Friday 15 August 2008

Well Done To Edna & Michelle

Well done to Edna and Michelle for walking the 95 miles (yes 95 miles!!!) of the West Highland Way in aid of a school in India. As soon as they know the amount of money they have raised they will let us know!!
Thanks to Edna for sending me this really good write up today, about their experiences along the way!!
We had a great but challenging time over our 6 days with lots of new experiences.Starting off with, as the taxi driver called it, a 12 mile walk in the park in lovely weather, cloudy but perfect for walking. Next day after B&B, a 14 mile day, bucketing rain,mixed terraine, learning that you can't always go round the puddles because parts was more a like a river. Youth hosteling and bunk beds being another new experience for us older two.Day 3 experienced the midgies for the 1st time and 'the hard slog day' again 14 miles,first half being walking on a track and hilly but not too bad going, afternoon saw the rough clabbering over rocks and trees followed by arrival at the highlight accomodation (joke), the wigwams, they were awful. Next day, an early start 7.30 off for our 20 mile day, mixed hilly footpaths and tracks taking us through Tintrum and on the Bridge of Orchy. Day 5 another 20 miles with steep hills including the devils staircase where i needed my extra glucose gel for energy to get to the top through battling the midgies which were at their worst here, having found out in previous days that i was allergic to the avon stuff that is raged about for being fantastic for midgies. Bruce told me the morning we were at the wigwams I could have carried my shopping home from Morrisons in the bags below my eyes they were so swollen!!!! However we reached the top and on down hill (steep) into Kinlochleven to our next hostel. Day 6 our final 15 miles, a steep climb in the early morning but a beautiful view looking back, was mixed weatherwise as were to bed ready for returning to Glasgow on Monday. the others, but it was an pleasant walk through Lairigmor towards Ben Nevis and down through the Glen arriving at Fort William at 2 pm to stay our final evening at the bunk house there. We even managed to attend church that evening and none of us fell asleep, then out for celebration meal and then off to bed ready for returning to Glasgow on Monday.
I know you will enjoy the photographs they have kindly sent me, simply click on this link