I think summer is one of the best times to visit British Columbia. The sun consistently shines but it’s rarely stinking hot. In August there plenty of activities to keep people of all ages and interests engaged and happy. Here are some ideas to consider.

Vancouver

• Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival  Plays are offered nightly and take place in Vanier Park. This year Falstaff, Henry V, Antony and Cleopatra and Much Ado About Nothing are offered.
• Abbotsford Air Show The air show takes place August 13,14 and 15th. Prices are $30 per adult and $12 for kids aged 6-12.

• Theatre Under the Stars This year Singin’ in the Rain and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat alternate evenings in Stanley Park until August 21st. Ticket prices start at $19.
• Try Sewell’s Sea Safari two hour tour out of Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. Explore caves, check out harbour seals, enjoy views of the Vancouver skyline and look for bald eagles. Prices are $73 per adult and $43 for kids.

Victoria

• 2010 Canada Dry Dragon Boat Festival From August 13-15th Victoria’s inner harbour is the site of dragon boat races. Lots of multicultural performances complement the exciting races. Free admission.

Vancouver Island

• Hike for one day or backpack for up to four days on the Juan de Fuca Trail - a shorter, easier and less expensive version of the West Coast Trail.

Tofino

• Try a bit of everything – bear and whale watching, trips to Hot Springs Cove or a surf lesson. You can’t go wrong sea kayaking in the Clayoquot Sound Wilderness area either.

Whistler Area

• Try zip lining for a quick thrill.
• Hike to the Black Tusk - a long – 29 km -but very rewarding day hike though you can backpack to Taylor Meadows and finish the hike the next day.

View of the Black Tusk from Panorama Ridge

• Discover the Stein Valley River. It’s about a three hour drive from Vancouver and offers spectacular peaks, glaciers, meadows, lakes and lots of wildlife including black and grizzly bears.

Sunshine Coast

• Take a boat tour of spectacular Princess Louisa Inlet. It’s a long fjord with world class mountain scenery and numerous waterfalls including the famous Chatterbox Falls.
• Hike to the Skookumchuck Rapids – the second largest saltwater rapids in the world. Check the tide schedules before you go so you catch the action of the kayakers in some of the bigger waves. It’s an easy 5 mile return hike to get to the rapids.

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Just a few weeks ago I finished hiking the Cumbria Way through England’s Lake District and the West Highland Way in western Scotland. Here ‘s what made my list.

Favourite Sections and Highlights on the Cumbria Way

• Around Beacon Tarn on  the way to Coniston
• The climb to Stake Pass and the walk down the valley towards Rosthwaite
• The entire day from Keswick to Caldbeck
• Hospitality and friendliness of the locals
• Lovely, pastoral scenery

Day 2 Scenery on the Cumbria Way

Favourite B&B’s on the Cumbria Way

Candlewyck Farm B&B Set on 7 acres of land within walking distance of the start of the Cumbria Way.
Claremont House in Ambleside. It’s not fancy but Dave the host was truly outstanding. He is a former member of the Mountain Rescue Team and is a wealth of information on hiking in the Lake District. He very generously went out of his way on several occasions to pick us up and drop us off at trailheads.
Edwardene Hotel in Keswick. Lovely rooms, nice breakfast and our hosts without asking washed and dried our stinky clothes. Amazing hospitality!

Best Restaurant on the Cumbria Way

Zeffirellis Compston Road, Ambleside Ph: 015394 33845.  Excellent, inventive italian inspired vegetarian menu – even for people who may not usually eat vegetarian!!

Favourite Sections & Highlights on the West Highland Way

View from the top of the Devil's Staircase, West Highland Way

• Lovely section of walking with views of Dumgoyach on Day 1
• The Conic Hill area on Day 2 is beautiful. Stunning views of Loch Lomond and the islands along the West Highland Fault greet you.
• Some but not all sections of walking along Loch Lomond
• Views of the hills, water and islands are excellent from the Bridge of Orchy to Inveroran
• The remote feeling of Rannoch Moor
• This may sound weird but loved watching the British military jets flying through the mountains – sometimes below me!
• The Devils Staircase and the first few miles past it towards Kinlochleven
• Hiking the Old military road out of Kinlochleven
• Catching a sheep roundup complete with 4 farmers and 12 dogs
• ‘Oreo cookie’ cows

Best Accommodation on the West Highland Way

Anchorage Cottage An eight minute drive from Rowardennan at the end of day 2 and just across the street from Loch Lomond. Get picked up from Rowardennan and delivered to a very clean and comfortable B&B. There’s also a pleasant sitting room complete with computer and free WiFi. Hosts were very accommodating and friendly.
Ewich Guest House This place is about 3 miles from Tyndrum and about a 10 minute drive from the Drovers Inn. Car pickups are easily arranged. Stay here for 2 nights while you hike from Inverarnan to Tyndrum. It had the best breakfasts by far on the West Highland Way. Nicely appointed single and double rooms are both available at very reasonable prices. Great bird watching and a farm like setting with chickens and llamas.  Also enjoy a lovely sitting area with a fireplace. Dinners available too any month but July.

Best Restaurant on the West Highland Way

The Lime Tree Enjoy inventive cuisine at this restaurant that has been awarded One Michellin Star.

Best Birdbook for England, Scotland (& Europe)

Birds of Great Britain and Europe (RSPB) by Rob Hume. Published by Dorling Kinderslry. ISBN# 0-7513-1234-7.

Most Useful Article of Clothing

Arm warmers. Temperatures varied over the day, body heat varied and they were a cinch to take off and put on.

How do they do it?

Most B&B’s offer blood pudding (sometimes fried) along with streaky bacon, sausages and eggs, tomatoes and beans for breakfast. It’s the same breakfast all over Great Britain. Wait a few weeks after you get home to get your cholesterol checked.

Wierdest Pizza Topping

• Haggis

Incredible but True

• The number of outdoor-climbing shops in the town of Ambleside in the Lake District is 34.
• Keswick, another town 17 miles north, has 38 outdoor-climbing type shops.

Don’t Forget

• A sunhat that stays on in the wind
•  A heavier raincoat.
• Various sizes of Compeed – a blister remedy available all over Great Britain

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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I maintain an interest in nutrition from my years spent as a Registered Professional Dietitian. Picking an energy bar based on flavour is one thing but I wanted to get a better handle on what else they delivered. I reviewed total calories, % protein, grams of fiber and milligrams of sodium of some of the commonly available brands. Price is obviously a big factor and is listed where possible. You pay for protein!

Broad recommendations for healthy populations are as follows: 

• Total calories for the day should consist of 10-20% protein, 30% fat and 50-60% carbohydrate. (1 g of protein and carbohydrate =4 calories, 1 g of fat = 9 calories)
• 20-30g fiber/day
• 2300 mg/day (maximum) of sodium  (1 tsp of salt contains about 2000 mg of sodium)

Energy Bars

Clif Bars 

Canada has a more limited selection of Clif Bar products ( Clif Mojo, Clif Kid, Clif C and Clif Crunch are not available in Canada) and many flavours are only found in the US. 

• Clif bars
  Clif Bars weigh 68 g and deliver between 230 -260 calories.  Look for 9-10 g of protein, 4-5 g fiber but sodium varies from 100mg (Cranberry Apple Cherry flavour) to 230mg (Crunchy Peanut Butter flavour). About $Cdn 1.40.
• Luna Bars
  Luna Bars weigh 48g and deliver 170-190 calories. You’ll find 8-10 g of protein, 3-5 g fiber (chocolate raspberry has the highest fiber) and 95 -210 mg sodium (Chai Tea has the least whereas Vanilla Almond and White Chocolate Macadamia but have the most). About $Cdn1.40
• Clif Builder’s Bar
  Clif Builder’s bars weigh 68g and deliver 270 calories. All bars contain 10 g protein. Fiber varies from 1g (Lemon) to 4g and sodium varies from 230 mg-310 mg (Peanut Butter flavour). About $Cdn1.80.

Lara Bars

Lara bars are gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan, kosher and non GMO. Bar size varies from 45 g to 51 g and each one delivers between 180 -220 calories, 3-6 g of protein, 3-5 g of fiber and from 0-85 mg sodium. Most of the bars have less than 10 mg of sodium. About $Cdn1.80.

PowerBars®

• Powerbar® Sport Bar
  The Powerbar® Sport Bar weighs 63 g and delivers 230-250 calories, 8-10 g protein, 2 – 3.5 g fiber and 190-200 mg sodium.
• Powerbar® Harvest Bar
  The Powerbar® Harvest bar weighs 58g and delivers 216 calories, 10 g protein, 4 g fiber and 80-120 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.10.
• Powerbar® Proteinplus® Bar
  Each of the Powerbar® Proteinplus® bars weighs 78g, delivers 300 calories, 24 g protein, 1 g fiber and 170-210 mg sodium. About $Cdn 3.40.
• Powerbar® Triple Threat® Bar
  Each Powerbar® Triple Threat® Bar weighs 53g, delivers 225 calories, 10 g protein, 3.5 g fiber and 137-170 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.10.

Honey Stinger

• Honey Stinger Protein Bar
  Each Honey Stinger 20 Gram Protein bar weighs 86 g, offers 350-390 calories, 20 g protein, 2-3 g fiber and 55 -160 mg sodium. The 10 gram Protein bar weighs 42g, offers 190-200 calories, 10 g protein, 1-2 g fiber and 26-83 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.90.
• Honey Stinger Energy Bar
  Each Honey Stinger Energy bar weighs 50 g, offers 180-190 calories, 10 g protein, 1-2 g fiber and 140-170 mg sodium.

Probar

• Probars are meant as meal replacements. None are gluten free. They weighs 85g, offers 380 calories, 9-11 g protein, 7 g fiber and 50 mg sodium. About $Cdn 3.75.
• Fruition Bars
  Fruition bars weigh 48g, offer 160 cal, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber and 10-20 mg sodium. About $Cdn 2.40.

Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Energy Bars

Nature’s Path Energy Bars weigh 56g, offer 190-230 calories, 4-10 g protein (banana nut, matcha & flax is the 10g bar), 4-5 g fiber and 100-200 mg sodium. About $Cdn1.60.

In summary:

• If you’re looking for calories choose a Clif Builder bar, a Probar, a Honey Sting Protein bar or a Powerbar® Proteinplus® bar.
• Choose any Lara bar for a gluten free snack.
• If you’re watching sodium avoid the peanut butter flavoured Cliff Builder bar.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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A recent trip to British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley included a full day of cycling on the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR). The Kettle Valley Railway’s history date back to the early 1900’s when silver was discovered near Nelson, British Columbia.  Years of surveying and building culminated in an official rail opening in 1915. In later years the economic importance of the railway line decreased and some sections or subdivisions as they are called were phased out and by 1990 the last of the railway lines was abandoned. Fortunately the railway line was converted to trail and now 600 kilometers (360 miles) are open for backcountry use.

Myra Canyon Section of the Kettle Valley Railway

The KVR trail is true wilderness. It winds through the backcountry of southern BC passing through a range of environments including vineyards, orchards, forests, lakes, deserts and mountains. Small centers are connected via the trail –places like Beaverdell, McCulloch, Chute Lake, Coalmont, and Brookmere which are mere dots on the map and at most have a few places to stay. Tunnels, bridges, wild animals, rattlesnakes, extreme heat and thunderstorms are some of the hazards one might encounter.

View of Kelowna from the Kettle Valley Railway

Myra Canyon

Short sections can be hiked but every summer more and more mountain bikers are discovering the joys of this trail. It’s possible to cycle one day sections near some of the bigger centers like Penticton and Kelowna. One of the most scenic sections to cycle is the 20 kilometer section through the Myra Canyon, about 1000 meters above Kelowna. Fires in 2003 burnt 12 of the trestles and blackened over 20,000 hectares. Through the efforts of the Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society, private individuals and several layers of government, funding was secured and the trestles were rebuilt. The Myra Canyon section of the Kettle Valley Railway reopened in 2008; the section is suitable for people with a range of cycling abilities – from families to experts. Cycle over eighteen trestles and through two tunnels over 20 kilometers (12 miles). 

Trestles in Myra Canyon

Trestle close-up with Blackened Trees

View through one of two tunnels in Myra Canyon

If you have more than half a day then I highly recommend cycling from Myra Canyon to Penticton – a distance of about 80kms. Monashee Tours based in Kelowna can shuttle you to the start and pick you up at an agreed upon rendezvous site at the end of the day. At about the half way mark Chute Lake Resort appears. Stock up on cold drinks, burgers and homemade apple or rhubarb pie before continuing. Buy extra cold drinks if it’s a hot day. It took the better part of 6 hours to cycle the 80 kms and the last two hours were hot,  34C and dehydration was definitely a problem.

Although it’s downhill all the way from Chute Lake to Penticton, on a railway grade of 2.2%, it’s by no means an easy ride. You have to deal with a great deal of sand which takes a light tough on the handlebars. Watch for rattlesnakes through the Rock Ovens and shortly after you pass Hillside Winery look for The Trail Store – a perfect place for a summertime cold drink, slushie or ice cream cone, all provided by an incredibly hospitable family!

The Kettle Valley Railway above the Naramata Bench

Ice cream stop on the Kettle Valley Railway near Penticton

Penticton area views on the Kettle Valley Railway

If you want to cycle the entire Kettle Valley Railway then it’s a good idea to purchase the book – Cycling the Kettle Valley Trail by Dan & Sandra Langford.  They provide route notes and lots of helpful information though their layout is confusing. I’ll have a blog later in the week on where to stay between Midway and Brookmere.

Some sections of the KVR are truly first class and well worth cycling. In particular you won’t go wrong with the Myra Canyon section.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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Vancouver is lucky to be close to so much excellent sea kayaking. In fact within 90 minutes of downtown Vancouver there is plenty of sea kayaking to keep both novice and expert kayakers happy. Take your own or rent a sea kayak;  if you’re a bit nervous take advantage of a short lesson offered by most of the rental companies.

The waters near Passage Island

Here’s where you can sea kayak close to Vancouver

• Granville Island’s Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre offers lessons, tours and rentals from three locations – Granville Island, English Bay (close to Stanley Park) and Jericho Beach. For new kayakers the waters around Granville Island are easier to paddle though there is more boat traffic. A few hours in any of these locations provide a unique perspective of Vancouver. Two hour rentals cost $36 for a single kayak and $49 for a double 

•  Deep Cove is 25 -30 minutes away from downtown Vancouver. Sea kayaking is on the beautiful waters of Indian Arm, a fjord worthy of up to two full days of paddling. The Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Center is located in a quiet bay so novice paddlers can try out  kayaks in a protected area before heading down the fjord. There are nearby beaches for picnics too. On a weekend, Deep Cove is hopping and it’s best to get there early to get a parking space. Book your rentals ahead of time to guarantee a kayak. Two hour rates for a single kayak are $30 and $42 for a double. This is an easy place to bring your own kayak and head out for the day though overnight parking is available only on the streets if you plan to camp at the end of Indian Arm.

• Bowen Island is a twenty minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay. On a good day if you timed the ferries correctly you could make it from downtown to Bowen Island in just over an hour. On the dock beside the ferry terminal sits the Bowen Island Sea Kayaking Shop. Put in a kayak right off the dock and explore Snug Cove and the coast around Bowen Island. The company offers two different three hour tours. The southern tour takes you to Apodoca Beach and close to seals. Look for bald eagles overhead. The northern tour showcases the mountains. A three hour rental is $45 for a single and $65 for a double.

Kayaking off of Bowen Island

• The Pasley Islands are a fantastic destination and easily accessed from the western end of Bowen Island. They are an archipelago of 8 islands that make you feel that you’re hundreds of miles away from a big city.  There is a terrific public beach on one of islands which is ideal for a picnic and swim. Bring your own kayak (good parking available) or rent a kayak from the Bowen Island shop but make sure to let them know that’s it’s the Pasley’s specifically that you want to paddle. They do offer a full day tour for $120. 
• Pushing the 90 minute envelope puts you in range of all sorts of paddling in and around the Sunshine Coast. It’s only a 40 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale and then a 25 minute drive to Sechelt. Bring your own kayak and explore the Sechelt Inlet for  2- 6 days. Otherwise paddle over to Bucaneer Bay on Thormanby Island for a day and plop yourself on the lovely beach for some summertime R&R. You can rent from Halfmoon Sea Kayaks and check out the Secret Cove area with its quiet lagoons. Their rental price for four hours is $40 for a single and $65 for a double.  They offer a wide range of tours as well.

Views up the Sechelt Inlet on the Sunshine Coast

It looks like it’s going to be another lovely weekend in Vancouver. I encourage you to get out and explore the beautiful coastline.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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On the first day of the West Highland Way it’s well worth walking an extra half mile to take advantage of the distillery tour offered at Glengoyne Distillery. Even if you don’t like scotch (and I don’t) it’s fun and educational. The Scottish lasses will have you smiling and chuckling in no time.

Glengoyne Distillery - Day 1 on the West Highland Way

The basic £6.50 tour takes you through the process of making whiskey and includes one tasting . After watching a film and knocking back a wee dram your well spoken guide will take you through the various buildings and explain the purpose of each. Finish in the shop where there’s an excellent selection of backpacker sized bottles to choose from.

Glengoyne guide explaining the malting process

Glengoyne Distillery has been making whiskey for around 200 years with the three basic ingredients that go into making every bottle of scotch – water, yeast and barley.

Barley is first soaked in water.  This step releases enzymes which convert the stored starch in the barley into sugar. The damp barley is then spread out on the floor of the malthouse to dry.  At the Glengoyne Distillery the barley is air dried. Many Scottish distilleries use the smoke from peat fires to dry the barley with the obvious smoky flavour a result. After the malted barley is dried, it’s ground to form grist and then mixed with water (“crystal clear soft water off Dumgoyne Hill”) in a mash tun, a large vat with rotating paddles. The resulting liquid is called wort.

Scotch whiskey still

The wort is then put into large fermenting vats called wash-backs. At Glengoyne the wash-back is made with Oregon pine. At this stage the yeast is added and the malt sugars are converted into alcohol during the 40-50 hour fermentation process. The resulting product,called wash  is ready for the next step – distillation using a pot still. Two distillations take place (versus three for Irish whiskey because “they can’t get it right after two times” – though spoken in jest!) The distillation process at Glengoyne is slower than at other distilleries – supposedly for producing a smoother taste though I’m certainly not qualified to judge.

The last step is maturation in oak casks. Glengoyne uses American and Spanish oak casks, some of which are seasoned with sherry first. Ten years is the minimum amount of time that the whiskey is aged. The final product at the Glengoyne Distillery is a fresher, lighter product compared to the smoky, peaty whiskies of Islay.

Factors Affecting Style of a Malt Whiskey

The difference in flavour profiles for scotch comes down to the following factors:

• the barley, especially the malting
• the yeast
• the water
• the design and height of the head of the still
• the maturation process.

Glengoyne Distillery Shop

One couple we met had a double tasting of scotch and found the last half of the day on the West Highland Way floated by quite nicely.

Don’t miss the distillery tour – consider it part of your cultural education.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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A few years ago I crossed the Zambezi River above Victoria Falls between Zambia and Botswana. My trip was via a private boat and lasted all of about 10 minutes. The other option is the Kazungula Ferry.

Kazungula Ferry

The ferry operates between Kazungula, Zambia and Kasane, Botswana. It’s all of 400 meters across the Zambezi River. The ferry plays an important role as part of Africa’s  north-south transportation corridor. Now look again at the picture and notice the ONE truck on the ferry. Therein lies the problem. The wait time for a truck going in either direction is ONE WEEK. No reservations are taken. Truckers know they just have to show up, get in line, kill time, play cards and socialize for the week.

There is an alternative road through Zimbabwe. It’s much faster but unfortunately it’s not a particularly safe road;  huge numbers of truckers elect to wait out the week for the Kazungula ferry. A bridge across the Zambezi River was announced in 2007. Yesterday’s Globe and Mail spoke of the lack of trade between African countries and the need for improvements to aid the flow of goods, particularly between Cairo and Capetown. Certainly a bridge providing timely and safe travel between Zambia and Botswana would go a long way to making that happen.

Zimbabwe (on the left of wires) - Botswana (on the right of wires) Border

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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I’ve just returned from 2 weeks of hiking in England and Scotland- including 6 days hiking the Cumbria Way in England’s Lake District and 7 days hiking Scotland’s West Highland Way from Milngavie to Fort William. I’ve done loads of hiking and backpacking but every trip teaches me something new. Here’s my list of tips that will likely make your hike more enjoyable, especially in rainy, windy Great Britain.

Don’t leave home without the following:

• If you have a choice of raincoats at home pick the most waterproof one. I have a lightweight Marmot and a heavier Arc’teryx and the Arc’teryx was worth its weight in gold especially on the days when it was sheeting rain. One of our B&B hosts was on a Lake District search and rescue team and swore by the British made Paramo brand.
• DO NOT BRING PONCHOS!!! You won’t be able to see your feet.
• Bring arm warmers. You can buy them in a bike shop. They’re lightweight and you can easily vary how far up and down your arm you want them. They aren’t a fashion statement but in Great Britain’s climate they make tremendous sense.
• If you’re planning to camp on the West Highland Way, which is a popular option, then bring a head net to combat the midges. Otherwise it will look like you have a bad case of pimples. Also bring an insect repellent with at least 30% Deet. The midges were never really a problem for hikers but mornings and evenings in some spots were brutal for the campers – especially setting up and taking down a tent.

• Before you set out on any hike, head to the local drugstore and buy a variety of sizes of Compeed – a miracle product for blisters. The blister on my friend’s foot in the picture below is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen but Compeed actually made hiking with it possible.

Humongous Blister - saved by Compeed

• If you usually wear a sunhat the bring one with a wide brim that you can tie on – otherwise the wind will whip it off. Bring something to wear on your head when it’s pouring rain.
• Use a baggage transfer service – Sherpa Van for much of England and the West Highland Way, Travel-lite for the West Highland Way only or Luggage Transfers for the South West Coast path. Door to door pickup and drop-off from hotels and sometimes campsites is offered for a very reasonable fee. I met one fellow who spoke eloquently on Day 1 of the purity of carrying everything on your back. By Day 4 he had hired the service and had decided that his next holiday was going to involve beaches instead. The long distance hikes are hard enough without adding 20-25 pounds to your back.
• Bring socks of varying thickness. Lightweight, liner type socks were sometimes more comfortable than traditional hiking socks.
• Get a set of good maps especially for the Cumbria Way which is poorly signed in places. Bring a compass and don’t rely solely on a GPS. Batteries die.
• If you’re a big water drinker then you might want to consider brings drops or a water filter to add to your supply on a long day. There were always plenty of streams but water absolutely needs to be disinfected especially in sheep and cow country.
• Bring extra food with you. On many days shops were nonexistent until the end of the day.
• Keep small change so you can make a telephone call from the rare payphone. Most restaurants and hotels were kind enough to offer but there were occasions where we needed the money to make the call. Foreigners might find cell phone roaming and usage calls outrageously expensive.
• Long distance walks in England and Scotland are harder than you might think. Before you go, get in shape and put in the miles on the boots you plan to wear. If at all possible hike on a variety of terrain beforehand – up hills and down hills. Try hiking  two to three 10-12 mile days in a row before you go.
• Be mentally prepared for long days. One day on the West Highland Way was 13 miles – about average – but it felt much longer because there was so much scrambling around rocks and roots. If you know that’s going to be the case you’re much more likely to deal with it in a positive manner.
• I had two bad days of rain, one day with on and off rain and the rest were either cloudy or sunny. Overall I felt lucky to have as little rain as I did. Go expecting rain and anyday it doesn’t happen is a bonus.
• Don’t bother asking for directions in Scotland. It’s not that the Scots aren’t willing and helpful. It’s the fact that you likely won’t understand a word they say with their thick Scottish accents. It’s highly embarrassing asking someone to repeat themselves three and four times.
• On a few of the longer days I pulled out my IPod for the last few miles. The music energized me and took my mind off of sore feet.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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The second half of the West Highland Way in Scotland takes you from the Tyndrum area to Fort William, a distance of almost 45 miles. Along the way you pass through the Bridge of Orchy, with only one hotel and bunkhouse, continue to the Inveroran Hotel (there’s nothing more to the place), then head across 9 miles of desolate moor known as Rannoch Moor. From there it’s an easy hike down to the Glencoe Ski Resort and on to King’s House Hotel. Rock climbers and hikers share this place with the deer – which are often visible first thing in the morning.

On the way from Bridge of Orchy to Inveroran

The Old Parliamentary Road through desolate Rannoch Moor.

 King’s House is one of Scotland’s oldest, licensed inns. It was built in the 17th century and used as barracks for King George III after the Battle of Culloden.

Cottage dwarfed by the mountains at the bottom of the Devil's Staircase.

The Devil’s Staircase is not nearly as bad as it sounds. An elevation gain of 1000 feet over a series of switchbacks places you at the highest point on the West Highland Way with superb views in all directions.

View from the highest point on the West Highland Way

Along the West Highland Way one tends to bump into the same people over and over again. We met a couple in their 60′s from Australia who had sold all their worldly possessions and were hiking from Lands End in the south of England to John O’Groats at the north end of Scotland. A newlywed Dutch couple were faithful dinner companions. Several Scottish couples were encountered plus a mother – daughter team. The daughter was a real trooper, and the only one out of six children who volunteered to accompany her mother.  She was all of 13 years old and managed a couple of twenty mile days!

Mother and 13 year old daughter on the last day hiking the Way.

The last half of the last day was tedious at times and by then you typically just want to be done. We were fortunate to come upon 4 men and 12 border collies rounding up the sheep. It was a magnificent sight.

Sheep farmer with border collies.

Near the end of the day Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain, came into full view. I have heard that there are only 60 days of the year where the view from the top is clear. Well, yesterday was one of them. Close to 160 inches of snow and rain fall on the mountain every year and gale force winds are typical on two out of every three days. Still it’s a mountain that beckons.

Ben Nevis - Britain's highest mountain.

The end of the West Highland Way is underwhelming. It’s a gravel road down to a path to a roadside path. The finish is to be moved in the next few weeks to the town center, another mile away. No matter what the finish you’ll find me smiling.

And after one day off I’ve got the exercise itch already.

Donna and I at the finish of the West Highland Way

 Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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Scotland’s West Highland Way is a 153 km (95 mile) long distance walk from Milngavie, just outside of Glasgow to Fort William 95 miles or so north. It typically takes about a week and rewards with superb view of mountains and lochs, beautiful ancient oak forests draped with moss, waterfalls galore and friendly people. Below are photos from the first half of the trip – Milngavie to Tyndrum.

View of the islands along the Highland Boundary Fault from Conic Hill

Striped Cows - a first for me.

View of Loch Lomond after the rain

Hikers and Bikers along the West Highland Way

On the West Highland Way near Tyndrum

Unfortunately we’re getting fairly typical Highland weather – light showers, heavy mist, light rain, light mist, medium rain and heavy rain. Occasionly the sun pops out. When it does we are rewarded with incredible views. It’s been windy enough that the dreaded midges haven’t been a concern.

Forest Carpeting

Stay tuned for more blogs on Scottish dining, a distillery visit, the highlights of the last half of the walk and more insight into long distance walking in Great Britain.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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