to update this blog!!
Mon 15th June - Hawick to Galashiels...
after a quick brekkie I packed up all my gear and headed down to
settle up the bill. I was expecting my wallet to take a beating as
I'd stayed in a b&b for 2 nights, however I could have hugged Lorraine
when she said she only wanted £20! with a smile on my face, I rejoined
the A7 and made tracks towards Galashiels.
unfortunately it wasn't long before the footpaths ran out, meaning I
was high up on the wet & muddy grass verges. I just had to remind
myself that soon i'd be back on a canal route, avoiding these maniac
drivers.
once I reached galashiels, the heavens opened and I sheltered under
the nearest tree whilst I checked my maps for a campsite. there was
one about 4 miles to the north west, but I honestly could not be
bothered setting up in this rain.
just down the road I found a cheap b&b with a real difference. the
owner let me stay in a massive room before showing me an even bigger
table of DVDs! next was the communal kitchen that was full to the brim
with sweets, cookies and all manner of goodies that I could help
myself to... so I did.
I settled in and wandered into town to have a gander. to my surprise
I found a cinema, so treated myself to a showing of 'angels and
deamons'. whether it was the day catching up on me or the film itself
I wasn't sure, but I was half asleep by the time the adverts ended!
still... made a nice change of scenery from staying in.
Tues 16th June - Galashiels to Heriot...
today was a real test of steel as I was venturing into terrain without
anything that resembled a map.
even if I didn't know where I was going, I certainly had enough energy
to get me there as the host served up a full Scottish breakfast of 4
jumbo sausages, 4 pigs, 2 chickens and some cereal... maybe a slight
bending of the truth, but not far off!
as per usual, the footpaths ran out and I was enjoying a few near
death experiences with the torrent of moronic drivers. the most insane
happened when a woman came hurtling around the bend about 100m in
front, before launching the car into the trees that lined the road.
the car then reappeared onto the road and continued to roll onto it's
roof, coming to a halt as flat as a pancake.
by the time I got there, the driver was safely out of what used to be
her car and was sat shaking like a leaf on the grass verge. she was
fine, but the car was a total write-off.
I considered offering up my medical kit for the woman's grazes, but
seeming as the emergency services were already on the way I didn't
fancy getting sued by some idiot.
seeming as she was uninjured, I can guilt free say it was quite
exciting and helped stop the onset of tiredness... but I doubt the
driver would have thought the same.
I set off again, but a mental driver had other ideas as he decided to
drive around the crash site at full speed and right towards me! in a
hurry, I jumped over the crash barrier (as best I could with my
Bergen) but managed to smash my left knee into a sharp corner of
metal. a few minutes of rolling around on the floor in pain passed
with no one even stopping to give two hoots - so off I hobbled.
within minutes I had a swollen knee and could barely walk on it. I
saw the sign for Heriot and seeming as it signposted in such a major
way, I hoped there would be somewhere for me to stay.
upon arriving I could have cried as it was nothing more than a hamlet
with, get this... a fancy dress shop?! I stood in the rain, looking
360 degrees for any sign of life. a woman walking her dog soon
appeared, so I hobbled over and asked her if she knew of anyone who
had a field in which I could pitch a tent.
she ummed and arrd for a second before saying i could set up my tent
in her family's back garden! RESULT!!!
it turned out that she was kind enough to not only let me stay with
them for dinner, but also crash out in their spare bedroom.
I actually couldn't believe my luck at finding such a superstar family
that would take in a stranger at the drop of a hat... or in my case,
the bash of a knee.
Clare was a very spiritual person and her kindness was put into
perspective as she explained how amazing it felt when people helped
her out during her backpacking days. strangers had helped her out and
now she was returning the favour. what's more, she phoned her friend
Marriane who lives in Edinburgh and secured me a bed for tomorrow night!
someone up there likes me...
Wed 17th June - Heriot to Edinburgh...
after a great Scottish breakfast of porridge and heavy painkillers, I
was back on the roads and making good progress. luckily for me,
within 6 miles the A7 became more urban - meaning FOOTPATHS!!!!
within no time I could just make out the outline of Edinburgh castle
through the persistant drizzle. Clare's partner Julyan had printed
out a map of how to get to their friend's house, so following it
closely, I entered the outskirts of the city.
I decided to take the high road (no Scottish songs please) over the
golf course and it paid off. I snapped some great panoramic pics of
the city before giving Alistair & Marriane a call to let them know I
was close.
their son Simon was also there as they gave me a warm welcome before
sitting down to have a good long chat. to my delight, marriane said I
could stay an extra day and use it to have a look around Edinburgh.
needless to say, I didn't need asking twice.
Thurs 18th June - Rest day in Edinburgh...
today did exactly what it says on the tin! after a quick brekkie with
Marriane and Simon, I got a few bits together and left for the centre
of the city.
luckily for me, they lived seconds from the canal so even though it
took 40mins, the walk in was great.
the rest of the day was spent being a total tourist, snapping pictures
of Edinburgh castle from Prince's Gardens before taking a stroll down
the royal mile.
by late afternoon I bought a bottle of wine for Marriane, Alistair &
Simon and ambles back to basecamp for tea.
Fri 19th June - Edinburgh to Linlithgow...
the solid nights sleep was exactly what I needed as I began packing my
gear back into its usual home. it's funny how normally I would throw
my stuff into a bag without any thought, however during this trek,
everything has a place in my Bergen.
the tedious task of packing was broken up by Alistair cooking bacon
and sausages which went down a treat - so I suggested they open a
B&B... I think one walker was enough for them, let alone a constant
stream.
it was soon time to make tracks, so I gave Marriane & Alistair a fond
farewell and followed their directions back onto the union canal.
the non-existance of mad drivers was fantastic as it meant I could
plod away safe and sound - but for a few cyclists.
I was soon leaving the city and making my way into the countryside,
but not before turning one last time to get an eyefull of Edinburgh in
all its glory.
the weather had been forecast to chop'n'change all day and it did just
that. the wind threw me from one side to another as the sun tried its
best to burn through the clouds. by early afternoon the rain clouds
won and I sheltered under one of the canal's bridges which I donned
the waterproofs.
the moment they were on, the Scottish weather gods thought it would be
funny to let the scortching sun out. however I wasn't playing into
their trap and left the kit on... warm is better than soaked.
in good time I arrived at Linlithgow and took a walk around the loch
that hosted fantastic views of the town's restored palace. luckily
the campsite was pretty close to town, so I set up and grabbed some
dinner before returning to my maps for tomorrow.
Sat 20th June - Linlithgow to Kilsyth...
well the day began very smoothly as I realised the permathrin spray
that I used on my tent allowed me to sleep like a log - bite free!
now all I needed to do was walk 24 miles through indecisive weather...
the smooth start soon came to an end as it took me nearly an hour
simply to get out of the bloody town. this didn't help my spirits as
by the time I got back on the canal, I felt totally deflated. to save
time messing about with checking which bridge I'd reached, I picked an
obvious landmark and got into my stride.
the landmark happened to be a pitch black 250m tunnel that made me
feel like I was cave diving rather than hiking. there were streams of
water running down the walls, giving a really spooky atmosphere,
especially once I'd reached half way.
I was soon back on the sun lit towpaths and bored out of my mind (moan
moan moan). for some reason my trusty 1,000 mile socks had decided to
give me the mother of all blisters on top of my foot. there was
little I could do apart from head to my next destination of "The
Falkirk Wheel".
it was an amazing piece of engineering that allowed boats to go up or
down a 100m drop on what can only be described as a giant ferris wheel.
the remainder of today's walk was dull as dishwater until I got about
7 miles from Kilsyth. I stopped at a canal side restaurant and took a
look at the b&bs that dad had text me last night.
sods law, they were all booked so I spent the next hour hunting down
somewhere to stay that wasn't gonna break the bank.
I finally found a cheap hotel and with my fuelled, yet blistered feet,
pushed on towards Kilsyth. the town itself was a bit of a dump, but I
was getting closer to the West Highland Way where the scenery will
make walking a lot less dull... hopefully!!!
Sun 21st June - Kilsyth to Milarrochy...
with the west highland way (WHW) on my mind, I downed a full Scottish
brekkie that would have killed anyone not walking it off. people have
been telling me how beautiful my route will be, but these idiots love
the pennine way, so I'll see for myself.
after leaving Kilsyth I was stuck on the A-roads that head west until
they link up with a disused railway, now converted into a long
distance cycle path. it started at a station platform that looks more
like something from a horror film. grass and weeds have replaced
passengers and tracks, but soon enough the tarmac and gravel took over.
I was loving this route as it combined great scenery with a solid,
walkable path... plus no cars!
within a few hours, a cyclist slowed down and rode beside me for a
mile or so to have a chat. he was a big fan of the west highland way,
so I knew that if someone could do it on a bike, then I stood a chance.
after he rode off into the distance, I followed the track for its
duration and was sad to leave its sanctuary. luckily for me the WHW
began soon so I took the chance to grab a light lunch from a local pub.
once I'd wolfed down some cheesy nachos (light lunch in weight only),
I opened the gate that signified the start of what would take me all
the way to fort willy!
I let a couple of walkers pass me as they were travelling light, with
one daysack between them... yes I'm bitter. initially they bolted
off, but I saw this as a nice little pace setter so kept with them as
best I could. this meant having to even jog a few sections that with
the weight of my pack, was a tall order.
even though I was pretty shattered, I was loving every second of this
route, especially with my pace car ahead.
after a few hours, the pair unfortunately went their own way and I
headed for the village of Balmaha that sits right on the shore of loch
lomond.
I followed the coast over some great rocky paths until I found a
campsite that seemed a safe bet. unfortunately they weren't feeling
too charitable as for the first time in a while I had to pay for
stating at a campsite... humph!
even more west highland way tomorrow so my "bed" beckons.
Mon 22nd June - Milarrochy to Inverarnan...
all I can say is WOW! if all of this trek had been like today, I may
be dead by now, but I'd be a very very happy man indeed!
I left the campsite soon after the group of 4 walkers that I'd met the
previous night. within no time we were playing cat n mouse as we
leapfrogged positions when I and they rested. the route itself was
seriously demanding; with long rocky uphill sections that burnt the
thighs, followed my steep descents that pounded the knees.
soon enough I found my stride and pushed on infront of the four
walkers and was loving both the terrain and scenery to boot.
sadly there was no chance of picking up supplies from the campsite
before leaving, so I knew although I had 2 liters of water, I only had
2 cereal bars and a banana for the rest of the day. I necked some fun
sized cereals, but it wasn't the most substantial brekkie.
I soon passed a couple of walkers, each following the same path as
me. we joked about the fact that on our maps, the path we were on was
supposed to be easy. by the look on both our faces, the opposite was
true.
pushing on ahead, I was feeling the obvious drawback of missing a
hearty breakfast. taking a few minutes to swallow a banana and a
cereal bar, I enjoyed snapping away a few chance pictures of loch
lomond.
I could only laugh as I sat on a picnic bench looking out over the
stunning loch. like a sledge hammer to the ears, a car full of chavs
pulled up and proceeded to blast the worst trance music at full
volume. everyone looked at each other with total disbelief as to what
was happening. soon enough the park warden walked over to tell them
to shut up, but by the look on his face he was bemused as to why they
came to loch lomond to do that.
back on the road I soon met up with the couple I'd passed earlier on.
all three of us powered on along the route as they had a ferry to
catch and I just needed to keep walking. the miles melted away as we
tackled some tricky sections of the walk before arriving at the ferry
port. until now I hadn't had to keep a conversation going whilst
hiking and Christ was it twice as hard on the lungs. they kindly
bought me a couple of cans of coke until they had to make tracks
across the loch and back to their car.
once I was back on my own, I was chomping away at the miles and loving
every second of it. if it weren't for my walking sticks, I'd not be
laying in my tent writing this - as they saved me from a few spills to
say the least.
near what was supposed to be Rob Roy's cave, I felt like I was
mountain climbing rather than hiking. there were sections of the
route which had clearly fallen into the loch but had been made into a
more challenging section.
soon enough the hardcore path filtered out into wider fields with only
a few demanding sections, yet they didn't half drag on!
I finally arrived at Inverarnan after about 9 hours of walking and
dodged hundreds of midges as I set up my tent. the even more annoying
thing was that with the sheer number of charity walkers who pass
through here, the owners don't give charity discounts otherwise they'd
never earn a penny I guess.
to cheer myself up I headed to the pub and had a top notch curry and
an even better chat with an RAF mountain leader before retiring to my
tent.
Tues 23rd June - Inverarnan to Tyndrum...
today should have been a relatively simple 12 mile walk, however as
you'll see it really wasn't.
last night I was woken up by a group of noisy Indian idiots who
thought it would be fun to stand around a fire right by my tent. I
poked my head out and glared at them before trying to get back to
sleep. annoyingly, opening my tent let in a load of midges... so now
I was fuming and what happened next tipped me over the edge.
just as I was nodding off again, one of the morons managed to walk
right into my tent. I didn't care about the midges now, I flung open
my tent and let out a torrent of abuse that even dettered the midges.
needless to say, not a peep was heard for the rest of the night.
I finally got up around 7 and slowly began packing away my gear before
popping over to the shops and grabbing my supplies for the day.
yesterday I'd passed a group of walkers at Rob Roy'a cave and this
morning I saw they'd made it to the same camp site. in passing, one
of the women asked me if I wanted to join them for the day so I jumped
at the chance of sharing the journey with others. on a selfish note,
it meant I didn't have to bother navigating and could follow the crowd.
however soon after we left "basecamp", I realised walking at their
pace wasn't as simple as I thought. it's odd how just the act of
breaking your stride to wait for others can seriously drain you in no
time at all.
I'm glad I gave group walking a whirl as the people were nice, but I
guess the change from 53 days solo walking was just too much.
soon enough I was met by a smiley man who shook my hand before
explaining that he also was an end to end walker! he was the first
one I'd met during this trek, minus the guy at lands end on the 30th
April. it was great to swap stories as we walked together for a mile
or so. eventually our group's badly times pitstop meant we went
seperate ways.
after a few incidents of walking group politics, the gang arrived at
their destination. necking a bottle of OJ and even more water, I was
back on the way... solo!
as I'd been talking for most of the day, my mind had been taken off
how rediculously hot it actually was. back on my own, I didn't know
how I'd even got this far in this heat!
soon enough I arrived at my campsite, but could only sigh as the
moment my pack hit the floor, the midges came out to play... time for
my new citronella candle!
Wed 24th June - Tyndrum to Kinlochleven...
today was the day that put my nerve and legs to the test, so I'm over
the moon that I came out on top... literally!
I woke up at 4am in order to pack away all my gear and get going
before the sun gave me its worst. luckily this mentally early start
paid off and I enjoyed the sight of the sunrise over Beinn Dorain and
Beinn An Dothaidh, making sure to snap away with the camera.
the walk itself wasn't too demanding, but sent me in all the right
directions in order to get the best views over the Grampians. because
of this, I didn't care if I was exhausted - my only complaint was that
my camera couldn't capture what my eyes were seeing.
I soon bumped into a hot german lass who took my mind off my aching
feet for a few miles, even if I had to try hard to understand what she
was saying.
by early afternoon I had arrived at King's House Hotel which was the
route's suggested destination for the day. I wasn't going to pay
hotel prices, so there was only one other option... walk tomorrow's
route to Kinlochleven. this however, meant tackling "the devil's
staircase".
I'd only really heard of the name once, but had no idea as to how
accurate the name was.
before leaving, I wolfed down a ham & cheese toasty and as much OJ as
I could stomach. stupidly however, I did NOT remember to top up my
water and left with barely a liter.
at the base of the devils staircase, I couldn't really make out the
path so headed on up the slope until it became more than apparent.
within no time I was shattered as my boots and walking poles scrambled
to get some grip on the rocky path.
I had to stop a number of times as this was without a doubt the
toughest terrain to date, but once I reached the top it was 100% worth
the effort.
for about 20mins I sat there without making a sound, enjoying the
clarity until another walker appeared at the summit. we both sat on
the edge exhausted, but in silent appreciation of the surroundings.
unfortunately my memory served me very badly indeed and I assumed that
the town was a short descent, how wrong I was. I necked most of my
remaining water and headed on down.
by the time I realised I'd made a mistake about how far it was, I was
totally dehydrated. a killer headache had set in, so I slowed my
descent to save as much energy as possible.
2 hours later I was nearing the town just as the worst of the
dehydration kicked in. until now my body had obviously been swearing,
but now even that had stopped... just goes to show how hot and tough
today was I guess.
once in town, I walked into the nearest pub and lined up 4 pints of
ice cold water; downing them all before being pressured into actually
buying something. I then sat outside and had a chat with some other
walkers and there group leader who kindly sponsored me.
setting up the tent was very slow indeed as I was feeling totally
groggy and still had a pounding headache. my own fault, but thank god
it didn't get worse I suppose.
still, not bad sleeping under the shadow of glen coe!
Thurs 25th June - Kinlochleven to Fort William...
well I'm sorry to moan, but last nights "sleep" was bloody awful! I'm
definitely going to have to invest in a blow up bed once I reach fort
willy as I cannot carry on like this.
after waiting around for the local post office to open, I posted a
load of maps home and stocked up on food for todays journey.
four guys who were doing the west highland way the other way then
decided to pick my brains about how to set up an end to end walk. it
was nice to be regarded as a source of reliable info, so i let them
know the highs and lows before getting back on route.
I was expecting today to be a simple yomp, but how wrong I was. the
ascent at the start was like the devils staircase part deux, apart
from this version was four times longer. the climb was worth the
sweat as I was rewarded with fantastic views over the whole of
kinlochleven from the summit.
once over the top, the majority of the route was fairly simple. the
path rolled along the sides of the glen as I began to catch up with
walkers who'd set off before me.
I was sitting on the brow of a hill having lunch when a group of
scantily clad Uni girls came charging towards me singing 10 green
bottles. try as I might, I couldn't keep up...
the route was supposed to pass through dense forest which would have
made a nice change from the intense sun. however it was pretty
depressing to see the entire forest being cut down around me.
after a few hours, I passed the Uni girls and had a quick chat about
what I was doing. luckily for me, the drool coming from my mouth was
easily disguised as sweat and after taking a group pic, I headed into
fort william to track down a b&b.
aaaah to sleep indoors again...
Fri 26th June - Rest Day In Fort William...
the idea was to have a real lie in today, but by 7am I was up and
about getting my laundry done and attempting to get some order in the
chaos of my bag. it was absolutely glorious outside, so to get a few
more tasks done and to escape jacko-mania, I headed into town.
the train used in one of the harry plopper films was chugging past as
I sat down to some lunch and the job of writing my postcards.
I considered picking up a self-inflating matress but couldn't justify
spending £70, so for now I'll just enjoy the bed in the b&b.
I join the great glen way tomorrow, so Inverness here I come!!!
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