Full winter conditions at the top so crampons required.

 

 

Off into the foothills of Ben Nevis tomorrow and through the mountains for the next couple of days.  A good job Hazel found us such an ideal spot for this short break in Fort William, as well as finding time to discover more interesting craft shops.

An excellent day today.  Just shy of 22 miles along Caledonian Canal, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy.  Most miles done in a day so far and just over 7 hours walking.  The weather was pretty good again, although I think that might be about to change 😦

Unlike the day before this was flat for long stretches which is why I was able to clock up some miles.  Apart from the lochs there really wasn’t anything specific to see; just mile after mile of peaceful, beautiful scenery, and this old bridge at one of the crossing points.

I know at least one person is following the tracker live, as I had a call from my pal John while I walked along Loch Oich.  He reminded me that this was where the family scattered his Mother’s ashes.  A poignant moment while I stopped for a minute of contemplation.

Our base this evening is near Spean Bridge and we saw this memorial to WW II commandos on our way for a bite to eat.  Extract from Wikepedia…….

 

“Situated around a mile from Spean Bridge village, it overlooks the training areas of the Commando Training Depot established in 1942 at Achnacarry Castle. Unveiled in 1952 by the Queen Mother, it has become one of the United Kingdom’s best-known monuments, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction.”

 

 

And finally, a few artistic shots, including what lies ahead…………………