Total miles: 14.4
Elevation gain: 1,801 ft
Time walking: 10am – 5:30pm
Miles to date: 1,127.5
Ok so I think today wins in terms of my favourite West Highland Way day so far! Whilst I’m in severe danger of overusing descriptors such as ‘stunning’, ‘incredible’, ‘beautiful’, ‘magnificent’ and ‘amazing’, today’s scenery really does deserve them! I think it was also the toughest day so far on the Way, other than the loch scrambling day, what with the Devil’s Staircase and the long descent the other side, but to be honest, it felt good (in a rather masochistic way?!) to feel a bit more challenged again!
The night was wild up on the moor, very wet and windy and at times I wasn’t sure my tent would stay put. It did, thankfully, and when I woke at 6am it was dark and still but raining heavily. I lay for a bit listening to the rain, all cosy in my sleeping bag, then decided that as it wasn’t an overly long day today and I was in no rush to get to my campsite this evening I might as well enjoy being cosy for a bit longer. I promptly went back to sleep and woke again 2 hours later! It was still raining but then it was supposed to be raining all day so I ate my wet weather breakfast of granola in my tent and packed everything up. Waterproofs on and out into the rain I went, which amazingly had eased to a light drizzle for me to put the tent down. The stream was very loud this morning and I went to have a quick look, finding it much higher than yesterday, with the rocks I had stood on to collect water now fully submerged in a gushing torrent. I was glad I had collected more water last night, the stream was distinctly fiercer today! Looking up at the mountain above I could see why – where one or two small waterfalls had been last night, now there were countless cascades, each white and frothy coming down off the top and converging into the stream I stood beside. It was incredibly beautiful and mesmerising and I felt sad to go!
Rejoining the trail I soon met a few other hikers, presumably they had either also wild camped or left early from Inveroran. At one point I stopped by a bridge to put my gloves on and jumped out of my wits when a small dog suddenly appeared from nowhere and barked loudly to announce his presence! I think the owner must have been camped just below the bridge as they overtook me a bit further on. It was a wet morning – not so much on the forecasted rain front, although it was drizzling on and off – but wet underfoot, the ground was sodden and there was water everywhere, countless tiny streams gushing off the moor to join larger streams on their way to the loch below. I wonder if this place ever dries out. I doubt it!
A short climb led to a ridge which marked the end of Rannoch moor and the beginning of the stunning descent into Glen Coe, with the massive Buachaille Etive Mor dominating the valley. The mountains were huge and beautiful, and not as cloud-covered as I’d feared they’d be. It had even stopped raining! I had planned to see if I could get a cup of tea at a Kingshouse further on but when I saw the sign to Glencoe Mountain (where there is skiing in the winter) advertising the cafe, I decided to stop there instead. Three miles in and time for a cup of tea and maybe a second breakfast! The cafe didn’t disappoint, though it was expensive – £6 for a cup of tea and bacon & egg roll! – and full of non-hikers. The chair lift runs all year around so I guess it is a popular place to visit, and of course I’d forgotten that it was Sunday! It was a nice spot to drink my tea and update my blog though, and it was a good bacon & egg roll which put my dry granola to shame. The view was pretty awesome too, down the glen, watching the clouds come and go.
The stretch to Kingshouse was gorgeous, gradually making my way down towards Buchaille Etive Mor, and slow, as I kept stopping to take photos and just gawp at the scenery. I was fascinated to see wisps of cloud forming over one of the lesser peaks, I could virtually see the wind blowing up over the top and cooling into cloud. The Kings House Hotel appeared closed but there was a new-looking lodge which looked like it offered hostel type accommodation, and a cafe which I was tempted to visit. Given I’d only come another mile or two though I figured I probably ought to keep going otherwise I’d never make it to my campsite this evening! Just behind the hotel and lodge there were some flatter bits by the river that looked liked reasonable camping spots and would have been where I would have camped if I’d pushed on. They had a pretty view and a couple of people were still camped there, but I was pleased I’d stayed where I was. I guess it would be a nice spot to mix with other wild campers, but it was definitely less private and quite close to the busy road.
Between Kingshouse and the turn off for the Devil’s Staircase, a stretch of just under 3 miles, the scenery was breathtaking. As I neared Buchaille Etive Mor it changed shape from narrow and pointy to wide and craggy. Massive chasms split the summit and the clouds occasionally cleared for a better view. The light made all the nooks and crannies of the hills stand out clearly and it was impossible to photograph well because it was just all so big! The only downside was the busy road running right along the glen but at points the path was far enough away that I could ignore the traffic. I certainly can’t begrudge people driving this way, it would be a spectacular drive! At the turn off to head up to the Devil’s Staircase, just opposite Buachaille Etive Mor, there is a small parking area and I took a break on the bench there (sadly dedicated to a man, his 18 year old son and another 18 year old who were killed in an avalanche). I ate a light lunch of peanut butter and jam oatcakes while trying to take in the view. One of the many times I wished I had a proper camera and knew how to use it!
Feeling re-nourished, it was time for the climb up to the Devil’s Staircase, one of only three major ascents along the way (day two’s Conic Hill and tomorrow’s climb out of Kinlochleven being the other two) and the highest point of the way. The climb wasn’t actually all that bad but it was still a bit of a shock to the system after a relatively flat few weeks! It was also quite rocky in places, requiring focus, but it was quite doable and it even felt nice to feel a little bit challenged again. I did stop lots on the way up though, partly to catch my breath but partly to look back at the view, never less stunning.
Just as I was beginning to wish the climb would end it suddenly did, reaching the saddle between the two high points on the ridge. And I stopped looking back at the view behind me because the view ahead was breathtaking. There weren’t any iconic peaks like in the famous Glen Coe but it was beautiful. A wide, wild valley, with more mountains beyond, streams gushing down the slopes, wide open skies and not a soul to be seen, let alone a car! As I dropped down into this remote landscape it felt like I could have been the first person there, save for the well defined but rough and rocky path. Besides the sounds of bubbling streams which were never far away the air was silent. Peaceful. If it wasn’t for the midges which suddenly appeared every time I stopped I could have sat there for ages! Sadly midges have a habit of ruining beautiful spots! Still, I admired as I walked, the view changing subtly as the path gradually dropped and wound around the side of the hills. The distant Blackwater Reservoir came into view over to the east, and a lush, tree-lined glen below. There was water everywhere and the path was more often than not practically a stream bed, water flowing down amongst the rocks and pebbles until it found an alternative escape route over the edge. Across the valley a huge waterfall cascaded down the hillside from up high. I wondered if it had a name. Scotland seems to have so many waterfalls that many which would be popular tourist spots in England don’t even get names up here!
The descent was beautiful but felt long. I suppose that’s because it was a few miles, the longest descent of the WHW so far, which is strange after flatter days. My knees certainly felt it! You can see Kinlochleven nestled in the valley a couple of miles before you reach it, and added to that there is a wide loop in the path in order to follow the shape of the hill, so it feels like it takes a long time to get there. The path improves into a gravelly track and drops into pretty birch woodland, with the odd potential camping spot here and there beside the track. Lots more beautiful waterfalls as the streams make their way down the hillside, including one set of powerful falls through deep chasms in the rock just below a small reservoir. Soon the track follows along massive pipelines which were integral to the village’s smelting works. Water leaks from some of them, spraying up into the air under the pressure. The path crosses the River Leven and passes residential housing before cutting into woods beside the river. Apparently it has salmon but to my disappointment I am still yet to see any salmon leaping! Kinlochleven doesn’t seem to have the best reputation due in part to the massive buildings that were once part of the smelting works but I think it’s quite a pretty little place. It is certainly in an incredibly picturesque glen!
I avoided the main part of the village and instead continued on the path to the far end where there is a campsite at the Macdonald Hotel. They just manage to squeeze me in as they are already fully booked and I head out to find a spot. The hotel is by the end of Loch Leven and the view is stunning, although it’s hidden by trees at the campsite itself. As soon as I put my bag down and fish my tent out the midges start to swarm. It’s my first real run in with midges in Scotland and although annoying, they aren’t quite as bad as some of the midges I had along the Pennine Way. I guess that’s because I’m at the end of the season, thank goodness! The outer tent is soaking wet following the heavy rain overnight but the inner isn’t too bad so I should be fairly dry tonight. I can’t believe my luck with the weather today! It has rained on and off this evening but it stayed dry pretty much all afternoon. Once the tent was up and everything inside I quickly boiled some water for dinner then dove into my tent to eat to escape the midges. Unfortunately I realised as I was getting in that I still had my boots and gaiters on which slowed me down and meant I ended up with a cloud of midges in my tent and spent the next half an hour exterminating them one by one (aka squashing them as they land on the walls!). Not an easy or quick task, but perseverance paid off and I got them all. No midges are going to be having me for their dinner tonight! I ate my dinner (rehydrated dehydrated chicken curry, yum!) in the safety of my now midge-free tent and listened to the rain. It was still early, only 7pm! Once it had got dark I decided that perhaps the midges were asleep now and I’d venture to the bar for a bit to have a break from the tent and to make use of their wifi (no 3G here…gee, anyone would think I’m in the middle of nowhere…!). The wifi turned out to be rubbish, sadly, the glass of wine was nice though!
Now back in the tent listening to the campsite sounds and the stream running past, wondering if I have pitched in a soggy bit as I got very wet feet getting back to my tent. Fingers crossed I won’t wake up in a puddle! Tomorrow is the final day of the West Highland Way and I’m heading to Fort William. I can’t believe this section is nearly over! I’m hoping to climb Ben Nevis on Tuesday so fingers crossed for good weather. Then it’s time for the penultimate, and shortest, leg, the Great Glen Way to Inverness. I have a feeling these last three weeks are going to fly by…!