Friday 9 May 2014

Day five, Bridge of Orchy to Kings House, Thursday 8th May

After a good nights sleep, we had an interesting breakfast. The evening before we had ticked full Scottish, and placed a cross against tomato for me and vegetarian sausage for Allan, as items we didn't require. 
Served with splendour was a poached egg and three halves of grilled tomato, Allan had scrambled eggs and veg sausage, that will teach us to presume!
Our wet boots were returned to us clean and dry, such pleasure to start the day with warm boots.
Today's walk 12.5 miles, we were in for an easy day. The weather looked good as we walked out the B&B and straight on to the WHW.


The view looking back was impressive as we walked through pine forest up on to the moorland with glimpses of Loch Tulla tempting us on.



There was no wind and the reflection on the Loch was impressive. 



The walk down into Inveroran gave a different perspective with views up the Loch with its crannogs (man made wooded islands).



Walking past the Inveroran Hotel we exchange pleasantries with the three girls that shot past us on the way up.
The WHW is fantastic creating comradeship as we keep bumping into the same people at different stages, and catch up as to how they are getting on.



We had a very pleasant slow walk through rolling moorland, pass Victoria Bridge and on to Forest Lodge.
This was the start of the walk over Rannoch Moor on an idilic day. Having driven over the moor many times part of the reason to walk the WHW was this part, to walk one of Britain's wild places and we were having the pleasure to do this on a beautiful day. 



There was a steady climb alongside a plantation on this old military road, the air is so pure the lichens and mosses growing on the twigs made the first of many photographic stops!



We walked clear if the plantation where we had been accompanied by the call of a cuckoo, and the splendour of the scenary unfurled itself, visibility was amazing.




We had a lunch stop at Ba Bridge, roughly half way to Kings House, again exchanging pleasantries with a party of four guys who had passed back at Loch Tulla, they were walking through to Kinglochleven that evening. We cracked open the Grey Gouse in the hip flask it was an excellent day!


We continued on past a few small falls.



We were now on the Black Mount proper,  a high plateau rather than a mountain. The views were amazing across the A82 in the distance.



We passed the ruins of Ba Cottage and gained ascent over the lower most slopes of Meall a' Bhuridh.



We reached the highest point of the walk at 1500 feet, then started the descent into Kings House three miles away.
A gentle walk down pass Glencoe Mountain Resort and the famous Blackrock Cottage.


We were soon in the Kings House, checking in was at the bar as reception was closed, it was just before 4pm we had made good time. The same four guys we had met earlier, were in the bar just finishing their meal. They set off at 5pm to do in the evening what we had planned for Friday! 
We had had an easy day, the heart rate monitor read 2725 calories max heart rate 134! The gps 11.77 miles max elevation of 1453 feet and total ascent of 1657 feet. the first pint slipped down real easy as we sat in the bar before going to our room to shower for dinner, we did check if we need a reservation after the problems of the previous evening! 




























2 Comments:

At 10 May 2014 at 11:48 , Blogger Dave Butcher said...

Don't forget to visit the Brewery in Kinlochleven!

 
At 14 May 2014 at 06:27 , Blogger Dave Butcher said...

So have you finished yet? We need to hear about the last day to Fort William!

 

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