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