West Highland Way - Day 2

Cashel to Ardleish - 17.9 miles

It was early when we woke on day 2, our tent glittering with dew drops. The campsite was almost silent, just the rhythmic lapping of water on the banks of Loch Lomond. The familiar sounds of tents unzipping and canvas crinkling signalled the start to another day. We made breakfast, cups of tea (another essential) and prepared ourselves for the long hike ahead. Following breakfast we packed up our tent, gathered our things together and set off. We decided to leave early that morning as we were walking the entire length of the loch and out the other end of the permit zone, to our wild camping spot. It was going to be an incredibly long day but following a good nights sleep on flat ground, I felt fresh and eager to make up miles.

It is well known that the second day of the West Highland Way is the most hellish (and that’s no lie!). Many hikers we had passed on the first day had walked the West Highland Way before. We had fallen in step with a gentleman who’d done it a couple of times with members of his family. He told us how fantastic it had been but also that we should brace ourselves for the rollercoaster that was day 2. On the map, the route looks relatively harmless, it’s just walking along the banks of Loch Lomond!? However, the banks are steep, rocky and very difficult to traverse; this results in a day of hiking up and down, over and over again, making up a huge amount of elevation relative to distance.

We began the day walking along the road from Cashel Campsite towards Rowardennan. It snaked through the woodland, with lush green fingertips reaching up to the sky above. The weather was glorious, the sun beating down and not a cloud to be seen. The trail weaved through the trees, parallel to the road and along the edge of the loch. The landscape was relatively consistent, dusty gravel footpaths undulating over the spits protruding into the water.

However, by the time we reached the car park for Ben Lomond, I was in excruciating pain. I had never felt anything like it before. The soles of my feet were on fire and stung with a burning sensation any time I applied pressure or planted my feet. It was here that the boots palarvar began! A little backstory: I had had these boots for around 4 years and had worn them too many times to count. They were like gloves on my feet and had survived multiple DofE expeditions, hiking across Iceland and a whole host of other long distance walks. Not once had I had a single issue with them, that is, until now… I had had the odd blister before but this scenario was a whole other kettle of fish.

I became tearful when we stopped for a re-fuel, Partly because I was in pain but mainly because I was frustrated with myself and confused as to why my boots and body had decided to create difficulties now. My main concern was becoming a burden to my friend, a role which I refused to let myself fall into.

I knew I wanted to carry on and with the ultimatum of either stopping then and there before something worse happened; or pushing through, taking it one step at a time, it was no question that I had to to re-lace my boots and keep going. I had dreamt of completing this challenge for ages and I wasn’t going to let myself down, nor my friend, who had planned and walked everything alongside me.

Beyond Ben Lomond the terrain consisted of gravel tracks and intermittent distances of boulders to scramble over. The forest grew thicker in parts and very mossy which, in combination with waterfalls, made certain areas treacherous. We took breaks to marvel at the views and miles seemed to slip past us at a good pace.

We stopped at Inversnaid Falls for a longer break, a little over halfway to our campsite. The views were incredible with Benn Ime towering above us from the other side.

Further along, as the evening set in, we stumbled upon the Doune Byre Bothy. Very quaint, we peeked inside and knowing we had a wet night in store, the stony walls and wooden platform seemed increasingly attractive. Alas, more miles ahead, but soon the gravelly beach peeped into view. A few groups passed us, heading for campsites further into the mountains but after a very long day, flat ground was a welcomed sight!

Doune Byre Bothy

We ended the day at the most idyllic wild camping spot with a view down the entire length of Loch Lomond. On arrival we rapidly erected the tent and stuffed all of our kit inside, the light was fading quickly and rain was imminent. My friend managed to fit in a quick dip and as the chilly water swelled and slacked around my ankles, it dawned on me that were almost halfway. As the sky grew darker, we slipped into our sleeping bags, tea in hand, and settled down for the night. It poured with rain from about 22:00, and with each droplet drumming against the canvas, Day three grow closer, the first wet day…