Their story, in their words…
After a day of travelling, we arrived at Aberfoyle at around 10am and began our hike. The hike started with a steep climb, but it was worth it to see the waterfall. We stopped to have lunch next to Loch Drunkie which gave us an amazing view.
The weather then changed from sunny to heavy rain and we made it to the campsite at around 7pm and set up our tent. Something we were not prepared for were the midges as not even our bug spray kept them away.
On the second day of our hike, we had a rough start as setting off took longer than we’d anticipated, but we still managed to make good progress. We then climbed the first mountain of our hike which itself was a challenge made worse by the weather, as we walked through wind, rain and fog. Some of the most beautiful views of our trip were seen along this path, but were blocked off by mist as we reached higher ground. The path was rougher than we’d expected, and we had to resort to throwing the smaller bags up the rocks for a part of the journey.
From this point we had little problem with navigation, save for the issues with visibility caused by the weather. Our real issues here were the equipment malfunctions, with one bag strap constantly slipping through (which we managed to fix) and the breaking of one of our pairs of boots. We made do with tape to hold it together, but this was obviously only a temporary measure.
However, our greatest challenge on this day was undoubtedly the absence of the bridge across the river, which the map had shown, meaning we had to ford it. The river was fast flowing so we worked together to help one another to cross and avoid a fall. From here, we made our way to the campsite.
The third day of our hike was similarly difficult to the second, due to a combination of factors. The day started off quite difficulty, as we spent a period of time figuring the exact path to take, and ended up getting lost. In addition, the lack of a discernible path due to flooding in comparison to our previous days as well as poor terrain made the trek very challenging, and we spent a lot of time attempting to navigate effectively.
A large section of our hike that day was through marsh land meaning we sank into the mud and had to pull ourselves out at one point. Luckily, we eventually found our footing and made it to the campsite before it got too late. In addition, we were able to witness more fascinating views, including various herds of sheep and cattle, making the experience very turbulent, yet still enjoyable.
Day 4 of our hike was a welcome relief after the previous 20+ kilometer trek on Day 3. We journeyed along the banks of Loch Lomond on the popular West Highland Way. Our route took us south to Balmaha, at the base of Conic Hill, where we paused for lunch.
The ascent up the hill was challenging after our previous days of hiking, but mutual encouragement saw us through to the summit. We then enjoyed a respite from the sun as we traversed Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, our final landmark before reaching Drymen. Arriving early in town proved fortunate and allowed us to plan ahead for diverted bus routes to Glasgow, allowing us to arrive with ample time to relax before our overnight coach to London.
Despite our challenges, the hike was an amazing experience. Partaking in such a trip was a new and difficult experience for all of us. Encountering unforeseen problems like weather, insects and getting lost challenged us to use our problem-solving abilities and teamwork, as well as building up our resilience.
Overall, we are very proud of what we achieved, hiking well over the planned distance. The beautiful views, friendly locals and even the difficulties we faced made this an unforgettable experience.
We would like to thank the Mark Evison Foundation for making the hike possible and helping us plan our hike!
