West Highland Way - Day 5

Tyndrum to Inveroran - 10.3 miles

I woke to gentle drizzle but luckily there was an area with some cover where I transferred all my stuff to pack up and got ready for the day ahead. I passed a shop which 'officially' was the last one for the next 30 miles, but I couldn't really take advantage of it at 6 am, heyho, energy bars, and canned tuna will have to do. The section after Tyndrum didn't seem that exciting at first but once I got to the top the views opened up and I really didn't want to rush it. Even with two rain scares and gear changes I took my extremely sweet time to huff, puff, and appreciate. My first break was after an hour's walk, and I planted myself on a big rock as the view was too pretty to miss. I got my breakfast and Kindle out but didn't manage to read one full page with the view in front of me; the rain was irrelevant at this point. It was a long walk with no walkers around and just my thoughts as entertainment. Have you ever had the thought "I'll remember this very moment"? I had a lot of those today where a deep breath and a smile was my constant companion. Same list as yesterday: mountains, valley, forests, rivers, and waterfalls; just different feel, sound, colour, and destination. The path was quite easy, I was following an old military road that simply kept on going.... and going ..... and you get the picture :) I took more than several pictures 😊. My second break was next to the river overlooking several mountains still covered in fog. Seeing the fog lift and the sun come out slowly was spectacular ..... and the midges disappearing was just a great bonus. The trek towards Bridge of Orchy was a great challenge in the sense of concentration: trying not to stare at everything all at once, sticking to the 180 degree neck rotation, whilst walking, was seriously difficult; thank God for multitasking abilities, without them I would be lying in a ditch looking at another pretty view..... hmmm ... not a bad idea at all. At Bridge of Orchy I couldn't resist a big sandwich and a hot chocolate while my feet were enjoying the gentle breeze. Exactly 7 minutes after this mini break I had a longer one sitting on a rock in the middle of a river with my feet submerged. P.S.: this is my big secret for no blisters, and regular dunks so my feet don't overheat. I was looking forward to this moment and location as I knew the next few days would be a bit wilder and, as per the guide, more rugged and beautiful. It didn't disappoint. Walking to the top of the nearby hill, where Camila managed to catch up with me, the views opened up (again), and with no fog anywhere we had an unobstructed 360 view of mountains and lochs for miles. Obviously, another photoshoot and bumm break was necessary to simply enjoy the grandeur of the view. A trail runner stopped to take a few pictures and when she heard that we would be wild camping, while she was staying at the nearby hotel, she did the unthinkable: she offered her shower for us to use ..... due to Covid we couldn't accept however her kindness to offer was simply amazing. I could have easily sat here for hours but Camila mentioned that at least 4 couples were planning to wild camp in the same area as us which made me pack up my stuff and start walking pretty quickly. Our destination wasn't that far, 10 minutes from Inveroran Hotel; however, I had a better location in mind, with a bit more privacy, so we walked an extra 10 minutes. As much as wild camping is amazing fun it is nice to have someone nearby on occasion and that's how we ended up being camping buddies by a lovely Bridge and gentle river. After a quick setup, I felt like a bath so after changing into my bikini I headed for the river. The first few seconds is always a shock but once you get over that and accept that it will not warm up it gets better. So this is how a lovely couple found me: lying back casually in the middle of a river, splashing my life out and giggling to myself like a 5 year old 😊 ..... hmmm not suspicious to a crazy person at all. I sat there looking at the distant mountains and not worrying about anything but when to get dressed, what to eat and when to go to sleep; this is why I call this a relaxing holiday; my body might be tired but my mind is clear of all the everyday clutter that is impossible to leave behind in a town/city. Around 5 pm we headed back to the hotel to get food as the sound of local Salmon was too good to pass up. It was by far the most delicious Salmon I have ever had the pleasure of eating. A full tummy, a nice breeze, a gentle glow from the sun, and a bit of a buzz from my spritzer made for an incredibly happy Suzy. On top of it, two lovely guys from Glasgow started chatting us up and I was totally over the moon because I could understand everything they were saying, adored the accent. After returning to the campsite, I struggled to socially distance myself from obnoxious midges, Camila and I had no chance whatsoever. We ended up chatting through our tents and after a few sunset photos, we said our goodbyes and closed shop before 7 pm. It did take me a little while to murder all the buggers who came into my tent uninvited but once my task was completed, I enjoyed some reading before passing out cold.