Not long out of intensive care I was given the chance to be totally stupid and try to walk the Great Glen Way. I got the chance of a lift to Fort William and thought why the jolly heck not. Packed my bag in a hurry and set off.
The journey up was sweltering, stayed in Perth overnight and travelled on to Fort William the next day, in the seriously deluge like rain. Popped into Morrisons for a hot cuppa and a quick change into my walking gear. Then started the walk.
I got to the canal office in Corpach quite quickly and paid my £10.00 for the key to canal/ Trailblazer toilets/ showers and off to Gairlochy in the pouring rain. It was after 5pm. When I reached Neptune's Staircase, which I expected to be a hive of activity, but there was only me stupid enough to be out in that weather.
Arrived in Gairlochy and used the facilities to dry off my poncho and chat to some others who were hiding in the clothes washing facilities room which was so warm. It was by now only spitting on to rain. And was half nine. I decided to walk on a bit further and wild camp rather than using the smooth campsite available to such as me. So after having a warm drink and something to eat I set off again.Midgies, now being from North Northumberland I understand midgies. What I didn't understand were midgies that were vampire like in their hatred of humanity. Too late on with the midge net., probably trapping whole murderous tribes of the evil beasties next to my baldy pate. Gloves on, also too late. Rain started pouring again. No real relief in amongst the trees, the same amount of water but in bigger drops flinging themselves off the fir trees in that gravitational urge to saturate me. Found a decent site amongst trees to set up my tent, which of course is inner first. I now know why they call it a bathtub floor. Into tent, sort my self out and into my sleeping bag. Woke up after a great sleep to drips of water on my face. First time I had truly experienced condensation, anything suffered on previous trips was a miniscule drop of dampness. It was as wet as the rain still pouring down outside. Dammit I had only slept for an hour. By five I was so cheesed off I got up got my clothes on and on my way out of the tent my leg slipped back on the damp grass. PAIN. It can only be described as a dagger in the groin. I hobbled about and got the tent stuffed away. Had a cuppa using my flameless flask, at least it didn't let me down. Had a couple of paracetomol, (cannot use vitamin I) and set off at about 5:30 . Rain continued to hammer down with odd patches of midge laden not quite so rainyness. I struggled past Laggan (Why?
) Though I did make use of the facilities there. Walking too close to an embankment to let a dog walker and two slavering brutes of dachshunds pass, my sore leg slipped down an embankment causing another knife to twist in my upper thigh and groin.
I struggled on to Fort Augustus where I had a great hot meal and sitting there, looked up the weather forecast. Since I am a fair weather walker and do not believe you can walk through pain on this occasion I decided I had enough. Caught the bus to Inverness and got a room for the night ( thanks booking.com), train back home next day.
So over a week later, still in pain. Looking like a refugee from a chicken pox clinic due to the midge bites. Still don't understand some of the places they managed to get to.
What did I like. Not much apart from my flameless flask. Works great in terrible weather, one sachet heated a packet of mugshot noodles and gave me water for a sweet tea/coffee.
I carried way too much food. There are enough places to stock up certainly up to Fort Augustus.
The route is as easy as I expected. I didn't want a hard trek so soon out of hospital. I would have bailed out sooner on a more difficult track that is for certain. But I felt as if there was plenty of opportunity to get to a road and call a taxi if I needed to. Will I go back and finish it, only if there is decent weather, don't mind a bit of rain but that many hours of heavy downpour was silly.
Actually booked in for physio on my leg which they think is a strained adductor muscle. Nice one , strange way to learn the names of muscle groups.