Day 5: Tyndrum to Inveronan
Distance: 16km
Day 5 started with being stranded! And, for a girl who likes to get up and tackle the day, this was a new challenge for me. I do enjoy relaxing and spending time just taking in the moment. I like to stop and listen to the birds, smell the fresh air, and look at everything around me. I relish in the noticing of the distinct colour of green the trees are holding, the glistening drops of dew on the leaves or blades of grass, and trying to spot the birds make their morning songs around me. Sights and sounds can be so intoxicating. Completely overtaking my senses and catapulting me into a realm of consciousness that I believe is lost in today’s hustle, bustle and addiction to instant gratification. My mind gets hijacked by tasks at hand and becomes too focused on reaching the goal. Crossing that finish line. Checking off the box. And, although I do try to remember that generally the race is the reward for doing the work, I have this underlying need to complete what I say I am going to do. Unsure as to where the feeling of not completing it being a problem came from. Maybe coming from a background of so many things that ended up being unfinished, I have this unconscious core need to have a sense of completion on what I set out to do. So, when I am stranded simply because the local grocery store that I need to resupply at does not open until 10:00am, you can bet my inner being is fighting against the fact that I “should be” already on the road. Forced to stick around though cause me to take in the morning and enjoy.
Ten a. m. rolled around and I finally was able to get into the store. In my haste to get going, I was later notified I missed a whole other part of the store that would have been much more helpful. I was beginning to have some feet issues. Some small blisters on my baby toes and the pads of my feet were quite tender and felt like one large hot spot. I knew I was going to have to deal with that and was hoping the shorter day was going to allow for them to not inflame too badly. As I continued to climb out of Tyndrum, I was met along the tract by a mommy sheep and its kid. They just sauntered past me, as if they were fellow pedestrians hiking along, just like me. It did not take me long before I curled up for lunch. I had only been on trail for about an hour when I broke out my cooking gear and cooked up some Raman Noodles. The sheep in the field kept me company along with a short video chat with the family back home.
Passing the half way point of the WHW meant the terrain, views and difficulty was going to start changing. The mountain ranges were introducing themselves to me – Beinn Odhar, Beinn Dohrain, These two bad boys towered over me thundering the power of Mother Nature into my soul. Not literally, as the sun was shining and fluffy white clouds were scattered throughout the sky. I had yet to encounter a single drop of rain. The energy from the earth was palpable. I was no longer just walking a trail. I was part of the trail. I felt accepted. Completely and wholly, exactly as I am. No judgement. No shame. No loneliness. Just, absolute belonging. And, I knew in these moments that everything leading up to this journey was fully and completely meant to be.
The tract between Tyndrum and the Bridge of Orchy was a simplistic tract, wide enough for two or three people. The elevation was fairly flat and not that difficult. Parallel to the main highway but not unpleasant, given the vast beauty around me. The Bridge of Orchy evoked a sense of anticipation within me. To be honest, I have no idea why! I can only hypothesize that because it is one of the highlights of many experiences of other vloggers during their recollections of hiking the trail themselves, that it had somehow built up this exquisite moment in time, once approached. However, when I came into “town” all I found was the hotel and a bridge. The hotel is prestigious and according to my hiker friend “expensive, uptight and not-hiker friendly”. But, I suppose since he lives there, he may have different opinions than that of us outsiders. The building itself is large, white and beautiful. Its stucco exterior and preserved interior did give me a sense of going back in time while still maintaining a modern feel. Really, it is nothing more than what you would expect from a hotel in a small rural town with lots of history. And, let’s face it, all of Britain has extensive history. I sat outside on the patio to rest my feet and took in the conversation around me. Several hikers that I have met along the way were gathered there. However, I did not last that long, as I did not want a pint and the bar did not really offer much in the way of a vegan hiker. So, I politely moved on and told them I would see them when they arrived at camp.
The Bridge of Orchy also has a designated wild camp spot, which many people highlight. As I walked past, to me it did not seem to be that attractive. It appeared to be angled toward the river and very hard ground. For anyone who had to peg their tent in, it probably would have proved to be quite difficult. But it would be a great place to pitch a tent if needed. At this moment in time, I did not need that, and so I was on my way towards Inveronan, a more remote designated wild camp spot. Once again, I was climbing! I was also facing more cut down forest and watching a team spray for what I could only assume to be prevention measures for invasive species. There was one other woman on the trail ahead of me and when she stopped to break she tried to have conversation with me. I am okay with some conversation but in that moment I was not interested and so chose to be a one word answer conversationist which then quickly dismantled the conversation attempt.
I could see the summit of this hill I was climbing and as I looked down at my watch and noticed I was approaching to 100km mark. 100km? How cool!! I have never done 100km in one go like this before on foot. I have done it when doing my Half-Ironman distance 70.3 triathlons, but 90km of that was on a bike. The cairn summit was off trail but not by much so I chose to make my way to it. Huffing and puffing, I reached it and touched it. Km marker 99.5! So close. I took in the 360 degree view around me. I was surrounded by tall mountains and was able to take in the journey from which I just came. I could see the entire tract almost all the way back to Tyndrum, where I started the days’ journey.
As I began my descent, I came across another adorable camp spot with a random small tree. A beautifully flat location overlooking Loch Tulle but you can bet, being on the side of a mountain, if the wind picked up at all, it would be one hell of a night. So I pushed on, knowing my campsite was at the base of the climb just past the Inveronan Hotel. This location has a small shop with some basic re-supply items. Snack type foods and drinks. They also had a nice to space to sit, if the weather was not that great, and appeared to sell hiking boots and some other weather/hiking gear as well. Of course, being attached to a hotel, they also had some basic souvenir items as well. Although I wanted some things, I chose not to. Didn’t want to carry them for the remainder of the trip.
As we approached camp, the wind had really picked up. The wild camp spot is on both sides of the road and is in the middle of an open field. The river was barely moving as the water levels were so low. And the adorable bridge, wide enough for one vehicle, added a beautiful character to the setting that can only be described as the home to the local resident troll. Of course, when I say troll, I mean the deer that was so comfortably resting by the hearth. Chewing the grass and taking in the hikers as we set ourselves up to take over the territory. With high winds, it was difficult to set up. The ground was once again very hard and it was difficult to set up my tent. I wasn’t the only one struggling to get things in but I managed. From there, I had to make adjustments throughout the evening. I used rocks to better solidify my pegs into the ground and as the evening wore on the wind started to die down. After curling up for the evening, I enjoyed a well earned dinner and then dawned my headphones to watch a movie and relax. Another amazing day came to an end and I couldn’t wait to get up and do it all again the following morning.
The routine was really in play now and I felt more at home than ever. Despite this being my first true wild camp of the trip, I still had the privilege of washrooms nearby at the hotel just up the street. To date, I had not yet had to use outdoor facilities for the more challenging side of being a hiker nor had I yet to filter any water. The latter being something I ddi not wan to do, given the number of news articles on hikers getting sick due to contaminated water. When my head hit the pillow that night I was beyond the moon. I was amongst the stars. A soul floating on high in the world where dreams really do come true.
DanCyn' Adventures 