Enough

I got out of the plastic sheet with wet, cold feet at 5.30 and took off down the valley aiming for a Youth Hostel in the middle of nowhere, with no road running to it and no phone. However there was a new footbridge near it which would get me over the swollen river to the track leading to the Claunie Inn. This sounds relatively easy but it’s a long 18 mile slog and it’s steep, boggy and just starting to rain again. In fact it deluged all day. On setting off the deer were having breakfast in the Glen.

What caused me greater concern was the herd of Highland cattle at the end of the first bridge that I had to cross, including Big Daddy and young bullocks. I bottled it and walked further downstream past Loch na Leitreach and over a lower bridge, with a view to climbing up a very steep gully past the Falls of Glomach. I had to cross the River Ghlomaich to get to the path, climbing any other way was too steep and hopeless, and then cross back over above the Falls to get back to my original track. The river was rampant and I had to wade. Jesus! Freezing water in my bloody boots again. The track climbed along the side of the massive gully cut deep into the mountains by the Falls. One slip and you’re in deep doo dahs matey boys and girls, and it was slippy from the torrential rain. After two hours of solid grind I approached the Falls.

The track went up the hilltop to the right and dropped back down again to the top of the Falls. They are immense. I tried to look right over the edge but the bank was too slippy and I couldn’t get a photoshot as I was holding on to heather for dear life. But spectacular. There’s nowhere to stand or lie down on your belly to get a full perspective of the drop. Here’s a photo from the internet taken on a sunny day with much less water passing over the edge.

I was glad to get into the high, flatter valley and eventually came across a point on the river where it split and there was an island in the middle. I could get across both tributaries on stepping rocks. From here it was another four hours to the Youth Hostel in terrible rain and wind. This was beginning to piss me off. I eventually made it and pushed open the door of the hostel, which was literally plonked mid-nowhere with a windmill to power it. 

The manager was a pleasant woman who opened in April and shut down in October. She had a satellite phone for emergencies. She made me a pot of tea and put a blanket round my shoulders. I dried out a bit for half an hour, took my leave and crossed the strong, new bridge over the last river before the Claunie. It may have been the last river but there were hundreds of streams pouring down the Glenside crossing the path and making deep pools to be forded or avoided. This was now really brassing me off. Four hours without any letup in the rain, soaking wet clothes and feet, which were re-blistering with creases in the wet socks. 

I reached the Claunie Inn at about 17.00, made my way to my room and had a bath for half an hour. I was only three days away from Fort William and the end of the trail but with no buildings or bothies to take advantage of tomorrow night. I switched on the TV and got a weather forecast of continuing rain with some snow for the next three days! 

Bugger it. Enough is enough. This isn’t fun. I’d done 175 miles averaging 16 miles a day. I didn’t care about finishing the sodding walk. Take me home country train to the place I belong, western Yorkshire. I had a couple of pints of beer, a hot bowl of Cullen Skink and a plate of Haggis with creamy whisky sauce and went to bed. I got a bus to Inverness the next morning and a train to Leeds. Best decision I’ve made.

Is he playing the Lament ?

Sorry to cut this short kids but I don’t want to carry on for the sake of proving I can do it. I know I can do it but walking needs to have an element of pleasure and that was washed away by the wind and the rain and the backstreets and the backstreets – back to Van the Man and Madame George again!

I’ll do another some time but somewhere warmer and drier. Maybe Corsica or summat. With Andrew. Love to you all.