Photograph Gallery Stage 20 Lochan Lunn Da Bhra to Kinlochleven
Photograph Gallery Stage 20 Lochan Lunn Da Bhra to Kinlochleven, Sunday 12th June 2011
The Story:
Relief. After two days rest including one laid up in my guesthouse room and yesterday walking gingerly for just five miles I finally hit the trail again and managed to cover eight miles of the glorious West Highland Way to reach the remote village of Kinlochleven, once a prestigious centre of the aluminium industry and now following the demise of the industry home of a hydro electric power station but mainly a satellite stopover on the WHW trail which serves the community as its main source of income.
I resumed my walk to the southwest coast of England from Lochan Lunn Da Bhra with more than a little trepidation. Yesterdays five miles was ok but by the end of it my heel was sore again. How would I feel today? I prepared by putting on my boots carefully and stepping out of the car onto the track. Gee, I stepped onto the ground and was relieved to feel no pain. I put on my rucksack, took my new poles between my hands and with Lil encouraging me I set off walking. It was amazingly good to take the first careful steps and feel fine, pain free. I was off and heading on the West Highland Way on the old military road south toward Man na Gualainn mountain, not to climb it but to provide access to the pass of the wonderful ridged mountain of Stob Ban to the north and Beinn na Caillich to the south. On my course I met lots of people doing the West Highland Way from south to north which was obviously the traditional way. I was alone, against the grain going south and as such I passed pleasantries with lots of people. Four ladies, resting for lunch were particularly encouraging and beckoned me to sit with them for a while. I even took advantage of the offer of a most welcome Banana! Thank you ladies for your time, friendliness and hospitality. With them I even had the welcome attention of a young Chaffinch which almost ate out of my hand. I have great pictures of the friendly bird, a sublime moment.
After my pleasant rendezvous with the ladies I marched off in great spirits, walking with freedom again for the first time in almost a week. The walk through the pass was brilliant. It provided wide open views of the mountain terrain as I passed Larrigmor and then an old sheepfold at Tigh-na-sleubhaich. I took a short break soon after at the height of the pass and then the huge expanse of the valley to Kinlochleven opened out in front of me. I walked down the track in the highest spirit possible and soon I was rewarded with magnificent views of the mountains to the west guarding the Kinlochleven valley. It was an awesome sight I took in with euphoria and before I knew it I caught sight of Kinlochleven itself. Immediately afterwards I began a fairly steep descent into the village which I made sensibly with my poles helping in taking the forward weight. Soon I was down, just over eight miles done. My legs were feeling a little tired but nothing compared to the previous few days. Sensibly I called it a day. Tomorrow I have a climb out of the Kinlochleven valley to the pass of Glencoe. I do not worry.
The Photographs:
Woodland track near Lochan Lunn Da-Bhra
Father? (who observed me from a nearby tree)….
….. and son? (who took a liking to my sandwich)
The lovely group of ladies who encouraged me on my way
On the old military road
The pass of Allt na Lairge Moire
Stob Ban at 999m high (should someone should build a one metre high cairn on the summit?)
Ruin near old sheepfold at Tigh-na-sleubhaich
Beinn na Caillich
The pointed peak is Sgorr na Ciche or Pap of Glencoe, whichever you choose
Kinlochmore and Kinlochleven as seen from Mam Beag
Woodland on my descent from Mam Mor into Kinlochmore
River Leven
Walking from Kinlochmore into Kinlochleven