So I've only got about 10 minutes but i thought I would try in get back in the swing of blogging. I am relaxing at the hostel in Inverness after completing two long distance walks. The first the west highland way(WHW) leads 95 miles from a suburb of Glasgow to Fort William. The second the Great Glen Way (GGW) from fort William, 77 miles to Inverness. I also climbed Ben Nevis the UK's highest peak at 4,409 feet. the total for the 3 hikes is about 179 miles. All in all i feel pretty good but if you'd have asked me most nights around ten o'clock i may have answered otherwise. As I am short on time I will try and get the places I stayed and milages i walked posted in the next day or so.
The first week and the entire WHW the weather didn't cooperate. It pissed rain at some point at least everyday and the clouds never really lifted. I still enjoyed it and met some really great people along the walk. I partied quite a few nights with a group of 5 guys from Glasgow. They even rescued me and put me put me in a spare bed they had one night at a chalet. Other than that, I camped every night. The second week the weather drastically changed for the better. Matt and I enjoyed sunshine and blue sky's for most of the walk. Only the last day did it really rain. It was much nicer. As it was dry, we could get small camp fires going at night. Of all the nights camping there was only one really cold night and it happened to be Matt's first nights camping. Luckily it got warmer as the week went on and the camping was great.
Time is ticking down, and sorry if this is a little boring, I'll try and get used to writing regularly again. All in all it was a great two weeks but my legs are ready for a break. Cheers to all and look for more posts soon.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Back in th UK!
Apologies for the long length!
So I must say that it was a bit odd to land in London and not feel like a complete stranger. I arrived back in the UK a little over 2 weeks ago. I have been having a great time since. The first day I slept most of away in the arrivals terminal at London Heathrow. I figured this was the cheapest way to sleep off my Jet lag. From here, I rented a car and drove south to a small village called Shrewton. It was a village about a mile from Stone Henge. My goal again was to see the sun rise here. As usual it was raining so I decided to sleep in the car and by morning it was still overcast so no sunrise again. Maybe next time. As this was a bust I headed south stopping in Salisbury to buy a sleeping bag. I was on my way to what the locals had told me was the best festival in England. It was called the Great Dorset Steam Fair.
I arrived about noon, only to see that if I waited until 5 the admission price was half. I decided it was worth the wait and headed two villages over to the nearest mobile phone shop. I got a phone bought, grabbed a coffee and walked around the town. It way a small village but had a lot going on. The were all sorts of tourist, I assume staying for the steam fair, primary students out and about as it was the last week before school started and me. I really enjoyed watching the local fire department hang banners for the town's festival the upcoming weekend. It felt like a town that was stuck in the simpler times, and I loved it. As the time clicked away I made my way back to the steam fair. I was to discover what a spectacle it really was.
At the fair they have the world’s largest collection of Steam powered tractors, threshers, carnival rides, vehicles, and most impressively organs. It was great walking around and hearing each of the organs belting out it’s own tune. Some even had stages out from with dancers. It was a great old-fashioned feeling fair. From here I made my way to the mid-way, and food alley. I had some local cider and traditional lamb meatball called a faggot with mash. Crazy what they call some things here. Needless to say it was great. From here I jumped in my car and headed toward Bath.
I arriver about 2 am and found a camping ground. I set up my camping hammock for the first time. It was really comfortable and I got a great night sleep. I had some learning to do though as I woke up in the morning with my bum on the ground. I’d have to figure out a better knot the next night. I was woken by t he park ranger. He wanted to be paid. I could tell he didn’t like that I had arrived so late and taken liberty to set up camp. Quite the opposite welcoming I usually get in campgrounds. He then proceeded to tell me that Hammock tents were impractical, that I had hung it wrong, and basically that I was an idiot for trying such a style of camping. He then charged me 15 pounds for the short nights stay. Needless to say, he had the stereotypical poor English attitude. I didn’t let this ruin my day and packed up, showered and headed to town. My main goal was to see the Roman baths. They were originally used by the Roman Empire and some are still used today. To be seen in them showed that you were of high status. They were very neat and worth the stop. I also learned all about the town as I took a 2-hour walking tour. Pry the most interesting part about it is the stone the city is made of. It is called Bath stone and is soft when initially quarry. It hardens very quickly and is great for building. The owner of the local quarry had done a great job selling it to the city for building but wanted the rest of England to use it. All other contractors said the stone was too soft. On this remark he ordered a great mansion to be build on top of the bluff over looking both the city and quarry. He also had a façade of a castle built on the other hill opposite of town. As it is only a fake castle it worked as a great billboard. Why go to this trouble you ask? It was all done so when he brought in people to buy his stone he could say, “With my great stone you can build cities, mansions, and even great castles.” Needless to say he died a very rich man. As my tour ended I jumped in my car and headed towards Wales.
About midnight I crossed into Wales and started looking for a campsite. I couldn’t find one and stopped in a pub to seek advice. The bar was closed but the owner pointed my in the right direction. I arrived only to find the gate locked and no one around. I kept driving following signs to a hostel about 12 miles away. It was an extremely narrow path, and crazy anything would be on it. As I was driving I came upon a father and son walking holding there cell phone up. The dad wanted to make sure his wife had gotten home safely. I didn’t have service but told them, and their big chocolate lab to jump in and I’d give them a lift to a payphone I had passed about a mile back. They were very gracious. They told me that next to their campground was another that I could stay in for the night. It worked out all around, they got to a phone, and I landed a campsite. I set up my hammock much more successfully and climbed in for a good nights sleep only to have a lantern shined on me. “Hello…is there someone sleeping in there? That’s crazy…hello?” I crawled out and started chatting with my neighbors. Turns out they thought I was night fishing. They then invited me over for a beer and told me all about the owners of the campground and that I should stay for the next night as it was the end of season party. It was a lucky campground to find and I had a blast. The party was great; with one of the biggest bon fires I’ve seen in ages and tons of local dishes that all the season long campers had made. The all called me the American Hammock and took care of me. I had a blast and look forward to visiting Wales again in the future. The next day, on there recommendation I visited the Wibbly Wobbly Church. It keeps settling and they keep adding on to try and stop it, thus there being no level doorways or windows. It is very crooked when you look at it and worth the drive. From here I headed to the main road and headed to the Lake District, about a 5-hour drive.
As par for me I arrived in Keswick about midnight. I didn’t even look for a campsite and nestled up in the car. I had come here because it is highly touted as one of the most beautiful areas in all the UK. I was going to do a day hike. I woke up early to go look at hiking boots only to find none in my size. I put on my runners and headed out. The local tourist info centre had told me about a good hike that would take about 4 hours. This was good and I headed out. I enjoyed the walk over the mountains with views of the valley and lake. It was beautiful but not as beautiful as had been hyped up. I did enjoy the fresh air. From here I made my way up to Edinburgh to meet up with Matt.
I arrived about 8 and headed to the pub where matt was working. We had a few pints and got caught up. We also decided to go hike a Monroe the next day. A Monroe is a mountain in the highlands that is over 3000 feet as there are tons of small mountains. So they aren’t huge but a lot of people hike every weekend and try to climb all of them. These people are called Monroe Baggers, and I won’t be one of them. We drove to the start and camped out for the night. We were told by the local ranger that experienced trekkers like ourselves could trek in about 3 hours. Experienced is hardly the term for us. We ended up taking about 4.5 hours. It was a lot of fun to see the highlands that way. From here I drove back to the Edinburgh airport and turned my car in. Since I have just been bumming in Edinburgh, staying with Matt and his girlfriend in there flat.
Last Saturday I went to the Braemore Highland games. I got to see the caper toss (looks like a telephone pole) and all the events which are similar to a track meet. He other exciting thing was that the Queen attended these games. She only came for about an hour but it was still neat to see her.
So as I type now I am waiting for close to dry and I am heading to Milngavie to start the West Highland way. A 95 mile hike from just outside Glasgow to the base of Ben Avis Scotland highest peak. It should take about a week and I am looking forward to it. I’ve never don a hike where I have to carry my own food but I am going to give it a shot. If I don’t plan right it shouldn’t be too big of a deal, there are towns about every 10 miles along the way. I’ll write again when I finish it and get back to Edinburgh, which may not be for 2 weeks as Matt is meeting me at Ben Avis where we plan to begin the Great Glenn way, another 75 mile hike. Wish me luck and cheers to all!
So I must say that it was a bit odd to land in London and not feel like a complete stranger. I arrived back in the UK a little over 2 weeks ago. I have been having a great time since. The first day I slept most of away in the arrivals terminal at London Heathrow. I figured this was the cheapest way to sleep off my Jet lag. From here, I rented a car and drove south to a small village called Shrewton. It was a village about a mile from Stone Henge. My goal again was to see the sun rise here. As usual it was raining so I decided to sleep in the car and by morning it was still overcast so no sunrise again. Maybe next time. As this was a bust I headed south stopping in Salisbury to buy a sleeping bag. I was on my way to what the locals had told me was the best festival in England. It was called the Great Dorset Steam Fair.
I arrived about noon, only to see that if I waited until 5 the admission price was half. I decided it was worth the wait and headed two villages over to the nearest mobile phone shop. I got a phone bought, grabbed a coffee and walked around the town. It way a small village but had a lot going on. The were all sorts of tourist, I assume staying for the steam fair, primary students out and about as it was the last week before school started and me. I really enjoyed watching the local fire department hang banners for the town's festival the upcoming weekend. It felt like a town that was stuck in the simpler times, and I loved it. As the time clicked away I made my way back to the steam fair. I was to discover what a spectacle it really was.
At the fair they have the world’s largest collection of Steam powered tractors, threshers, carnival rides, vehicles, and most impressively organs. It was great walking around and hearing each of the organs belting out it’s own tune. Some even had stages out from with dancers. It was a great old-fashioned feeling fair. From here I made my way to the mid-way, and food alley. I had some local cider and traditional lamb meatball called a faggot with mash. Crazy what they call some things here. Needless to say it was great. From here I jumped in my car and headed toward Bath.
I arriver about 2 am and found a camping ground. I set up my camping hammock for the first time. It was really comfortable and I got a great night sleep. I had some learning to do though as I woke up in the morning with my bum on the ground. I’d have to figure out a better knot the next night. I was woken by t he park ranger. He wanted to be paid. I could tell he didn’t like that I had arrived so late and taken liberty to set up camp. Quite the opposite welcoming I usually get in campgrounds. He then proceeded to tell me that Hammock tents were impractical, that I had hung it wrong, and basically that I was an idiot for trying such a style of camping. He then charged me 15 pounds for the short nights stay. Needless to say, he had the stereotypical poor English attitude. I didn’t let this ruin my day and packed up, showered and headed to town. My main goal was to see the Roman baths. They were originally used by the Roman Empire and some are still used today. To be seen in them showed that you were of high status. They were very neat and worth the stop. I also learned all about the town as I took a 2-hour walking tour. Pry the most interesting part about it is the stone the city is made of. It is called Bath stone and is soft when initially quarry. It hardens very quickly and is great for building. The owner of the local quarry had done a great job selling it to the city for building but wanted the rest of England to use it. All other contractors said the stone was too soft. On this remark he ordered a great mansion to be build on top of the bluff over looking both the city and quarry. He also had a façade of a castle built on the other hill opposite of town. As it is only a fake castle it worked as a great billboard. Why go to this trouble you ask? It was all done so when he brought in people to buy his stone he could say, “With my great stone you can build cities, mansions, and even great castles.” Needless to say he died a very rich man. As my tour ended I jumped in my car and headed towards Wales.
About midnight I crossed into Wales and started looking for a campsite. I couldn’t find one and stopped in a pub to seek advice. The bar was closed but the owner pointed my in the right direction. I arrived only to find the gate locked and no one around. I kept driving following signs to a hostel about 12 miles away. It was an extremely narrow path, and crazy anything would be on it. As I was driving I came upon a father and son walking holding there cell phone up. The dad wanted to make sure his wife had gotten home safely. I didn’t have service but told them, and their big chocolate lab to jump in and I’d give them a lift to a payphone I had passed about a mile back. They were very gracious. They told me that next to their campground was another that I could stay in for the night. It worked out all around, they got to a phone, and I landed a campsite. I set up my hammock much more successfully and climbed in for a good nights sleep only to have a lantern shined on me. “Hello…is there someone sleeping in there? That’s crazy…hello?” I crawled out and started chatting with my neighbors. Turns out they thought I was night fishing. They then invited me over for a beer and told me all about the owners of the campground and that I should stay for the next night as it was the end of season party. It was a lucky campground to find and I had a blast. The party was great; with one of the biggest bon fires I’ve seen in ages and tons of local dishes that all the season long campers had made. The all called me the American Hammock and took care of me. I had a blast and look forward to visiting Wales again in the future. The next day, on there recommendation I visited the Wibbly Wobbly Church. It keeps settling and they keep adding on to try and stop it, thus there being no level doorways or windows. It is very crooked when you look at it and worth the drive. From here I headed to the main road and headed to the Lake District, about a 5-hour drive.
As par for me I arrived in Keswick about midnight. I didn’t even look for a campsite and nestled up in the car. I had come here because it is highly touted as one of the most beautiful areas in all the UK. I was going to do a day hike. I woke up early to go look at hiking boots only to find none in my size. I put on my runners and headed out. The local tourist info centre had told me about a good hike that would take about 4 hours. This was good and I headed out. I enjoyed the walk over the mountains with views of the valley and lake. It was beautiful but not as beautiful as had been hyped up. I did enjoy the fresh air. From here I made my way up to Edinburgh to meet up with Matt.
I arrived about 8 and headed to the pub where matt was working. We had a few pints and got caught up. We also decided to go hike a Monroe the next day. A Monroe is a mountain in the highlands that is over 3000 feet as there are tons of small mountains. So they aren’t huge but a lot of people hike every weekend and try to climb all of them. These people are called Monroe Baggers, and I won’t be one of them. We drove to the start and camped out for the night. We were told by the local ranger that experienced trekkers like ourselves could trek in about 3 hours. Experienced is hardly the term for us. We ended up taking about 4.5 hours. It was a lot of fun to see the highlands that way. From here I drove back to the Edinburgh airport and turned my car in. Since I have just been bumming in Edinburgh, staying with Matt and his girlfriend in there flat.
Last Saturday I went to the Braemore Highland games. I got to see the caper toss (looks like a telephone pole) and all the events which are similar to a track meet. He other exciting thing was that the Queen attended these games. She only came for about an hour but it was still neat to see her.
So as I type now I am waiting for close to dry and I am heading to Milngavie to start the West Highland way. A 95 mile hike from just outside Glasgow to the base of Ben Avis Scotland highest peak. It should take about a week and I am looking forward to it. I’ve never don a hike where I have to carry my own food but I am going to give it a shot. If I don’t plan right it shouldn’t be too big of a deal, there are towns about every 10 miles along the way. I’ll write again when I finish it and get back to Edinburgh, which may not be for 2 weeks as Matt is meeting me at Ben Avis where we plan to begin the Great Glenn way, another 75 mile hike. Wish me luck and cheers to all!
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