The West Highland Way has been on my shortlist for a long time. It is a tough hike in the Scottish Highlands, not quite as far north as I would like but getting there….but it is 157k and I wanted to use it as a training hike for doing the full Camino. It has all the thing I like – hard rough terrain, diversity, rain, raw wet days to test you!
HMMM, think about that for a minute…..like CF outside?
Or maybe just insanity let loose either one. This is the trail symbol.
Anyhow, I am traveling with a group called Wilderness Scotland
The trail goes from Glasgow along Loch Lomond – the largest loch in Scotland at almost 23 miles and yes we hiked along the length of it!!!
and then through moorlands to GlenCoe ( famous for the Glencore massacre where many of the MacDonald clan were killed for not pledging allegiance to the king – this was after Jacobite rebellion) with stops along the way like Conic Hill which has an actual fault like that you can see!!! Then Devils’ Staircase and Ben Nevis and finally arrives in Ft William.
Just a note — seems that mountains in Scotland are named the same as the glen the lie in.
Of course I signed up for as close to winter as I could and no one else had signed up for trip and I was worried I might miss out on it. I just was not coming during summer as everyone only ever talks about midges (bugs that bite) and I was not dealing with that!
Hurray – more folks booked and trip went off with 4 people my roomie Melia from Jordan, Nisreen from Saudi and Zada from UAE and one Rican, me – Pray for them as they are in for a week with me talking every hour of every day – really more survival than trail. Zada and Nisreen had previously climbed together and Melia and Zada had climbed together.
Be impressed -after Ramadan, Nisreen and Zada area climbing ELBUS!!! Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe
So let me tell you about my climbing buds…
Nisreen – – left – be impressed Crossfitter from Saudi who did extremely well during the 2018 Open – she rocked it in Africa/Middle East.
Melia – middle – who is a Salsa dancer from Jordan – really she works for aviation but I think deep down she is all Salsa like us
Zada – bottom – who is all charm and I saw her in a climbing video called ” the edge” which I will add on. She is from Oman and I am fairly confident she allocated some of her daily prayers to me – please let her be quiet.
My first comment to them – I have not combed my hair…..nor will I on this trip ……vacation you know …..they laughed and did not flinch at my looniness …… Love them
These gals were fab and what I really love is they love taking photos – we look for real in this shot!
So let’s get to the actual hiking!!! As you can see it is quite a bit of mileage.
Day 1 – 19 k or 42,926 steps. First day. Nuf said
We take the train from Milngavie (pronounced Moonguy – that’s right – lots of letters go missing on a regular basis in Scotland) to Drymen (pronounced drimon – see what I mean) Scotland starts out strong …..it’s gorgeous and the gets better everyday.
We walk through farmlands (pretty even and level – a few ups and downs) because everyone is allowed to enjoy the Scottish lands so you walk right on through everyones’ property with lots of very cool gates to keep the animals in. If I tell you we opened 100 of these it would be too few
Everyone is just getting to know each other and enjoy our guide who has frankly done everything you could’ve ever imagine doing – Alister – OMG the stories he told us were unreal of his travels across the world, driving from china to south africa, people trying to kill him, scrapes in countries that end in …stan. WILD.
My comment to him – guy, that ain’t nothing ….you are on a trip with 4 women – good luck!
and by the way, we all stop for the bathroom at different times!
and towards the end of the day – the hills start sneaking their way in – baby hills really
did I mention it also started raining… really……..in Scotland?…
Day 2 – Drymen to ROWARDENNEN
OK so baby hills very quickly become grown up hills as we walk out from Drymen up to Conic Hill and down – it becomes windy and quite sparse on its way to the top
There is a natural fault that is visible and goes right below Conic Hill
The approach took forever…..and of course Scotland…raining and cold
but then up up top we had fun!
and by the way , this is perhaps my most favorite photo of trip!
Then it transforms into lush and frankly more hills I can honestly say to that I did at least 100 step ups with weight each day. Thank god I prepared!
What I was really liking was that we were seeing more and more travelers just enjoying their walk – windy , muddy, cold and joyous.
and just for fun – someone did this and I howled when I saw it – this was everyday….
Day 3 was 14 miles or 23km – Traversing Loch Lomond
Okay this day was a sublime up and down day, along the shoreline of the loch It was all quads up and kicked my knees down. It just never ended! and you know the one brutal hill was at the end, but can I tell you – Loved it cause it was up – down not so much!
It was at the end of this day that we all strange enjoying….Liquid Ibuprofen – what is that you ask – It is like MAGIC POTION you rub on your sore muscles. You cannot get it in the states , probably because it works and maybe causes something else, but it is magic, make no mistake !
I brought back 5 tubes!
and then at the end of the day ,,,,,it all started to change … – we left the lake and head to moorlands – low-lying grasses, kinda savannahie and kinda boggy – that is when I started being spanish and talking about Dante’s inferno (a joke of course) cause I was tired!!! Alister was a trooper! Zada howled behind me.
and a new thing I hd heard of but never really lived – Stiles!!!!
So this how you get over a fence without a gate and they are really cool and come in all sorts of clever designs! That you Zada for this one:
A Demo by Melia….
So we have been traveling for a few days and I bet you re wondering where we stayed at night – so this was a cush trip and we stayed at eater small hotels or the one excellent place we stayed was called Endencoille in kinlochleven ( I actually used that in a sentence and someone understood me) – a snazzy bed and breakfast and this is us the night before in the Tyndrum Inn – Hot water …not so much
but we did meet these gals – who are in their 80’s and have walked the trail 11 times!!!! I want to be them!!!
Day 5 – More moorlands but I was a bit injured so I took a little break that day and caught up with the girls the day before the Devil’s Staircase! It seems while I am strong on the uphills- thank you coaches – downhills torn up my calves and my knees – so I have new work to do before the camino!!
The landscape is changing and the higher you go in Scotland, and the Highlands, the more gorgeous it gets. I forget – why don’t I live here???
Day 6 – The Devil’s Staircase – again not really so hard or as ominous as the name implies,,,,,a track up , then the pass with stunning vies and a gentle walk down to Glencore from 547m high then we headed to Kinlochleven for a 2nd night in Edencoille. I bought a lottery ticket hoping I could stay – No luck!!!!
Okay – this day is 14km or 9 miles and it is when we start to see the astounding views.
This was perhaps my most favorite day – mostly because it was all uphill and much more like mountains and slogging but it was stunning….Lots of pics for everyone to enjoy
But first we were having a laugh in the van heading to the trailhead!
and I think this is where I started with the wink!!! Inside joke- I finish my sentences with a big wink!!! Why for fun of course!!!
yeah that is what I call a view! and from what I understand we are not really even very deep into the Highlands – can you imagine what it looks like further north!
Alister gives us an explanation……’
and at the top!!!!
Having a laugh when we got up there!
and I like this one of Zada who took a moment of reflection or maybe she was changing the song on her playlist – I love this cause it feels like she is taking it all in – right doesn’t it How lucky are we to be here, to be enjoying each other’s company and living such a fantastic life. Zada called this her retroactive life – actually I think everyone agreed – right you do everything you are supposed to do then you go back and do all other things that you have dreamed of…. This my friends is living the dream!!!
Summit!
perhaps my most favorite group pic
then lunch…..okay so what is lunch in Scotland- always sandwiches – pickles and cheeses, chicken – after almost two years of very little bread this was tough! But man was I hungry and yes, I did enjoy it.
One of the pleasures of hiking right when you burn something yanni (arabic from the girls) around 3300 calories per day and walk an average of 40,000 steps – now that is what I call a good day.
Sometimes it is quiet while you walk for long periods of time and you are in your head, but I cannot describe it well – you are clear when you are in it. You leave the world behind and get your rhythm and you are clear which is such a great feeling and joy is so much easier.
and we made friends – Israeli guys just enjoying it all and then we found the snow!!! It is still really not spring here, but no need for crampons or anything like that.
and then we had some fun
and then we found Zada…taking a break or taking it in – once again!
what a day!!!
Day 8 – Cross a pass at 374m then pass Ben Nevis and walk down into Fort William.
Alister explains where we are while Melia gives us a thumbs up. STUNNING What else can you say!
This is the last valley we traversed.
This is one of my favorite pics!
Our final lunch and final thoughts……
and finally we arrive
okay so the girls were trying to teach me Arabic so I could takeout back home! and you know me – since I speak fluent Swahili ever since I went to Africa and now let’s face it – I could be amazing in Arabic !
Mush Mushkela – no worries
Deuce – Keep Going
La tete la fete – I think this was do’t turn back
Len Hamfus – don’t sweat the small stuff
Overall, I am once again grateful for such a joyous experience. I started hiking after growing up in the City so this is not my natural space, but it has become such a vital part of who I am and really is where a lot of my element possible thinking started .. with Bibijuma and Keith and Chris and Allen and trekking around everywhere… going to amazing places and meeting so many great friends all over the world and appreciating their culture and discovering we all driven the same way……. I know Ali meant to his quote for much bigger things, but I think it is small life victories and goals that propel you and me forward and inspire others to move forward right. Even the fact that I am writing a blog for me is a big deal ……. …impossible is a dare….impossible is potential, impossible is temporary, impossible is nothing – thank you ― Muhammad Ali
COUNTDOWN TO CAMINO -………hmmm let’s start thinking about that !
Element Possible 