Glen Coe

Day 7 of 8 on the West Highland Way wrapped up both in pouring rain and in sunshine…

We started today’s 14.5km trek from the beautiful Kingshouse Hotel in Glen Coe, after our 745am breakfast.

Today we had the infamous Devil’s Staircase as our first hurdle on the trail and everyone was keen to hit this highest point of the West Highland Way at 550m before the rain started. We made quick work of the meal so we could get boots on trail asap. By 815 am most of us were out the door!

The path started with some a couple of gentle climbs but largely level, open and wide track for about 3.6km from the hotel to the base of the Devil’s Staircase. The rain looked to be holding off for us and we were thankful!

I actually hadn’t had the chance to hike and chat with Niki (Spicy Hobbit) yet so took full advantage of this mostly level section for some good, deep trail chat when her and I started to pace with each other .. had to get the chats in before I didn’t have the breath to talk her ear off.

Arriving at the base of the Devil’s Staircase you can look over the road back into Glen Coe and get a great photo of this small, white cottage against the dramatic landscape – I remember this same view well from my first time up this climb in 2008. A quick pic and then the climb began.

The Devil’s Staircase is often thought to be the toughest part of the trail but I think the name suggests more than the punch it packs. It does peak out at 550m but you are technically already at about 270m elevation and takes about 45mins.

The path itself is a single, stone, loose rock or sand path that zig zags the Munro face to the top. While this trail design called ‘switchbacks’ is a clear sign to hikers that there is some decent ascent (or descent depending on your direction) ahead, it is much easier to hike than straight up (pr down) shenanigans!

Also, as a hiker terrified of heights – yes, that’s me – I will take switchbacks over a sketchy straight to the top climb any day!

You just keep swimming, just jeep swimming, just keep swimming .. if you get tired on the climb there are some little passing place pullouts for a quick rest, opportunity to be amazed AGAIN by the view, and then back at it. Just keep swimming. I was chasing our day’s pace car Kristi (Ka-chow) and Lori (Goose) up the path – stopping to take pics or film video along the way. If you look closely in the pic above you can just make out Ka-chow and Goose up ahead.

At the top you are rewarded with 360 views. Looking back across the valley and climb you just traversed and a view of the undulating track ahead. We made it up before the rain started.

With only a very light mist was in the air at the top, I had such fun greeting the crew as they came up and over the last stretch of the climb! Encouraging those who wanted to carry on to the rest of the trail ahead – assuring folks us lingering at the too peeps would not be far behind! A little too chilly up there to hang out for too long today but I did have to wait for Shar (Early Bear) and Nikki who decided to quickly bag the adjacent Munro top, Bien Bheag at 616m for kicks.If you zoom in you can see there wee little bodies at the top!

Once everyone was up, we were on our way down the other side for a fantastic afternoon of undulating forest path. The rain hit pretty hard a couple of times but with the biggest climb of the day behind us it wasn’t too much bother. Most electing to just wear a rain jacket and forgo the rain pants with such a short distance (less than 10km) to finish.

Unfortunately the day ended with a long, steep forest gravel road down into Kinlochleven. You were still largely in the forest so it was pretty all around but the grade of the decline was very ouch on any sore joints or feet. The image below is a photo looking back up the road to show the grade – and it does not do justice to the angle we were trudging. My knee hated every step of this part of the trail today!

But no worries, despite the pouring rain and sore bodies from that decline section, we all showed up smiling at the Trailrace Inn that greets walker’s as they enter Kinlochleven at about 130pm for an end of day pint and some lunch at their pub. Walkers were arriving in drive’s after us and soon the place was fabulously busy.

By the time we left the pub the rain stopped and we headed to the Edencoille Guest House – we had almost every room in the place for our overnight in Kinlochleven. Most of us electing for an afternoon of sunshine on their front deck before dinner. Amazing!

The stats of the day:

Trail: West Highland Way, Scotland
Day: 7/8 Finished!
To/From: Kingshouse/Kinlochleven
Start/Finish time: 8:15/1:30pm
Distance: 14.5km (14.9km Hiiker)
Steps: 25,736
Terrain: single track to, over and down from the Devil’s Staircase. The a wide gravel road decent into Kinlochleven
Breaky: full Scottish breakfast
Lunch n Snacks: baby croissant sandwich, Mac and cheese
Dinner: cottage pie
Pints: 3
Tonight’s home: Edencoille Guest House
Mood: smiling
Body: feeling great.. except on the gravel road decent, a knee killer!
Highlights: the views, wow just wow
Lowlights: the gravel road
People of interest: the Scots guy who ran the Balcony Bar and Inn like a well oiled machine
Spontaneous dancing: nope
Deep thoughts: empty ziplocks, a silk liner and laundry soap are necessary in a long distance hike