An earlier return to the campsite and a chance to catch up with the washing and sit in the sun - it would be lovely to have more evenings as warm as this. Come on sunshine, there's only three weeks to go. Can't believe that we have only three pages of my map book to go!
From Bernie:
Today's walk 8.8 miles : Cumulative 1022.8 miles
Chainsaw Carving at Tyndrum
First of 3 consecutive easy, short days in the middle of the West Highland Way - not short because I'm getting lazy but because of the location of possible stopping places & the terrain between them! To put 2 of them together is possible but would make for a very tough day & a nightmare in poor weather. Could have continued across Rannoch Moor in this afternoon's beautiful sunshine but decided to save its 9 miles for tomorrow's rain!
Beinn Odhar
Anyone who has driven to or from Oban or Fort William will be familiar with this stretch & would recognize it immediately. It's the bit where road, railway & rivers race across the wide valley floor, giant pointed mountains stick up as if in a cartoon & a constant stream of walkers head off like ants along the old military road which hugs the edge of the flood plain. Tyndrum to the Bridge of Orchy is a really popular walk: only 6 miles, level, spectacular scenery, a pub at each end & a regular bus service along the main road - there, that's my job done for the Scottish Tourist Board!
Bridge of Orchy
The real excitement comes, though, after Major Caulfield's bridge; he took over military road construction in the Highlands from General Wade & chose to head straight up & over the hills & mountains rather than follow the valley - must have been great fun to march along!!! More of military roads later.....
From the summit of Mam Carraigh yet another valley opens up, but this with only a single-track road following an old drovers' route to disturb the silence - an incredible contrast & yet the 2 spots are less than a couple of miles apart.
Cairn on summit of Mam Carraigh
No sign of any of the lads again today, or of the German couple, but finished in the bar of the Inveroran Hotel chatting to 4 American gents who said they'd seen me at the end of each day's walk so far! Not tomorrow, though - they're making an early start & are going to try to reach Kinlochleven; I wished them well! Also chatted to a couple of members of a13 strong group who had come over from Chatham, New Jersey, just to do the walk!
Loch Tulla
Highlight of the Day: popped into the Green Welly Stop on our way back for pork & venison sausages to barbecue & heard a traffic report on their radio - long delays on the M42 with an 8-mile tailback, A6 closed at Chapel-en-le-Frith after an accident, A14 blocked by a broken-down lorry. Momentarily reminded me of the real world as we headed back to the campsite to bask in sunshine!
Inveroran Hotel & the mountains west of Rannoch Moor
Beer of the Day: I've been led astray by several blondes on this trip but decided I'd try another anyway! 'Skinny Blonde' from the Oban Bay Brewery declares itself to be 'lagerish' & I suppose it is but with a rather more-pronounced flavour. Not a favourite but worth trying & very refreshing in today's heat.
Di: I love Wells, one of my favourite spots on the Norfolk coast - we were last there in the freezing cold back in January when we were practising with the van! As for Hunstanton... I think I agree with you!
Ann: glad to hear you had a good Beer Festival - I had another 'Bitter & Twisted' yesterday but it wasn't as good as the one in Linlithgow. I'd be interested to know how many Scottish breweries/beers you had in Chelmsford.... I'm still struggling to find anything much out of the ordinary in the bars & hotels.
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