Pap of Glencoe straight up
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 2:06 pmThe morning after doing the Ring of Steall and our legs were very sore. We debated whether to go up the Pap or try a low level walk to ease the legs a bit. , but the temptation and the beautiful day were too much for us so we decided to go for it.
Neither of us had any internet to look up the walk so we just parked in the village and set off up the road.
When we got up the gravel path and got to the junction at the footbridge we thought it couldn't be right, that probably went to AE. So we went straight up. Brutal, especially with such tired legs from the day before. Thank goodness it was dry, as it was very peat haggy.
Sorry no pictures, the phone was out of juice, and I'd not brought my camera, duh!
As for the top, we didn't know that there was a gentler path up at the north side, so we just carried on straight up the east side.
We got to a climby bit and I was part way up it before I thought I was stuck. But just needed a bit more courage, and before long we were both on the top.
Glorious, sunny and clear day with amazing views all round, Jura, Mull, Rhum (I think), Bidean nam Bian. It was pretty warm on the summit, so we brewed up and had a long picnic enjoying the beautiful hills, mountains and water all around.
We discovered the normal path down from a couple who appeared from a different direction from the fairly triumphant people coming the way we did, and set off down, and we followed the less brutal way down. Better.
Down was tricky with the sore legs from yesterday, but better than it had been yesterday. After a wee while, I was really enjoying the downhill again.
Dragonflies, yellow and black ones, and a pair of stonechats added to the downward walk. And a striking forget-me-not, that looked bluer than the normal one with a much more obvious yellow centre. Very pretty.
So it took ages, but we were glad we'd gone for it. Whether it added to the leg pain in the days to come or improved it, we'll never know!
Neither of us had any internet to look up the walk so we just parked in the village and set off up the road.
When we got up the gravel path and got to the junction at the footbridge we thought it couldn't be right, that probably went to AE. So we went straight up. Brutal, especially with such tired legs from the day before. Thank goodness it was dry, as it was very peat haggy.
Sorry no pictures, the phone was out of juice, and I'd not brought my camera, duh!
As for the top, we didn't know that there was a gentler path up at the north side, so we just carried on straight up the east side.
We got to a climby bit and I was part way up it before I thought I was stuck. But just needed a bit more courage, and before long we were both on the top.
Glorious, sunny and clear day with amazing views all round, Jura, Mull, Rhum (I think), Bidean nam Bian. It was pretty warm on the summit, so we brewed up and had a long picnic enjoying the beautiful hills, mountains and water all around.
We discovered the normal path down from a couple who appeared from a different direction from the fairly triumphant people coming the way we did, and set off down, and we followed the less brutal way down. Better.
Down was tricky with the sore legs from yesterday, but better than it had been yesterday. After a wee while, I was really enjoying the downhill again.
Dragonflies, yellow and black ones, and a pair of stonechats added to the downward walk. And a striking forget-me-not, that looked bluer than the normal one with a much more obvious yellow centre. Very pretty.
So it took ages, but we were glad we'd gone for it. Whether it added to the leg pain in the days to come or improved it, we'll never know!
