Ireland and UK Day 17: The Jacobite Train and Post-WHW Reflections

Friday, July 7, 2023  In reality, the clouds that I use to justify my decision not to hike Ben Nevis today are probably very temporary, and indeed later in the day they part and reveal a perfect morning, but the fact is that when I wake up, I simply to not feel like hiking. So …

Continue reading Ireland and UK Day 17: The Jacobite Train and Post-WHW Reflections

WHW Day 6: Kinlochleven to Fort William

Ireland/UK Day 16 July 6, 2023  16 miles hiked It’s the last day of the trail, and I’m not ready for it to be. I think that’s why it takes me so long to get ready this morning, or perhaps that’s just because of how I am as a person. In any case, I enjoy …

Continue reading WHW Day 6: Kinlochleven to Fort William

WHW Day 5: Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven

Ireland/UK Day 15 July 5, 2023  21 miles hiked  Getting ready to leave the bunkhouse is a little bit of a struggle. I knock my water bottle off the bed, wrestle with the duvet cover and fitted sheet, try and fail to remember where and how I pack things,  and eventually get myself passably together …

Continue reading WHW Day 5: Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven

WHW Day 4: Crianlarich to Bridge of Orchy

Ireland/UK Day 14 July 4, 2023 13 miles hiked The best bit about staying in a bed and breakfast is the breakfast. Ours is large, filling, and very Scottish; I think I consume an entire day’s worth of sodium in the bacon alone. There’s also homemade marmalade and preserves, which the owners make themselves. As …

Continue reading WHW Day 4: Crianlarich to Bridge of Orchy

WHW Day 2: Balmaha to Inversnaid

Ireland/UK Day 12 July 2, 2023 15.4 miles hiked Despite feeling like absolute death last night, I feel pretty good this morning—after stretching anyway. I guess this achilles thing is just going to be for life. I need to make sure I do better with doing all of my stretches every single day, before and …

Continue reading WHW Day 2: Balmaha to Inversnaid

West Highland Way Day 1: Milngavie to Balmaha

Ireland/UK Day 11 July 1, 2023 19.3 miles hiked I’m out of practice with getting ready for a long hiking day. I fumble around with the coffee maker, pack some things, forget some other things I was going to pack, have to repack, mess up the Nespresso somehow, the simplest coffee maker ever, have to …

Continue reading West Highland Way Day 1: Milngavie to Balmaha