20/3/20 PCT Day 4 7.2 miles (+0.5 miles off trail) Tiny House @ Mount Laguna (0.5 miles off mile 41.5) to Penny Pines Trailhead (mile 48.7)
Didn’t sleep brilliantly and even in our Tiny House it was a chilly night! Spent a while in the early hours doing a bit of dozing but mainly thinking about the PCTA update and Big Bear statement I read last night before bed.
Thoughts floating around…The PCTA update asked hikers not to hike and postpone or cancel plans. The PCTA do a lot of great work for the trail and I wanted to respect their request, the same goes for the Big Bear statement. It feels disrespectful to turn up in towns which are asking people to stay away to curb the spread of the virus. At the same time, I was within a few feet of more people when I went to In-n-Out the day before we set foot on the trail than I have been during the 3 days on the trail. Am I really that big a risk to others as a thru hiker? I’m still not convinced on that, but what if I unwittingly did pick up the virus and Katie or myself became ill in the next few days? We had 4 days to Warner Springs and only 4 days of food. If we became ill, we couldn’t sit in the tent for two weeks, we didn’t have enough food. We were relatively near roads to get picked up but we would need to get to the road and who would pick us up? My Dad lives less than 2 hours away and is our very own trail angel, taking us to the start and was due to post some re-supply boxes to a few locations. We could call him, but he’s in his late 60s and has asthma and we then put him in danger. Anybody who comes to collect us, we put in danger. And we put ourselves in danger to. Despite being young and healthy, I have asthma and although it’s very mild, who knows what effect the virus may have on me. If we were ill and needed emergency assistance, we would then be taking up emergency resources that are needed elsewhere at the moment. So it felt to me at least that the morally responsible thing to do was to get off trail while we are at least knowingly virus free, get back to Dads and take stock. ?
When Katie woke we discussed things and agreed to phone Dad and ask him to come and get us. Katie did suggest that we at least walked some way today which was a great idea, so we asked Dad to meet up with us about 8 miles down trail.
It was a cold but sunny morning and the snow was dazzling so I at least got a chance to try out my sunglasses at last! Whilst we were both deeply disheartened to have to leave the trail, it felt good to be walking again and not in the rain! It was a beautiful morning to hike and we made the most of our last hike on the PCT for the time being. The low temperatures made the snow nice to walk in and the landscape was sparkling. In these conditions you suddenly became aware of all the animals around you, that are otherwise invisible, due to the many cat and rabbit shaped paw prints in the snow.
More Hiker Vogue
We only crossed paths with one other hiker from San Diego who had similar views about respecting the PCTA statement and was considering his options.
The views out across the Anza Borrego Desert NP were amazing and we could see Salton Sea in the distance as we wound our way along the mountain side. The first really impressive views that would could actually see and right at the abrupt interruption to our hike! As we descended, snow turned to slush and by the time we arrived at our meeting point with Dad, there was little snow on the ground.
When we arrived back in HB, we grabbed ice cream and sat in the sun at Dad’s reflecting and contemplating. Tomorrow we will update the blog and share a few pictures. Over the next few days we will think about our options and decide where we go from here.
We are incredibly unlucky that this virus has hit at this time just as we quit jobs, move out our flat, and plan a year away to hike the PCT and then travel around South America. At the same time we are incredibly lucky. We are both healthy and are able to stay with my Dad which will help limit how much we spend day to day whilst we assess our options. The virus has affected our travel plans this year but not our life and many others will be affected in worse ways; some dying, many losing jobs, businesses will go bankrupt. The PCT is not going anywhere, our adventure on it is postponed, not cancelled.
17/3/20 PCT Day 1 15.4 miles Campo (mile 0) to Hauser Creek Tentsite (mile 15.4)
Finally, the day we had been dreaming about, then planning, had finally arrived. Today we started the PCT! Dad drove us from Huntington Beach to Campo on freeways that, due to the corona virus situation, were very quiet for a Tuesday morning rush hour. I was a mixture of nerves and excitement and Dad have to pull over for two wee stops on the way even though I had only had a coffee to drink this morning (along with lemon meringue pie and ice cream – the only sensible way to set yourself up for a thru hike!) ?
We parked up near the infamous southern terminus posts and after some final preparations checked in with the PCTA at the terminus, had the obligatory pictures taken and set off at 1015.
Dad joined us for the first 2 miles before turning back and we were off on our adventure. The weather was cool and cloudy for most of the morning, in contrast to the weather we had all imagined on this day, even Dad had remarked as we arrived at the terminus that when he had imagined dropping us off there, in the desert, he had pictured a hot sunny Californian day.
The weather improved a bit throughout the day and we enjoyed the walk, thinking about how far we would go today, would we make it to Canada, what would tomorrow bring, do I have enough food, do I have enough water…… I think it finally hit me about mid afternoon that we were really doing this. We have saved, quit jobs, given up a flat in London and it’s all been a bit non-stop recently with planning and preparation but now, with time to think, the realisation set in and I felt all warm and fuzzy!
We had been planned to go about 16 miles today and were aiming for Hauser Creek tentsite which we arrived at about 1800 that evening with about an hour remaining until sunset. Not the most ideal camp spot in a valley by a stream but there were plenty of pitches despite it being a popular first day camp spot and we found a pitch, setup camp and had dinner. Content, sore and aching (yes, already!), it was lights out for me by 2030 with the frog chorus from the creek for company as I drifted off.
18/3/20 PCT Day 2 13.2 miles Hauser Creek (mile 15.4) to Wild Camp (mile 28.6)
Our second day on the PCT was full of sogginess from the beginning. Alarms went off at 0600 and before long were were breaking camp, prepared for a damp day. On the move by 0715, we had about 4.5 miles to Lake Morena where we were hoping for a hot drink, some food, and I needed to pick up a few snacks for the next few days. At Oak Malt Liquor Store & Cafe, we were able to order a couple of toasted sandwiches and some supplies but had to takeaway so we headed to the campground up the road to find shelter, share a sandwich (saved the other for later!) and use the facilities.
The rain continued most of the day with a few dry patches from time to time. On the plus side my rain ‘kilt’ was doing an excellent job and making me easy to spont from miles off. ? When the trail passed under Buckman Springs Road, we used the protection of the bridge to have a brief stop with a few other hikers (social distancing observed!) and grab a snack. Moving on, the trail crossed Cottonwood Creek and we experienced our first ‘river crossing’ with no way of keeping feet dry getting across and just round the corner the trail itself resembled a stream. Not too much further, another river crossing where the planks of wood put across the stream were floating. That’s a few more ‘river crossings’ than I was expecting in the desert! ?
Hiker Vogue
We didn’t have a campsite or distance planned, but after arriving at camp the previous night at 1800, we had decided that we ideally wanted to be arriving at a camp by 1700 to allow enough time for setup and dinner before dark.
We considered stopping at Boulder Oaks campground but facilities weren’t great and there was a fee to camp there so we continued 1.6 miles to a spot and grabbed the chance to setup during a break in the wet weather by 1600. The rain continued on and off as we hunkered down in the tent and finished the sandwich we bought earlier in the tent.
I can just about hear highway 8 down in the valley below and we had good phone signal so checked weather forecast. Below zero tonight and due snow tomorrow. An interesting day to look forward to tomorrow with the trail steadily climbing about 1100ft to Mount Laguna. Looking ahead at the forecast tomorrow night in Mount Laguna, it reported overnight temperatures of -10 so we decided to use the good signal to book a place to stay in Mount Laguna where we can dry out some wet gear (it’s only day 2, we are easing into it! ?).
19/3/20 PCT Day 3 12.9 miles Wild Camp (mile 28.6) to Mount Laguna (off mile 41.5)
A slow start this morning, alarm snoozing, packing up, eating breakfast and then waiting for a break in the rain to jump out, do our business in the wild and pack up a soggy tent.
The weather forecast had improved since yesterday and we were hopeful of drier, slightly warmer conditions. We set off with the prospect of a dry night in lodging at Mount Laguna in about 12 miles. We were climbing for a few hours through a mixture of wet and dry spells with chilly temperatures and not to much wind. As we climbed, rain turned to snow and for at least half the day we hiked in snowy conditions, 4-6 inches in places. ⛄
Despite the climb and conditions, we made good time to Mount Laguna and found the Pine Tavern open for takeaways. We grabbed a coffee to warm up and found our home for the night just round the corner. I nipped back to the Tavern to get a couple of takeaway burritos for our dinner. We showed and spent the evening drying all our gear in the tiny house. The heater has been on full, windows open and wet stuff hanging everywhere!
Arriving into Mount LagunaTiny (drying) House
We made plans for the next two days with a couple of camping options 15 and 18 miles further along the trail for tomorrow and bearing water sources in mind as some long waterless stretches coming up. The weather is due to warm, brighten and wind should be low so the second camping option, which promised great views had us pumped to get a solid day in tomorrow. We made sure we had enough food to get us to Warner Springs (about 4 days solid hiking away) where we had posted a package to collect at the Post Office.
I spoke with Dad to get an update on the corona situation. At the moment we feel we are minimum risk to ourselves and others and with a package to pick up at Warner Springs, we can get to Idyllwild with minimum need to interact with others and minimum chance of picking up the virus ourselves.
The day before we started, the PCT Association released a statement asking hikers to take care and use common sense but the advice wasn’t to not hike, the trail was open which is why we felt starting was the right thing to do and continuing while we are not interacting with others is a reasonable thing to do.
Just before I went to bed I saw an update from the PCTA and a statement from Big Bear asking people not to make trips to Big Bear (a stop about 2 weeks away on the hike and not the first place to make such a statement)… ?
3 days on the PCT has so far given us quite the mixture of conditions and experiences!
Day 1: Campo (Mile: 0) to Hauser Creek (Mile: 15.5)
We can’t believe the day has finally arrived! I barely slept so got up quick and into the shower, the last for a while. I was so nervous I found it hard to eat breakfast and choose tea over a coffee. We were on the road by 07:30 making our way down the coast to San Diego and then making a left inland towards the border. The free flowing highway at rush hour on a Tuesday morning was a reminder that many people were working from home in Southern California.
The southern terminus of the PCT must be one of the most desirable yet unglamorous places one has wanted to be. The desert sand road had turned to a sloppy river bed like state and it was tricky to get the car up to a place where it could be safely parked. The temperature was cooler than we expected so we quickly made some adjustments and made our way to the famous terminus pillars. We got ‘the photo’, signed the log book and honestly answered the questions directed at us by the PCTA representative.
Then, we simply set off. It was cold, cloudy and rain was threatening but we had the biggest grins on our faces. Richard (Tom’s Dad) walked with us for the first couple of miles as we walked back along the trail in the direction that we had driven. We crossed the main road and out into the desert, baron but because of all the rain, unexpectedly green. The path was clearly defined, rolled up, across and over the beautiful landscape. It threatened to rain, we stopped to tog up but then the sun came out and that was that for the day. Sunscreen was reapplied and we were in day 1 bliss, cruising along, passing fellow hikers, sharing names and nationalities. A few passed by us as well including 3 guys together whose excited energy and pure delight of being on trail was reflected in their pace. As the day went on we stopped for photos, talked about potential camping spot options based on our pace and discussed the pros and cons of where we had initially placed items in our packs. For example I could get my water bottle out my bag no problem but couldn’t easily get it back in place without Tom’s help.
Around the 10 mile mark we spotted fellow hikers setting up camp for the evening, just off trail, we waved and smiled knowing there was a possibility we might see them again. We decided to head to Hauser Creek finding a suitable pitch a nice way from the water. Sunset was 18:54 so we didn’t have much time to set up the tent and boil up some water for our first meal on the trail. I chose Mac & Cheese from the variety I had packed for the first 6 nights and added the flavour and the jerky that it came with. The jerky was great but the flavour a tad on the spicy side so I ended up having to water it down a bit. We tidied up camp and snuggled up for our first night on trail just as we lost all the light. Horizontal at 19:30 would be our new norm and apart from writing up a few notes about the day there was nothing much else to do but snooze, listen to the noisy frogs in the creek and grin ear to ear that we were finally here.
Day 2:Hauser Creek (Mile: 15.5) to Somewhere just past Boulder Oaks (Mile: 27.6)
I didn’t really sleep. Excitement, frogs and the rain kept me awake. We set the alarm for 06:00 knowing the sun would rise about 06:54, started packing away what we could inside the tent and then as soon as there was a break in the rain packed the tent down.
We were walking out of camp about 07:15 with all wet weather gear on and a steep climb up and out of the valley, but the prospect of a coffee and a hot snack at the recommended cafe at Lake Morena kept me going. It was tricky underfoot, as we walked up, the rain trickled down the trail. Due to the hike up we stayed warm, Tom’s rain skirt kept me amused as I watched him negotiate the restrictions that come with wearing such an item of clothing. Snacks were more accessible, a lesson from the day before, and we soon learnt which bits of kit were not fully waterproof. As we leveled out, we picked up the pace to try and keep warm but the descent into Lake Morena Campground was slow and cold.
We walked 300m off the trail to the shop and cafe where all the chairs were on the tables, they were open for take out only. This made me sad because in any other year this would have been the place where we would have shared a table with other hikers as they seeked shelter from the cold and wet. We would have chatted, shared stories and discussed our first impression of the PCT, got to learn names, nationalities and the nuances of our fellow hikers. But instead we waited as long as we dared inside the building for our toasted sandwiches to be made, spoke a few words to our fellow hikers arriving or departing outside and made a beeline for the camp ground toilet block where we sheltered under the overhang to eat our sandwich, finish our coffee and use the facilities.
We decided to carry on into the rain and aimed for a camp spot about 6 miles away.
It was easy marching terrain and we kept warm. We passed under a highway where 4 of our fellow hikers were sheltering from the rain and warming up. We had a snack, took a pic and off we set.
Almost immediately we came across a small stream that had burst its banks and had no choice but to wade through mid calf depth with the aid of some bits of wood. The path itself was acting as a channel and so we had no option but to walk through the mini stream. When we got to the campsite it was closed and we were not sure if we were allowed to set up camp, so we filled a bottle of water from the tap and carried on in a window of beautiful warm sunshine peeking through the cloud. A Gopher had also felt the heat of the sun and was pushing the dirt from it’s little hole, we watched amused for a good 5 minutes. We walked about a mile further and came across Gunner who was just setting up camp, we found a similar pitch nearby that was cosy but would do.
Taking advantage of the break in the weather we put up our very soggy tent and just about got wet stuff off, into the tent and sorted before the rain started to fall again. We ate snacks and the rest of our cheese and ham toastie for dinner, as neither of us was keen to get the stove out in the pissing rain, and looked up the weather prospects for the next day. It was due to dip below freezing overnight, the rain was to turn to snow and continue falling through most of the next day. Our biggest fear of having to wake, put on wet clothes and shoes and hike out into further wet weather was going to be how our day 3 in the desert began. It rained pretty much all night, I dashed out about 04:00 for a wee and we were in the cloud but no sign of snow.
Day 3: Somewhere just past Boulder Oaks (Mile: 27.6) to Mount Laguna (Mile: 41.5)
By 06:00 the temperature had dropped and it took a little bit more motivation to get going. Again we packed up what we could from inside the tent, waited for a gap in the rain and pulled down the tent in the relative dry but it was sopping and poor Tom had to carry the extra weight. As we walked out of camp about 08:00 it was actually dry but cold, we traversed along the hill side and enjoyed a gradual up and down. The view was fantastic and we enjoyed the care free, easy walking, passing and being passed by fellow PCT hikers. The rain did however return turning to snow as we climbed and before we knew it we were hiking through a winter wonderland.
The trail was beautiful but tough going, the snow underfoot made progress a bit slow. It snowed then stopped, snowed then stopped. My hood went up and down many times, but my sunglasses were out and the views were amazing. The last section towards Mount Laguna was through the trees and as the sun was shining the heavy chunks of snow were falling off the trees. My fingers and toes were soaked through and quite cold by this point so it was a relief to spot the Mount Laguna campsite through the trees. Mount Laguna offers 2 indoor options for hikers to stay and because of the -10 temperatures forecast for that evening we had reserved a ‘Tiny House’.
A big wendy house with bed, shower and toilet it really was tiny but was perfect for what we needed. The Pine House Cafe and Tavern around the corner was offering take-away burritos so we treated ourselves to something warm and easy. Our evening was spent prioritising what bits of kit we really wanted to try and dry out and rotating them in front of the tiny little electric heater.
We acknowledged that we had not done the mileage that we had hoped for in our first 3 days so re-evaluated what food we had left and how far we had to travel before picking up the resupply box that we had sent to Warner Springs. It was agreed we did have just enough food thanks to our toasted sandwich and burrito purchases but would need to carry a full 4 litres of water that we filled up before bed. With our next 2 days planned out and the weather looking dry I was excited about the prospect of 2 long hard days of hiking to catch up the miles and the prospect of camping without the rain and some great views.
Just as we were going to bed the PCTA emailed to ask us to please postpone our PCT plans, we sleepily agreed we would head to Warner Springs and reassess the situation from there.
Day 4: Mount Laguna (Mile: 41.5) to Penny Pines Trailhead (Mile: 48.7)
The alarm went at 06:00 and Tom was not busily packing up his bag like he said he was going to be. He asked me how I had slept, which had been fabulous since I was warm in a bed, I returned the question. His answer was not the same, he had not slept well and had been thinking. He asked me what we would do if we fell ill, we barely had enough food to get us to our resupply box and calling on someone to collect us would expose our family, some of whom are high risk. He asked me what if we were carrying the virus without knowing, went to resupply in a remote town and unknowingly passed it on to a vulnerable community.
It was clear these questions had been buzzing round all night, it was clear the seed had been planted and even if we carried on it would not be the same. I couldn’t give a reasonable answer to the questions, the PCTA had asked us to leave and their reasoning was fair. It was and still is our social responsibility to reduce the chance of the virus spreading. We cried, we packed our things, we cried and agreed on a spot to be picked up from, we cried and hoped that we may be able to return to the trail in a month or two.
By 09:00 we left our Tiny House and walked out into brilliant sunshine, the snow deep and crisp the temperature -1, it was magical. We had arranged to be picked up 7 miles down the trail at a trailhead and knowing it was going to be our last day on the PCT for now we soaked up every second. The views of the dry desert from the snowy ridge were incredible.
The sheer vastness of the landscape was amazing. We enjoyed the chance to reapply sunscreen, be back down to 2 layers and take photos and videos at every corner. The morning went fast and too soon we were at the trailhead. Just 3 and half days in and only 48.7 miles covered and we were back in the same car that had dropped us off.
There are no words to describe the feeling of disappointment; when you pluck up the courage to pursue an ambitious dream, you work hard, save hard, plan hard to make that dream a reality. You start living the dream and then you are brutally shaken awake by a worldwide crisis that is so much bigger than the dream of two individuals.
“Be strong enough to let go,be wise enough to wait for what you deserve”
There was a spreadsheet involved in the purchase of this tent. Ultimately wanted a free standing tent rather than a trekking pole tent and with two of us, a door either side is important. We have the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 (an older version than this latest, think ours is the 2018 version) and have been very happy with it on a few trips. Sure it’s not the lightest but it’s light enough, withstands storms and keeps bears out (maybe).
? Sleeping Quilt
Yup, a quilt, not a ‘bag’. I find I get hot and sticky in a bag so tried a quilt instead and it’s great! I have the Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt 20°F with 850 down fill, 6’6″ (long) Length and 58″ (wide) width. It is quite literally a revelation and even Katie was a converted. She has the same but rated to 10°F.
? Sleeping Mattress
The Thermarest NeoAir XLite is great, warm enough for me in most conditions and comfy enough. Of course there is the risk with a mattress that it gets a puncture but having tried the Thermarest Z Lite mattress, the xlite is so much better (the Z mattress eventually resulted in silver bits everywhere!)
? Bag
After some research, I had decided on theGossamer Gear Mariposa 60L for backing trips in general and it’s first outing was the Hebridean Way in May 2019 where it performed admirably and so it will be joining me for the PCT. Great accessible outer pockets and able to attach camera case and a Bottle Rocket to the shoulder straps.
Initially I thought I would stock up on one style of shoe to keep me going through the hike (on average, hikers get through 5 pairs). In the end I’ve resisted doing that completely because some sections might call for different shoe styles, as you hike your feet tend to go up a size and different sections/times of year may call for different sock thickness.
I’m planning on starting in a new pair of New Balance Fresh Foam Hierro v5 in a generous size 11 (I’m a size 9 in normal shoes, wear size 10 normally for running shoes). These have good cushioning and breathability for the desert. They also have room for foot size increase and larger socks without being too big in the first place. I’ve had good experiences with New Balance trail shoes in the past so am confident they will be great! I also have a pair of La Sportiva Mutants in a size up from what I normally wear. I’ve worn these shoes for the past few years for hiking and trail running and the grip on phenomenal so I think they may be a good choice for the High Sierras section where we will see snow and cross lots of rivers.
I’ll decide on others shoes as they are needed based on experiences so far. The most popular shoe choice on the trail (based on survey link) are the X. I did try these out in the Outer Hebrides in May 2019 and did not find them a good option for me.
I’ll decide on others shoes as they are needed based on experiences so far. The most popular shoe choice on the trail (based on survey link) are the X. I did try these out in the Outer Hebrides in May 2019 and did not find them a good option for me.
?Socks
General approach, which I got from Andrew Skurka (link post) is to have a couple of hiking pairs on the go and cycle them each day, washing them if possible and drying when you stop or hang from your pack as you hike. I’ve found this is a good system, it always feels nice to put a ‘fresh’ pair of socks on half way through the day and if you can wash them, it helps the stinky situation (my feet tend to get pretty nasty smelling! ?)
I’ve done long distance running for a few years and always used injinji socks which I’ve found to be excellent at preventing blisters. I think I would benefit from a bit more cushioning than injinji socks provide so I’m going to start the trail with two different options;
Camp Footwear: Vivobarefoot sandals for around camp, give my shoes a chance to dry out and my feet a chance to breath
☔ Waterproof Gear
Jacket: REI Drypoint GTX Jacket. Gets great reviews and I’m happy to carry some weight and pay a bit more for a jacket that will do a good job of keeping me dry.
Bottoms: ULA Rain Kilt – yeh a ‘skirt’! I find I overheat in waterproof trousers so gonna give a rain skirt a go. Doubles as modesty protection whilst I’m washing all my other clothes in town from time to time!
?Navigation
I’ve no doubt there will be many on the PCT this year with only their phone for route checking and navigation. I believe you need a backup and that good old paper maps are superior in many ways to electronic maps, including giving a much larger view area at one time. So we will have both options;
I want to capture memories and document the trip through photos and diaries so I have quite a bit of electronic gear. I can always dump some of it if i’m not using it all.
Go Pro Hero 8 Black – action shots and nice wide view, easy to get pics of Katie and I together
Sony RX100 IV – takes great photos, has zoom and can add filters
Google Pixel 2 – does take good pics but using mostly for trip diary, nav backup etc.
Chamonix was buzzing when we got off the bus at the top of the high street. We had to walk through town to get to our AirBnB and were immediately reminded that one of the biggest ultra-marathon races in the world was about to begin. The flags displaying the logos of this year’s sponsors lined the streets that were full of ultra-runners, those from mainland Europe insist on walking round dressed as they will in 3 days time when the race actually starts, and all the outdoor seats were taken by beer drinking, pasta eating runners.
For once we were not going to be joining them, but our own adventure we were still going to have, the Haute Route, 180km in 10 days lay ahead.
We spent a day enjoying the atmosphere of the famous race, took the cable car as high as we could to see the mighty Mont Blanc, and walked up to a popular spot to watch the professional hang gliders run off the edge with a variety of clientele strapped to their front. Selfie sticks and all.
Day 1 Chamonix to Trient: 21km Height Gain: 1167m Height Loss: 925m
We began standing outside the boulangerie waiting for it to open, we left with coffee and croissant in hand for breakfast, baguette strapped to the bottom of the Osprey where one would expect to see a roll mat and cheese and ham to accompany inside the very top of the bag.
Our packs were just 36 and 42 litres respectively and contained the basics in the form of long sleeve base layer, down jacket, sleep wear and waterproofs, sleeping bag, water and food.
We were wearing shorts, t-shirt, hat, sun cream and big smiles as we set off through the sleepy town.
Kev Reynold’s Cicerone was to be our bible for the next 10 days, fabulously describing what to expect ahead. Beautifully laying out a 12 day trek that we confidently ignored in order to fit with our remaining annual leave and we set off with our paper bags full of pastries with 2 days worth of recommended hiking to complete in one.
The first few km was a beautiful flat path through the trees and out of the town, we crossed the railway and took a beautiful steady climb towards Le Tour, a small ski village.
We reached the bottom of the working lifts and although tempted continued up zig zagging up the trail with the lift passing over us every now and then. At the top we joined the tourists and the mountain bikers who had got the lift and enjoyed our baguette and cheese on a picnic bench in the sun. We then continued up to the col, the top and the border with Switzerland. We fuelled up on snacks at the top then started the gruelling downhill back to the tree line and zig zagged endlessly through the trees. It felt like it would never end and this was to be a common pattern throughout the trip. We popped out of the trees to a fantastically stereotypically Swiss meadow, lush green with wild flowers, several cows all had a bell and the noise was fabulously echoing through the valley as we lost the sun.
We arrived in the village where there was only really one place to stay and we had booked a couple of beds in a dorm in the attic. We had a shower and then joined the masses for a big communal dinner of soup, salad, meat with rice and chocolate bars.
We sat on long bench tables with a group of Australian school friends who were hiking the route together, but they were taking 14 days and paid someone to cart around their suitcases and meet them for lunches, so all they were carrying was light daypacks. They were fabulous and it made me happy that they were still in touch and going on adventures many years after leaving school. They were all very entertained by a mysterious man of similar age on a motorbike who had no solid explanation as to why he was in the mountains.
Day 2: Trient to Sembrancher: 21km Height Gain: 1386m Height Loss: 1199m
With a long day ahead we asked if some breakfast and packed lunch could be left out for us and we crept out into the cold valley, the sun had yet to hit the village and the ground was wet with dew.
We turned right off the main road out of the village and took a nice gentle route up the through the trees, here we met our first bisse – a man made waterway running directly along side of the path, it was beautiful and had education cards all along the path. We then started to climb and the nice path turned into a more technical one. We were also joined by teams of runners from the Petite Trotte à Léon (PLT) race . They had been out in the mountains for 48 hours and were starting to look a little worse for wear but many passed us up the steep technical path with the beautiful glacier to our right.
As with the day before a steep section saw us over the top of the col where many runners had stopped for a rest and a photo before descending down. We followed them, shouting to the those below when small rocks were dislodged and gave guidance to those who were struggling to navigate the huge boulders that we met about half way down.
Once on easier, boulder free terrain we tucked into our lunch with our feet in a stream, a magical spot that really did feel like something out of a film. We hit the fields and then the lake, but has per the plan had to walk straight through Champex-Lac, the town with the lake, out the other side, traversing high above the valley floor through the green fields to Sembrancher where we passed under the railway and collapsed on the driveway belonging to our AirBnB host.
Our host rushed home from work to let us in, we showered and hobbled out to a nearby restaurant for pasta and pizza with a lovely guy who was also staying with the host. We slept well in a twin room decorated for small children and left early the next day with coffee from his fancy machine and fruit from the fridge.
Day 3 Sembrancher to Cabane du Mont Fort: 15km Height Gain: 1736m
I don’t remember much of the start of the day from Sembrancher but do remember arriving in Le Chable and going to the supermarket to get lunch for that day food as always, being the top priority before ascending upwards. We then headed up through the small streets of the town, the backyards of the houses with chickens and a cow or 2. We both chose the chalet we would buy if we won the lottery and listed the features that each would have. We passed several beautiful churches and fresh water sources and a steep forest section where we passed another couple with the same endpoint as us. We had lunch on a bench on a ski run and then climbed the last section up a wide ski run with a bisse to the left. Cabine du mont fort was fabulous. Traditional, full of character and characters. Tom had a very expensive beer on the terrace and although we were given a dorm for 4 it was ours to ourselves.
It was 5 euros for a shower with soap and towel, perfect as it is never guaranteed the towels would dry by the morning. We met 2 couples over dinner that night one from America and the others from the UK. The next day promised a glacier that one girl had studied at uni and she was keen to see how much it had travelled. A cheer rose as the couple we had passed finally made it just in time for a beer and main course and next day’s weather was the main topic of conversation as the evening went on.
Day 4 Cabane du Mont Fort to Le Chable: 9km Height Loss: 1636m
We woke in the cloud, the visibility was poor and the snow was threatening.
We set off, scrabbling up the boulder field on our hands and knees. After a couple of hours we could barely see each other 5 metres ahead and a near miss due to falling rock was the point where we made the heartbreaking decision to turn around.
We headed down past the hut to the cable car and sulking like 5 year olds made it into Le Chable. We found a room for the night and made a plan for the next day that we hoped would cheer us up.
Day 5 Arolla to La Sage: 10km Height Gain: 215km Height Loss: 554m
We hopped on the first train, joining the school commute to the bigger town of Martigny, scouting out coffee and pastries before picking up a connecting train to Sion. From here we jumped on the 381 up the mountain to the Les Haudere Post Office where the 382 was waiting to take us the rest of the way to Arolla Post Office.
From here we walked the soggy 10km to La Sage, a small, modern town with a couple of small lifts up the mountain. The sun shone in the early evening and this made it hard to see when we opened the door to our dark little guest house. A very small traditional place, with locals staring at the bar, the dorms were fun and creaky with great little windows. It was here that we first met Liz, Chris, Nancy and Tom. Liz and Chris were a couple from the UK, both were vets and had done lots of hiking before. Nancy and Tom were brother and sister from Maine, USA and this was their first trip to Europe.
Day 6 La Sage to Zinal: 15km Height Gain: 1220m Height Loss: 1230m
We rose early trying not to wake our dorm mates with the squeaky floor boards, a cold pretty pathetic breakfast had been left out for us. We ate what we could, took bread and cheese for lunch and headed up behind the cabin into the rain. The rain turned to snow and we joined some cows in a traditional barn to regroup. We decided it was safe to carry on as we could still see the path but not much more in front of us. We passed through Col du Tsate at 2868m to the most amazing view of Lac de Moiry to our left and Glacier de Moiry to our right. The lake was the most incredible blue, sat perfectly in the valley, opposite to the north was the next Col de Sorebois at almost the same height as we were, 2847m, it was covered in snow as we were on the other side. We traversed along the edge towards the dam, zig zagging our way down through the snow and then into the puddles lower down. We made it to the wall and traversed across its length, the acoustics eary, the sheer size and weight of water it was resisting was incredible.
We got to the car park on the other side and ate our sandwiches. I checked my phone and found a text from my mum to say my darling Grandfather, ‘Taid’ to me, had passed away. The rest of the hike was up and over the next Col back into the snow and suddenly I didn’t feel like tackling that challenge. Tourists could drive up to this point to see that damn and we learnt a bus came up from the village so I waited for the next bus tasked with finding us a bed for the night in Zinal whilst Tom continued up and over as per the route. I found a cosy place in the centre of town, it was still quite early and they were in down time but agreed we could stay. I dropped off my bags, hung up wet kit in the dry room and chilled in the bar area with a hot chocolate and my memories of Taid.
Tom arrived safely having had a great time in the snow and we settled in for the evening opting in for the traditional fondue. Tom and Nancy joined us that night and we made our way through the homemade flavoured vodkas the hut had on offer.
Day 7 Zinal to Gruben: 14km Height Gain: 1199m Height Loss: 1052m
We walked through town picking up supplies from a big supermarket on the way dreaming again about a chalet in Zinal, that we could rent out. We joined the route which started beautifully through a forest and saw signs for the Zinal trail race that of course Tom knew all the facts about. The trail then opened out into a big bowl, and we walked up in the shadow of the mountain. The path turned from lush green to boulders and we traded with Liz and Chris all the way up agreeing to meet them for lunch at the top. It was so windy on the col we had to shelter further down on the other side. This side was in the sun and you could see all the little streams running into the valley. Tom wanted to get some over head shots with the drone so I walked slowly down and he caught me up. Nancy and Tom then caught us up and took our photo at various points along the last section of the day.
We hit a road and found the hut where we had a couple of beds in a dorm room, it was packed with picnic tables outside with big brollies like a beer garden in the UK. The days mountain had also meant we crossed the border from French speaking Swiss to German. We are on long tables for dinner and snuggled up together on mattresses on the floor in the roof of the big hotel like building.
Day 8
Gruben to St Niklaus: 16km
Height Gain: 1072m Height Loss: 1767m
The day was beautiful and the walk was stunning. We started through the lush forest path, up and over the Augstbordpass at 2894m and then a slow but steady, single file shuffle along the shelf of grey rock that had plenty of reminders that rock fall and landslides were very much a risk. We passed a couple with a small child in a carrier and discovered they were also doing the trek over a longer period. We had huge admiration for what they had achieved and talked about how they had reassured us that the arrival of small humans wasn’t necessarily the end of hiking trips.
We approached the end of the grey wall of rock onto some flat green land and ate with a fabulous view down the valley knowing that the Matterhorn was just around the corner. I had decided this was the perfect place to be proposed to and therefore was extremely disappointed after waiting patiently for Tom to capture the view on the drone I started the descent into the valley ringless.
Katie looking down the valley towards Zermatt
The final stretch started off idyllic, beautiful spring meadow like flowers, tall alpine trees and I saw some beautiful butterflies. But the switchbacks soon lost their appeal and we caught up with Liz and Chris, they had slowed down and we saw that Chris was carrying Liz’s bag on his shoulders. We stopped to help and at this point discovered Liz was pregnant and her calves were cramping horribly. I gave her a re-hydration sachet and we walked together for the remaining few kilometres. We had both reserved a private room in a guest house in town and it turned out to be more than a guest house. Our room was huge, there was an incredible shower and a view up of what we had just climbed down. We met in the pizza place attached to the guest house and just as we were tucking in the family of 3 arrived, we joked together how Liz would be doing the same very soon.
Day 9 St Niklaus to Europa Hut: 18km Height Gain: 1663m Height Loss: 570m
We smugly left St Niklaus having had an incredible night’s sleep and a luxury breakfast that I remember featured smoked salmon. The start of the walk was equally as smug with a gentle rise through the fields, with a fabulous view upwards of the snow and higher mountains, with the main road through the valley below. 7km in St Bernard points us towards our first sight of the Matterhorn and although quite small at this point, at last we can see our end point. Things turned a bit gray after this and the next 7km felt like it took forever, traversing slowly and cautiously along the trail that has been forced across a very rough and steep slope. For the first time we experience boulders and scree at the same time and are encouraged by signage not to hang around and proceed with speed and caution. The path had however been beautifully marked for the next day’s Monte Rosa trail race so we felt lucky that navigation and picking the best route in this new territory was something we didn’t have to think too much about, but puzzled over how racers would navigate this difficult terrain in the dark on practically all fours. The last couple of km’s to the Europa Hut we practically skipped, it was so nice to feel stable and walk upright again, we spotted the hut from quite far back and the famous bridge that connects it to the day hikers from Zermatt.
Europa Hut
The hostel was buzzing with activity and we claimed ourselves a couple of beds in the bunk room that would be host to close to 40 of us all squished in with more down stairs in the dining hall on mattresses. The shower was 5 euros for 2 minutes of water, we shared a minute each and joined those who had been hiking for days, day hikers and race supporters for dinner on the bench seats.
Day 10 Europa Hut to Zermatt Height Gain: 348m Height Loss: 962m
Once Tom had successfully ensured he had Europe’s longest suspension bridge to himself by bouncing his way along, I don’t think we lost sight of the Matterhorn all the way to Zermatt.
What a view!
We had a lovely relaxed day, taking photos of the view every turn thinking it would be our last, we enjoyed the luxury of a picnic bench to eat our last lunch on the trail and descended through the trees and the very green ski slopes towards the sound of the Matter Vispa River. Our treat was a lovely hotel in Zermatt, a room with a bathtub in the middle and a naked sauna as is the way in Switzerland.
We were knackered, achy and sore, but had had the most incredible 10 days full of literal, physical & emotional ups & downs.
It’s pretty much a certainty that we will encounter winter conditions and snow pack in the High Sierra’s (if not other areas) particularly as we are starting the trail mid March and therefore entering the mountains about a month earlier than is generally considered the best time to be doing so. By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail (Benjamin Franklin!) so we headed to the Cairngorms in Scotland for a Winter Skills Training with Cairngorm Adventure Guides.
The weather forecast on Day 1 was clear in the morning, showers/snow later in the day and damn windy! We met our guide, Scott, and the rest of our 6 person group, and Scott talked to us about some of the essential skills for outdoor winter adventures. There was a lot to cover! Over the whole weekend we learnt about identifying and reducing avalanche risk, reading avalanche forecasts, how snow pack is analysed to produce the forecasts (and how you can use that yourself to assess risk), numerous ice axe skills, crampons skills, navigation skills and planning a day out taking all this, and the weather forecast, into account.
Having covered some of this indoors we headed up to the Aviemore Ski area with a planned route in mind and practiced some simple navigation skills to get going. We soon found that we were at freezing level at around 600m, just as forecast, and so our first time putting crampons on in anger to safely walk up the frozen path.
The higher we got, the windier it got and we soon learnt that it took gusts of about 75mph to knock us over! Throughout the day we stopped frequently to learn skills and put them into practice, everything from how to hold an ice axe, techniques for traversing or climbing slopes in crampons, and keeping a continual eye on the weather – was it doing what we expected, has anything changed that would change our plans? Importantly, we not only learnt how to avoid slipping but also how to ‘self-arrest’ – using your ice axe to stop yourself sliding down a slope should you need to. Emphasis on techniques to prevent this happening in the first place!
DCIM100GOPROGOPR0002.JPG
Despite only walking a few km, it had been a tiring day and we spent the evening relaxing back at the hostel, caught the end of the England Six Nations game (beating Scotland). Fish and chip dinner, I went for the tourist classic – battered black pudding followed by battered mars bar. ? After some homework – checking the weather and avalanche forecasts for Sunday, we got a good nights sleep ready for another day of training.
The weather forecast wasn’t good on Sunday, rain, cold and even more wind! We met at a cafe near the ski centre and went over some map knowledge and some exercises before heading up to the ski centre. We stayed lower and explored the ski slopes (which were not open for skiing!), using some fencing where snow had collected to practice more techniques without crampons and some more techniques with the ice axe for cutting steps into a slope. The weather had not been quite as bad as forecast to begin with, but the rain soon fell and the wind picked up, particularly whilst walking along a ridge. It was hard work to walk against, we were wet and cold so we practices some navigation whilst heading back down to the ski centre for a hot drink and debrief.
Another evening reading and relaxing at the hostel, and couldn’t believe my ears when I overheard someone else in the lounge say they were hiking the PCT this year! What are the chances? Lovely to meet a fellow PCT 2020 hiker (Cam Hikes) and an enjoyable evening chatting everything PCT with her! ?
We woke Monday morning to an inch or so of snow in Aviemore and it was still coming down as we enjoyed a cracking breakfast at the Mountain Cafe. We had time for a fun Wintery walk in the snow, with the sun poking through before heading back to Inverness for our flight home.
We were both really happy that we had done the winter training and learnt so much. We definitely feel better prepared to make good decisions during planning and whilst out on the hills, trails and mountains.
?Top 5 takeaway’s from the weekend
? Katie
Wind: 60mph is pretty hard work, 75mph literally blows me away. ?
Have everything you need throughout the day, to hand and tied on. Pack everything else in the correct order and in familiar packaging.
Have an ‘Ouch Pouch’ ready to go at the top of your bag, full first aid the bottom.
?♂️ Tom
Avalanche Risk Assessment – Angle, Aspect, Altitude, 100m run off, 30 degrees.
Basics of ice axe arrest – how to try and stop sliding if shit hits the fan.
More importantly, techniques for preventing situations that require an ice axe arrest in the first place!
Don’t just use tech maps (phone, watch) when you aren’t sure where you are, verify where you think you are with them regularly, before you aren’t sure!
I’ve put myself in some silly situations not knowing how to plan a winter outing bearing in mind weather and avalanche risk! Been lucky so far, make better choices in future!
Getting to the start of the Hebridean Way was the first obstacle. After a flight to Glasgow, 1 night in a hotel, a train to Oban, a ferry to Castleba, Barra Island, 1 night in a hostel in Castlebay and finally a taxi to the start of the Hebridean way, we set off!
We had read about the amazing ‘Caribbean like’ beaches (Katie assures me they have been used as Caribbean ‘doubles’ for film and TV) and the starting point of the Hebridean way is sandwiched between two incredible beaches. The stories were true and amazing beaches we to be a regular sight on the first half of our hike up the western side of the islands of Barra, South Uist, North Uist and Harris.
Day 1 – Vatersay to Eriskay, 9h, 25.2km, +701m, -728m
We set off walking back along the road the taxi had driven us down and had a few inquisitive seals in the bay for company. Eventually a left turn took us off the tarmac, up and over a few hundred metres climb with views of more amazing beaches and Barra Airport which is the only airport in the world where scheduled flights use a tidal beach as the runway. The road then took us to the ferry terminal and we caught a ferry over to Eriskay where we walked a few kilometres to the Am Politician pub. Dinner sorted we find a good spot on the beach nearby. Not the wildest camp spot, it did the job and eased us in to wild camping life.
Day 2 – Eriskay to Wild Camp, 8h30m, 31km, +126m, -147m
We were on the move by 0830 and had only been going an hour and fifteen minutes we happened upon a cafe. Second breakfast was too irresistible, an egg and black pudding (local specialty) bap for me. ?
Typical view of never ending beaches on the islands of South and North Uist
We followed the coast all day, lapwings diving and making a racket everywhere! Weather had been good all day and we setup at a great campsite spot on the beach that night. First night trying the Firepit camping meals, Orzo Bolognese tonight, which was shot in! Watched the sunset before snuggling down for the night.
Note made to self: avoid camping on sand, it quickly gets everywhere!
Enjoying a Firepot meal with a view
Day 3 – Wild Camp to Wild Camp, 9h, 33.5 km, + 156m, – 207m
Long day today, quite a bit of road and beach pools some interior past 3 huge turbines. Weather was good again, sunny but some wind chill at times. Chatted to an old chap outside his house, he told us off his fishing takes and warned of coming rain!
Stopped at a supermarket for a late lunch, some supplies for tomorrow and I ate 3 magnums. It was cheaper to buy a pack of 3 than one on its own! ?♂️ Sneaky loo stop at a hotel we passed.
Another cracking beach! Spot the Magnum.
Saw cows lost on the beach who tried the water, didn’t like it, walked down a bit and tried a different bit of the ocean only to find it still tasted crap. We setup camp about 1900 and enjoyed another great sunset beach view with our second Firepot meal, Beef stew and pearl barley, which once again hit the spot.
Epic views (and where the cows got lost)
Day 4 – Wild Camp to Lochmaddy, 9h, 35km, + 387m, -380 m
A lot of road today as we navigated island to island across causeways. A few off road sections thrown in and we stopped at the Langass Lodge for a coffee and cake. The final 8 km was all road and we made it to the shop in time to stock up on some supplies before heading to the Lochmaddy Hotel bar for a steak pie and a couple of beers.
Frustration had set in at the amount of road walking today, a little dehydration. Plus a couple of beers resulted in no desire or patience to walk far to find a camp spot, we settled for a patch of grass round the corner of the arts centre next to the Lochmaddy Hotel (they wouldn’t let us camp on their nice lawn). Less than idyllic but did the job. ?
Day 5 – Lochmaddy to Berneray, 5h, 18km, + 270m, – 287m
Made an early start, looking forward to finishing walking for the day around midday and having a relaxing afternoon in Berneray where we had a bunkhouse booked. After road initially retracing our steps a little to rejoin the trail at the junction to Lochmaddy, we then had some pleasant trails including bogs, ascents, descents and cracking views across to Berneray and over the sea to the next island of Harris. Honestly, even on a cloudy day, the sea looked tropical blue and the beaches are amazing.
Made good progress to arrive in Berneray in time for lunch at a cafe, where we chatted with an older couple called John and Anne (that story continues later…) and picked up some supplies from small shop attached to the cafe. We then had a lovely relaxing afternoon in the bunk house we had booked, showered, washed clothes and did some planning for the next few days. We had been lucky with the weather so far but knew from the forecast that our luck was soon going to run out.
John’s bunkhouse comes highly recommended and we had an enjoyable stay chatting to others staying there whilst cooking up a deserved meal!
Day 6 – Berneray to near Seilebost, 7h50m, 19.5km, + 612m, – 605m
Up early to shower, breakfast, coffee before getting the first ferry over to Leverburgh on the island of Harris. Whilst waiting we met Megan, a spritely 70 year old lady walking the Hebridean Way on her own over 14 days and raising money for an animal charity she had setup and helps run.
The trail soon took us on to the moors and over a pass before heading down to Scarista. From there the route took us on to a huge expansive beach before returning us to the moor where we followed an old boundary wall that separated the moor from the farming croft land. Much of the time the path was actually along the top of the old wall and apart from that was fairly indistinct. We had been to-ing and fro-ing with Megan all morning and ended up spending the rest of the day walking and talking with her.
The sandy expanse at Scarista
We stopped for a bite to eat at the top of a climb with an incredible view down to Horgabost which we soon reached once we got going again and Megan left us here where she was staying at a B&B for the night. We had decided to keep going another 4km before finding a camp spot for the night. Well, the next 4km turned out to be the toughest 4km of the whole walk and took us 2 hours to cover! Lots of ascent and descent through heather and rocks with no discernible path. Luckily the views were awesome and it was dry. The next day we were glad we had tackled this stretch today as the weather turned wet and would have made that section even tougher.
Looking out over Luskentyre Sands with the mountains of Harris in the background.
We found a secluded spot in the dunes with a view over Luskentyre Sands and tucked into a Chilli Con Carne Firepot meal, another winner. ?
Day 7 – near Seilebost to Tarbert, 6h36m, 22.5km, + 555m, – 519m
We were keen to get to the town of Tarbert today where we had the promise of a warm place to stay thanks to the couple we met in the cafe the other day at Berneray who had a spare bedroom where they were staying and were kind enough to say we were welcome to stay. When we had been planning the next few days back in Berneray and seen the looming wet weather forecast, it was an offer we couldn’t refuse! So we were up at first light and on our way along ‘The Coffin Route’, not kidding!
The coffin route has a long-standing reputation of being a coffin road from the east of the island to the west. The old burial grounds were on the machair of the west, there being insufficient depth of soil on the rocky east side.
The rain had started pretty much as soon as we got up and persisted throughout the day although it was rarely that hard. The path was well defined and much less boggy than others we had followed, which made for quick progress, and we had soon lost sight of the sandy east coast of Harris.
We were in Tarbert by 1400 where we went to the Gin Distillery cafe to dry out, grab a bite to eat and sup a G&T. Our hosts for the evening John and Anne were arriving a little late so we grabbed some supplies from the shop and had a pint in the Hotel Hebrides Bar.
We were very grateful for a dry, solid roof over our head that evening and managed to dry out some wet gear ?. John and Anne were great company and we had an enjoyable meal with them.
Day 8 – Tarbert to Rhenigidale, 2h30m, 9km, + 250m, – 250m*
*distance, time and +/- bit of a guess since paused and forgot to restart watch!
We were taking an alternative route today to the Rhenigidale hostel for a number of reasons.
The weather was due to be wet again today so we had planned a route that meant we ended up somewhere with a roof over our heads.
Although the Hebridean Way officially ends at Stornaway, there is an option to continue for 2 more days to the Butt of Lewis. Having originally planned to do this, after reading the guide and discovering about a day and a half of that was all on road, we decided against it and that left time for this extra stop off at the hostel
The Rhenigidale Hostel was quite unique and in a beautiful area (even in grim weather!).
It was a bit of a gamble as it was a Bank Holiday so accomodation was hard to come by but the hostel had a no bookings policy, just turn up and hope there was room!
The trail took the Old Postman’s Route from Tarbert and there was a good path. It was pouring down but we had a fun walk up and over then some steep switchbacks down into a bay before a gentle climb round the headland and descent to Rhenigidale. On the way we passed a party of 12 who had just left the hostel which gave us confidence that there would be space for us when we arrived! We later found out they had arrived at the hostel the previous evening quite late and there had not been enough space for them but they had all crammed in and slept wherever they could find space. We were glad they did not return later that day!
Spent the afternoon trying to dry things off in front of the fire, chatting to people as they arrived. All in all, a good bunch; Sue from Devon (whom we had spotted at the cafe on Berneray where we met John and Anne, and was obviously identified by her bright pink cycling jacket. She was cycling the length of the Hebrides and taking various side trips to explore and wild camp), a couple from London, a German chap who was staying a couple of weeks (and did so every year!), some bikers and an annoying older lady who I decided looked like the Night King from Game of Thrones.
Leaving the Rhenigidale Hostel the following morning
Day 9 – Rhenigidale to Wild Camp, 8h20m, 28km, + 683m, – 702m
We woke to clear weather and had a skip in our step as we climbed along the road leading away from Rhenigidale. The most enjoyable road walking so far with fantastic views out across Loch Seaforth.
After walking the length of the Loch, we came across a mobile cafe on the road which over looked the Loch. We had miscounted the number of lunches we needed so this was a welcome sight and perfectly timed. Sue appeared just as we arrived too so we had lunch with her.
Soon we were heading up to the top of a hill called Grimacleit where I had been hoping for some nice views but half way up it began raining so we put our heads down and marched on through a mozzy infested pine forest bog.
Surveying the land ahead
We knew from here that we had a couple of sections across moor now and we found they were slow going, often following a bearing and not much obvious path. The rain had stopped and we were lucky to miss a few other showers so soon dried out nicely!
Raised turf paths were a relief where the existedNarrowly avoided some heavuy rain showers on the moors!
We soon arrived where we had planned to stop for the night but it was quite early in the day and no decent camping spots in sight so we decided to continue on. We had walked a further 6km before we found a great spot in an old shielding with views across a loch.
Best wild camp spot of the trip!
I finally had a chance to get the drone out which I had been carrying all this way and we enjoyed the views whilst having dinner and hatching another itinerary re-plan! We had been planning another stop between where we were now camped and Stornaway, but figured we could get to Stornaway in one go tomorrow, grab dinner in Stornaway, then get a bus to new tolsta and camp on the beach there (halfway between Stornaway and the Butt of Lewis).
Day 10 – Wild Camp to Stornwaway, 9h40m, 35km, + 541m, – 603 m
It was a beautiful day and we got cracking early, determined to execute the new plan! The terrain was generally much easier to navigate and less boggy today which was nice and we made good progress. Having left the mountains of Harris in the distance, Lewis by contrast if really quite flat and soon we could see Stornaway on the horizon. It seemed to remain on the horizon for some time, the final 2 or 3 hours being along a road, albeit a reasonably quite one so it wasn’t too bad apart from the tired bodies and sore feet! ?
Abandoned shack on the road leading to Stornaway
We made it to Stornaway in good time and enjoyed a well earnt fish & chips dinner before grabbing a bus up to Tolsta and found a spot by the dunes to camp.
Sunrise the following morning at Tolsta
Day 11 & 12 – The Butt of Lewis and Stornaway
The following morning we got the first bus back to Stornaway and grabbed some breakfast before pitching up and dumping some stuff at a campsite just out of town.
We too a bus to the Butt of Lewis where we happened to bump into Sue yet again so we hung out there with her for a bit and took some photos.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the campsite and the next day spent some time exploring Stornaway and stocking up on the essentials; whisky, gin and black pudding.
At the Butt of Lewis ?: Sue
Some Stats!
The Hebridean Way (including Rhenigidale Hostel alt. route – +distance and elevation)
260km
+ 4565m/ – 4565m
~ 30,000 calories
Days
10 days walking
2 days sightseeing
4 days travelling
Nights
8 nights camping – 7 wild – 1 campsite
2 Hostels
1 Bunkhouse
1 kind hearted hospitality (self catering cottage with John and Anne who we met in a cafe 2 days prior)
1 AirBnb
2 Hotels
Travel
2 Flights
6 Buses
1 Train
4 Ferries
3 Taxis
Lots of wet feet, soggy socks, smelly socks, amazing views, sunshine, wind, rain, dolphins, seals, caterpillars, Hebridean sheep, Highland cattle, deer, birds (inc. maybe Golden Eagle), beers, black pudding, haggis and a bit of whisky. Oh and 1 sea otter. 4 tired feet.
Would I recommend the Hebridean Way?
Yes and No. There is a lot of road walking which sucks because it makes for sore feet and quite often it actually didn’t feel very safe which didn’t make for fun walking.
At times the route is a little contrived, taking big detours to avoid a short road section for example and doing so over moors with no real path. And we had it relatively dry!
The Hebrides are beautiful and we did really enjoy the trip. I would definitely return and would recommend a lot of the route but perhaps not all of it. There are plenty of areas we walked past but didn’t have time to detour to that we would come back to including the island of Berneray round walk.
