West Highland Way - Day 4

Inverarnan to Tyndrum - 12.7 miles

It's always a surprise that on my trekking holidays waking up at a ridiculous hour is very easy, 5 am was almost a lazy morning. I set off while the midges were still buzzing, by the billions, but catching the sunset on the trail was worth it. I didn’t meet or see anyone for the first 6 hours of my walk. According to my app rain was forecast around midday so I kept my usual long breaks a bit shorter, but the usual photoshoots were not interrupted especially with the lighting I got from the sunrise. The fields, valleys, mountains, and rivers were breathtaking... walking beside them was an experience to be treasured. The path was so well signposted that I didn't even bother to turn my Garmin GPS on for the rest of the trip. My aim for my long breaks has always been the same: find a stunning view, cool your feet, enjoy said view and eat half of your bag's contents. In my opinion, very few things in life are perfect, however, you can make any moment perfect by simply stopping and appreciating it. I used to mind the weight of my bag, the sweat on my back and the strain on my muscles but these are the things I love now. Walking 2 miles uphill while its windy and your bag weights a ton is not easy however the hour you spend struggling might seem the longest ever ..... after 8 hours you feel like you've been at it for days ..... and so a week's holiday can feel like a full month .... what a great feeling. On my lunch break Sarah, aka Miss Speedy, caught up with me and we had a nice lunch and a lovely stroll while chatting about our trips and future plans. We also had a rain scare where we both downed our rain gear and got ready for a downpour ...... the drizzle lasted for exactly 2.5 minutes :) so stripping time was mandatory. As Sarah was planning to walk quite a bit further, we said our goodbyes few hours later and I proceeded to have another break in the middle of a dry river bed with fantastic mountain views. I may have also been praying to a few fairies and Gods for a dry few minutes, as rain cover was literally zero, and luckily it was granted. After my lunch, I managed to bump into Camila for few minutes, but my constant photoshoots may have been excessive to a normal human and we agreed to meet at the campsite. I have a good memory but taking pictures and looking at them after few years is special; I can literally remember what I was thinking while taking said pictures; love it. The last section consisted of a straight path and a meadow of Heathers .... in every colour imaginable, what a sight. I doubt I've ever taken so many pictures of the same plant, ever. I got to the campsite quite early and after the necessary setup and shower Camila and I decided to head into town. Lucky for us it was a very short walk which obviously in my dictionary meant 'More food'. After the necessary shopping trip, we had a delicious Scottish dinner sitting outside, to ensure social distancing, and of course trying not to freeze in the process, still worth it. As a good night's rest is essential on these trips my 'lights were out by 7 pm and I was enjoying the warmth of my 3 season sleeping bag while it was still light outside .... no regrets