Their story, in their words…
Unfortunately, we did not manage to complete the whole challenge from Fort William to Inverness. This was partly due to fatigue but also timing. By the time we made it to Fort Augustus we needed to complete 60km in one and a half days. If we were to do something like this again, then we would consider the following;
-We would need a day of rest after we finished the walk at Inverness rather than beginning the journey home immediately on the bus. This would not only account for the tiredness that we would undoubtedly be feeling but it would also allow for things to go wrong along the way. For example at multiple points along the route we were taken on diversion due to works going on along the route. This added several kilometers to the walk which threw our itinerary into disarray – in fact we found ourselves rushing to catch the bus at Inverness.
-We should have also planned for diversions, it did not cross our minds that the path could have been closed, but, for future reference, we know that we should plan for such inconveniences.
We have learned so much from this trip which we can take forward and we also had the most rewarding time. The weather was mixed with the temperature ranging from 1-16 degrees. We walked in the glorious sunshine alongside the pebbly beach of Loch Lochy, through small walkways in between trees either side, and alongside Loch Ness looking at the stunning views of the hills in the distance. The limited facilities provided by the canal office including places to fill water, showers and toilets were very welcome as you can imagine. The online map proved adequate for our needs and the camping areas were sufficient.
Overall, this was a truly wonderful experience that none of us will forget. The trip took us out of our comfort zones and pushed us to do something we had ever attempted before. The aches and pains and blisters were certainly worth it! We would just like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to your organisation.
