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A little under a year after doing the first stage from Milngavie to Drymen we were back to do the rest. My plan had been to do the WHW to celebrate turning 70 and Moira had agreed to join me. It then struck us that this might be the focus she needed to raise funds for Mountain Rescue, something she'd wanted to do since being airlifted to hospital with a broken ankle in 2010. So she launched her Just Giving page with a target of £1.000 and we're delighted to say this was exceeded and the final sum raised for Mountain Rescue Scotland was £2,574.
At our age the idea was to walk the full distance but to do it with an much comfort as was possible. So we lined up my husband as our driver and arranged to stay with friends in Bearsden, then B & Bs in Crianlarich and Glencoe.
The problem with booking months ahead is that, come what may, we were committed.... and the week before we were due to go neither of us were well. Moira had a chesty cough and I had a nasty flare up of the old ME symptoms which have dogged me over the past 30 years. Added to that, BBC Weather was consistently proclaiming cloud and rain for every day we planned to walk. That combination of circumstances at any other time would have made us consider pulling the plug. But in this case we felt we had no choice, which was oddly liberating as it took away the stress of deciding if we should go or not! We were doing it for Mountain Rescue and had to go whatever the weather and however we were feeling.
This is where it really helped that we had already done the first stage, from Milngavie to Drymen. We had a day in hand which I'd originally earmarked for visiting family but when Moira suggested we split Stage 2 over two easy days it made perfect sense. Neither of us were firing on all cylinders so it would let us in gently to the long walk ahead.
Pete drove us to Drymen and he and the dogs walked a short distance with us. The older dog couldn't have come far and I couldn't take the younger dog as dogs are not allowed on Conic Hill during lambing and it would have been a shame to miss out on the view from there.
With dogs at start point near Drymen
View back to distant bump of Dumgoyne
First sighting of Loch Lomond and Conic Hill
We had donned waterproofs for a heavy shower and Conic Hill almost disappeared into cloud. Moira made the comment it might not be worth going up it if we weren't going to see anything and I muttered that I might just go up anyway since it was so close. Then the rain stopped and there was blue sky ahead.
Blue sky as we approached Conic Hill
Arrochar Alps from east side of Conic Hill
Path nearing highest point before turn off to summit
Near the highest point before the detour to the summit a large number of people were milling about. I don't know if they'd already been to the top or were only going this far and were about to head down again. If they were planning on going up it was going to be very crowded on top so I quickly nipped up the path before any of them started up it. The path was slippy with mud, which proved more tricky on the descent. The top was worse. Covered in mud churned up by many feet and slimy from the recent rain, it was treacherous. I only just stopped myself falling headlong when one foot slid away from me. It's a great viewpoint right enough but I think for me Conic Hill will be most remembered for mud!
Highland fault line from Conic Hill
Ben Lomond
Muddiest summit I've been on
Stormy sky
The way down
Interesting colour of dye on the Conic sheep
Lower end of many steps
The path through the trees led into a vast car park from where we headed for the welcome sight of the St Mocha coffee shop!
That was day one complete and neither of us feeling any the worse for it, despite not feeling great when we started.
The next morning we were back, this time with the friend we were staying with for this leg of the journey. Chris is my longest standing friend. We started school together in Yorkshire 65 years ago, lost touch when both sets of parents moved away from there, but later reconnected as students in Aberdeen and have been friends ever since. She had managed to find a window in her busy schedule to join us for the walk from Balmaha to Rowardennan, which being a local she had done before.
Dressed for rain... because it had been raining
But the rain was short-lived and it turned into a beautiful day for wandering along the bonny bonny banks. BBC Weather had thankfully got it wrong this time.
As directed we climbed to the viewpoint above Balmaha which gave good views of the Arrochar Alps. A roe deer hind loped gracefully into the trees as we arrived - the only wildlife we saw all day.
Viewpoint
The path zig zagged down to reach the shoreline path where we turned right and headed along it towards Arrochymore Point. The stretch between Balmaha and Rowardennan is a delight with its well made undulating path, the sparkling waters of the loch, pretty beaches, views of the Arrochar Alps and the gradual unveiling through the trees of Ben Lomond.
Nearing Rowardennan
When we reached Rowardennan Chris went into the hotel to meet Tony (who had offered to give Pete a break from taxi services), while Moira and I continued as far as the viewpoint at the far end of the car park. The next day was going to be long enough without adding on anything we could have done today!
Rowardennan
From here we could see the Youth Hostel in its spectacular setting at the foot of Ben Lomond, where Pete and I spent a weekend with a houseparty of students back in 1974.
After two shorter distances over the two days we were both feeling a good bit better and ready to tackle the arguably most challenging section in the morning!
