Sunday 07/11/04

Walked up to an Iron Age fort off the West Highland Way. It is located on top of a hill 350m high, and a commanding position. Then worked my way down through the forest below, which was well-nigh impossible. Walked along the forestry road to the Lower Falls, which were in spectacular spate. A walk along the south bank of the River Nevis was once again a soppy affair. By 4pm, I had reached the end of the Glen Nevis road. Bats and long-tailed tits were flying about in the gathering dusk. I left at 4.20 for the hostel. Thanks to some kind-hearted folk I reached it at 5.20, whereas without the lift it would have been nearer 6pm. The weather: low cloud over the hills, temperature 13-14C and little wind. There was some drizzle.

Saturday 06/11/04

This morning dawned a little grey, with clouds down very low. I decided to go to Fort William for a bit of shopping, but not to take the usual route down Glen Nevis. Instead, I took a route I discovered yesterday, being the West Highland Way northbound, and at the junction of paths 1 miles west of the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre turn up the hill towards Cow Hill. This path is very steep, and it is half an hour of stiff climbing. Almost as steep as the path to Ben Nevis, but not as long. On reaching the top, the transmitter masts on the top of Cow Hill (287m) were shrouded in clouds. Therefore I didn't feel there was any point going there - you wouldn't be able to see a thing. Instead, I continued to follow the path, until within sight of the Lundavra Road. Had a cup of tea there and looked out just underneath the cloud cover. At 10.35 carried on towards Upper Achintore, the little estate just before town. Reached Fort William some 20 minutes later and bought a belt, a compass and a little thermometer. It was 12C outside, and remained that temperature all day. The train to Glen Finnan left at 12.05 and reached there at 12.30. At Glenfinnan Station, about half a mile west of the famous viaduct, there are two old railway carriages. One doubles as a restaurant, the other as a hostel. Quite cramped, according to stories I heard later. Hobbled down the road and came across a war-memorial, which had the inscription on the reverse side, not underneath the figure of the soldier. Then walked down towards, well, a settlement actually called Slatach. It has a dinky little post office and a pier for cruises on Loch Shiel. And the Glen Aladale Hotel. And a Visitor Centre that's closed till Easter 2005. Not to forget the monument for the Highlander, with a pompous inscription about Bonnie Prince Charlie, where I went "tut, tut". BPC was an overrated fool, absolutely not universally supported across the Highlands. At 2pm, having seen all there was to see in the area, I set off north up Glen Finnan. The weather was dreich, a steady drizzle falling as I went north. The clouds, as stated before, were well down, so any views were completely obscured. Reached Glen Finnan Lodge about 40 minutes after setting off, and the little bothy. One with electricity would you believe. Popped inside for a minute and boiled some water for a cuppa. A bothy is spartan. There is no running water, no toilet (yep, do it in the rushes and bury any waste), no fire (do it yourself) and no beds. Just a space a little up from the floor. There is this hole under the door of this one, to give access for bloody rats. Two guys came in a minute after me to spend a few days bonding. Good God. One chopped up some firewood and started quite an acceptable fire. I left at 3.15, in order not to miss my train. Oh well, it wasn't due to leave till 5, but it's dark at five. Sat about in the hills just before the viaduct, then proceeded to the station. Spoke to a man, a ghillie, who was waiting for his sons. One to come off the Mallaig train, the other to come off the Fort William train. Both trains cross over at Glenfinnan. The hostel carriage was full tonight. Returned to Fort William in good time at 5.30, and did the shopping in Safeways, just next to the station actually. The walk to the hostel took place in darkness, but got back there unscathed at 6.50. I keep cursing the drivers who put their foglights on, which will illuminate the road, but they badly dazzle me. One very kindly put his down for a second.

Friday 05/11/04

Left the hostel this morning with the intention of going down the glen and perhaps going up a hill. Walked up the first few hundred yards of the West Highland Way, then branched off down a forestry trail. This brought me down to the Lower Falls, 4 miles. Prefer the forest, as it means not having to duck into the verge for cars or having to avoid rampaging sheep. Then, I went up the hill towards Stob Ban, 999m. It would have been an excellent day, if the weather had been amenable. But it wasn't. Drizzle, rain and low cloud spoiled it unfortunately. I made a slow ascent up the valley, until I hit a very precarious river crossing - fluted rocks, covered with moss. Oh my. Didn't fancy slipping on that and ending up 100 feet down, no thanks. So I turned back, also because of the weather. Having made a lazy afternoon, I finally set off for Fort William, again along the forestry track, at 2.45. Got into town at about 4.25, as it was getting dark. The return trip, between 4.50 and 5.40 took place in darkness, and I did NOT carry a torch, so I was practically blind. Very scary. The fireworks were starting off just as I went back.

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.

Wednesday 03/11/04

Today I was asked to move my stuff to a different room within the hostel, after which I set forth on today's outing. The weather was poor, drizzle at 8.45, which increased in intensity all the while. In other words, it was sogging wet. I headed south into Glen Nevis. There was this gaggle of sheep stampeding down the road again. I decided to take an alternative route after the Lower Falls. There is this path on the southern bank of Water of Nevis. It is being improved, and looks very nice to start with. After a few hundred yards though, it reverts to a boggy affair, and after the wooden bridge half way to the car park, it turns into a hit and miss affair. At one point, I sank into a bog and the mud got right into my boot. I had hoped to cut through to the Steall Falls, but the going got outright impossible. Bogs, trees, steep hills. And after the fencing started to march straight up the hill, everything got rather vertical. I decided to be more cautious and turned back. Played about with a rivulet of rainwater, then crossed the river and went on to the carpark. After that, I proceeded along the path and came out by the cable-bridge. This was being used by a group; you won't get me on that for any money. The river is very deep underneath and fast flowing. Had my lunch there, then decided to turn back. I still have to do my shopping. On the way to the carpark met somebody who was definitely taking the wrong turn. Climbed from the carpark a little way up the path along the waterfall. There is a chipped police notice with dire warnings about it. All justified incidentally. The path is a pig, and you cannot afford to go wrong there. Noticed a crag-bound sheep very high up a hill. At 2.45, I went on my way. Met some girls in a car who were looking for Ben Nevis. Not visible from the road, sent them on to Corpach for a view, if there is any. The Lower Falls were spectacularly in spate. Headed up the road, past the hostel at 4.10 and into Fort William, which I reached at dusk at 4.55. Did the shopping in Safeways, then went back along a very dark Glen Nevis road, to return to the hostel at 6pm. The spagetti bolognese was a burned disaster.

Oh, my illegal action yesterday. Grin. I walked along the railway track for a mile or so. The path running parallel was practically unusable. If caught, I would have incurred a £200 fine. Lots of people walk along the track between Corrour and Tulloch, which you can do with relative impunity. Provided you observe the traintime, beware of any goodstrains and get the hell off the tracks if you hear a train coming. There was a trackworkers hut, which had been wrecked in a gale.

On a naturalistic note, the autumn colours are spectacular, even if the leaves have started to fall now. The lorks are shedding their needles, and the birches their leaves. The air was full of them, as were the rivers. There are spectacular lichens on the trees, demonstrative of very clean air. Similar growths were conspicuous on Rum last week. Bracken is red/brown and dead. Blackberries, which were very good in October are now nearly gone. In this area, there are hardly any broadleaf trees, it's nearly all sitka spruce, lork, birch and alder. Saw quite a few buzzards, there are also kestrels about. Rabbits do not live in Glen Nevis, but have seen them ad nauseam in the islands.

Tuesday 02/11/04

Not quite sure what to do first thing this morning, as I need to go shopping first of all. It was foggy, but that just turned out to be a lazy cloud, sitting on the ground. Headed into town by about 9, and did the shopping in Tesco's. After a bout on the Internet in the library headed off along the Great Glen Way towards Banavie and Corpach. Not a very inspiring start, along a dirty stretch of water, derelict land and dreary housing estates. Then you've got to cross several large rivers, the Lochy and the Nevis. Finally, you come to beat the streets of Caol. I did not misspell that, it is Caol. Caol means narrows. Ended up on Banavie station at 11.23, with a southbound train due in at 11.43. A free ride into Fort William, then £8.90 return to Corrour. On arrival there, at 12.50, I first of all head off down the road towards Loch Ossian, and am pleasantly surprised at the alterations at the Youth Hostel. On my last visit, you had to go to the toilet into a bucket, and a standing invitation to pee on the grass for the gents. Nowadays, there is a compost toilet, which does require the doors of the privy, next to the warden's cottage, to be open at all times bar when occupied. It's all double glazed now. The hostel itself is shut, but it appears to have been done up magnificently. The old Aga has been thrown out and superseded by a gasfired appliance. Loch Ossian YH closed just two days ago, so I've missed a chance. Briefly spoke to the warden on the way in, he lives there all the time. On return to the station, it was only 2pm, so I decided on a walk. Or so I thought. It was so impossibly boggy, that it took me 10 minutes to cover 100 yards. Noticed a guy walking the railway tracks, who had walked in from Glen Nevis YH. He had started at 6.10am, aiming to do a Munro on the way. Decided to carry on instead. As I've been up Glen Nevis yesterday, I recognized all the peaks from the distance. Incredible. I did something quite illegal, but on return to the station I chatted to the intrepid walker for a bit whilst waiting for the 3.37 to Fort William. There was a glorious sunset. Return to the Fort at 4.22.

Monday 01/11/04

Try this for the third time, AOL keep losing me 15 minutes worth of typing. Grrrr.

So, left the hostel at 8.25 to go as far down Glen Nevis as time allows. Weather fine, but low cloud over the hills. Reached carpark at 9.40, only a campervan there. Plenty of notices to say that this is a fatally dangerous area. Only if you don't exercise common sense. You've got to be careful on the section down the gorge, rocks and wet. But after that, just enjoy the scenery. There is this secluded house only approachable by cable-bridge. Quite near the Steall Falls. Ben Nevis and Aonach Beag slowly materialise. Binnein Beag (conical) and Mor turn up later on. Came across a gaggle of young Dutchmen at the Steall ruins about to climb Aonach Mor. Which, funnily enough, is 40ft lower than Beag. Stopped for lunch, and turning point, between Aonach Beag and Binnein Mor. Sat there roasting in the sunshine between 12 and 1.30, and found the return journey easier as I found drier paths. At the house, found two elderly folks wading across Water of Nevis. Reached the carpark at 3.15, and had a cup of tea. Finally returned to the hostel at 4.40. On the way back, I had to slow a car down, to prevent it careering into a herd of sheep which was stampeding across the road. Supper tonight? Baked beans, had courgettes with tomatoes and rice last night.