Day 10 - The Final Trek

Dalkeith House - our home for tonight.

Downtown Fort William.

Where we had dinner tonight. Kim is standing behind the bluish colored rail.

The West coast of Scotland.

Saige, Alaina, Penelope, Sawyer, & Bailyn: Poppy saw these yellow flowers on the forest floor and said, "Those would look so pretty in our grandaughters' hair."

It's dark in there.

Looking back at the mountain we just climbed.

Almost to Fort William.

Headed to the forest again.

Waterfall at our feet and Ben Nevis in the clouds.

View from our lunch spot.

First view of Ben Nevis (Scotland's highest peak).

Reaching the top of another mountain.

Looking back at the village we just left.

These are a bit out of order. This is the village right before we hit the trail.

We've now joined the trail with the 'other hikers' you were asking about.

Saige, this is the only gnome I've seen so far in Scotland. It was in the garden at our B&B yesterday.

We made it! From one side of Scotland to the other, all on foot! The morning brought blue skies peeking through the clouds in the West. It turned out to be another glorious day for hiking. I told Kim if I could be guaranteed weather like we've had (except the one day), I would be good to go another 10 days. He looked at me like I had grown 6 heads. His feet are completely done-in, because the only thing that outnumbers the sheep in Scotland is the rocks. We've walked on at least a trillion of them and believe me when I say that even those that look round, are jagged.

We joined the West Highland Way yesterday which is a well-known and traveled trail along the west of Scotland. The advantages to this trail are: it is clearly sign-posted and it doesn't disappear for several kilometers leaving you to find it again. The disadvantages are: it is very rocky, there are many hikers (we prefer the solitude of the first 7 days), and the many hikers present a bit of a problem when nature calls. Most of them had iPods, their heads down, and were in a hurry to finish the day. I wanted to rip their earbuds out and say, "Listen to the Creator's music. Can you hear the wind whispering through the mountain peaks or the sheep bleating up on the hillside? Look up and acknowledge His handiwork. Life is not a race to the finish line, it is a slow process of preparation for the starting Gate. This world is not our home, we're just passing through on our way to a home that would make one scoff at this beauty.

The epic crossing is not for the faint of heart, or anyone afraid of working up a good sweat. I definitely needed to do more bleachers in preparation. You must be proficient at map and compass reading and following some rather obscure written directions. That being said, it was a most incredible experience!

Actual miles:

Day 1 - 13.3

Day 2 - 12

Day 3 - 17.5

Day 4 - 13.8

Day 5 - 10.8

Day 7 - 16.7

Day 8 - 12.2

Day 9 - 9.3

Day 10 - 15.3

Grand Total - 120,9 Harry Potter fans (Tiffany, Jen & Vincent) stay tuned. We board 'Hogwart's Express' tomorrow!

Day 9

Edencoille Guest House @ Kinlochleven.

Do you think we have enough TP?

Looking back up the hill from the village.

Our first glimpse of the village (only 3 miles to go).

Almost to the top.

Looking back.

The beginning of Devil's Staircase. How could something that starts so pretty be so brutal?

Cold and wet!

The white spot in the trees to the left and middle of the picture is the Kingshouse Hotel where we started this morning (only one mile away).

Kingshouse Hotel.

When we went down to breakfast this morning it was overcast, windy, and cold. After breakfast we put on our packs and headed outside only to find it raining. We headed back in to don our raingear, which kept us warm and fairly dry. It rained on us all day with very high winds. We crossed the mountain on what is called the Devil's Staircase. It was straight up and quite daunting. The staircase is part of General Wade's network of military roads, constructed to control the highlands in the aftermath of the 1745 uprising. Pity the poor blokes who had to build it.

The mountains were socked in so not a great view when we got to the top. The downhill was even worse. It is a very rocky trail which became a river in places due to the rain. At times I was at such an angle my face was about 2' from the ground and the wind was so strong it even blew Kim around. It didn't take us too long though (4 hrs - 9 miles), not much stopping for pictures in the rain. The place we are staying tonight is way too fru fru for us. It could do with about 95% less "stuff".

The forecast for tomorrow is intermittent sun. I'm not sure what that means but hopefully little or no rain for the final trek.

Only one more day of hiking :(.

Day 8 - Crossing the Moor

Mapping our strategy for tomorrow.

The dark slice of green at the base of the mountain is Kingshouse (only 3 more miles).

The next three pictures are the views North, South, and West, taken from the same place.

Taking a break.

Bridge for the train.

Not a moment too soon.

Time for the gators.

Coming out of the forest and onto the Moor.

The seeds on this bush open and make a popping sound. It took forever for us to figure out what was making the noise.

Road leading into the forest.

The bar at Moor of Rannoch.

After cleaning up and resting for a bit, we went down to the dining room of the Inn. Once again we were offered a three course meal but decided to be good and only order a main course, skipping the starter and dessert (even though sticky toffee pudding was on the menu). BTW, I have discovered the secret to eating STP without gaining weight. Work out 6-8 hrs a day!!!

We woke up to heavy clouds, high winds, and rain in the forecast. Our walk began with a climb up to and through the forest along the forest road. The trees are so dense that the darkness is a bit eerie. I am reminded that He is the light and in Him is no darkness. After about 3 miles, we came out of the forest and began our trek across the Moor, a desolate but beautiful area of about 400 sq. miles, surrounded by mountains to the North, South, and West. It was the center of the ice sheet which covered the British Isles in the last ice age.

Glaciers radiated out in all directions. The pictures look barren but up close the vegetation and rocks come to life with colors and textures. It also looks dry but the tall grasses are hiding hundreds of burns crisscrossing underneath just waiting to trap your next misstep. When they say it is boggy, they mean it is like a swamp in many areas.

It is very difficult to express the emotions I experienced as we crossed. For most of the day we saw no houses, cars, or people (not even sheep); simply this vast open space surrounded by majestic mountains. The solitude and isolation was moving beyond words. About halfway across, we spooked a herd of red deer; however, I'm not sure who was more startled.

The wind blew 40+ mph all day and the sky remained cloudy, but thankfully we had no rain. The wind to our backs pushed us forward and we travelled 12 miles in 5 1/'2 hours. We stepped over boulders and leapt across burns landing on legs and feet tender from so much walking. At times my feet were at angles I would have thought impossible, painfully revealing muscles I never knew I had; yet, nothing could diminish the experience.

I thought we were going to make it home blister-free but no such luck. Kim got a blister on his heel today so he will have to make some adjustments to his boots tomorrow.

The Kingshouse Hotel, where we are staying tonight, is at least 200 yrs old. It is said that some distinguished visitors have stayed here, including Dorothy and William Wordsworth on their Highland tour (they were not impressed, and neither are we). No three course dinner tonight. Oh well...it was a hot shower and feels like a decent bed.