Photograph Gallery Stage 23 Auchtertyre to Inversnaid
Photograph Gallery Stage 23 Auchtertyre to Inversnaid, Wednesday 15th June 2011
The Story:
It was a wet morning, not heavy rain but a persistent drizzle as I set off from Auchtertyre towards Crainlarich, a stage of the walk to forget as it was spent walking through a dreary conifer forest. If it were to rain then here it seemed appropriate. For 90 minutes I suffered the penalty of rain and manufactured forest. Then after passing the fork for Crainlarich, which I didn’t need to take, and exiting the forest the rain stopped. A double win. For the next hour I walked on an open track on a parallel course to the A82 road. At Carmyle Cottage I walked through a large round duct underneath the road and after a few more steps I ducked to walk through a five foot high tunnel under the Glasgow to Crainlarich railway line. It was awkward walking under the line in a stoop; I bet lots of the larger walkers scamper over the railway line. After passing under road and rail I was entering into Glen Falloch, a far prettier place then those walked so far today. With the river just below me, I took my lunch break.
After lunch the walking was far more pleasant than before through the pretty glen which was leading me straight toward Loch Lomond. I passed above the Falls of Falloch catching a good view of the impressive waterfall and noticed people by the falls. They were not West Highland Way walkers but car travellers who had walked a short distance from roadside car park to waterfall. I turned and walked on to continue my passage through the glen to Inveranan. Many walkers make Inveranan their terminus for the day and in my original plan I had too, but now behind schedule I continued on my way toward the lochside to Inversnaid. Two miles further on I reached the northern end of Loch Lomond. Glen Falloch, the pretty entry passage was sadly behind me and I walked on easy track from Inveranan to Ardleish and then to Doune anticipating equally easy walking ahead of me. However walkers coming in the other direction kept warning me of impending peril. The repeated concerns reminded me of Dads Army and Private Fraser’s “You’re doomed” alarm. Despite the warnings I didn’t expect too much difficulty. I only had three miles to go but as I found out they were three exhilarating miles of hard walking on fantastic edge of the seat terrain.
I state this now. The three miles from Doune to Inversnaid were three very hard miles of walking. At some points one slip would cause a tumble from the path down the edge toward the loch. Most times birch trees would arrest the fall but some times a slip would end in the water. At no time on the three mile stretch could I make ground quickly as I was either climbing up rocks or tree roots or clambering down, sometimes backwards. The path was very narrow throughout so when I met walkers going the other way one of us would have to stop, step aside as best we could and let the other pass. My poles were invaluable in finding a firm footing most of the time but sometimes I had to discard them to climb up and down steeper parts which had to be done backwards like using a ladder. Believe me it was hard, there were no breaks. There was no relief, it was a constant challenge. Yet, as hard as it was I found it tremendously exciting, a technical challenge harder than Striding Edge or Jack’s Rake. Not with their height or exposure for sure but much more technical and much longer.
After over two hours of roller coaster, helter skelter, edge of the seat scrambling, clambering and climbing through narrow gaps of rocks and trees I reached Rob Roys Cave, another exhilarating mess of huge rocks and random paths up, down and through the carnage. And then there was light……
This walk continues to amaze me. I continue to be awed. After the chaos there was peace and my last quarter mile to Inversnaid was easy on a level wide track. I relaxed and let my body collapse into lethargy as I reached days end. Very tired after all the effort yet I would do Doune to Inversnaid again and again. It was fantastic fun. Not for a while though, I have miles to go.
The Photographs:
Into the woods
Railway viaduct near Crianlarich
Woodland trail
Rocky crag in Crianlarich Wood
Out of the woodland at last and the rain ceases too
Following the old military road at Caisteal
Road tunnel under the A82
There was just enough height to walk upright through the road tunnel…..
…..but I had to duck my head to walk under the railway
Glen Falloch
Woodland path in Glen Falloch
Falls of Falloch
Stunning Tree
Woodland near Inverarnan
First sight of Loch Lomond
Beautiful woodland path
Loch Lomond
The level woodland walking was lovely, pity it didn’t last
The easy woodland walking came to an abrupt end. These steps signalled a change
The walking got very difficult, rocks, trees and tree roots making life difficult. There was this…..
…..and more……
….and more…..
….and even more difficult rocky walking
Rock steps near Rob Roy’s Cave
At last, level walking again near the finish at Inversnaid