First steps

Sunday 6^th May

So if you’re an experienced Long distance walker or just a keen rambler/ hiker, you’ll be quite rightly saying to yourself “this guy hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing”. As I’ve said I’ve done very little walking as an adult and disdain exercise, so why do I think I’ll be able to do it?

I’m not totally stupid, I know I’ll have to do some training beforehand, not least with walking with a pack over a decent distance. I’m planning on starting to walk to work when summer finally comes this year. There’s no excuse, it’s only 2 mile and I do have a dog that comes to work with me. Of course I walk Monty but not over great distances which is what i need to work up to. As soon as I decide on which backpack to get then that will be coming with me as well.

So, the plan is to train this summer, then September time the West Highland Way beckons. If you want to walk then I can’t think of a better country to do it in. I’ve camped all over Scotland, the West Coast in particular. These past couple of years spent researching Lejog has coincided with an urge to walk the WHW. It’s a walk I can fit into a week which is the most I could take off work in one go at the moment The A82 to Glasgow to Fort William mirror’s the walk in a lot of places and has the best scenery I’ve seen in Britain. Passing Loch Tulla and ascending over Rannoch Moor with its myriad of small loch’s magical, then descending into Glen Coe, Buachaille etive mor awaits.1022m tall, a giant monolith, dark grey in colour, brooding in mood, it seems to belong more to a Lord Of The Rings saga than the real world.

It’s a tall order I know. 95 miles in a week.  I’ll be camping with maybe 1 night in a B&B or hotel midway through. I’ve purposely been telling everyone I know I’m doing it in September so I can’t back out now and don’t want to either, i can’t wait actually.