Rowardennan to Crianlarich

Being back on a major walking trail means I have been meeting other walkers along the way again, some of whom are making similar schedules and some who we've separated from.

Last night was a great group - Charlie from Liverpool, Sally from Toronto but working in Arras, France, and Katya from Czech Republic - all walking the WHW. We were then also joined by local Richard, his daughter Isla, and dog Kilda! Richard is a member of the Mountain Bothies Association, the network of volunteers who built and maintain the 100+ free bothies and huts throughout Scotland and to a lesser extent England and Wales. Richard comes into the hut once a month to help maintain it and clean up any rubbish left behind. This was a real bonus for us as he quickly got into the job of fetching new wood for the fire, which Katya and Charlie sawed up - teamwork makes the dream work! He also gave us a lot of useful advice for along the way, gave me a cuppa this morning, and checked repeatedly if we needed any extra food or supplies.

Today's hike was "only" 25km but somehow became one of my hardest. I have since been reliably informed that many people find it a difficult day. After Inversnaid hotel the way continues along the Loch edge, but the path becomes rockier, and winding, with many steep scrambles and difficult footing. Steady rain overnight and throughout the morning made for a more wild beauty than the day before, and had all the waterfalls in full flow. This also meant that all the streams to be forded were also in full flow so footwear rapidly became soaked through, and stayed that way all day. These factors combined to make for the slowest 15km I've done on this entire trip.

I stopped for lunch later than planned at the Drovers Inn, known for its interesting decor (loads of real taxidermied animals in the foyer), and was soon joined by Charlie. Katya and Sally were behind us, and Sally was planning to stop at the campsite anyway. Lunch was good standard pub fare, and the staff were nice, but I don't know if I would label it "Scotland's best pub".

The way after that was much simpler, Charlie and I caught up to Katya who had pressed on, and we covered the final 11km at an okay pace. My feet however have developed blisters from yesterday's exuberance, that have only been exacerbated by the soaking today. Tonight I am.in a hostel, but up much later than I intended as I try to get all my laundry done. Charlie and Katya are wild camping near the turnoff to Crianlarich so I will hopefully find them again tomorrow!