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Quite possibly, my walk reports for this year will be rather short and with few photos, on which the dominating colour will be grey. So I guess I'll have to write a few lines "around" the actual walk...
Before I left for Scotland, the weather forecast predicted two weeks of constant rain, and cold temperatures. When the plane approached Edinburgh airport in the evening, all the green spaces looked like our garden back home - so much rain that the ground cannot absorb it, visible water everywhere. Needless to say that it poured down heavily.
I spent the night in Falkirk, did some food supply shopping the next day (in the rain), then drove to Crianlarich, and on to the lay-by near Kirkton Farm. While I was preparing my backpack, a young couple arrived and managed to set off before me. It's fact well known to me that my setup time is rather long...
When I finally was ready to go, it wasn't even raining, what a pleasant surprise.
- Crossing the bridge over the river Fillan
A few people where walking on the West Highland Way when I passed Kirkton Farm. I had a short chat with two of them and went on. The wrong way, naturally. Also a habit of mine. The mistake was easily corrected, and off I went, past the cemetery.
- If anything will go wrong, at least I won't have to worry about the final rest.
- Crossing the railway line.
- The young couple ahead and a last glimpse of blue sky.
- Always follow the fence.
I soon caught up with the young couple, and from that point on, there would be frequent changes in leadership. Both were very nice, he from Fife, and she from Aberdeenshire, studying in Glasgow.
The ground was very wet from all the rain in the past days (weeks?!). There were two stiles to cross, one more dilapidated than the other. The lady didn't have any issues crossing them, but her companion and I, being both considerably shorter in the leg department, struggled a bit. He even went around and over the fence in a spot where it was low enough.
After about half the ascent, rain started setting in, sometimes weaker, sometimes stronger, with short pauses. I arrived at the summit first and waited for the couple. They went back down almost immediately to seek a sheltered space for lunch, so I had enough time and solitude to perform my secret summit ritual in the by now pouring rain.
- The summit.
Going down, I quickly caught up with the two again and passed them. Going down was rather unpleasant, there was lots of bog and mud and steep and slippery wet ground. When I was back at the car, I was soaked to the bone. On the way to my next accommodation in Glen Nevis, I stopped at the Real Food Café for a nice early dinner, but even that didn't dry my clothes...
- Despite the clouds, the path was easy to spot most of the time.
- The line of fence posts helped as well.
- Finally I am out of the clouds...
- Or am I?
- One of the evil stiles, and a glimpse of the valley floor.
