West Highland Way Day 5 (Kinlochleven to Fort William)

After a good nights sleep in the cabins at the Mcdonald resort everyone strapped their feet up for the final push to the finish line.  We all went into the hotel for breakfast and it turned out to be the best breakfast we had had on the route so far.  Martin was seen eating his words from the night before along with his bacon and egg. Fair play to him, he apologised to the owner for his comments the night before and then complimented the chef for an outstanding breakfast.  There was some serious suffering going on and while we all intended to cross the finish line together we decided to set off in our pairs as some were feeling it more than others at this point.  The owner of the hotel directed Kerry to the local quacks to get her heel patched up with some special gauze after half her heel had peeled away in the form of a blister the night before. Nice.  Once the injury was patched up everyone was on their way. 

Into the Wild

It's a steep climb right from the off when you leave Kinlochleven and seems to be a lot harder than the ascent of the Devil's staircase.  Calf burn, like I had definitely woke me up and there was some serious sweat dripping going on.  It was also the busiest we'd seen it so far and there seemed to be loads of people on the route on this particular day.  Once the climbing finished the track levelled out but was again solid under foot.  We passed a couple of old ruins, on either side of the track and I can't help thinking the people that had lived there must have had calves like bricks and popping to the shops must have been a long weekend event.  After winding through around 6 miles of the magnificent mountains we decided to stop for lunch.  Our friend the Robin decided to join us yet again and I thought it was going to land on my shoulder at one point, it got that close. 

Batman's Mate

After lunch we travelled a few miles further down the track which wasn't too difficult and arrive at a big sign which said, Fort William 7.5 miles.  I thought it must be a mistake because I was led to believe, by Sherpa Wilson that we still had around 10 miles to go.  I have to point out at this point that when the Sherpa normally says 10 miles to go, that means 15 in real miles.  It's a bit of an affliction she has, ask Martin.  Apparently, by the time Marting and Kerry arrived at this point the sign had been removed so if you're looking for it you might not find it.  The route is a bit of a climb from here on a narrow track along a grassed hillside and this caused more leaking around the forehead.  There was a lot of ups and downs as we moved closer to the end and it seemed like every time we came out of a wooded area there was another drop into a gulley and a climb out the other side.  It got so steep at one point they have put a set of steps in place.  After one final climb we started on the final descent and could see the the beast Ben Nevis and the Glen Nevis camp site.  We knew we were close.  We followed a long, winding track before it straightened out towards Fort William.  Un-fortunately there was a short diversion in place, due to tree felling so we ended up cutting through the Braveheart car park onto the main road which we stayed on for the last mile and a half or so.  Finally we arrived at the original end of the West Highland Way.

Not Quite There

This is not quite the end any more as the end of the route has been moved to the other end of the high street so we made our way to the Crofters pub in town to wait for the others.  Everyone arrives and we have a bit of a celebratory drink before walking the short distance to the finish line which has a map of the route carved into the ground and a chap rubbing his feet, sitting on a bench.  You get an enormous sense of achievement on completing the walk and while many have done it quicker, 5 days is difficult and sore.  To rub salt in the wounds our hotel is back down the opposite end of the town but we could hardly complain at having to walk a few hundred yards after completing the 96 miles of the West Highlan Way.

The Elite Explorers

West Highland Way Day 4 (Bridge of Orkey to Kinlochleven)

We all woke with the now familiar whinging about aching limbs, blisters and sore feet but everyone's mood was lifted by breakfast at the hotel.  All the walkers were wishing each other luck for the day ahead.  My hat goes off to the women who we had passed the day before who had twisted her knee on her first day of walking and was still going at this point and about to head out again.  We left the hotel, uphill for a change into a wooded area.  After a short gentle climb we followed a gradual descent to the Inveroran hotel.  There was a great scene here as Martin was hand feeding a wild hind deer.  A stag, not happy at this stuck it's antlers around the corner and Martin had it on his toes before the stag was able to invite him for a rut.

Martin's mate

 

There was a bit of a road walk before we arrived at Forest Lodge which looks un-inhabited but has a sky dish in the garden.  The building looks as though it could do with some pebble dashing but it's quite a size.  We paused for 5 minutes and read some information about Thomas Telford who built, among others the road we were about to take.  In his infinite wisdom, Thomas had built roads in the highlands that had a much more gradual ascent and descent compared to the previous roads which must have been nice for the locals and the horses. 

While I admire what mr Telford achieved and understand all the hard work that went into laying the road, brick by brick it didn't exactly agree with our plates(feet).  Gentle up and downs for 10 miles with some of the most breathtaking views on the walk so far.  We were definitely in the highlands now and at one point we were entirely surrounded by white capped mountains. The King's house hotel came into view, in the distance nestled amongst some pine trees but was still some way off and we wasn't getting there in a hurry.  We came past the Glencoe ski centre, crossed the road onto the tar track which led down to a couple of houses before arriving at the Kings house for lunch. 

3 Beasts - The mountain, the deer and Martine

Hobbits

The food at the king's house is great and the main table has chairs that wouldn't look out of place in a scene from lord of the rings.  I recommend the paninis.  We left the hotel after speaking with a londoner that was doing the west highland way for the second time and we were talking about the fact we were heading to the Devil's staircase which she informed us was not too bad and that we should be more concerned with what faced us on leaving Kinlochleven.  We didn't think we were going to be allowed to cross the bridge to get back onto the track because it was being guarded by a stag.

None shall pass

We walked the path, etched into the side of the mountain running parallel to the main road before crossing a bridge to the foot of the Devil's staircase.  The walk up wasn't too bad at all with quite a few switch backs but we were at the top quite quickly but it was coming down the hill which caused the most pain.  Plagued by snow and a long long stretch into Kinlochleven we arrived at about 20:30.  The girls went to get the cabins sorted at the McDonald resort while the chaps went and got food from the local chippy.  The chippy wasn't the cheapest and it closed at 9 every night but the food was superb.  Or it might have been due to the fact we were all starving.

Made it

The McDonald resort had cabins which, again were basic but perfect for walkers.  Heaters, power, hot showers, toilets and a bar which we were too zonked to try out.  Martine took exception to having to pay for breakfast the night before.  He was a bit concerned it might be "gash" as he explained to the owner before crawling back to his cabin.  Before crashing for the night everyone showered and tended their wounds.  There was still time for me to make a complete fool of myself after showering.  I flung the door open to what I thought was our cabin however the two startled boys, who'd i'd caught eating sweets were not impressed.  I stood in the door way for a second or two trying to work out who they were before realising my cabin was actually next door.  It was definitely time for bed.

West Highland Way Day 3 (Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy)

Not everyone slept so well at Inverarnan although this was nothing to do with the accommodation, more about the the roaring snorer in the shared cabin.  Personally I don't know what all the fuss was about, I slept like a log and didn't hear a thing although I did wake up with a few bruises in the shape of Gill's fist.   The four man cabins are perfect for the job, basic but exactly what is required.

You can buy breakfast or use the basic facilities including kfs, bowls and cookers etc.  While talking about the day ahead. Gerard changed his 10th pair of socks and found it amusing that he still didn't have a blister.  We left Beinglas and started over mixed terrain before moving onto some nice ground under foot.  The sheer beauty of the place, at times can really take your breath away.  You could easily think you were somewhere in the rocky mountains if you didn't know otherwise.  I cannot believe that I speak to people who live just a couple of hours away from these areas and have never been.  We climbed to an opening in the woods before we stopped for lunch. 

A few people pass that we've spoken to previously but they always seem to look fresher than I feel.  After eating we start to move downhill (pain) and are a little concerned when we come across the lower half of a deer's leg on the path.  It's like a scene from the film Deliverance.  We take a look around and find nothing but Martin is away into the forest just in case.  Pretty grim but it can't be helped.  We came out of the forest and started to move down to the site of the Battle of Dalrigh and a small loch known as the Loch of the Lost sword.  I was expecting to see excalibur but apparently that's another story.  We descended and came past some old lead mines before moving into Tyndrum forest.

After a couple of km's we came out at the site of the famous Tyndrum and the Green Welly Stop near Crainlarich.  Now i've probably tasted some of the best bacon sarnies around but after so many miles this feels like the finest ever. It's a famous stop so you can't complete the WHW without visiting.  We left Tyndrum and on the track to the Bridge of Orchy the first thing we saw was some pretty amazing Totem's.  God knows how people do this stuff.

The road from Tyndrum to the Bridge of Orchy is around 6 miles long and is relatively flat and easy walking.  Just outside Tyndrum we saw some gold prospecters panning for gold and apparently they find a bit now and then. It wasn't too long before the Bridge of Orchy hotel and station came into site but again it seemed to take longer than expected to actually reach the place.  On arrival we grabbed a quick drink before crossing the bridge, at the back of the hotel to set up our tents for a bit of wild camping.  It's a great little site but I imagine it can get quite busy during the summer months.

The hotel is very accommodating to walkers however it does seem as though they are trying to price walkers out of staying there.  They are building new chalets at the back of the hotel with prices starting from £120 a night and the hotel is pretty much the same now, hence the reason we camped.  There used to be a bunkhouse for walkers but, unfortunately this is gone now.  After eating we went into the bar for a drink and as the night was drawing to an end the drama started to unfold.  Looking out of the bar window we could see, what looked like an older boy hobbling about.  Someone said something along the lines of "oh he looks in a bad way" but we all thought he was suffering from walking.  He sat on the bench outside the bar and collapsed on the deck.  We went to make sure he was ok but he clearly wasn't so an ambulance was called.  We brought him into the bar and Gill was asking some questions and he said he was a hunter gatherer called Tom Tucker.  No one even thought about the nursery rhyme at the time but this was pointed out by Rosie after we finished the walk.

Now i'm not sure what your understanding of a hunter gatherer is but Tommy Tucker had a small chemist in his rucksack along with a brand new looking samsung galaxy s3 with a solar powered charger.  I've never seen Ray Mears pull one of those out of his pocket.  I think Tom needs to have a re-think about his hunter gathering as he doesn't really seem to have Ray's skills at the moment.  The ambulance came and Tom Tucker from Surrey got a bed in Fort William for the night which is exactly what we think he was after because it was pretty brass monkey's that night.  After all the excitement it was time to get our heads down so we took the short walk across the bridge to our camp and crashed.

This is my advert for Osprey.  Their bags are awesome

 

West Highland Way Day 2 (Balmaha to Inverarnan)

There's a few stiff legs in the morning but everyone's up and about, had breakfast and just before leaving we have a brieg chat with Jock the owner of the Balmaha Bunkhouse.  Jock is an ex-squaddie who bought the bunkhouse around 8 months ago and has made some subtle changes.  Jock's intention is to bring groups in for team building exercises, among other things and grow the business although he does want to keep it suitable for walkers as well.  Strangely, before leaving our friend the Robin appears almost as if it's following us along the way.  Now of course it is possible it's a different Robin however it's nice to think it's that same one wishing us luck.  We left Balmaha and there is a short sharp climb to begin with and a change in the terrain.  The ground was now rougher than the previous day and the route is very up and down along the banks of Loch Lomond.  Some of the views along here are absolutely amazing.

The route took us into Sallochy woods where we really started to feel the calf burn as there is some steep steps and gravel.  Even I started to get a bit of a sweat on at this point.  We came through some sparce woods with a fair amount of downhill walking before arriving at the Rowerdennan Hotel.  We stopped for lunch here.  Now the hotel is well known and completely in isolation as the road in comes to an end at this point so cars can't travel any further along the loch this way.  I think the hotel considers itself exclusive because I ordered a latte and 2 cans of Irn Bru and was charged £6.50.  To be honest the latte wasn't that good.  Not wanting to smell the place out we went into the back garden which has a nice view of the loch and, along with ducks, finches and tits the robin joined us again.  We had all made a few rolls which we started to eat but were informed by Steve (manager/owner) of the hotel that we couldn't eat our own food on the premises.  Fair enough but when Gerard went inside and asked for a Mocha, firstly no one had any idea what one was (strange givent he very expensive coffee making facilities they have) but when Gerard explained what it was he got told he could have a cappuccino.  Steve then got very upset at us spending money at his establishment and refused to serve us.  Steve must have got up on the wrong side of the bed that day however due to this he gained the name Steve the ......(a male chicken).  This amused us for the rest of the walk however I am keen to ensure people who want good service know that this is not a place to visit.

 

We got going again across so rough ground with lots of up and down trekking along the way which is pretty sore on the feet.  Gerard had changed into his ninth pair of socks having took a punt on e-bay, purchasing 7 pairs of Merino wool socks for £6.50 or something.  We were all a bit dubious but in fairness he changed his socks more than his pants, fell in love with compede but only had one small blister by the end of the walk.  Obviously we've all now got the e-bay sellers details.  Walking along the banks of Loch Lomond through some woods we heard a noise on the hill and we nearly jumped out of our skins when these lot appeared.

Most people who have walked the way will have read the memorial shown below and maybe even wondered about the story behind it.  I managed to find out about poor old Bill Lobban and we all took time to add to the stack in honour of Bill. 

 

While looking at the memorial Martin had got talking to a chap, also walking the way by the name of Lou.  We stopped to chat to Lou for a bit who, being an experienced walker had also walked the Comino (St. James' Way).  Something Gill dreams about doing and if you're not sure what it is, watch the film The Way with Martin Sheen. If you want to read about poor old Bill you can take a look at this link (click on Bill's name): Bill Lobban

 

After several miles of whinging (mostly by Martin) about sore feet we are greeted by the welcome site of the Inversnaid hotel.  We crossed the bridge and sat on the benches outside before going in to get a well earned cup of tea.  I had a vin rouge with Martine, Chateau Nerf du Plonk I think.  This hotel was outstanding and is highly recommended as a place to stop.  The difference between here and the Rowerdennan is astronomical.  Very happy to help us, let us fill water bottles up, brought the drinks out to us and fairly priced.  Before leaving the Inversnaid hotel we were talking with a fella that said we'd be puching it to make it to Inverarnan in the light if we were just leaving because of the ground and the distance.  Some of us laughed him off as a bit mental but Gill confirmed, having researched that this was probably the hardest part of the way.  I will not doubt people again.  Up to this point this section was by far the hardest.  Boots are a must I would say as it would be very easy to hurt and ankle on this section.  Gerard and Brigi had powered on to ensure we would get fed and the rest of us arrived later, using head torches with slightly less light than expected.  We all got fed in the bar at the Beinglas Farm where we were staying.  The bar was great, with live music by Robert Carmichael.  Robert was a folk singer that had a go at any requests, the Jam, ACDC and Gill's favourite the Eagles.  The facilities at Beinglas are superb, hot showers, toilets, bar, food, cabins, shop and breakfast facilities.  Absolutely perfect for walkers and obviously designed for this.  If you have the legs for it you can always visit the Drovers Inn, across the road.  We didn't have the energy as it had been a long day.  You can see by Martin's strained smile how he was really feeling.  You can also see the cabins we stayed in behind.

I have to give a special mention to the bar staff at Beinglas.  The service was outstanding and when I dropped my knife, through exhaustion and not my clumsiness, it had barely hit the floor before the barman replace it.  If i'm ever in this area again I will definitely be using Beinglas Farm.





West Highland Way Day 1 (Milngavie to Balmaha)

The trip was well planned out by the experienced walker amongst us although for some, the realisation of doing 96 miles in 5 days had almost been too much and had caused some apprehension in the few days running up to the start.  Gerard was worried about a little bit of snow and Martin was crying in his sleep with the thought of doing, on average 20 miles a day having only been able to get out for a couple of training walks with Kerry.  The rest of us, the partners Brigi, Kerry and myself just kept quiet and went with the flow.  There was a couple of reasons for us doing the walk, apart from the challenge, one of which was to raise some money for a couple of charities.  Me, Gill, Martin, Gerard and Brigi wanted to raise a few quid in aid of Water for Life and Kerry was raising money for Chest Heart and Stroke, the other i'll go into more about the other reasons later.  Anyway the day was here and we met at the start line in Milngavie to take a few photos before we left.  We finally got under way at 09:55, a bit late but there was still a few others leaving at that time and being a group of finely tuned athletes we were confident we could make up time with our power walking techniques.  You can see the athletic frames here.

One of the great things about taking on this kind of walk is bumping into people doing the same thing for different reasons.  We got talking to a group of 3 women who were also walking to Balmaha on the first day and were walking to raise money for Alzheimer's.  Obviously not in our fitness league, or so we thought until they said one of them, Linda had previously run half of the route.  We let them shoot off ahead but we passed them and them us several times during the day and later in the week.  As we left the town onto the route we moved away from the hustle and bustle of civilisation although we were never too far from a road.  Everyone was on good spirits and having a laugh.  The weather was cold but there was bright sunshine.  There was loads of wildlife to see and during the first couple of miles it seemed like a Robin was going to follow us on the route.  We finally got into the hills after a few miles and saw some Buzzards, a Kestrel and then a Peregrine falcon.  The scenery got better and better the further we went but the one frustrating thing was the amount of litter that had been left at the side of the path.  Why can't people just take it with them until they get to a bin?  We had planned for our first stop to be at Drymen and just a few miles before the stop we came across a table, under a tree with cakes, tea and juice and a sign showing that a young girl, Iona was trying to raise money to travel to Chile to teach English to disadvantaged children. 

A worthy cause and I needed a drink.  Iona's mum was there due to Iona not being well that day and I paused for a brief chat with her before moving on to Drymen.  Just before getting to Drymen there was a bit of disagreement to which direction we should go, on the road or over the fields.  Through the fields is the correct way and you drop down onto the field at the bridge.  There are west highland way signs on the field to make sure you go in the right direction.  It was obvious the team were starting to feel the aches and pains after a bit of road pounding and when we arrived at the Winnock in Drymen people start doing some weird exercises to relieve the pain.  I have no idea where these came from but whatever floats your boat I suppose.  Apparently Gerard and Brigi (seen below) are draining the lactic acid from their legs.  I didn't bother saying anything.

With the exception of Gill and Brigi everyone's answer to the pains were to have an alcoholic drink or in Martin's case, have a drink and a whinge.  Being upper class, I went for vin rouge but whatever we all drank it tasted amazing and well earned however we still had a way to go on the first day.  There were some diversions in place from Drymen, Sherpa (Gill) Wilson led us out completely the wrong way and then almost lost her map.  Luckily she realised about both and got us back on track towards Balmaha.  With Conick hill being closed there was only about 7 or 8 miles to go from Drymen.  After a couple while we came off the road and into the forest or what remains of it.  There had been some tree clearing going on which allowed us some stunning views of Loch Lomond but also meant a few diversions.  These were well sign posted and led us to a farm track which was the scene of Martin's collapse on a previous failed attempt around 3 years ago.  Martin re-enacted the collapse but I can honestly say, the only thing i've ever seen as funny as the original was when Del Boy fell through the bar on only fools and horses.  Everyone was lifted by Martin's acting skills and at the end of the track we turned right on the road for the last couple of miles to the Oak Tree Inn, Balmaha.  We stayed at the Balmaha Bunkhouse which is virtually opposite the Oak Tree.  The accommodation is run by Jock the ex squaddie and is reasonably priced, has hot showers and cooking facilities if you want them. 

Balmaha Bunkhouse

We headed for the pub for a couple of shandys and a feed.  The food was good, as was the service and a good atmosphere but we were all pretty hanging so didn't stay too long after we'd finished eating.  Now there's many ways to try and look after your feet and Gerard decided he wants to buy shares in Compede after trying them for the first time between Drymen and Balmaha but Martin had his own methods.  He sat at the side of Loch Lomond, took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers and dropped his feet into the water which must have been at minus temperature even though it wasn't quite frozen.  The robin appeared again and I think it was thinking, he's mental. 

Martin the Gnome

Unfortunately Gerard and Brigi's night is not so good as some other walkers decided to party into the early hours before allowing people to get some sleep.  The rest of us managed a better night's sleep in spite of mine and Martin's fits of snoring.  A swift elbow from the missus stopped it every time.

The elite team

From left to right, bottom row: Gerard, Brigi, Kerry, Martin. Top row: Gill, Me(Gav)

Not a clue what Gerard's doing here

Melrose to Edinburgh Day 3. West Linton to Edinburgh

Another beautiful, sun kissed day as we set off up the track opposite the Gordon Arms Hotel.  A short climb up to some farms and along a well marked route.  Passing one of the farms we were greeted by the sound of a ferocious killer, although it actually turned out to be a soppy looking retriever carrying it's rabbit teddy bear.  It must be something about the breed because mine has a monkey teddy bear and Dylan, my sister in laws old dog had a teddy as well which they look after like a child with a comforter. 

We passed through some more amazing scenic hillsides before passing the North Esk reservoir which indicated we had finally reached the Pentland hills.  I've walked some parts of the Pentlands previously but hadn't realised how stunning the whole area really is.  It was icy in areas with some patches of snow which only added to the beauty.  The ground was boggy in parts but not too bad and we came across an entire track made from logs laid side by side.  Due to it being wet this was a bit difficult and we had to take care not to slip.  This road had obviously been laid to allow vehicles up to the higher points.

After moving across the Pentlands we dropped down to join the Water of Leith walkway which tells us we're close to the finishing point for this leg but we're not silly enough to start to relax just yet as there is still a good few miles to go. There's a lot more people on this part of the walk which tells you you're getting closer to the city.  We soon picked up signs for the canal and the visitor centre which marks the end of this part of the route.  There are regular signs, with mile markers on so we knew exactly how far there was to go before we arrived at the canal.  Until now any walking I had done was always to the north however this truly stunning walk has changed my thoughts and will certainly make me think about heading south in the future.  The only downside to this entire walk for me was with Edinburgh council or more realistically Edinburgh and Lothian buses.  Standing, in pieces after the walk, the bus arrived only for the driver to say "I can't take that £5 note for a £4 journey, we don't give change".  What he failed to mention was that he could've taken the £5 without giving us any change, which I would have gladly done.  I then had to walk around another 3/4 mile to find a shop for change only to be told by the next driver that they could've taken the £5.  Not happy however I didn't let it ruin my memories of the walk but this really seems like a way to rip off un-knowing tourists to me which contribute a massive amount to Edinburgh's economy.  I certainly won't be using the bus in future unless I have to.