96 Miles/5 Days
Last year I had asked my son Ciaran if he wanted to do the WHW with me as he had already been up a few hills with his first being Ben Lomond when he was 4. So in January this year we made definite plans and just hoped for good weather at Easter.
DAY 1 - Milngavie to Balmaha - 19 Miles - 7 Hours
Along came Friday 22 April and my eldest daughter took us to Milngavie and dropped us off just before 8am.
- Ciaran at the start at 8am
Our target today was Balmaha, 19 miles away and Bay Cottage B&B (with a hot tub). Making good progress we get to Carbeth Huts at 4 miles and disaster struck! The camera said 'Internal Memory Full!' Why? I have an 8GB SD card in there. Then I realised I had taken the card out the night before to transfer a picture onto the PC and had forgotten to replace it. Now I can't walk the WHW with my son and not be able to take pictures. So decide to press on and go into Drymen as there are a few small shops and hopefully one of them will have an SD card but it's a long shot. Try the SPAR - nothing and then the small Post Office and luckily they have just what I need. New card installed and try it out on Ciaran outside the Post Office. Phew saved!
- Dryment Post Office for a snack
Then we're up and away again.
- Towards Conic Hill
- Surveying Loch Lomond from Conic Hill
Day 2 - Balmaha to Inversnaid - 14 Miles - 5.5 Hours
A bit of a dull start at 8.30am - misty and damp but it soon cleared up. The intention was to stop at Rowardennan for lunch but we were far too early and the breakfast we had at Balmaha was enormous and so didn't feel the need to stop. Ciaran thought this was an easy day. Spent the night at the Inversnaid Bunkhouse.
- Damp start from Balmaha
- Still looking happy
- A few friends on route
- Arriving at Inversnaid
Day 3 - Inversnaid to Tyndrum - 20 Miles - 8 Hours
An early start at 6.30am for some very clear photographs of Loch Lomond. Got some supplies at Beinglas Farm and carried on by-passing Crianlarich and straight onto Tyndrum. Stopped off at Kyntyre Farm for a Bacon Roll before going into Tyndrum. Tough day for Ciaran. After a shower and some shopping he went for a 2 hour sleep. Bunkhouse accommodation tonight.
- Early on Loch Lomond
- Morning reflections
- Doune Cottage and Bothy
- Strolling back from the shops at Tyndrum
Day 4 - Tyndrum to Kingshouse - 19 Miles - 7 Hours
Another early start at 6.30am and a wonderful clear day. Having a snack breakfast on route again. Nice easy path all the way to Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe. Ciaran still plodding along and finding it incredibly easy although he did confide that on Day 1 at the foot of Conic Hill he was thinking 'I can't do this!' but that he carried on. Now he was feeling this is easy. Stayed at Kingshouse Hotel.
- More Wildlife
- Approaching Bridge of Orchy
- Nearing Glencoe
- In the woods at Kingshouse
- Relaxing at Kingshouse
Day 5 - Kingshouse to Fort William - 24 Miles - 9 Hours
A perfect day but the longest day of the series. I was thinking that he is going to struggle with this one so again started at 6.30 just in case it was going to take a long while as we had to catch the 7pm bus back to Glasgow. Left Kingshouse and there was frost and ice on the cars. But knowing that in just under an hour we'd be going up the Devil's Staircase we'd soon be very warm. At the top of the Staircase the views were stunning. Crisp blue sky and perfectly clear hills. Ciaran said this was the best part and easiest part of the walk because the hills looked like North America (not that he's ever been - neither have I). Down into Kinlochleven for some supplies at the Co-op and then up the hill again towards FW. Got to Glen Nevis forest and Ciaran is now running about like a wee dog and I'm telling him to slow down. He felt this was the easiest day. I've really no idea why. I always think Day 1 is particulary easy but he thought that was difficult. First we get to the old end of the WHW and then carry on towards the town centre and on route get a shower and changed at the Railway Station and then progress to the new End at the other end of the town and it's quite impressive with the map engraved into the concrete on the ground.
- Morning at Kingshouse
- Frosty
- Buachaille in the background
- Top of Devil's Staircase looking over to Ben Nevis
- Kinlochleven
- Ben Nevis and nearing the end
- The new end
- The Map on the footpath
Well for his first long walk I think he did particularly well even although we did use decent accommodation. We did carry our own gear (although not very much) and did not use the bag carrying service. His longest walk prior to this was 6.5 miles and that was a one off. So 96 miles in 5 days was quite a jump. He survived, he enjoyed it, no blisters, no sore feet and he asked, where next? Where next indeed.
