Day 8) Kinlochleven to Glen Nevis, West Highland Way
Wednesday 7th September – Kinlochleven to Glen Nevis campsite (13.5 miles/21 kilometres)
The outflow from the hydroelectric facility and aluminium smelting works. We stare in fascination at the high speed water ("Just imagine trying to swim against that!"). Cute perhaps, but stupid.
The climb out of Kinlochleven is a steep one.
We can see all the way back to the hydroelectic pipes running down the side of the valley we came in on.
The Way becomes a pass through the mountains to Fort William.
We're singing at this point (different songs) for morale, and it's actually pretty chilly as the track continues at some height.
We got off to an ultra-late start today – 11:40am and almost all other campers had gone by the time we were ready – not the best example to set for a pair of adventurous backpackers, but still, we’re in no particular rush, and we took the time to write home some postcards. Our tent is starting to look positively spacious since glimpsing a Nallo 2 and a few other technical tents, but honestly, what’s the point in an ultra-lightweight tent, if you stuff it into a baggage carrying van every day along with the kitchen sink, your fancy deodorant and all that faff? We fail to see the adventure spirit in that! It’s to be another valley-hop today, as we set off up the steep slopes on the other side of Kinlochleven to Lairigmor, ‘the great pass’, which rises to a height of 330 metres and will later deposit us in Glen Nevis. Views of the town and the great pipes of the hydroelectric scheme fall behind us, and Jo really begins to feel her backpack again on the incline. The weather is not to be so kind to us today, with grim overcast skies, which later open to some light rain. The undulating military road first proceeds along the valley side, later joining the floor, sadly obscuring the more dramatic of the surrounding mountains. We manage to keep an excellent pace so as to remain warm and avoid being midge-bitten, only slowing on the approach to Glen Nevis, where Jo’s feet require frequent massaging to keep them going!
Nearly there now! A narrow path winds through the woods to the side of Glen Nevis.
Over a style and we're suddenly out of the woods: Ben Nevis and Meall an t-Suidhe (pronounced 'Meall-an-Tee') appear! It's drizzly and the cloud base is at about 1200 feet.
First views down into Glen Nevis. Jo's feet are really starting to hurt and we make frequent foot massage stops down the long forestry track to the valley floor and Glen Nevis campsite.
Glen Nevis campsite, with views of thick white cloud where Ben Nevis should be!
The path winds though an appealing forest of tall conifers, with a final steep uphill to the familiar thistle sign of the West Highland Way and our first views of Ben Nevis! We persist over a style and onto long switchback path down to the floor of Glen Nevis, finally arriving outside the huge Glen Nevis Caravan & Camping Park at about 6pm. The campsite is huge and we trekked all around it diligently observing “no entry to non-residents” notices, before realising that you can also enter if you plan on becoming a resident! The site is split into numerous sub-areas of tents and caravans, and if space is available, you can choose which tent area you want; we chose “Benview”, to get the excellent views of the Ben, shrowded though it was in thick cloud and mist. Wet, despite our waterproofs, we tumble dry the clothes we will sleep in, in the site’s industrial-size driers while making chat in broken German with an enthusiastic cyclist. We eat a late dinner of smash and sausage before plying Jo with a mega foot massage and falling asleep to the continual patter of rain on the roof.
ShareThis
