Their story, in their words…
Our team of six successfully completed the 79-mile (127 km) trek along the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness. Over the course of seven days, we operated completely independently and developed our self-reliance, physical resilience, and navigational skills. The ultimate goal of this expedition was to challenge ourselves in a remote environment without adult supervision and we did that, relying on our preparation and teamwork to see us through to the end.
We began our journey at the official trail marker in Fort William, spending our first day walking along the mostly flat terrain of the Caledonian Canal towards Gairlochy. This was described as a gentle start that allowed the group to adjust to the heavy weight of our packs before the terrain became more demanding. It didn’t feel that way. It was hard.
On the second day, we trekked along the scenic shores of Loch Lochy and into the forest tracks toward South Laggan, which noticeably increased our physical effort. This was very hard.
By day three, we followed the canal past Laggan Locks and Loch Oich to arrive at Fort Augustus, marking the near-midpoint of our expedition. Seeking a greater physical challenge, we opted for the strenuous high routes during the middle leg of our trip. We under estimated how difficult this would be. Every day felt hard but rewarding.
Day four took us from Fort Augustus to Invermoriston, where steep climbs rewarded us with stunning elevated views over Loch Ness. We maintained this momentum into day five, conquering further elevation challenges on the path to Drumnadrochit despite growing fatigue.
On day six, we climbed out of Drumnadrochit into the remote hills of the Abriachan area for our final night on the trail. Our journey culminated on day seven with the final stretch down into the city of Inverness, where we reached the castle to mark the official completion of our 79-mile journey.
Undertaking a journey of this distance presented several major obstacles that required quick thinking and collaboration. Managing severe blisters and muscle fatigue from walking over 11 miles a day with heavy gear was a constant battle, which we overcame by enforcing strict break schedules and sharing the physical load. Navigation and group pacing also required continuous adjustment, as keeping six people moving cohesively meant assigning rotating daily leaders to monitor our maps and speed. Furthermore, spending 24 hours a day together under intense physical stress naturally tested our group dynamics, but we successfully managed tension by resolving all decisions through democratic group discussion.
This expedition served as a true test of our independence and pushed us far outside our comfort zones. Managing our own logistics, route planning, and physical well-being without external help has profoundly boosted our confidence in our decision-making capabilities. We returned from Inverness with a firsthand understanding of the value of resilience, meticulous planning, and authentic teamwork. We are incredibly grateful to the Mark Evison Foundation for providing the funding and the trust that allowed us to prove exactly what we can achieve.
Funnily enough, the hardest part was the express coach back to London where our legs and bodies were aching.
