hiking – Page 4 – Clive's Blog

West Highland Way Day 4 – Inversnaid to Crainlarich

12 October 2011 / Photography, Travel, Walking / coffee, Golite Jam 2, hiking, iPhone, iPhone camera apps, iPhone photography, Scotland, walking, West Highland Way

It is now about 3.30pm and we are about four miles away from Crainlarich on the old military road – and the path is such that I can write this whilst walking.

The first five miles of the day were some of the most difficult we will have to walk this week. A narrow fractured, undulating path, where you had to watch where you walked. It took us over three hours to cover five miles. It was similar terrain for the end of yesterday and that too slowed down our progress. This afternoon once we reached the military road our pace picked up.

We had some great views this morning over the loch and even found somewhere to get coffee, Beinglas Farm.

Another thing we saw (and smelt) were goats along the side of the loch, and you really could smell them before you saw them!

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Inversnaid Bunkhouse

10 October 2011 / Photography, Travel, Walking / hiking, iPhone, iPhone photography, Scotland, walking, West Highland Way

The bunkhouse is a converted church, with a mezzanine floor, which is the dining room/common room. As part of the conversion they have retained the stained glass.

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West Highland Way Day 3 – Sallochy Bay to Inversnaid

10 October 2011 / Photography, Travel, Walking / Golite Jam 2, hiking, iPhone, iPhone camera apps, iPhone photography, Scotland, tea, walking, West Highland Way

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.

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BBC Weather

10 October 2011 / Travel, Walking / hiking, iPhone photography, Scotland, walking, West Highland Way

Just getting ready for the day and of course we watched the BBC weather.

Look no rain.

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West Highland Way Day 2 – Drymen to Sallochy Bay (and back by taxi)

9 October 2011 / Photography, Travel, Walking / coffee, Golite Jam 2, hiking, iPhone, iPhone camera apps, iPhone photography, Scotland, tea, walking, West Highland Way

Small change of plan today, we have shortened today’s walk (to save on the taxi fare!) but what it really means is that day three will be a ten mile day rather than seven.

The accommodation here in Drymen is very good, we have a three bedroom apartment, all the bedrooms and living room have flat screen TVs, the kitchen is well supplied with tea,coffee, milk and the makings for breakfast. There is central heating, and two shower rooms. Richard has done really well to find this place. It has allowed us to sort ourselves out following the first days shake down walk. (Parrot count so far zero – see our Coast to Coast blog.)

We booked our taxi back last night with a local taxi company here in Drymen.

Before starting we watched Jensen Button win the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Pottery pub where we had dinner last night – the photo was shot just before setting off today – blogging in the rain again, at least for the first part of the day – that’s my positive attitude showing through.

The path was a stream.

Lunch – no raincoat and a great view.

I even wore my sunglasses!

We are now waiting for the taxi – middle of nowhere and a strong 3G signal – so I’ll publish this now.

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West Highland Way Day 1 – Milngavie to Drymen

8 October 2011 / Travel, Walking / Golite Jam 2, hiking, iPhone, iPhone camera apps, iPhone photography, Scotland, walking, West Highland Way

Train into Glasgow, we need a cashpoint and a pie shop.

Is there an app for removing rain drops from my photographs?

The Start at Milngavie

There is no missing the start (or the end) of the West Highland Way.

It looks like today is the perfect day to use my water tight case for my iPhone, so I can blog and take photographs in the rain.

The rain has been patchy and mostly light (no over trousers needed) so it has not been hard to deal with. On the plus side there has been some nice light to photographs the woodland colours.

By 2.30pm the rain had stopped and I had my rain coat off.

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West Highland Way – Tomorrow Milngavie to Drymen

7 October 2011 / Walking / hiking, Scotland, walking, West Highland Way

We have driven to Drymen this afternoon to drop off our case (it saved us having to pay to have the bag transported). The plan is to have our case, which contains spare clothes, wash kit, food for the trail and other sundry items moved from one B&B to the next by “Sherpa Van”. However due to

there being no accommodation at Rowardennan – we will be walking to the end of the road and then getting a taxi back to Drymen and then the following morning another taxi to restart the walk
and Sherpa Van not servicing Inversnaid – for this day we will need to carry our overnight stuff and trail food for the next day

the bag is going to spend three days at Drymen and then it is being taken to Crainlarich.

So here is where we will be walking to tomorrow.

Sunny Drymen

This is the B&B

Tonight we are staying with Diana’s cousin and his wife, Richard and Morag, and they are also going to keep an eye on my car as well. Thank you.

Tomorrow we will get the train from Muirhead via the Glasgow city centre to Milngavie and then we start walking!

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