JOGLE 6 Day 3 Fri 10 May 13

Departed at 0900 hrs. Arrived at 1800 hrs. Kinlochleven to Bridge of Orchy. 21 miles. We climbed the highest peak on the West Highland Way today at 540 meters.  The weather was just right and the views were absolutely stunning. Walking down the Devils Staircase was ok apart from that the knees don’t really like steep down hills anymore, maybe I need to look at knee supports that do more than just keep the knee warm. I have also had the squits for the last 48 hrs and didn’t pack the immodium instants. I am not sure where that came from, but it has kind of put me off eating and left me living on a diet of mars bars and crunchies!  We arrived at the Kingshouse public house in the rain and thoroughly wet on the outside at 1300 hrs.  that was a tough 8 miles! I managed Leek and Potato soup and a coke for energy as I knew the next leg was just going to be a head down “yomp” in gale force winds and driving rain along miles of Drovers Way that had been thoroughly repaired in a previous century by Thomas Telford. We left at 1330 walking across Ranmore Common, it’s a shame about the weather because otherwise the moorland scenery would have been well worth the time and energy. This walk has turned into a drudge now and a long one at that.  I stopped at the Inveroran Hotel for a coffee and a Mars Bar and dried out a little bit whilst I was waiting for Ian to catch up. Apparently we are in James Bond country (Sky Fall) and the Land thereabouts is mostly owned by the Fleming family. I was definitely in “Yomp” mode this afternoon and taking no prisoners. I was pleased that we arrived at the B&B by 1800hrs. Based on our earlier speed in the morning we would have not got there until 1930 hrs. Finally I felt like eating and we both ate our packed lunches and then went to pub for dinner and a drink. The pub food was very good and we sat by a nice wood burning stove and got chatting to a German guy who was walking the WHW and camping as well, we passed his soaking wet tent on the way to the B&B.  The B&B was nice, there was no heating on but our hosts did put all wet stuff into their boiler room as they had no tumble dryer due to it being broken and being removed. I think this is the first days walking where we have been rained on most of the day continuously. The Paramo gear did not let us down but we have found a flaw in the rucksacks because although we have waterproof covers the shoulder straps and belts are not waterproof so the water ran down and along and seeped in through the bottom of the rain cover and the rucksack.