Thursday 04/11/04

Blast from the past last night as I found a hosteller I met in Kirkwall returning to haunt me here in Glen Nevis. Left at 9.30 in decidedly iffy weather to go to town to catch the 10.45 bus to Kinlochleven. The shopping came first, then followed the 50 minute drive to Kinlochleven through some atrocious weather. Bus 44 goes through South Ballachulish and Glencoe Village, before heading east along the southern shore of Loch Leven. Roadworkers had invented a system to protect themselves from racing traffic: only allowing it through behind a works-van, in convoy. Arrived in Kinlochleven at 11.40, only to leave the town straightaway on the West Highlands Way, WHW. The second stream posed a problem for me and another walker, as it was too deep and wide to cross. So we teamed up and walked along the road to the access road for the Mamores Hotel. When we reached the junction with the WHW, she gave up due to lack of puff, and I carried on up the hill. It was quite some climb, leveling out at 900 ft (270m) altitude. From there on, the path was more or less level. There were nice views back to Kinlochleven, between the showers. One of those, which nearly washed my lunch away at 1pm, contained sleet. Slivers of ice sat on my waterproofs. I marched off at a pace down the track towards the Lairig, passing two ruinous buildings. At 3pm, after an innumerable sequence of streams and fords, I returned to Lundavra. A brief respite and a brilliant rainbow, and I was off again. I'm in such a crashing hurry due to restricted daylight hours. At 5pm it'll be dark. Went through the forestry plantations, and as I came out above Glen Nevis, the light started to fail. Cars headlights could be seen heading down the Glen and lights came on in houses. As I returned to Glen Nevis YH, it turned dark.