Clive

Twenty-one miles today – Rannock Moor and Glen Coe. The weather forecast is fair for the day so I have unloaded the gaiters and over trousers.

I got to the B&B in Kinlochleven at 5pm which meant eight hours and twenty minutes on the track. I had a couple of ten minute breaks and tea on the summit above the Devil’s Staircase. The drop down from there to Kinlochleven was very steep and longer than I expected.

above – Rannoch Moor

above – Glen Coe

above – Glen Coe

And when I finally sat down with a mug of tea at the B&B, “The Big Bang Theory” was on the TV

The first thing to do today is to get back to the path – which is about half a mile away but it is nearly all “up”.

I am completing this post whilst sitting in front of the log fire, in the lounge at The Bridge of Orchy Hotel lounge.

The day did start with a few spots of rain but by midday it was dry but overcast with the tops of low mountains shrouded in cloud.

We crossed the main road at Tyndrum – where we stopped for a tea and sausage roll in the conveniently placed cafe.

Tomorrow is a twenty-one mile day so we are in a hurry to get to Kinlochleven before dark.

The rucksack is heavier today, as we are carrying our overnight stuff, food and equipment we need for tomorrow, because we are not having our case transported today (it costs too much to ship it to Inversnaid). It was because of this extra load that, at the last minute, I decided to bring and use my Golite Jam backpack. The Jam has a very good compression system so it makes a very comfortable daypack for the other days. The large external pocket is particularly useful for my waterproofs, sitmat and gortex gaiters.

To start the walking day we have a taxi ride to Sallochy Bay, where we finished yesterday – I know exactly which rock I was sitting on when the taxi came and that is my starting point for the day.

No 3G signal today so the post is being made from the Inversnaid Bunkhouse, where we are staying tonight. It is a converted church. The room is OK, but we have not yet found a kettle so it looks like if we want a cup of tea we have to buy it – we will ask later.

The walk today was great – we followed the banks of Loch Lomond all day, so it was an easy 10 mile jaunt, the long days start tomorrow. There was plenty of sun today and some great looming clouds and mists.

Tomorrow we needed an early start but breakfast does not start until 8am – we will have to manage.