Day 16 + 17 (+18): Drymen - Sallochy Campsite - Inversnaid - Edinburgh

May 3

Kilometers: 18

Ascent: 254

I woke to a beautiful morning and a nice breakfast. My knee was painful last night, so I had to find a new route, I couldn't walk up and down Conic Hill. Too bad to miss the Loch Lomond view though! 

Drymen Inn in the morning. I had the two windows on the left side, right above the beer garden. The music stopped at 11 pm and I managed to sleep for a bit before that.

OS Maps suggested a route parallel to the road, but in the forest. At first the trail was very nice, but it soon got wet and muddy. But that's excpected after the rainiest winter in a hundred or so years.

As I took this photo I thought I'd better check where I was. Good thing, I had somehow missed a turn. I retraced my steps for about 1 kilometer and found the trail. More of an opening in the trees, the trail was very faint, obviously not many people walk it. As I kept walking it got more difficult and at times I had to push through shrubbery and trees. 

Eventually I could see the forest opening up, only to arrive at a locked gate. No problem, it was very sturdy and easy to climb 😀 On the map I could see the forest continue for some time on the other side of the large paddock I was now in. Apprehensive about it being as difficult as what I had just walked through I opted for a gate to my right and a short track to the road. I reached a gate and it wasn't even locked 🤩 I followed the main road until I got to Balmaha and a very nice cafe where I stopped for lunch and a rest.

After lunch the trail followed Loch Lomond and I was thinking of when I took my mom to Scotland in 2007. One day we stopped for lunch right next to Loch Lomond with a nice view of the loch. This made the walk very emotional (she passed away 19 months ago), and I was a bit overwhelmed with feelings.

The trail. Beautiful roots, but a little difficult to cross with a bad knee.

Eventually I got to Sallochy Campsite. By now my back was a bit sore, my guess is that I somehow put stress on it from unconsciously trying to make it easier for my knee.

The campgrounds is very basic with three composting toilets and a sink with cold water for drinking and doing dishes. It is divided in two parts, one with larger pitches for car campers; they also have a barbecue on each site. I was in the West Highland Way hikers' area, a larger site with room for 6 one person tents. I was second to arrive and could choose a great spot!

A tent with a view.

Pitching the tent proved very difficult. For the first time since my accident I had to kneel and put pressure on my knee. The pain was quite bad and I had to come up with different ways to kneel without standing on my right knee. It is also stiff, so I can't bend it much. In good weather like today it wasn't too hard, but in rain, when I would like to do as much as possible from the inside, it will probably be trickier.  

Most of the others at the West Highland Way part of the campgrounds were Germans. I spent the evening with a German couple and a German father and son; very nice people and we had a lot of fun, staying up talking until it got dark.

May 4

Kilometers: 21

Ascent: 527

Last night was my first night in my new tent, a Durston x-mid solid 1p. What a great tent! For the past couple of years I've been freezing most nights on trail. This time I brought a digital thermometer, it never got colder than 10 C inside of the tent and I was toasty in spite of it raining for a while. The 1p is to small for me, however. Due to aches and pains (other than the knee) I need to be able to move around a lot at night and I found the tent a bit constricted. 

Loch Lomond in the morning

Due to the rain last night I packed up as much as possible inside the tent, the inner tent as well. I could then wipe off the condensation on the inside of the fly and the raindrops on the outside before finally packing the fly. 

Today I wanted to walk the West Highland Way as much as possible. Yesterday's road walking was a bit boring and I didn't get to meet a lot of people. So when the path started going uphill I happily followed it. It got steeper and steps had been built to stop the path from eroding. The steps just kept going up and the knee was getting a quite painful, so I decided to join the road when I could. The road would come to an end in about 2 kilometers anyway, after that I wouldn't have a choice anymore.

After a coke and crisps at Rowardennan Hotel I continued and soon arrived at Ben's Bakes Honesty Box.

Ben's Bakes is very close to where the road ends. There's a great choice of snacks and drinks, and a nice place to rest the legs. Too bad I just had a rest!

Today there would be a choice between the high and the low route. Before leaving home I had read posts about how difficult the low route was, but also people replying that the high route was just as difficult. I think I now know which is correct.

When I reached the place where the path split I had to make my mind up. The high route continued uphill on a wide track. The low route went downhill on what looked like a nice path. The low route would also pass Rob Roy's Prison, which sounded intriguing. I should have googled it, I know. As always, the path soon got muddy from last night's rain, but not too bad. 

Gnarly trees, so beautiful 

The path lead downhill through the woods and followed the shore of Loch Lomond, with a lot of ups and downs. It was hard going with lots of rocks and roots, and sometimes scrambling over large boulders was required. A couple of times I had to take my backpack off and set it down to be able to climb up or down a rock. For a while my pace slowed to approximately 1 kilometer per hour and I had no idea for how long it was going to be this bad. Having a bad knee didn't help much. I was actually getting worried about not making it to Inversnaid before dark, when the two routes merged and the going got easier again. I met a number of people who had walked the high route and they told me that it had been very easy. Sure, there was a lot of up and down, but definitely no scrambling. One person had walked both routes and said that the high route was a lot easier, especially for someone with a bad knee. I don't think I saw anyone with a full pack like mine on the low route. And I didn't even get to see Rob Roy's Prison! There was no sign and I didn't realize I passed it =(

Bluebells just after the routes joined, a nice, flat path for a little while.

I later learned that the high route was created to facilitate for people carrying a heavy pack (me) or people who had problems with walking the difficult, original low route (also me...). This explains why, shortly after the two routes merge, the trail becomes a narrow path again. There was still some scrambling, luckily I had now met two hikers (with small daypacks) who helped me across the more difficult places. 

I finally arrived at Inversnaid Hotel, three hours later than expected, but before dark. I decided to have dinner at the hotel instead of eating my own stuff, I was just too tired to cook. And I'm happy I did, a three course dinner for only £15! I skipped the starter, though, I was too tired to eat that much food. 

The restaurant staff were all very nice and helpful. When I asked for a quiet table I got my own room! While I had my dinner I could see their routine. Perfect cleaning, dusting of pictures, changing table cloths. Everything I'd except from a much more expensive place. The main course (salmon) and dessert (apple pie with custard) were both very good.

After breakfast (I got my own dining room again for breakfast this morning) I had to decide what to do. I had only a couple of days to get to Oban, where I was to start TGOC, the Great Outdoors Challenge. Three of those days would be through a rarely walked glen and I was worried about my knee. Also, today's section of trail along Loch Lomond past the Inversnaid Hotel is a longer but very similar scramble to the low route which I walked yesterday and there is no alternative. Once you start you have to keep walking or turn back. I didn't feel that I wanted to risk getting stranded somewhere and having to be rescued. I made the tough decision to quit and go back home. There's always another year!

Morning

Waiting for the boat

I took the boat across the loch and could see part of the hillside I walked along yesterday, it looked quite steep! Once across the loch I had to wait for the bus to Edinburgh. Fortunately there was a hotel next to the bus stop. My knee made it painful to stand still, walking was easier, so I went inside to the bar to wait. I was a bit nervous that I'd miss the bus so I didn't wait long, the knee makes me move even slower than usual.

I got a bed at a hostel in Edinburgh. I've stayed there a number of times before and it's a very nice place. My only problem was the girl in the top bunk. She kept opening her window and the mosquitoes kept biting me. It wasn't until morning I realized that there were bedbugs in my bed 😐 The hostel isn't to blame, it's the backpackers that don't know never to put their backpacks on the beds. Fortunately I had everything in a locker overnight and I made sure to put everything in the freezer when I came back home. 

Two weeks after the accident

Day 15: Strathblane to Drymen

May 2

Kilometers: 16

Ascent: 148

I don't do well walking up hills, that's why I always keep track of the ascent. So far it's been very flat, but that's about to change. Today the John Muir Way would join the West Highland Way, but first I had a decision to make. Walk up a steep hill or no hill. Walk 1,5 kilometers longer or 1,5 kilometers shorter. No muddy track or muddy track. Well, I'll choose a muddy track over a steep hill most days. So I chose to walk another dismantled railway again, though this one wasn't suggested for walking on the map. But hey, no hill! And no tarmac 😁

Beautiful walk.

A downed tree, not very difficult to pass

This one was trickier. It wasn't until I found a faint path to the right I could pass. It did however involve passing two barbed wire fences and balancing on a narrow ledge next to one of the fences.

Finally I joined the 'real' track and the going got easier. I was now joined by a horde of people. After walking alone for so long it was strange with all these people, but also very nice.

Four West Highland Way walkers in one photo. I lost count of people passing me sometime around 45. And they all pass me, that's how I got my trail name, Low Gear 😂

I'm a real coo. Take my picture.

 My boots got muddy today, but I came prepared with a small brush to clean them, a necessity when hiking in white boots. Not my first choice, but white was the only color I could find.

I'm staying at Drymen Inn tonight. I asked for a quiet room when I booked and was told it wouldn't be a problem 

 I guess they meant 'quiet after closing the pub.

Day 14: Kirkintilloch to Strathblane

May 1

Kilometers: 16

Ascent: 63

Today was a little warmer than yesterday, no need for s jacket. I walked along the John Muir Way on a dismantled railway. I was afraid that it would be very hot, but most of the way there were lots of trees on both sides. Lots of tarmac again today, but it was easier to walk on the side, many times there were paths close to the tarmac, much softer for my feet.

I met a lot of people along the way (though you can't tell from the photos). One man told me of a nice café, The Fells Coffee House. It wasn't too far out of the way and I felt an urge to check it out.

I'm so glad I did! The apple pie with custard was divine.

Wild garlic everywhere 

I found a bench to sit on. And what a view!

As the day wore on it got warmer. The closer I got to town the more benches there were along the trail, and I sat down on anything sitable to drink some water and rest my feet. On one of those benches I met Stephen from Milngavie, who was out for a bike ride. We had a nice chat, at least I think we did, I didn't understand more than maybe half of what he said (he was very nice, really!). 

Today may well have been the best day I'll have while I'm here!

Day 13: Croy to Kirkintilloch

April 30

Kilometers: 14

Ascent: 134

First day back on the trail! I've decided on short days for a while  just in case of any problems from my fall. I'll also be staying in hotels for a couple of days. My knee is fine while I walk but I can't kneel, so sleeping in a tent would be difficult.

First of all I mailed my vote for the EU parliament. Then I walked to Tiso. My pack is so heavy with all the food! Luckily I could leave it on the ground floor, the outdoor stuff is on the third floor. I soon found  some pegs and was on my way again. 

Waverly train station 

I got a ticket for the next train to Croy, where I had decided to start walking. As we neared Croy it started to rain, but it soon stopped and I finally got started. I followed the John Muir Way all the way to Kirkintilloch, a lot of it along the Forth and Clyde Canal towpath. But before I got to the canal I walked along the Antoine Wall and passed some Roman forts, of which you could see hardly anything.

The Antoine Wall 

As I got to the canal there were a couple of benches where I sat down for a while and talked to a couple of people.

Along the canal 

My new BFF

Walking along the canal was so easy, no ups and downs and no need for navigating. But it was also very hard, tarmac all the way, and very hot. For a while I was afraid I was getting blisters on the underside of my toes, but as I arrived at my hotel I could see that they seemed to be ok. I'll wear my merino Injinjis tomorrow and see if that makes a difference.

In Edinburgh

April 29

Kilometers: 14

Ascent: 115

Today my original plan was to take a bus to Winchburg and start walking my route, but due to my accident I felt I needed another day to make sure that everything is fine. So I was in no hurry to get up this morning. My room at the hostel is so quiet and I had a great night's sleep, all alone in a 6 bed room. Then, all of a sudden, a girl was climbing down from one of the other bunk beds. I thought I heard a noise last night, that must have been her coming in.

Princes Street Gardens

After sending 2 resupply parcels to Oban and Montrose I spent the day walking in Edinburgh. First, to Waterstones for a Coke, toast and cake. Then down to Princes Street Gardens, up to the Royal Mile and finally down to the Royal Botanic Garden. 

Up to the Royal Mile 

Royal Botanic Garden 

I've felt ok walking today. I can't say that everything is great but I think I'll be fine. Funny thing is my arm muscles are extremely sore. I must have flexed them trying to brace my fall. It's hard just to lift them 😂

Back at the youth hostel I went down to the kitchen to see if anyone could witness my signature for my EU parliament vote. A German and a Dutch man helped me and I can mail my vote tomorrow. Finally I could go upstairs and pack. The plan was to get an early start tomorrow morning, but while I was packing I realized that my tent pegs were missing. They probably fell out when I fell yesterday. Luckily, I know how to get to Tiso! 

Voting is important!

To Edinburgh!

April 28

Sundays seem to be the best day to fly to Edinburgh. My plane to Stockholm Arlanda Airport left at 7.00 am. The plane wasn't full, boarding was completed at 6.40 so we left early and arrived 25 minutes early. This also meant that I had plenty of time, almost 2,5 hours before my second flight. And when I found out that my ticket was valid for entrance to the SAS Lounge I couldn't be happier. I wasn't hungry, just had a banana and a glass of coke, but it's a nice place for a rest. 

45 minutes later I started walking towards my gate when all of a sudden my new boots got stuck to each other somehow and I fell headlong on the hard marble floor. Being indoors I hadn't laced my boots properly and thought one of the shoe laces got stuck to the other boot. For a minute I didn't move, I just tried to feel if I was ok. My right knee hurt and also my nose! Did I break my nose, did it bleed? No, it was fine, it just hurt a lot. My pant legs were too tight to pull up so I couldn't look at my knee, but it seemed ok. It is painful to touch, though.

There was now a small crowd of people standing around me, all trying to help. Two men helped me get up and staff asked me if I needed help to get to my gate. I said Thank you, but no, I would be fine. I started limping towards the gate and actually made it in time, after tying my boot laces properly! Even so, my boots got stuck once more, not as bad though, I didn't fall this time.

Scotland!

On the plane to Edinburgh my knee still hurt and my back started getting painful as well. Only the nose felt a little better. I wonder if I'll have a black and blue nose tomorrow?

After I picked up my food bag I put all my bags on a luggage cart and started walking. And tripped again! Thanks to holding on to the cart I could look down and see what happened this time. It wasn't my shoe laces at all, it was the weird pull-on strap that got caught on the hook of the other boot. I don't use them anyway. It feels like Altra tried to design something different, but they're useless in my opinion. And dangerous. 

The pull straps are gone now, I cut them off.

I took the tram from the airport to the youth hostel. After checking in I locked all my stuff up in a locker and went for a walk, partly because I needed to get a gas canister, but also because I wanted to know if I was ok.

Tiso. Four floors of happiness.

So I started with going to Tiso, where I found gas on the third floor. Going both upstairs and downstairs seems ok. Passing all the lovely Buffs started wondering if I had packed one? I could remember seeing how dirty the one I had intended to take was and putting it in the laundry, but did I pack another one? I didn't think so, so I bought a nice merino one (I later found that I had forgotten to pack one, so all's well. Except for my knee and back). When I returned to the hostel I had walked 6 km. Very slowly, but still promising. I did however decide to stay here another night. Tomorrow I can rest as much as I want to and just take the bus 20 km farther the following day.

Edinburgh castle.

Back to Basics

 The first walk I went on after my cold I got very tired, so tired I decided I wasn't able to continue my LEJOG beginning of April. I couldn't return my tickets, so I lost some money, but I got more time to rest up. And now I'm back to training! I alternate short walks (5K), slightly longer walks (9-10K) and walking stairs at the hospital. I always listen to music when I walk, most of of I've chosen to keep a good pace. This week I changed things a bit. Instead of keeping a fairly constant pace I'm doing intervals, 100 fast steps and 80 slow. I haven't' timed it, but my guess is that it's around 1 minute fast and one slow. And I try to adapt it so that I always walk fast uphill. Well, as fast as I can, at least!

Until recently I've only walked one staircase up and down. From the basement it is 11 floors. I start with going to the top, then down to the basement and up again a couple of floors. Last week I met a friend who was walking up to her job on the first floor. She suggested I alternate the stairwells, so Saturday I walked two floors, then crossed over to the next stairwell, walked two more floors and kept going back and forth between four different stairwells. There are so many more, but there weren't many people around (I was there early) and I didn't feel comfortable walking down dark hallways all alone. Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be different with lots of people around.

Some photos from today's walk - 9 km with a 9 kilo backpack. It felt good, but I'm increasing the weight only slowly, so I will stick with 9 kilos this week.


    Morning mist

    Spring is coming - the Canada Geese are arriving

    Crossing the river

New Plans

 About a week ago I bought plane tickets to return to England and continue my LEJOG beginning of April. However, I'm not well yet. I was getting better, but then I got worse again. Right now I feel a bit uncertain what will happen, but I hope to be able to return in about two weeks. And I have decided to "ruin" my End-to-End attempt. I will still walk all of it, but instead of continuing from Okehampton I will continue from where I would have been, had I not had to go home. Once I reach John o' Groats I will return south for the final leg.

The main reason for this is that I need to be in Oban beginning of May for participating in the Great Outdoors Challenge. Also, changing my entire itinerary is a bit difficult and I'm still too tired to do that. This way, all I needed to change was going north to south for the final part of the walk.

Now, let's just hope for less rain and mud!

Day -: Lydford to Stockholm

March 13

Horses: 1

To me, thinking about walking /doing something like the Lejog is a bit (very) overwhelming, so I divided it into smaller parts, Land's End obviously, Lizard also fairly obvious, Frenchman's Creek, Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor, all places I wanted to see. Next on the list are Dartmoor and Belstone. The plan for today would be walking across Dartmoor, wild camp on one of the Tors and tomorrow revisit Belstone. The wild camp was already off, since there's live firing on the army shooting range for a couple of days, but the rest I could do (making sure to stay out of the danger zone).

When I woke up this morning I had a very sore throat and my head was foggy. Also, the weather was very poor, very windy with sideways rain. It seemed that a decision had been made for me, I'm going home. It's been expensive enough staying at hotels while walking. Just being stuck in one place waiting to get well would be both difficult and expensive.

So I packed up and checked time tables for Heathrow. There was a connection via Okehampton and Exeter at 9.53. The timing was a bit tight so I didn't dare buy the whole trip at once, but only bought the next ticket as I got to that stop. I made it all the way.

When I got to Heathrow I realized I hadn't left my room keys at the Fox and Hounds. So, off I go in search of a post office. There was one at terminal 3, not far to walk and the whole thing was sorted in less than an hour.

The only photo I took today, a cleaning robot at Heathrow airport. I must be ill 😂

After using the wrapping service to protect my pack on the plane I bought a plane ticket for the 19.00 SAS plane to Stockholm. There was just enough time to get a proper meal, I had to bring it and eat it at the gate, though, that's how late I was. I was quite worried about sinus pain or popping an eardrum because of my cold, but it was ok. I've been dizzy all day and also very happy I brought a couple of face masks. I don't want to infect anyone else.

And now I'm back home, trying to figure out how to best continue when I get well, which isn't as easy as it sounds since there is a set date when I need to be in Oban.

Day 12: Launceston to Lydford

March 12

Kilometers: 29?

Ascent: 450?

Horses: 1

Coos: 5

Today has been a strange day. It started out ok, cold and windy with some showers. 

I'm in Devon!

I was strangely tired as I plodded along, but thought the reason was that I didn't eat well yesterday. Today turned out to be just as bad, the pub where I intended to have lunch was closed. 

Just a pretty cottage I passed 

People here seem to be excellent drivers. They drive fast on narrow roads, but still manage to steer clear of other cars and walkers. Their brakes must be very good. I did see two car crashes yesterday, though, both within Launceston.

As I was walking along the road I came across two Highway Maintenance cars. One of the men started talking to me and said that I'd walked a long way, he had seen me earlier outside Tesco. We had a chat and I told him what I was doing. Only later a started wondering which Tesco? The only one I could remember passing was two days ago.

As the day wore on I got very tired and I realized I might be coming down with a cold, so I decided to change the route and walk to Okehampton. When I was 15 a friend and I went to Belstone, a tiny village outside of Okehampton, for Summer English school/horse riding camp. I remember we walked down to Okehampton a couple of times to go to the pub, but I didn't recognize anything. Anyway, walking to Okehampton would be longer, but with less hills, and I can't do hills this afternoon. Also  I could have something to eat!

I had lunch and then took the bus to my hotel for the night, hoping I'll feel better tomorrow.

Fox and Hounds Hotel in Lydford

The room was freezing, no heat on and near outside temperature 🥶. I went down to the pub, where it was nice and warm, to wait for my room to heat up a bit, which it did eventually.

I had problems measuring distance/ascent today, so the numbers given are an estimate. Maybe I can figure it out later.

 

Day 11: Jamaica Inn to Launceston

March 11

Kilometers: 18

Ascent: 270

Horses: 6

Coos: 11

A day without rain. Just a few drops as I was leaving this morning. It was cold and windy, though. I left the inn and headed straight out to the moors. The path is a Public Bridleway, made for horses and may not be suited for humans, but at least there would be no stone walls to cross (horses don't climbe stone walls well). There would be at least one ford, though.

The first ford

This is a part of Bodmin Moor and it is so beautiful! I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The Moor can be difficult to navigate. I use my phone a lot, but I also carry paper maps. I haven't needed them yet, but I wouldn't want to be without.

When I turned around I saw some really dark clouds. I didn't want to still be on the moors when it started raining, so I hurried along.

Where's the path? There's actually a rock called Black Rock to my right, that would have been used for navigating back in the day.

 Once off the Moor I headed for the pub where I planned to have lunch, but it was closed on Mondays 😕

So I went to the village shop and got some bread and a couple of Snickers bars. According to American research Snickers bars contain most of the things we need when hiking, so I got a 3-pack 😁 The village church was open, and once again I had lunch in a church

The rest of the day was road walking, most of it quite boring, but at least it gets me where I'm going a lot faster.