West Highland Way - the end

King's House to Fort William

The next morning my shoes were marginally dry, and it promised to be a lovely and dry day. The day promised to be a hike, as I would be climbing the devil's staircase, the highest point on the way at 500 meters.

The first few miles were uneventful, walking along through the moor, looking at the mountain the guys I met the night before were at that moment climbing. The sun was out an I was happy. I kept looking back, and the king's house took a long time to disappear from sight.

And then the way started to climb. Gradually at first, and then it zig zaged up, up and up. I would get to one of the points by telling myself that once I got there I could stop for a minute. Then I would continue on to the next turn. And the next. And the next. As I staggered to the top I saw thegermans making their picnic lunch, and the south africans who were returning from climbing up the ridge on the side to the view point. Since I have this very strong drive, for some reason, to always get to the highest places to get the amazing views even though I amafraid of heights, I started up this bit. A few minutes in though, I decided that I wasn't carrying my pack up. I took out my camera and money, thinking it was too heavy (at 40 pounds) for anyone else to want to carry it.

The non-existent path to the top was extremely boggy and muddy, but there was indeed a fantastic view at the top. Sadly though, it was too cloudy to be able to see Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Brittan. It was my first time using a self timer on a camera, though, which was very exciting.

Back down at the top of the pass, I ate my lunch, yet more cheese and tomato sardine sandwiches, but was forced to walk as I ate it, so that themidgies would leave me alone. Somehow they had managed to get to the highest point on the trail. Horrible creatures. From that point on it was mostly flat and downhill. I walked along the side of a valley, with lots of sheep. It was very green, and there were lots of waterfalls. As the path started to go downhill, it was very rocky, and a bit difficult to walk.

This path eventually came to an old building related to the aluminium works, and the path turned into a gravel road and entered into the woods. With no more rocks to pick my way over, I widened my stride, and went flying down that gravel road that seemed to go on forever. Walked through the woods, and for a bit beside huge pipes that were bringing water into the town ofkinlochleven for use in the aluminium smelting. I also passed some bikers that were making their way up the hill, which made me feel very victorious in having the devil's staircase behind me.

I entered the town, the biggest place I had seen since visiting drymen on my second day, and who did I run into but the germans. I was thinking to go to the grocery store, buy food, and wild camp, but I was so exhausted that I decided to stay in the campsite. The town, and campsite were full of whitewater kayakers. This was the weekend where they were letting water out from the dams on two different rivers, and so the kayakers had turned it into a festival. I once again made more pasta 'n sauce, while the sunset light the entire sky neon pink, and to celebrate being back in civilization, had some cider as well. Sadly, thekayakers were not exhausted from walking, and were not the quietest. The also had some of the most massive tents I've seen in my entire life. Like the harry potter flat tent that could likely sleep 12.

Grumpy after not getting to sleep until after 2, I tried to get up early my last day, knowing that I had 14 miles ahead of me. Fortunatly it wasn't raining, and I packed up my gear, headed back to the grocery store for things I had forgotten, and headed out of the town. It was good to get back to the middle of nowhere. Sadly though, having climbed down into the valley yesterday, almost to sea level, from the 500 meters, meant that I had to now climb back up the other side of the valley.

At first it was through the woods, and then on the flat. I thought it might have actually have been more difficult than that devil's staircase, but I made it. It flattened out, and sometime later I stopped to have my last lunch on the road. Completely sick of sardines, and having been able to visit the store, I had moved on to cheese and salsa sandwiches.

The way was mostly flat for the rest of the first half of the walk. I passed some ruined buildings, walked on the side of another valley, kept passing and being passed by this same couple, trying to keep my feet dry, and scaring sheep. The walk seemed to stretch out forever. But at least it wasn't raining. Then, I got into what I thought were supposed to be forestry plantations, but all of the trees had been newly cut down, and the place looked like a war zone, and more than a bit creepy. I passed the cairn marking a major turning point in thejacobite wars I think, and then came upon a sign telling me that I had only 6.5 miles remaining.

And it started to rain. This was definitely the lowest 6.5 miles of the journey for me. I was quickly wet. I was tired. I was hungry. My shoes were wet. I was walking through a landscape that seemed unfriendly. And I just wanted to be done. I walked through dense forest, across some very high stiles, though more vast tracts of chopped down trees,reminiscent of the larax, through more dense dark and creepy forest, and stopped to eat my last emergency snickers bar.

Then there was a detour with unclear signs. And I ended up on a gravel road
I wasn't sure was right. Then on a paved road, passing theben nevis visitor's center. It was pouring at this point. I didn't think the rain would stop, the road would stop. It was a horribly anti-climactic end to mytrans formative walk. I saw the bridge where I knew it ended, but it took me a moment to spot the sign. As it was raining I couldn't photograph the end, but I did kiss the sign, and almost cried for joy. And then I walked to the center.

Asking a couple for directions, I was guided to the bank street lodge. Outside was a sign that said no vacancies, and as I entered she was just telling someone on the phone that no, they were completely booked. But, miracle of miracles, they had one female spot left in a dorm. The only spot in the whole place. Once again, I was so happy I almost cried. I ran totesco to buy soap, and the woman at the desk lent me a towel for free. It was the most amazing shower, but everything I had was wet and stinky, and I ended up having to wear my shorts with waterproof trousers over them out to find food.

I had the steak pie I had been dreaming about all day, and some belhaven's best ale, almost fell asleep at the table as I waited for the check, and then collapsed into a real bed, with a real blanket, in the complete darkness, able to sleep flamingo style properly for the first time in 9 days.

I did it. On a whim, inspired by wikipedia, I walked over 95 miles in my amazing trainers with only one small blister. I ate 10 candy bars, spent 10 nights in my tent, 6 of them wild camping and 3 in campsites. I had four tins of sardines, and was wet, cold, hot, grumpy,frustrated, exhilarated, overwhelmed, inspired, proud, tiny, powerful, and very happy.