walkhighlands

West Highland Way - Avery wet May 2012

Date walked: 01/09/2012

Distance: 150km

The West Highland Way – May 2012

We (all 12 of us – 8 guys and 4 gals) travelled up to Glasgow, and then onto Milngavie (pronounced Milgai) where we were staying in the local Premier Inn and where the event starts, and it rained cats n dogs for most of the night.
Next day (Monday) we were off, dodging between sun and showers, which means that every 15mins it's wet gear on and wet gear off or just sweat during the dry bits, and as it's quite a strenuous start uphill through a country park. A fairly easy first day to our target Drymen (pronounced Drimmen), and as the B&B wasn't open when we arrived we had to re-hydrate in the pub next door.

Day 2 – Started off reasonably dry but cool and a first taste of things to come for the route starts upwards, and seemed to continue that way through forested tracks for miles. The route eventually emerges onto moorland and we can see our first challenge 'Conic hill', there had been a few people that we passed or interacted with, all doing the WHW, and just before ascending the hill, it was decided to stop for a quick snack and get ready for our ascent. Then two things happened, dozens of youngsters appeared, none really dressed for hiking, they turned out to be a youth choir from Germany having a bit of exercise rather than being sat on the bus for hours. As they passed there was a short hail shower, followed by a little snow, then bright sunshine – which proves that when in Scotland just wait 20 mins and the weather will change to something else! An hour later we'd done Conic Hill and were sat outside a small shop in Balmaha with a drink and ice cream. That was the easy bit of the day, for after Balmaha the route takes you on an energetic ramble/scramble around the shores of Loch Lomond to our target at Rowardennan, and a nights sleep in the youth hostel there.

Day 3 – Our journey continued along Loch Lomond and an even greater challenge of scrambling/clambering/climbing along a switchback route to drop into a small inlet at Inversnaid. Whilst the route was difficult it was also beautiful with waterfalls and areas plastered with bluebells (Scilla non scripta) a sight to behold. We stopped for lunch at Inversnaid and enjoyed the last bit of sun before the rain arrived, after this the route didn't get any easier but eventually leaves Loch Lomond at Ardui and after a few short miles eventually we arrived at Inverarnan where I was spending my first night under canvas, a lovely site at Beinglas farm with good facilities, meals and alcohol, and only a short walk to a prize winning pub The Drovers where we had an evening meal – a posh version of 'Haggis, neaps and tatties' which I haven't had this since I was last at Stirling University.

Day 4 – It had rained all night and didn't really let up whilst I packed the sodden tent, then followed on with a hearty breakfast at Beinglas. We left in constant rain, a very grey day, following the river falloch as it winds its way along Glen Falloch, and if the clouds hadn't been so low we would have been able to see some magnificent peaks. I remember this day as grey and have difficulty remembering much of the scenery, all I can say is that the first part was relatively flat and the second undulating after a massive climb into woodland just before Crianlarich then a woodland trod for miles then a descent into Tyndrum (Pronounced Tynedrum and not Tindrum) and my second night under canvas. Erecting a wet tent in the rain on wet soggy ground isn't my best idea of fun but that's what I'd chosen so heyho! This campsite was called 'By-the-way' and without going into great depths of explanation wasn't the nicest experience I'd had. I have always considered that most true campsites in Scotland were a step above those in England although there are always exeptions to the rule.We were also advised not to eat at the place we'd booked a meal in, because they'd had food poisoning issues the week before and apparently were on the verge of liquidation. Which left only one other choice – The Real Food Company – at first glance a glorified chippy, but selling the best fish chips and mushy peas I've ever eaten, and for someone who spent a quarter of a century living in the former fish capital of the World – Grimsby – then they had to be good!
When we came out of there the temperature had taken a severe drop, and the only option was to get into my sleeping bag and wrap up. When I emerged from my tent around 0530 there were white tops on the surrounding mountains, at ground level it was a damp grey, cold and windy day. As the campsite offered no facilities it was an early start and a walk up to the 'Green Welly shop' where they did a decent bacon butty and cup of tea. There were only two of us in tents so we were in the shop early, but eventually the others trickled in by about 0830 we two campers were getting bored and decided to set off on this 19 mile section before the others. The road from Tyndrum follows an old military road to the Bridge of Orchy where there's an hotel and we could stop for a tea break and let the others catch up, which is what happened. It was at the Hotel when we saw the first of the days sun and the stopping of the rain. From the hotel is a climb over 'Marn Carraigh' and the 'Black Mountains' to Rannoch Moor and a long 10 miles trek over open countryside and although the rain had stopped it's constant battering the wind was still quite strong. This was a hard day and we were only 200 metres from the snowline on occasions but the mountain scenery was fantastic, eventually emerging into Glencoe just below the ski station, our overnight stop was at the Kingshouse hotel. The do some nice meals although their Cranachan isn't a patch on mine, but they do have a great choice of Whiskies.

Day 5 – A sunny day the walk starts following a path parallel to the Fort William road and alongside ' Buachaile Etive Mor' (apparently the most photographed mountain in the world)? The trail then climbs the 'Devils Staircase' to 1850 feet, the highest point on the walk. Whilst this section is difficult when carrying a heavy backpack, the views are fantastic and worth every kilo I was carrying. The route to Kinlochleven our next port of call, is only about 10 miles, but the path underfoot is a typical mountain track of big rocks so not an easy walk by any means, and even in big boots your feet get sore. When you do arrive above Kinlochleven it looks like a small alpine village nestled in a valley, and then the very steep descent down the mountain, which goes on forever. By the time level ground was reached my knees and feet were very sore. I suffer from Arthritis in both knees but particularly the right one which I'd managed to aggravate on our trudge around Loch Lomond,and to that point had been kept in check with liberal doses of ibuprofen. Kinlochleven once was the site of a hydro powered Aluminium smelter, which closed down some 10 years ago. The hydro station is still there and the pipework stretches down the mountain side but the smelter is gone, and it's former buildings have been converted into various ventures to cater for the tourist industry, the campsite is one such venture, my third night under canvas and first encounter on this trip with the midge, but the campsite was excellent. The others were staying in chalets (garden sheds) at the MacDonald Hotel about half a mile away, and it was there we had our evening meal a mediocre meal as I recall. Then back to the tent to snuggle down and refresh for the next leg, only to be dragged from my slumbers by a helicopter buzzing the area for an hour between 0300 and 0400. We learned later that a local man had after a skinful had gone to vomit over the bridge and followed it into the river, his body wasn't recovered from the loch until late on the Sunday.

Day 6 (Sunday) – There's a stiff climb out of Kinlochleven to 1100' and Lairig Mor to join the old Military Road which eventually winds its way into Glen Nevis. There's some magnificent scenery and one of the best sights is walking through the forest pathway with Ben Nevis emerging through the gap between the trees, it really is a great sight. At that point it seems that Fort William and the end of the walk is just around the corner, however from the top and the first view of Fort William it's over two and a half hours before journeys end is reached 97 miles. We were all spread over the hillside and eventually trickled in for the photographs then walked to our digs in Guisachan House which is a B&B I can highly recommend. We ate that night in the Grog & Gruel a very popular pub in Fort William.

Monday our journey back started at Fort William Station at 1140 and what a fabulous journey it is the railway passes through some beautiful scenery and largely follows the route we'd just walked so it was good to relive some special moments, it takes three and a half hours to reach Glasgow Central almost an hour to get to Edinburgh and a further four hours before I reached home, a long tiring journey. At 97 miles this walk was the second longest I'd walked and without doubt the most challenging. It's a very popular walk and we were never really out of sight of one person or another. Quite often the same faces day after day, although quite a lot we met on the first day didn't complete the event.

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Comments: 8


Geoffwilz


Activity: Scrambler
Mountain: Cairngorm
Place: Culzean
Gear: Boots
Member: Littles Magical Mystery tours

Long Distance routes: West Highland Way   



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2012

Trips: 1
Distance: 150 km


Joined: May 11, 2012
Last visited: Oct 05, 2012
Total posts: 1 | Search posts