TraceysTrek

Best bits: Fiona and Eric’s support

Worst bits: horrific section across logged forest area and fording deep fast running streams

Distance: 16.8 miles

Days to the finish: 30

It was a dismal start to the day it had been raining very heavily all night and this morning. Fortunately, it calmed down a little when I set off but it was still drizzling.

I walked across the Connel bridge using the relatively recent addition of a walkway along the side it. Unfortunately, the views weren’t great and I guessed that I wouldn’t be taking many photographs today.

I soon diverted off the main road onto a track that said ‘not suitable for motor vehicles’ however, it was tarmac all the way which was great.

Although it hadn’t been raining intensely, I was still soaking wet by the time I arrived at the rendezvous point with Fiona and Eric. It was an early stop just over 3 miles but I was already ready for a cup of tea.

The bracken is turning fantastic shades of orange and brown and other warm golden colours. I really love this time of year for the colour palette.

I met up with Eric and Fiona again at Kilmore for lunch break in a car park. By now I was very wet and needed to sit on a towel. We looked at the map and agreed we would meet up at the finish in around two hours time. The first mile was on the busy road and then I would be walking cross country.

Little did I realise then that cross country was a serious understatement! All was going well for short while. There were even a couple of signposts saying public footpath to Scammadale which was where I was heading. Then I was out on the hills and soon into an area that had been logged and was completely overgrown with no visible path. This turned out to be a really dangerous area with slippery undergrowth, very high wet bracken that I kept getting my feet caught on and very steep terrain with a fast flowing river at the bottom of cliffs. Added to this was the detritus left over from logging. This included large tree stumps to clamber over or round, and branches some of which stuck up out of the ground and I was fearful of slipping and impaling myself on them.

Just as I thought it couldn’t get any worse the terrain went steeper uphill. I ascended over 2000 feet today. I decided to stick to a deer fence and at times was clinging on to this for dear life as I negotiated the terrain and jumped across small streams.

This sign said it all! But to get to this sign I had to lower myself very slowly down a very steep slippery section using the fence to slowly inch my way down and prevent me from falling.

It took me over 30 minutes to carefully pick my way through each kilometre of this terrain. Then I hit the boggy area which was treacherous as my feet sunk into it sucking me in as I was still trying to avoid twisting my ankles on discarded branches. Needless to say my feet were soaking even with boots and my waterproof trousers and socks.

After nearly two hours I managed to get onto a logging track but this had been torn up by heavy machinery and so was equally as difficult to walk on. I managed to send a message to Fiona to say that I was making really slow progress and my eta at the end point would be at least another 2 hours.

At last I came to a proper logging road. Yippee! I celebrated with a snicker. What a relief. Then I noticed a way marker pointing me back through the forest! I checked my map. My heart sank. That was indeed the way I had to go!

I’m sure that no one has walked this route for a very long time as there was no path and I had been navigating every few minutes to check I was on course. This section was mainly downhill. The rain was still coming down and the sound of the rivers gushing down the hills creating waterfalls was at times thunderous.

Then I had to make a rapid descent at the end of which there was a river to cross. It was fast flowing and full. I literally forced myself through the undergrowth and small trees to look for the safest spot to cross.

After an age of indecision I had to bite the bullet and cross. Very tentatively I entered the water facing upstream so that the water didn’t take my legs from under me. The current was very strong and I had to fight to stay upright. Very carefully I sidestepped further and deeper into the water. It was soon above my knees making it difficult to move my legs and keep my balance. At last I was across. I clambered up the steep muddy slope using my hands and feet occasionally sliding backwards towards the water. At the top I took a quick breather to recover but then I saw I had another stream to cross. Fortunately this time it was only ankle deep.

The wind picked up blowing the rain directly into my face as I was now out of the forest and on exposed boggy moorland. Eventually there was a farm track which lead down onto a road by the loch. I celebrated the fact that I was on easier terrain. I had no signal so couldn’t get a message to Fiona.

As I rounded a bend as if to add insult to injury there were about twenty cows with calves on the road in front of me. I puffed myself up spreading my arms wide and fortunately they decided to move forward in front of me. We played a bit of them moving forward a short distance and me catching them up and so on. All worked well until a young bull decided to cross the road so I had him at one side and the herd at the other. Fortunately he moved well away and I carried on.

I didn’t think I would meet anyone today but Craig was out fishing for salmon in the loch in the pouring rain. We saw some jumping and so he was hopeful of a catch.

Then I recognised Fiona’s car coming towards me. They were relieved to see me as they had been really worried because of the weather and time I was out in it and had been considering calling out rescue services! I declined their offer of a lift to the finish which was a further two miles. I must be a glutton for punishment but I did meet a couple from Ormskirk and chatted to them.

Fortunately it wasn’t a long trip back to Fiona’s sister’s house. After peeling off my soaking wet clothes and a long soak in the bath and some food I felt more human again. My gadgets gave a very good summary of the day!