Collected Musings of a Hill Wanderer

It’s very human to look back at the turn of a year/decade/century/millennium/etc. and, this time last year, I took the opportunity to look over my travels in 2006. In the same vein, I now cast my mind back over the same sort thing but for 2007 instead. If 2006 was to be the year of seeking out pastures new, then 2007 has been a year largely taken up with following long distance trails into country familiar to me from a different angle and, more often than not, into country that I am visiting for the first time.

2007 was to start quietly with only one walking excursion in January. The weather didn’t tempt but for day when I went to Chirk for a trek to Llangollen that saw me hop over and back along the Wales-England border before picking up a small piece of the Offa’s Dyke Path and leaving that to get to Llangollen before nightfall. It was a case of something old, something new and put an idea into my head that laid the foundations for a walk later in the year. The long distance trail ethic that was to pervade my walking in 2007 had made an early appearance.

February built up the long distance trail trend with my exploring two trails. First up was the Pennine Way with a hike from Hebden Bridge to Littleborough giving me a feel for the moors above Calderdale. Walks along the Pennine Way, still unfinished business in 2008, were to pervade my outings until the end of April. My second excursion took me up to Scotland for the southernmost part of the West Highland Way: Milngavie to Drymen. This was also a case of going into countryside new to me and, like the Calderdale trot, it was to give rise to more excursions later on.

The Pennine Way hiking continued in March and it started again early in the month with a trek that saw me return to Calderdale for a walk from Todmorden to Burnley by way of both the Pennine Way and the Pennine Bridleway. This was followed up at the end of the month when I yomped from Haworth to Burnley.

My Pennine wanderings were set to continue in April and the first one plugged a gap in the itinerary from Edale to Haworth: Marsden to Littleborough via Wessenden Reservoir. It was to prove a claggy day until lunchtime, something that very much focussed the mind when it came to navigation. My next day along the Pennine Way was in clearer if blustery conditions. It also was to take me through some of the best countryside on the Pennine Way as I voyaged from Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Hawes. Rain was to beset me on my next excursion as I left Malham Tarn to head for Gargrave but I left the rain after me in Malham and things cheered up immeasurably as I was nearing my destination for the day. Those two excursions left a gap that was filled on a tramp from Malham Tarn over Fountains Fell and Pen-y-Ghent to Horton on a day that when it felt like summer.

I started May with another trip blessed by fair weather. After years of admiring it, I finally made my way up to the top of Skiddaw. Some may view the manicured lines of the "tourist track" that I followed as dull, I’d rather not scare myself with descents that are too steep so I well appreciated its gentler approach and I still found time to take in Little Man and Lattrigg as well. Next up in May was a trip that my memory reckons happened in July; it’s just as well that I have this blog! I made my return to Chirk for another stroll along the Offa’s Dyke Path, this time to Oswestry. Cloud predominated on the day so photographic opportunities were rare. Even so, it didn’t stop my having a good walk in countryside that was new to me. If I had more time, I would have dawdled more so it might time for a return. In walking terms, the month of May went out with a bang: a two day trek on the West Highland Way along the banks of Loch Lomond with an overnight stay in Rowardennan. I very much took a chance with the weather on this one but Scotland didn’t let me down on what is for me one of the finest stretches of the WHW.

June was to be a quieter month with regard to walking and the long evenings were allowing me to get out in the part of Cheshire’s hill country that is near me. These outings were to become a feature of the "summer". June soon became a sodden affair but I still returned to Rhinog country for a creditable stroll through a landscape that was anything but dry. The weather that we were getting was a foretaste of what was to come, making 2007 a year of two halves: one fabulous and one that returned us to reality. Alan Sloman was lucky to complete his LEJOG when he did.

July was for many a washout but I managed to get two decent Lakeland excursions out of the month. Both involved my heading to Windermere with the first being an over and back hike to Kentmere and the second being a trek to Staveley via Kentmere. On both outings, I enjoyed the fine scenery in excellent weather, something that must sound ironic to those sodden by the floods of 2007. Yes, water had accumulated underfoot but the worst difficulties, if any, were avoidable.

August saw me finishing two long distance trails and starting on another one. The first to be completed was the West Highland Way and that happened on my now habitual summertime stay in Scotland. That saw me complete of perhaps the noisiest stretch of the trail: that between Bridge of Orchy and Inverarnan and with some sun to enliven the views too. The other walking that I did during that trip was a soggy reconnaissance trip among the hills near Kinlochleven. The other trail completed was one passing not far from where I live: the Gritstone Trail. Hikes from Macclesfield to Congleton and from Eaton to Kidsgrove in pleasant conditions allowed me to bring my walking of the trail towards a good end. A final evening stroll was sufficient for me to walk the final short stretch around Bollington before I then walked home to my house. The bank holiday weekend at the end of the month allowed me the opportunity to start off the Rob Roy Way by walking from Drymen to Callander with an overnight stay in Aberfoyle. This got me into nice countryside that I hadn’t visited before and it seems more than worthy of a return.

After what must sound like a bountiful August, hillwalking activities were less prevalent for the rest of the year, even if I had planned not to have things slow down. September and November stand out as months when you could have said that I had gone into hibernation. October saw me head out for a local constitutional to take in the Autumn colour, follow streams in local hill country and visit the South Pennines for a hike lacking in any real progress on completing the missing link in my Pennine Way journey so far. In December, I decided to vanquish any sense of hibernation by another wander among the hills lining the Cheshire-Derbyshire border followed up by a fleeting unintended visit to the hill country of the Long Mynd near Church Stretton.

All in all, 2007 was another good walking year for me. Unless you lost out in the flooding (and I don’t envy anyone who did: hope it all works out alright for them), it would be a travesty to remember 2007 for its sodden summer when we had so much clement weather earlier in the year. As it happens, the continual greyness that pervaded nearly all of 2004 remains with me with 2007’s bright spots easily cause me to forget any grey bits. The proverbial question of what 2008 will bring does raise its head as it is wont to do; so also is the realisation that the future is not ours to see (we’re probably better off!). I never go in for big plans anyway but that doesn’t stop me having ideas in my mind for when the opportunities to explore them arise. We’ll see what happens…

Because I had until this year only walked the West Highland Way north of Bridge of Orchy, I had the photos from the corresponding treks bundled with those from Lochaber. Following my establishment of a Pennine Way gallery and my walking the rest of the WHW, it was time to split the previous Lochaber gallery in two and recognise that some photos that were included there really belonged under the Argyll umbrella. So, I now have tow sections in the gallery, one for a circuit of Lochaber and another for the WHW. The WHW one is still awaiting more photos and some that are already included may need a spot of sympathetic retouching so the WHW show really is only starting. And knowing me, I may even encounter the WHW again and again so you never know what’ll turn up yet.

This should be the last post in this series with Part 1 dealing a detailed appraisal of the route and Part 2 describing the way that I walked the West Highland Way. You might have gathered from my witterings that I think that some parts are too close to the A82 and that others are a bit tamer than I might have expected. Also, as you can gauge from its appearance at number 23 in Country Walking’s listing of Top 50 treks in its current issue, this is a popular trail and it’s not easy to relax when you’re leap frogging other hikers a lot of the time.

The above sets the scene for my starting point with these musings. From here, the directions fork somewhat. In the initial version of my appraisal, I was suggesting all sorts of improvements that the powers that be could make to the route. I have mellowed since then and now suggest deviations from the official WHW that may add to the enjoyment of the trail. Following on from this, I have also got the idea that the way could form the backbone for a series of walks that extend into wilder country than that frequented by the main trail. Then, I’ll finish with some thoughts that fall under the heading "Where next?" or "What are the alternatives?".

Adding a Spot More Wildness…

From the first part of the series, you may have gathered that I might not consider the WHW to be a true wild country trail in the mould of the Pennine Way, the Southern Upland Way or the Cape Wrath Trail. It seems, rather, to be a journey towards wild country, which is why the climax starts north of Bridge of Orchy. So here are a few deviations from the official route that might just enhance the wild country aspect of the trail.

Personally, I have my doubts about the wisdom of starting at Milngavie and I have had some thoughts about how make the start of the WHW feel better. Here a few ideas:

• Start at Drymen: it may not be as accessible as Milngavie from the public transport point of view, but you get to see less pylons and reduce the amount of tarmac to be encountered. You also avoid the disused railway and you still get some views of the Campsie Fells.
• Another idea is to replace the stretch along Strath Blane with a hike through the Campsie Fells. You may need to change your starting point to do this or make your way from Milngavie towards the town of Strathblane; there seems to be a useful track through the woods that nicely keeps down the amount of road walking. A spot of cross-country travel may be needed but, by all accounts, the Campsie Fells look to be worth the effort. Starting from Kilsyth is another idea even if some road travel is needed to pick up the WHW near Drymen. Using minor roads as much as possible may make this more bearable.

The piece between Inverarnan and Bridge of Orchy is another place where the feeling of wildness is sadly absent at times. While some parts of the route are worthwhile, the episodes of loud road noise remain in my memory: funnelling road, railway and hill track through a narrow steep sided glen does rather amplify the racket and you might as well be in an underground tunnel with the lot. Following a hill track towards Dalmally does sound an appealing alternative even if you have an electricity line with its attendant pylons for company most of the way; that said, they have a use in this case when it comes to navigation. There is an element of trackless country crossing in this but you are away from noisy roads and photo opportunities may be grasped with careful composition. From Dalmally, my plan would be to follow hill tracks shadowing the hopefully less busy B8074 along Glen Orchy to Bridge of Orchy. Your legs will be exercised by ascent and descent here but the peace offered should be a definite boon. A more adventurous option would be to head from Dalmally to Glen Strae and head over Lairig Dhoireann into Glen Kinglass before heading along that glen towards Inveroran to meet the WHW there.

There is one last deviation from the route that I am suggesting because I find it hard to understand why the WHW drops onto the road in Glen Nevis when there are perfectly usable paths and tracks that will carry you around Cow Hill and into Fort William; it does to be said that the Glen Nevis road is never too busy. Admittedly, my route means that you do get dropped onto tarmac at the back of a leisure centre but the trot to the centre of the town is then a short one. Maybe that’s what the powers that be want to do when they describe plans for extending the trail into the town. I can’t see the emporium near the current end on the A82 being very happy about my suggested change, though.

Side Excursions

The WHW follows old rights of way for a lot of its route and that fact neatly brings to my next set of ideas: using the WHW as an access point for walks into wilder country. Here, I am limiting myself to old rights of way described in ScotWays’ excellent volume, Scottish Hill Tracks. You can roll your own routes simply by studying maps, thanks to Scotland’s enlightened access legislation, but I’ll stick with the old tracks for now. Here some possibilities and they get more challenging as you go further north:

•  Drymen to Rowardennan via Aberfoyle: there could be a lot of tarmac to be covered on this one (that certainly applies up to Aberfoyle. The more daring could avoid Aberfoyle altogether for a bigger day out. I measured the distance on Anquet and it’s around 20 miles with a climb to above 400 m as it goes over the shoulder of Ben Lomond. My experience has been that the countryside is quiet and forestry tracks are the mainstay; it seems an interesting proposition.
• Ascent of Ben Lomond: this is Scotland’s second most popular hill and the ascent from Rowardennan is bigger on height than on distance.
• Inverarnan to Crianlarich via Inverlochlarig: a testing 16 mile diversion that gets you away from the noisy Glen Falloch and travels on sometimes pathless terrain to Rob Roy’s house before heading over a bealach to reach the A85 and Crianlarich.
• Crianlarich to Bridge of Orchy via Loch Lyon: this seems a challenging two affair and so will follow my having got in some camping practice. Boggy pathless terrain abounds at times and that will no doubt slow progress too, especially where steeper ascents are involved.
• Bridge of Orchy to Glen Coe by Loch Etive and/or Glen Etive: there are a variety of routes and your choice depends on your fitness, your expereince and the weather. A simpler excursion would be to head along Glen Kinglass and follow the shores of Loch Etive to its head whereupon a long road walk would take you to the head of Glen Coe.
• Kinlochleven to Glen Nevis: there are a goodly number of diversions here and the usual caveats apply.

For those who want greater altitude, there is the Highland High Way. There seems to be no website dedicated to the trail but I have seen a book on it published by Mainstream Publishing, which may or may not still be available. As it happens, my preference is for hill tracks frequenting wilder spots than increasing my Munro count. Despite all my visits to Scotland, that steadfastly remains at zero.

A Beginning?

When you are done with one long distance trail, your mind does tend to return to others. Even so, any long distance trail only allows you a passing glimpse of the country surrounding it. For that reason, the WHW may not be an end but rather the start of other excursions among the hills that it passes. Speaking of beginnings, the route of the WHW does make a good option for those who are frequent walkers and want to get into the trail bagging game. That leads me onto my thoughts for future options. The Pennine Way is and will continue to be a project for me but the Southern Upland Way also appeals. Both may be more serious propositions than the WHW and that is down to their remaining in wild country that is mercifully bereft of busy roads. And I ever walk all of those, there will more and more to be walked. This game is one that never finishes until you are…

In the previous post in this series, I went over the route of the West Highland Way in detail while sharing my thoughts on different sections. There, I took each section in the order in which the WHW seems to want to be walked: going northbound. Well, it certainly looks that it has planned in that way and the approach does have a point if you are walking the thing all in one fell swoop.

While the northbound approach allows for acclimatisation before the wilder stuff beyond Bridge of Orchy is encountered, I feel that there is more to it. The fact that you start on terrain typical of Sunday afternoon strolls and end up immersed in high mountain country does suggest that this could be a journey that changes your walking forever. It is almost like this: it takes you by the hand and turns a sometime stroller (and camper) into a back country backpacker.

Of course, there are caveats to be added to the above metaphorical suggestion. We are talking about a 95 mile jaunt here and a certain amount of experience and fitness are needed if you are doing the trail all in one go. There certainly are some testing stretches for the legs before Bridge of Orchy is reached so it’s no walk in the park, even if it is a more accessible long distance trail than others. And it is also an easy trail from which to exit if it all gets a little too much for you.

Moving onto my own association with the trail, there is an echo of the route plan of WHW in my progress along its length and that is even without my following it either as intended or as one multi-day hike. My first encounters with the trail preceded my interest in hillwalking; in those days, I somehow had it in my head that it wasn’t an activity for mere mortals like me. So, walking the WHW was the last thing in my mind back then. I clearly have changed my mind since those days.

Returning to my first ever WHW encounter then, that was on a sunny Saturday in May 1998 when I took myself up to Fort William on a day trip from Edinburgh, where I lived at the time. Having been gobsmacked by the sight of Glen Coe on my way, there were further enticing sights awaiting me in Glen Nevis. I was very much a sometime stroller and cyclist with a soft spot for fine mountain scenery, something handed to me from my parents. In fact, I had planned to bring my bike but discovered that, unlike my native Eire, you can’t take bicycles on Scottish coach services. My incursion into the glen was an unplanned affair but a spot of tentative wandering on good paths and tracks got something started: I wanted to see more of this. In fact, I brought my brother there a year later.

Of course, you could say that my initial encounter was at the wrong end, particularly given my then avoidance of anything too adventurous, but the Highlands are famous and how many have heard of Milngavie and the Campsie Fells? I certainly hadn’t but I was aware of the WHW, though my knowledge of the route was sketchy to say the least. Moving from university to the world of work took me down to Macclesfield by way of Skipton (I started out my career working for a company based there). It was on a return to Edinburgh to see friends that had me witnessing the glories of the Southern Uplands through the train windows. That decided me: I was going to stage a return to the Highlands, having not been for the most of two years.

It was 2002 before I encountered the WHW again, first in Glen Nevis and then by a longer walk on the next day. The latter took me from Kinlochleven south to Glen Coe and views over empty wild moorland were the order of the day. By then, I could be called a hillwalker: I had the kit, was developing the knowledge and enjoying day walks in the countryside. That was followed up the following year by two northbound strolls between Kinlochleven and Fort William, the first was on a dry cloudy day in the middle of a week where the weather could only conjure up mischief and a weekend visit at the end of August saw me ply my way on a wonderfully memorable sunny day. This was the climax of the WHW and I saw it at its very best. 2004 saw me snatch a few drier days in July (the summer was far from being a classic) and one of these was spent walking south from Glen Coe to Bridge of Orchy. I had ended up completing the best part of the WHW first due to my affection for Lochaber and Glen Coe.

My hillwalking last year began to take me away from the beaten track and my appreciation of lesser celebrated spots like the Southern Uplands, Northumberland and Pembrokeshire grew. I also began to take an greater interest in completing long distance trails and my Pennine Way exertions are well documented on this blog. That meant that I was ready to resume my WHW excursions. Things started in earnest in February with the part between Milngavie and Drymen being ticked off and I have been musing over walks in the Campsies since then. Walking the WHW along the banks of Loch Lomond occurred to me as an idea the previous summer but it was an "iffy" weekend at the end of May that saw me do the rewarding deed with my overnighting in Rowardennan. For my completion of the WHW, I adopted the same tack with an overnight stay in Crianlarich sandwiched between walks south from Bridge of Orchy and north from Inverarnan; I have finished it, after a fashion.

I may not have followed faithfully a northbound itinerary along the WHW but I have been on my own journey when it comes to exploring the outdoors. I started as a sometime strolling day tripper and now seek the back country for hillwalking excursions. Who knows but my backpacking may develop yet; it would certainly aid progress along the Pennine Way. While on the subject of back country, my next post in the series (most likely the final one) will take a look at possible excursions extending from the WHW and potential enhancements.

Over the last few weeks, I have been writing up my thoughts on the West Highland Way now that I have all of its length. Initially, I was putting them all into a single post but it got so long that it derailed any other blogging that I would have been doing (there is a Rob Roy Way trip report from the end of August to appear here yet). So, I’m breaking the WHW review up to make it more digestible and easier to complete; proof reading a lengthy essay is asking for typos to slip out. This first instalment will go over the route as it should be walked rather than the way in which I did it. What I learnt from the way that I walked it will be the subject of the next instalment of these musings. Ideas for possible deviations that take you away from the madding crowd, busy noisy roads and electricity pylons are also planned.

Milngavie to Drymen

The choice of Milngavie as a starting point is certainly an interesting one. Access by public transport is a facile affair and progress from the main street is initially through woodland before you make your way out into more open country, crossing some fields on the way. Beyond Dumgoyach Farm, I felt that the walking was not as appealing as it could be. First, progress is by the disused Strath Blane railway with a stretch of road walking therafter, never an exciting proposition. That said, you do cross a field on the way towards the A811; Drymen is a short jaunt west along the same road. As well as unexciting walking, pylons intrude on the views as does road traffic noise on the peace from time to time. Nevertheless, it is a stroll largely on the level with good views of the Campsie Fells with a first glimpse of Loch Lomond. The latter is over a gravel pit, not of great foreground interest in photographs.

Drymen to Rowardennan

After Drymen, the quality of the walking is on the ascendant with some progress along forest tracks and, if Conic Hill is open to walkers, a sharp shock to the legs: a taste of what is to come further north. From Balmaha, the WHW keeps rather too close to the Rowardennan road for my liking  but it is not a busy affair. Even so, you lose it more and more, the further north you go and there are plenty of short sharp ascents to test those legs.

Rowardennan to Inverarnan

Rowardennan is a peach of a location and I certain enjoyed my overnight stay there. Views to the north are enticing and Ben Lomond is a possible excursion for the more adventurous; this is quality walking country. The way between Rowardennan and Inverarnan does seem to have garnered itself a reputation for being tough but I take the view that this is more like the WHW that I would have expected. Those of a more daring disposition can stay close to the shore while bound for Rowchoish; others may prefer the forestry track route. The latter certainly avoids a shoreline crux that nearly bested me; giving myself a chance to regain my composure got me beyond it. Beyond Rowchoish, good tracks and paths get you to Inversnaid. The section from Inversnaid to Ardleish can be adjudged tricky in places but I felt it to be a satisfyingly testing stretch without any serious difficulties. Good paths going over more predictable ground return on the approach to Inverarnan with some of the Crianlarich hills filling the view.

Inverarnan to Crianlarich

Beyond Inversnaid, humanity intrudes again, in the form of a very noisy A82. As if that were not enough, the pervasiveness of the pylons in Glen Falloch certainly detract from its visual appeal. Things do get better once the A82 is crossed and a quieter few miles along good tracks and paths do their bit to compensate for the earlier lack of pleasure until Strath Fillan is reached and another encounter with the A82 greets you. you could stop off in Crianlarich for a shorter day but getting to Tyndrum is no bad thing. Views of the Crianlarich hills are behind you, a pity in my opinion since they look grander than their Tyndrum counterparts; I was walking south and got the full benefit of the grandness. The views are good here and the A82 is not too intrusive either.

Crianlarich to Bridge of Orchy

The noisy A82 has it last hurrah as you make your way north from Tyndrum; hurrah is the last thing that I would have been saying until I made it off the slopes of Beinn an Dothaidh. A good military track takes you past tantalising glimpses along Glen Coralan and Gleann Ach’-inis Chailein do attempt to erase earlier memories. Along Beinn Dorainn, road noise is far away until Bridge of Orchy is reached and the A82 crossed yet again. Should the WHW be called the A82 Way or the W82?

Bridge of Orchy to Glen Coe

Leaving Bridge of Orchy takes you into wilder country. First up is progress along an old military road to Inveroran, where the legs will get a good workout from the ascent and descent. Views of Loch Tulla and the ever nearer Black Mount vie for your attention. From Inveroran, it is the forbear of the A82 that will be taking you forth. This is good walking with road noise by now a distant memory and the ever present Black Mount for company while you continue through wild country and gaze over Rannoch Moor when at last it presents itself. All of this is enjoyable stuff.

Glen Coe to Kinlochleven

The A82 is crossed for the last time near the Kingshouse Hotel at the head of Glen Coe. Unencumbered views along the glen pervade and the rocky buttress of Buachaille Etive Mor is unmissable. I don’t seem to recall road noise blighting my memory of the way to the foot of the Devil’s Staircase; maybe I had other things on my mind… The ascent of the Devil’s Staircase is a shock to the system and could make you wonder why you are heading north. I descended it and it looked foreboding enough so an ascent is a definite test. The rewards are there, though. From here to Kinlochleven, you are undeniably immersed in wild country; it is hard to believe that workers on the construction passed through here on their way back from the Kingshouse Hotel at nighttime. That some perished while on the excursion should come as no surprise to you when you see what surrounds you. The Mamores come steadily into view as you head towards Kinlochleven, an undeservedly lesser frequented spot.

Kinlochleven to Fort William

Getting to Kinlochleven on the WHW involves a steep descent whichever way you are going and the same description applies to the ascent from from the village. The rewards are very much in evidence, though. For instance, heading north takes you through the magnificent Lairig Mor on the way to the pretty Glen Nevis. The final northbound section is undeniably a high point of the whole trip and may even be considered its zenith. I have walked it twice and it’s not that often that I do that: my first visit was on a day that remain steadfastly cloud so I returned when the sun very much in evidence and I’ll never forget that day and for all the right reasons too.