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Clyde Walkway Stage 4 - the blisters win

Clyde Walkway Stage 4 - the blisters win


Postby cruachan06 » Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:19 pm

Route description: Clyde Walkway 4: Maudslie Bridge to New Lanark

Date walked: 23/06/2022

Time taken: 2 hours

Distance: 8 km

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Carrying on from my previous report, I woke up around 8am feeling OK despite how much I'd walked the day before and a pretty fitful nights sleep. After a breakfast of coffee and apple and cinnamon muesli (from a ration pack and not really tasting of either ingredient, although still tasty enough) I packed up (one of the most miserable parts of camping as I have now discovered!) and got ready to carry on. Having felt pretty stiff when I stopped the night before I felt OK once I got going, but quite quickly realised that I had developed some blisters the day before and they were now making themselves known.

The day began on a long section of wooden boards, much of which had collapsed, before passing through a gate and by one of many Tourist Information signs on the route. The idea is that a piece of wood with a spindle in the middle comes out, and on either side is information, but either it was improperly secured or they've all been removed, as none have anything in them anymore!

ImageTourist Information Board, minus the information

It was the same at Clyde Valley Familty park in Crossford, massive benches with boards between them at either end of the park but with nothing on them. Still, the cockerel sounded happy and I just missed getting a picture of a Llama scratching it's back by rolling around on the ground! There's also a cafe (Clyde Walkway Cafe, opens at 10am so I was too early) and a minature railway here.

ImageClyde Valley Family Park

After a brief stop for some blister surgery and the application of some compeed, the path leaves the river for a long climb and a rather dull section next to some fields with heavy tree growth preventing any views of the river far below. This section is obviously also used by horse riders and the buzzes of hundreds of flies being disturbed as you walk by was extremely unpleasant. After around 5km from the day's start point I could start to hear the noise coming from Stonebyres Linn - the first of the Falls of Clyde.

ImageStonebyres Linn

The path starts to descend here and although still high above the river skirts by Stonebyres Power Station - one of the oldest hydro stations in the UK dating back to the 1920s. Shortly after the station you cross the river at it's accompanying weir.

ImageStonebyres Weir

ImageDownriver from the weir

ImageUpriver from the weir

The walkway follows the weir's access road in to Kirkfieldbank, and then heads though the village to rejoin the path at Clydesholm Bridge out to New Lanark and round the remaining Falls. As my bus back to Hamilton was from Kirkfieldbank I knew I had about another 10km to go to complete the loop and get back, but given that the compeed hadn't really helped and some more blisters were saying hello I decided to take it as a sign when I passed the bus stop and saw that the next bus was in 10 minutes.

Once my blisters recover enough I'll go back (either by bus or take the car to the hidden side car park) and complete the loop to also complete the Clyde Walkway, had it not been a local route I'd probably have sucked it up and carried on.

Lessons Learned:
1. Gear performed well, no complaints about anything except the food. Ration packs are heavy, especially if you use ration heaters (came with the pack so wanted to use them) so my pack was on the heavy side.
2. Scout camping areas better in the future. I probably caused much of my blister issues by walking a lot further on day 1 than I intended.
3. Water is an issue on this walk. Not so much for me, I took 4L with me as I expected this and knew I'd be away overnight, but with it being dry recently and the distance that much of the path is from the river it isn't easy to get water from the river or the burns feeding it, even if you'd want to. This is a major low lying river in a valley surrounded by farms and industry, so water quality is unlikely to be high - another reason for doing this route as day hikes. There are shops at Rosebank (1 mile over Mauldslie Bridge), Crossford and Kirkfieldbank but small village shops can't always be relied on to be open when you need them.
cruachan06
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Re: Clyde Walkway Stage 4 - the blisters win

Postby Low Level Walker » Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:46 am

Hi there

Thanks for posting these. I stay in East Kilbride and this one has always piqued my attention.

Being the geek I am I would like to do it as a through hike though. Do you think this is possible?

I’m capable of doing 25-30 miles in a day, and I guess I would be only looking for one overnight camp spot. Although I appreciate what you say, lack of camping spots and water would be an issue.

Again thanks for posting. An enjoyable read.
Low Level Walker
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Re: Clyde Walkway Stage 4 - the blisters win

Postby cruachan06 » Sun Jun 26, 2022 12:50 pm

Low Level Walker wrote:Hi there

Thanks for posting these. I stay in East Kilbride and this one has always piqued my attention.

Being the geek I am I would like to do it as a through hike though. Do you think this is possible?

I’m capable of doing 25-30 miles in a day, and I guess I would be only looking for one overnight camp spot. Although I appreciate what you say, lack of camping spots and water would be an issue.

Again thanks for posting. An enjoyable read.


Do you mean all 5 stages? I would think it's possible if your feet are up to it, Stages 1-2 in one day, stop at Strathclyde Park campsite (almost exactly halfway), then 3-5 the next. Stages 1-2 are predominantly cyclye paths and pavements though, so brutal on the feet. I've only been on the riverside path through the Baron's Haugh reserve but there might be some spots to camp in there as well on the other path, but after that it's a cow field and then fenced in farm tracks for a long spell.

Stages 1-2 are quite urban so easy enough to get water along the way where you can't get near the rvier (again as I said, even assuming you'd want to. Rivers usually attract rats and the Clyde has industry, farming and waste water plants everywhere). On 3-5 there are options at Hamilton/Motherwell, then the villages through the valley (Rosebank is a mile or so off the trail over the river at Mauldslie Bridge, then you pass through Crossford, Kirkfieldbank and New Lanark)
cruachan06
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Re: Clyde Walkway Stage 4 - the blisters win

Postby Low Level Walker » Wed Jul 13, 2022 9:51 am

cruachan06 wrote:
Low Level Walker wrote:Hi there

Thanks for posting these. I stay in East Kilbride and this one has always piqued my attention.

Being the geek I am I would like to do it as a through hike though. Do you think this is possible?

I’m capable of doing 25-30 miles in a day, and I guess I would be only looking for one overnight camp spot. Although I appreciate what you say, lack of camping spots and water would be an issue.

Again thanks for posting. An enjoyable read.


Do you mean all 5 stages? I would think it's possible if your feet are up to it, Stages 1-2 in one day, stop at Strathclyde Park campsite (almost exactly halfway), then 3-5 the next. Stages 1-2 are predominantly cyclye paths and pavements though, so brutal on the feet. I've only been on the riverside path through the Baron's Haugh reserve but there might be some spots to camp in there as well on the other path, but after that it's a cow field and then fenced in farm tracks for a long spell.

Stages 1-2 are quite urban so easy enough to get water along the way where you can't get near the rvier (again as I said, even assuming you'd want to. Rivers usually attract rats and the Clyde has industry, farming and waste water plants everywhere). On 3-5 there are options at Hamilton/Motherwell, then the villages through the valley (Rosebank is a mile or so off the trail over the river at Mauldslie Bridge, then you pass through Crossford, Kirkfieldbank and New Lanark)


Thanks for that. Yeah I did consider Strathclyde Park for camping. It does seem to fall on bang the half way mark. I’m just a bit put off by their prices 😮

It’s certainly one for me to consider as I’m looking at LDW’s local to me that I can cover in a weekend.

Hopefully I will get this, West Island Way and River Ayr Way completed by end of the year.

Thanks again.
Low Level Walker
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Re: Clyde Walkway Stage 4 - the blisters win

Postby cruachan06 » Wed Jul 13, 2022 4:53 pm

No worries, had another wee think about it and the only other option I can think of that falls close to halfway is the field off to the side of the A725. Just after Blantyre the path hits what used to be Craighead Viaduct and drops in to what is referred to on Google Maps as "McGallagher King Fields". It's a bit close to the road (but then so is Strathclyde Park) but there should be some spots in there.

I had a look at the River Ayr Way myself, looks like a nice route but hard to get to the start except by car. I'm probably going to be doing the Three Lochs Way next myself which I see you've already done
cruachan06
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Posts: 274
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Location: South Lanarkshire

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