West Highland Way - Day 2

Drymen to Rowardennan - 19.5 miles

After an early night, I woke up early… I mean before 5 am early, well rested, and ready for the next stage. I was packed and ready to go at 6 am however breakfast was another matter. Luckily Drymen was only 40 min walk which had a shop with FOOOOOD; I may have raided it and proceeded to have an unbelievably delicious breakfast in the centre of the town, but I can't confirm or deny that accusation. Getting my very first glimpse of Loch Lomond was lovely but finding a spot for my second breakfast on a small hill overlooking the loch and surrounding mountains was a vision. I promised myself that the aim of this journey would not be to 'walk the way as quickly as possible' but to experience it and enjoy it. I stayed at this spot for almost 1 hour. The next section consisted of climbing Conic Hill with spectacular views over Loch Lomond. The fog was thick but when it counted, aka during my mini break and photo shoot, it cleared and dazzled; my first WOW moment of the day. It was a bit of a shock to see so many people climbing it, with little disregard to social distancing..... I ended up wearing a face mask all the way downhill. Getting into the small town of ......????? .... ah, sorry, absolutely no clue 😊, I may have raided another shop for some more food. Realising the distance ahead and the time (12noon) I set off quickly hoping for a nice long dip in the loch once I set up camp. The path was straight and just a little bit rocky with few difficulties but there were so many gorgeous and hidden beaches the temptation to take a dip was almost overwhelming. I settled on one nice one for my lunch a few hours later and kept reminding myself that getting to my next campsite before sunset was a priority .... tough times :). The last section, I must admit, was hard ... the sun was out, the loch looked amazing, and I was more than hungry but I continued for almost 4 straight hours. I've never wild-camped alone before, and I admit I was a bit anxious about finding a place that was safe and private. I did my research and had a promising idea of where I had to go but when I got there the path was a shock: 45 degrees downhill with thorny plants everywhere… I need not have worried, the hidden spot was seriously hidden, very private, and absolutely stunning. My priorities were simple: change into swimming shoes, set up my tent, change into a bikini and make a HUGE splash .... and a bit more splash :) ahhhh heaven in every way. After the mandatory 127 pictures, I just swam, enjoyed the sun and the views .... and what a view it was: clear and sparkling loch for miles, gentle breeze in my face and a warm glow from the sun. The feeling of tranquillity and utter peace is difficult to explain if you've never felt it but I had it in this glorious moment.... so, I made it last .... midges be damned. This long moment lasted until sunset; I am crazy on most days, but I try not to be a dummy too often. Changing into my evening thermals that covered everything from my ankles to my throat was a very quick exercise; it still was not enough: several layers, a big hat, sunglasses and of course the midges net was still not thick enough to keep the mutant bloodsuckers out .... I know that might sound funny to some (aka Ms Transylvanian) but it was an experience that's for sure. I must admit I had some worries that somebody might sneak up on me, but it quickly faded once I realised the difficulty and noise it took to get to my campsite. It was a difficult day but my God it was also stunning and rewarding.