West Highland Way and Munro's Along the Way

Final Preperations

2010-01-22T05:56:00.000Z

3 days until we make our way up North.

If you have read the previous post, you will already know that due to weather conditions and, quite frankly, our lack of experience, i've had to make some chages to the itinerary, so instead of a nice typed up, fancy looking one, i've written one out on some nice dog eared lined paper from work.

This shall be the route and stopping places:

Milngavie - Bankell Farm Campsite, G62 8LE, £5pp per night and £2 per night to park the car... safely.

----> 19km 5-6 hours
Drymen - Wild Camping in Garadhbhan Forest

----> 23km 6-7 hours
Rowardennan (Ardess) - Wild camping in a location just north of the YH

----> 22km 6-7 hours
Climb Ben Lomond - (Camp in same location as previous night)
Inverarnan - WigWam accomm.

----> 19km 5-6 hours
Tyndrum - B&B Strathfillan House £23 pp

-----> 14km 4-5 hours
Bridge Of Orchy - Wild Camping (across the river from A82)

----> 15.5 km 4-5 hours
Kings House Hotel - Wild Camping

----> 14km 4-5 Hours
Kinlochleven - Blackwater Hostel and Campsite £6pp per night (camping)

----> 23km 6-7 hours
Fort William - Linnhe Lochside Holidays Campsite £6.50 per pitch

Climb Nevis

Camp in same Campsite when finished.

I've been spending most of my night shift looking up suitable places to stop along the way, and have found 4 suitable spots for wild camping, and a few places where we'll be staying in wigwams, campsites with facilities and a night in a B&B to charge phones up and freshen up half way.

OAB

Oxford Association for the Blind have dedicated their homepage of their website to our trip. The page explains the trip and provides an opportunity for people to sponsor online, by means of a grey "donate now" link at the bottom of the page.

BBC Radio Oxford

I have been in contact with the radio and they have asked for me to go to their studio and talk about the trip when we get back. How exciting :D

That's all for now folks.

Not so Good News

2010-01-18T22:25:00.000Z

Well looking at the risks we will be taking doing this trip, I think it's fair to say, attempting Ben Nevis CMD arete in this weather, is what some might call STUPID! And considering how much snow has fallen and the risks posted on scotlands avalanche service website. We have reluctantly re-planned our trip.

As i said, with the weather being how it is, it would only be stupid of us to take on the mountains along the way with no previous winter mountainering skills. The risk is just too great:

So the new plan.. Is to assess the risks of the mountain ascents nearer the time, and if we decided it's too dangerous, we will just walk the 95 miles (which doesn't make it much easier).

-or-

hopefully stumble across a few guys who would be willing to assist us to the summit of Ben Nevis, (which is hihgly unlikely)

Oh well, I'm not being funny, but 95 miles is a long way, and the weight of our bags will make those 95 miles seem like 195 miles. It's going to be cold, challenging, dirty, and I've spoken to a few experienced walkers on a forum who said they wouldn't even be able to do it themselves, (the unnerved me a tad haha).
So the walk goes on, 7 days and counting!

A Weak Preperation

2010-01-18T22:16:00.000Z

We have a week left to prepare. Oh Dear

Me and Damian spent a night in a tent and did a 4 mile round trip the other night, jus near Beckley in Oxford. It was cold. And thats not even half of what we're going to be doing in The Highlands lol.

Think we've pretty much got everything that we need, bar a few minor bits and pieces but we'll get those before we go.

Have been in contact with OAB, and they're as excited and pleased about the trip as ourselves. We have a page dedicated to us on the website which links to this blog. On their website they have a donation button, which i will link to, so that any of you generous, kind-hearted folk can donate your sponsorship.

"Jo in the Afternoon" from BBC Oxfrd Radio have also emailed me saying they're interested in interviewing me when i get back. That should be cool :)

DSC00145

2010-01-04T01:10:00.001Z

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"Who ya doin it for?"... "Oxford Association for the Blind!"... "OK, well i don't normally do charitys, but as its for the blind".

2010-01-02T01:42:00.001Z

So a bit about who we're raising for...

The charity is called Oxford Association for the Blind, a small charity based locally in Oxford, founded in 1877 and has been providing advice, guidance and support to those who are blind and visually impaired ever since. Their main aim is to provide a service upon which those with viusal impairment can access facilities and services that they would normally find difficult or impossible. Eventually, their ambition and challenge is to provide these services for free with help from charity events and the like.

Hopefully, with help like ours, OAB will be able to expand and enhance the support services they provide for clients countywide – they have plans which include an extension to their new premises, additional staff and new equipment.

As with many small local voluntary associations, raising the necessary funds in a way that is sustainable in the long term is the key to helping many more blind and partially sighted people.

Please donate as much or as little as you like, but do try to find the generosity inside yourselves to help us and OAB become a bigger, better and more beneficial charity

Sponsor's So Far...

£350 raised so far, and that's just by me! It's great to see so many poeple putting their hand's in their pockets at such a difficult time of the year.
Oxford Association for the Blind have replied to an email i sent explaining the event. They have shown great interest and appreciation and are "happy and honoured" to hear that we're taking the challenge on in aid of them. The person I have spoken to has mentioned publishing a page on their webiste to which people can sponsor online and find out more information about the event.

25 days to go and winter conditions still in their full glory at present in the highlands!

Keep sponpsoring guys, and thanks to those who have already donated. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Itinerary

2009-12-31T03:45:00.007Z

This here is the itinerary i spent a good old while producing.

To make sure the trip goes according to plan, I've included start times that provide enough time to complete the next part of the route before the sun sets, and have added mileage and expected time in hours for each section of the Journey.

Took ages to fathom out which Munro's would be on route, so with the help of the website "MunroMagic", I located the most accessible ones and added them to the trip.

The Munro's

Ben Lomond
Beinn Chabhair
Cruach Ardrain + Beinn Tulaichean
Stob Ghabhar + Stob a Choire Odhair
And last but not least... Ben Nevis!

Adding these has meant an extra 6 days, but that's just something that's unavoidable.

So, a structure to the trip has been layed down, and sponsors are still coming on strong (£315 so far! :D ). Just a few bits and pieces of preperation left and a whole load of equipment ordered from ebay land to be delivered, and I'm sorted! Yippeeee

The countdown begins! 26 Days and counting :)

2009-12-29T00:40:00.001Z

Aren't they wonderful!

My lovely new pair of walking boots :)

Sponsorship Fun! =)

2009-12-29T00:22:00.000Z

We've devised a plan, a plan that involves wearing a Mankini on Ben Nevis!

Karl rather stupidly suggested that the person with the least sponsors, (and that's not least sponsorship money, that is least sponsors!) should be made to wear a Mankini on the summit of Ben Nevis. Fine by me, I've managed to get myself £225 worth of sposnsorship in two days.

So Karl and Damian, I'm quite happy to be your photographer, whoever fails miserably! I'm sure a photo of one of you two in a Mankini would look truly wonderful, framed and hung up on your Mum's living room wall. :D

Preperation For The Walk

2009-12-28T23:48:00.000Z

Ahhh, this time next month, we'll all be in the rambling in the highlands, feeling the cold, and wishing we'd stayed at home.

Christmas has just been and gone, and it's fair to say the majority of my equipment has come from Father Christmas, thank God! Only a few little bits and pieces left to buy, namingly: gloves, thermals, helmet, and ice axe. Everything else is pretty much sorted.

Compiled, what turned out to be pratically a book, information provided by a webiste on navigation, winter safety, and avalanchs for some necessary reading we all need to go through before we step out into the cold.

Also printed out quite a few pages with route details and OS maps of nearby Munro's along the way.

The pictures have drawn me to the steepest, most awkward looking ones. One's that we'll need to whop out the Ice, axe, crampons and helmet's for! hehe :). It's all becoming so exciting!