Day 20: Zero in Fort William
We had our first ‘zero’ today in Fort William and had a few tasks to complete in town. We were staying at a campsite out of town so we walked about 3km, taking the scenic route rather than the road, and arrived just as the post office opened. I collected our packages whilst Katie grabbed us a coffee and we found a spot to sit in front of the cinema to sort a few thingsout. First, new shoes for both of us. I was pretty sure mine would fit as I have had the shoes before (New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro Trail) and they popped on like slippers, no worries! Katie had also ordered the same and seemed happy but kept her old ones on for now as we had to visit a few shops and she wanted the opportunity to look at other options. We also had a package from Katie’s parents with some new bag liners, maps for the next part of the trip, and a new water container to replace one of mine which was leaking. Lastly, an Amazon order containing a small cork massage ball to help deal with foot issues. Bam! Post office sorted, we started hitting up the outdoor stores for various things including a puncture repair kit for Katie’s sleeping pad, a couple of tent pegs (we left one somewhere so are one short, plus one spare), gas cylinder, a new Buff for me, and a few other bits and bobs. The only thing we didn’t find were some more injinji toe socks. I’ll have to order online to get delivered further up trail.
In between some of the outdoor stores we ransacked Boots for some supplies and last of all Morrisons for food. Our first resupply shop. We only needed 2-3 days worth of food. Not sure what happened but an hour and a half later it seemed like we had come out with a ton! To be fair, I don’t think we really went too overboard in the end, certainly more than we needed, but not a silly amount. And although we have to carry it, shopping some bulk things in Morrisons here will be cheaper than on trail.
Shopping done, we had pizza and beers, at the Black Isle Brewery bar here in Fort William. We stayed in the Black Isle Brewery bar/hotel in Inverness the night before we started at JOG so seemed fitting, and their pizzas, ciders, and beers are spot on! We both got the chorizo pizza and packed a couple of slices away for tomorrow’s lunch. The final task was to post a few things back home including the shoes I’ve been using this far (they have plenty of mileage left in them) and, of course, my antler!
With all of our tasks complete, we grabbed an ice cream and headed back to camp. By the time we had both sorted out our food and things for the next stint of the trip, it was about time to get dinner going. The same as last night, it was real nice. I took care of my feet and we got our heads down excited to start the next chapter on the West Highland Way tomorrow! Today was another beauty so really hoping that the forecast rain isn’t too much over the next few days and we still get some sunshine! ☺️☀️?
Some gear updates
Shoes (Tom) – Adidas Terrex Free Hiker GTX –> New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro Trail
I opted for a waterproof shoe to begin with, and after extensive testing of a few options, went this the Free Hiker. The Hoka Speedgoat GTX failed the waterproof test, the La Sportiva option failed the comfort test, and another, more walking boot style Adidas option had a sole that slipped around in the shoe way too much!
So the Free Hiker, in summary;
Positives
- Really appreciated having the waterproof shoes.
- Waterproofing really did work.
- Soles held up well – around 420km on varied surfaces – tarmac, gravel, soft ground, bog etc.
Negatives
- Laces need changing. They are quite fat, round, and hard. There is little cushioning in the tongue/around where laces are positioned. This resulted in bruised ankle bone area on left foot and aggravated/bruised bone (Accessory Navicular) in right foot. Lace change could help.
- Laces became undone easily.
- Probably half a size too big, thought I would be wearing for more time.
Why change now?
Aside from issues with laces causing significant discomfort, in heat (it’s summer, should be getting warmer as we head south!) they will be too warm and just end up wetter in than out! Also expecting ground conditions to be drier in general so less need for waterproof.
Shoes (Katie) – Inov-8 something or other –> New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro Trail
Katie’s shoes had done a few miles before we started and were falling apart a bit so she opted for the same New Balance as I did. She also had some heel pain so hoping that subsides with a change of shoes and more cushioning/padding.
Socks
I tried a combo of an injinji toe sock inner with a stance outer. Didn’t really work for me and unlikely to need that thickness going forward. Will replace stance socks with a second injinji hiking sock (to rotate wear, wash/dry, each day), and keep inner for evenings/night (as had forgotten socks for evenings and the toe socks go well with my sandals. ☺️. Have ordered a pair to a campsite we are staying at this Friday.
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