Walk this Way

Last weekend, the warm October weather meant a pleasant stravaig along the last stretch of the West Highland Way from Kinlochleven to Fort William.

Looking back to Kinlochleven

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kinlochleven/kinlochleven/

Half of our party intended to climb Carn Mor Dearag and thence along the ridge to Ben Nevis but, after my last ascent of the big ben (Blog 1st July 2014), I opted for the gentler lower walk.

 A zig-zag climb to about 800 ft above sea-level, then an undulating path of approximately 14 miles into Fort William made for a pleasant day out.

The Pap of Glencoe in the distance

The Way followed the old Military road along the glen of Allt Natrach ( the stream of the adders?) and passed the lonely ruin of Tigh na Sleubhaich (the house of the mountain man ?) before it crossed The Lairig Mor, the big pass, the old path to Callart.  Looming above were the stony slopes of Stob Ban

Stob Ban

There was a information board about the Battle of Inverlochy where in 1645, during the religious civil wars that so beset Scotland, the Royalist Macdonalds slaughtered the Covenanter Campbells.

The next day, I stopped to get some pictures in Glencoe where, in 1692, the infamous massacre of the Macdonalds by the Campbells took place. Our history is strewn with such enmities and feuds.

Gearr Aonach and the way to the Hidden Valley in Glencoe

The path climbed slightly around the edge of Mullach nan Correan and Ben Nevis came into view, with its customary chaplet of mist. There are few days in the year when the summit is clear.

We passed the vitrified fort of Dun Deardail. An Iron Age construction, that has been subjected to such heat that the stones have melted and become glass-like. The rationale for this isn't understood as the stones are brittle and less strong afterwards, nor is it possible to produce the sustained high temperatures required by mere burning as might have occurred in a battle. A mystery. It may have been some ritual to cleanse or sanctify the structure or to imbue it with supernatural powers.

Vitrified stone

After this, the Way descends into Glen Nevis and then by road into Fort William and draught Guinness.

 http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/fortwilliam/fortwilliam/

Big Ben

Seven years ago, I had to come off the hill while climbing the Five Sisters in Kintail.    My knee was so painful I was holding up the group.   As it transpired, that was to be my last Munro at the time. The cause of the pain became clear and a new hip was required. More pathology kept me from getting back to the big hills but I've always wanted to do one more before giving up completely.

What about the big one. Despite having done a good few Munros, I'd never climbed Ben Nevis.

It was a fine day, so I set off to do the straightforward, tourist approach up the pony track built in 1883 to service the long defunct weather station at the summit.

Imagine a seemingly endless stone staircase with every step a different size and shape and depth and sometimes more than one level on each step and you get some idea of the pony track. Proper walking is impossible.

 A succession of baby steps and giant steps and sideways shuffles are all that is possible and always upwards. 

The views as you get higher make it worthwhile. Looking down Glen Nevis to the Mamores with Stob Ban in the foreground, the landscape is dramatic. Equally scenic is the view back to Fort William and Loch Eil.

But the slog goes on up and up and up. Five and a half hours. Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, is often called the Halfway lochan.. it isn't !!

Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe

After the rocky staircase there was a wide detour by the Lochan on easier going but then back to the path with boulders and scree intermixed. Crossing the lower end of a waterfall provide icy cool drinks and a few negative ions to boost the flagging spirit.

Zig-zagging up and up and up eventually the summit came into sight on the other side of a small snow-field.

This delighted a couple of boys from Brisbane who hadn't seen snow before. I was just delighted to see the summit.

Snowfield- summit obscured by mist

Small birds were flitting about in the scree and rocks - snow buntings, I'm sure. 

Unfortunately, a smirr of rain and mist came in just then to obscure the summit plateau but cleared quickly.

The descent began easily enough to begin with then became increasingly painful as each jolting downward step hit the old knees. That's the thing about hills they don't care how much you hurt there is no other way but to put one foot past the other and cover the ground, the hill doesn't get any smaller, the path doesn't get any shorter.

Ravens were circling overhead. They had obviously picked me out as a potential  carcase.

Starry Saxifrage, a true mountain plant

By the time I'd got to road level, my joints were telling me that it was indeed seven years since that last Munro and they and I were seven years older but not seven years wiser.

Five and a half hours up and four hours down, longer than expected, but it is done.

I am cured. I no longer have a hankering to do one more Munro. The knees have spoken.

Two enthusiasts planning to make a more rapid descent than I could manage!

I must add a special thanks to the Scottish - Canadian couple who generously drove the blogger back to his car when he came off the hill by the wrong path and ended up miles from where he had parked it... and gave him a can of Irn-bru.   My knees give thanks for that gesture!!