Glenfinnan to Glendessary
I set off before dawn on the drive north, and enjoyed clear roads all the way to Fort William. I dropped in to the local polis to let them know I'd be leaving my car at Glenfinnan for 2 weeks, so they didn't think I was lost (and could also keep an eye on it). Then up to the car park at the start of the track to Glenifnnan Lodge (free!), where I had a spot of lunch, got changed into my walking boots and locked up the car. At 1:15pm I was off up the road, mentally groaning at the weight of my pack.
It'd been a while since I'd done any serious backpacking, although I'm used to carrying heavy climbing sacks, a backpacking sack is heavier, bulkier and harder to manage. After the first mile or so I was thinking that this might be a shorter trip than planned! And much as I'd love to say it got easier through the day, truth is it didn't. But the weather was OK, cloudy and breezy but dry, perfect for walking. I plodded up through Glenfinnan, then over the pass to Glendessary. I was planning to find a camping spot somewhere in Glendessary, but it was cattle and deer farming land, not very welcoming. (I've since found out that there are 4 bothies I could have used in the glen!) It was very quiet, I didn't meet any other walkers at all, only saw two from a distance. I walked on into the evening, much further than I intended, and eventually found a damp but level spot next to a burn. I had an excellent little Hillberg Atko, borrowed from my mate Paul, which is quick to pitch and very comfy inside. Quick pan of noodles and a boil in the bag curry, hot chocolate and so to bed.
Distance: 21.5 Km
Time: 8 hours
Day 2 (17/4/11)
Glendessary to Barrisdale
Felt suprisingly good early the next morning, so got straight up, breakfasted and packed by 7:20am. It was another cool day, with low cloud and a bit of drizzle in the air. I took it slow over the pass to Sourlies, and made the bothy there at 9:45am. Had a brew and some oatcakes, and chatted to a couple who were camping next to the bothy. The sun came out, and I had a good walk around the headland and up the next glen. Then came a challenging climb, over pathless steep grass and a couple of rock steps, to gain the drovers' track over to Barrisdale. Low cloud came in again and I was in mithering drizzle over the pass. Worse came on the other side, where I managed to step into a bog up to my thighs. After much swearing I extracted myself, emptied the muddy water out of my boots and changed my socks. Squelching on, I dropped down towards Barrisdale and the rain stopped. I gained the bothy there at 4:30pm, and decided to stay in there rather than camp, to dry my boots & socks out.
I nearly changed my mind inside the bothy - there was no fire or stove, mildew on the walls and a damp driech air to it. I should point out, this is NOT an MBA bothy, but privately run! However, I was too tired to bother. I needed a good feed, not least to reduce the weight of food I was carrying. Looking at the food bag, I realised I should have planned better and taken less.
There were just two other walkers around, a couple from Bradford, camping in the field outside. After a good meal, and lots of tea, I took a walk along the loch. The weather was clearing up, and though I didn't know it at the time, that was the worst weather day of the whole trip. Not bad for a Scottish April!
Distance: 20 Km
Time: 8.5 hrs
Day 3 18/4/11
Barrisdale to Shiel Bridge
A long day, but perfect weather, sunny but still cool with a good breeze. I set off at 7:30am, and took the excellent path along Loch Hourn. This is a lovely scenic route, with one panorama after another unfolding as you go along. The loch was calm, glittering in the early morning sun, and large patches of blue sky were opening up.
I reached Kinlochhourn and the tea shop by 10:30am, and enjoyed tea and cake in warm sunshine. I then girded my loins for the next section, over to Glen Shiel. The chap at the tea shop told me this was the hardest bit of the whole trail, so I was well motivated to get it over and done with.
So in the hazy afternoon sunshine I plodded up, iPod on, suncream applied and plenty of water on board. It was straightforward up to the first ridge - hard work, but a decent path. I stopped to congratulate myself at the top, belatedly as it turned out though. As I descended, thinking "that wasn't so bad..." I missed a junction and headed off the wrong way. I realised fairly soon, but then slogging back up took twice as long, and the path I was following wasn't nearly as clear. In fact I ended up losing it in a bog, then just zigzagged up over trackless moss and grass to the next ridge. But my troubles weren't over, as I topped out at the wrong point and then had a steep and loose descent down the other side. All very wearing on the knees and nerves! After an age of sweating and swearing, I spotted a small cairn, and to my great relief, found the path down.
I reached the Glen Shiel road at 7:30pm, 12 hours after starting walking. You can imagine my state. Not suprisingly, I elected to hitch the remaining few miles to Shiel Bridge, and after a short wait two guys from an MTB company (Beach Bikes) gave me a lift to the campsite. Once again, I hadn't met anyone else on the walk, so it was good to chat to someone else! There were also three folk at the campsite who were doing the trail North-South, so I got some advance info from them. It was a lovely evening there, and I was able to relax outside, cook a huge pan of rice & sausage, have a shower and watch a spectacular sunset.
Distance: 23 Km
Time: 12 hrs
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