Kinlochleven to Fort William Day 5 (18th August) 15miles

West Highland Way.... the alternative way.... DONE!X

April Fools Return... watch this space...

I still have the last stretch of the WHW to fully complete, as I wasn't fit to do so in April. My fellow numpties Yvonne and Morag are coming too and we are booked into the Glen Nevis Campsite on 17th and 18th August.. We will do Kinlochleven to Fort William on the Saturday. Another adventure no doubt... we are all excited and looking forward to it..

Best Foot Forward....

Inverarnan to Crianlarich 2nd June 2012

Making up more miles.... a lovely day and another good excuse for lunch at the Drovers!

Tyndrum to Inveroran - Making up the miles....12th May

Dyna Mo kindly offered to do this part with me as I had missed it in April. This was a particularly beautiful part of the Way. We had good weather on the whole and so got lots of stunning views. We had lunch at Inveroran Hotel but were too early for the Deer this time, as they don't come down till 5:30 - Dinner Time! We Hitched a lift back to Tyndrum, and were lucky enough to be picked up by 2 nice couples! We have NEVER done this before, but agreed that life does indeed begin at 40/50 and so gave it a try. There was lots of giggling in the back of the car! And so now whenever the opportunity arises I will pay it forward and if I ever see 2 Numpties at the side of the road with their thumbs out I will do the same for them.

West Highland Way Update.... a lone April Fool returns...

It was strange to be back in the West Highlands without my fellow fools, but I have some miles to make up and wont be happy till I do them and so it must be done. I did the short stretch from just past Crianlarich to Tyndrum. It was lovely in a way to be on my own as I reflected a lot on the WHW and my journey and I really enjoyed my walk, taking in all the scenery. Lunch at the Green Welly (more memories of SOS phone calls!) then walked back to my car. Fab day!

And all good things come to an end.....

So its all over. We had a couple of drinks to celebrate in Fort William before catching the bus home. There were a fair few tears shed and it was an emotional end to a rollercoaster of a week. We were quiet and thoughtful on the way home as we drove past all the parts of the Way we had walked. The scenery was stunning as the sun was setting and it was a full moon. Finally, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say a huge Thank You to all our families, friends and followers for all your support, words and messages of encouragement. We'll see you around the next corner..........xxxxxxxxxx

Day 6 Kinlochleven to Fort William 15miles

I took the alternative route to Fort William this morning, my knees were giving way so sensible decision was to travel by bus to Fort William to wait for my chums there. I travelled on the bus with Steph a girl I met who also was unable to get her boots on this morning. I met my chums at Ben Nevis Inn and we did the final stretch together! Yippee!

Words of advice to anyone who is considering this challenge: I am fit and healthy and an experienced walker who has walked in all terrains and all weathers. My main problem during this walk was the damage inflicted on my feet after Days 2 and 3 through tackling a very rough terrain day after day. I can cope with long days and hours of walking but once my feet were blistered they caused problems from swelling etc from there on.Although my boots are good and well worn , they didn't seem to fit properly after Day 2. Downwards climbing - very damaging and painful to the knees and we all suffered with this problem. Devil's Staircase upward climb is not too be feared however the descent into Kinlochleven was not enjoyable in any way - it was long and painful underfoot and at the end of a 19 mile day it was the last straw for me! Lack of sleep - Anne was unable to sleep the first 2 nights at all and so was absolutely exhausted by Day 3. Brandy in hipflasks, strong painkillers, Compeed, and Micropore tape are essentials. Bunkhouses are only for the very hardiest of souls - although we laughed and laughed - it was an experience I'm glad I had but wouldn't necessarily recommend. Being with a group of lovely friends is very good for the soul and although it was an emotional rollercoaster for some, we were all in it together and were a great team who supported each other throughout! Yvonne Anne and Morag were inspirational in the way they soldiered on at times when every step was agony.It was a joy and a privilege to walk with these lovely ladies and the memories of the West Highland Way will stay with me forever. And lastly- taxi numbers/bus timetables and planning your day according to how you feel is very important. It should be an enjoyable experience and if I hadn't skipped the sections I did then I have no doubt I would have done lasting damage and possibly endangered the group by carrying on when I wasn't able. Some people do the WHW specifically missing out less interesting sections and therefore conserve their energy for the beautiful parts. A few people we met had dropped out along the Way as they had underestimated the challenge. Great Glen Way next? Mmmmm we'll see x

Day 5 Inveroran to Kinlochleven 19 miles

Started off sharp after breakfast this morning at 8 30 ish. We had an addition to the group this morning as Sharon joined us for Rannoch Moor. Rannoch Moor was clear and calm and surrounded by stunning scenery. A relatively easy 10 miles. We stopped at Kingshouse for lunch before setting off up to the Devils Staircase. We had a flurry of snow as we climbed but we didn't feel cold. The descent into Kinlochleven after that high point was torturous and tiring and painful on the knees and feet. Eventually we staggered into the Trail Race pub in Kinlochleven and I mean staggered.

Last day tomorrow .

Day 4 Crianlarich to Inveroran (16 miles)

My feet are continuing to give me terrible problems and so I took a taxi from Tyndrum to Inveroran, missing out 10 miles to see if some time out will help. Thanks to all my friends for words of support and encouragement.My inspirational friends continue to soldier on and no taxi for them! Well done girls!Inveroran Hotel is truly in the middle of nowhere and is surrounded by beautiful highland scenery.And wild deer!

Day 3 Update

A lovely lunch in Drovers  was followed by a flat section of the Way which took us 7 miles further on to Crianlarich. Yvonne Anne and Morag walked showing remarkable stamina and willpower. I (Lorraine) am suffering badly with cramps in my feet and blisters

Day 3 Inversnaid to Crianlarich

Hard climbing today out of Inversnaid! Left Loch Lomond behind and headed to Drovers for lunch

Day 2 Balmaha to Inversnaid 14 miles

After a hearty breakfast at Mrs Bates we set off 9 30 ish- after a very challenging 7 mile up and down hike out of Balmaha we arrived in Rowardennan. Quick Pint stop then onwards to Inversnaid- a more pleasant lochside scramble. Arrived about 6pm and Stevie met us at the hotel and drove us up to the Bunkhouse . An 800m uphill rd. Then he told us he couldn't take us back down in the morning. We have a bunk room like a prison cell. We are shattered sweaty and dirty and a Big dog is barking outside our room! We ve just had soup and wine in the Bistro where we laughed and laughed with whoops of sheer hysteria. We ve decided to sleep in our clothes as the toilet is quite some distance away and we can't walk any further to change and a shower is the least of our concerns what with the pain throughout our whole bodies and feet. However Annes eyelashes don't hurt. Roll on tomorrow

Update (Day 3)

After a night of fun and games at Inversnaid Bunkhouse we are up and just had breakfast and are heading off soon. Spirits are a bit lower this morning as it is snowing outdoors. But being outdoors in the snow is preferable to another night in the cell. These posts will be a bit out of sync, Day 2's will be posted later as I get a signal further along the way. I am typing this from the bunkhouse but cant add any pictures, so Day 2 post will follow shortly.