A big thankyou to all who sponsored my trek from Cape Cornwall to Cape Wrath.
Even in the last few days, cheques have still been coming in and the final total is £3110 raised across the four charities supported:
St James Church, Milnrow for youth work: £750
Christian Aid for work on poverty around the world: £830
POPS, a North West charity supporting prisoners' partners and families: £660
John Muir Trust, working to conserve wild lands in Scotland: £870
( plus Gift Aid on some donations)
That's a tremendously generous response from all kinds of people - including friends and family, colleagues at work, church members, community contacts and people as varied as 'bed and breakfast' landladies and a passer-by in a car park. To all of you, thanks again for your generosity and I'm sure the money will be very well used.
If you've not visited the blog recently, you'll find extra photos posted- the first week on the Cornish coast, the Midlands and the last weeks through the Highlands. Do have a look!
Friday, 22 October 2010
Friday, 6 August 2010
From Ullapool to Cape Wrath
This was the fourth week of my route through the Highlands - going through some wonderful, dramatic, rough, land but quite hard in the conditions we had. So, on several days, we faced a mix of midges (black swarms assembled to greet you in the morning as you get out of the tent), clegs (biting horse flies that make it very difficult to stop on a sultry day), a quagmire under foot and streams that rose quickly and were difficult to cross. But this was meant to be wild country!
From Ullapool, we had a couple of beautiful days on good paths, moorland and riverside, but ending in a midgy camp in a forest. Then a hard day through dramatic scenery with clegs and quagmires to the comforts of Inchnadamh Lodge - an old shooting lodge restored as a hostel by a benevolent geologist. We didn't expect a shop for four days from this point, so had great delight in opening the food parcel which Beth had sent ahead. The hostel full of charming Dutch families!
Two wet days from Inchnadamh - the second on good stalkers paths on the Duke of Westminster's land. Met a traditional shooting party - ghillies leading ponies and wearing nothing but tweed and worsted cloth in the pouring rain.
We came down off the hills to the little estate village of Achfary and met up with Stephen there - Beth and I were soaked and cold, the stream looked as though it was ready to burst its banks and we were very grateful that Stephen had been able to get the offer of use of the stables to eat our tea - and have a wee dram- before we went to our tents.
Beth took the bus next day - she'd definitely got too cold the day before- but Stephen and I had a rough country walk on a gem of a day to meet up with her again at the Rhichonich hotel.
Two days to the Cape now! The first started on the lanes in drizzle and then down the five miles of track to the wide sweep of Sandwood Bay - probably the grandest and most remote beach on mainland Britain. The rain had stopped and we dawdled on the beach. But we were heading for a bothy northwards and the Sandwood river was running fast. It wasn't deep, but all the stones were smooth and loose, and both Stephen and I fell in, only Beth was wise. So wet shorts and a wet camera to end the day at Strathceallach bothy.
Three streams to cross and a firing range fence to climb on the last cross country day to Cape Wrath, but the water's down and no great difficulties. Sweeping moors nd sea cliffs. And arrival at Cape Wrath? Sounds strange but more a feeling of quiet satisfaction than high triumph - and, I realise now, pretty damn tired! Great, though, to be able to have the whole chain of the journey from Cornwall in mind and memory. And, yes, after the Cape, there's only ocean, big ocean boats rounding this far corner of our island and a misty sea.
There's a small cafe in the old lighthouse cottages and a low key tourist business to shuttle tourists ten miles on the military road from the Kyle of Durness ferry. I had my brief moment as a Cape celebrity - the man who had walked here! We'd planned to catch the minibus in the morning, but that was the day of the Durness Highland Gathering, so no minibus- so our final stage involved a 6a.m. start and 10 mile walk to catch the only ferry of the day to Durness, a visit to the Highland Games and the long journey home.
So mission complete and very, very wonderful it's been. Many, many thanks to all who sponsored me and to all who joined me on part of the journey. It could be some days before I get in touch by email to collect sponsor money and send my thanks to all who sponsored and all who joined me on the walk- but I include, for now, a big thankyou to you all.
From Ullapool, we had a couple of beautiful days on good paths, moorland and riverside, but ending in a midgy camp in a forest. Then a hard day through dramatic scenery with clegs and quagmires to the comforts of Inchnadamh Lodge - an old shooting lodge restored as a hostel by a benevolent geologist. We didn't expect a shop for four days from this point, so had great delight in opening the food parcel which Beth had sent ahead. The hostel full of charming Dutch families!
Two wet days from Inchnadamh - the second on good stalkers paths on the Duke of Westminster's land. Met a traditional shooting party - ghillies leading ponies and wearing nothing but tweed and worsted cloth in the pouring rain.
We came down off the hills to the little estate village of Achfary and met up with Stephen there - Beth and I were soaked and cold, the stream looked as though it was ready to burst its banks and we were very grateful that Stephen had been able to get the offer of use of the stables to eat our tea - and have a wee dram- before we went to our tents.
Beth took the bus next day - she'd definitely got too cold the day before- but Stephen and I had a rough country walk on a gem of a day to meet up with her again at the Rhichonich hotel.
Two days to the Cape now! The first started on the lanes in drizzle and then down the five miles of track to the wide sweep of Sandwood Bay - probably the grandest and most remote beach on mainland Britain. The rain had stopped and we dawdled on the beach. But we were heading for a bothy northwards and the Sandwood river was running fast. It wasn't deep, but all the stones were smooth and loose, and both Stephen and I fell in, only Beth was wise. So wet shorts and a wet camera to end the day at Strathceallach bothy.
Three streams to cross and a firing range fence to climb on the last cross country day to Cape Wrath, but the water's down and no great difficulties. Sweeping moors nd sea cliffs. And arrival at Cape Wrath? Sounds strange but more a feeling of quiet satisfaction than high triumph - and, I realise now, pretty damn tired! Great, though, to be able to have the whole chain of the journey from Cornwall in mind and memory. And, yes, after the Cape, there's only ocean, big ocean boats rounding this far corner of our island and a misty sea.
There's a small cafe in the old lighthouse cottages and a low key tourist business to shuttle tourists ten miles on the military road from the Kyle of Durness ferry. I had my brief moment as a Cape celebrity - the man who had walked here! We'd planned to catch the minibus in the morning, but that was the day of the Durness Highland Gathering, so no minibus- so our final stage involved a 6a.m. start and 10 mile walk to catch the only ferry of the day to Durness, a visit to the Highland Games and the long journey home.
So mission complete and very, very wonderful it's been. Many, many thanks to all who sponsored me and to all who joined me on part of the journey. It could be some days before I get in touch by email to collect sponsor money and send my thanks to all who sponsored and all who joined me on the walk- but I include, for now, a big thankyou to you all.
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Cape to Cape!
I reached Cape Wrath lighthouse at 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon - amazingly on the planned day! After that, you look out and there is only ocean! So the journey is complete and a wonderful feeling that I've made it across the island from end to end.
1280 miles and still fit, but, yes, really quite tired today! Got home at 11 p.m. so I'll put a fuller post up later in the week including news of the last 2 weeks - plenty of Highland weather, fell in the Sandwood river on the final stretch, cooked a camping tea in the Duke of Westminster's memorial porch and were very glad of the shelter of his hay barn. So a few more tales to add...... log in next week for the rest of the news!
I got back home to Littleborough on Saturday night. Jane's father died later that night after a long illness. He had been very supportive of my journey and would have been glad that I had been able to complete it.
1280 miles and still fit, but, yes, really quite tired today! Got home at 11 p.m. so I'll put a fuller post up later in the week including news of the last 2 weeks - plenty of Highland weather, fell in the Sandwood river on the final stretch, cooked a camping tea in the Duke of Westminster's memorial porch and were very glad of the shelter of his hay barn. So a few more tales to add...... log in next week for the rest of the news!
I got back home to Littleborough on Saturday night. Jane's father died later that night after a long illness. He had been very supportive of my journey and would have been glad that I had been able to complete it.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
From Ullapool and a gleaming sea
Thursday 24th July
Looking out over Ullapool harbour on a fine day with a good forecast - just a week to Cape Wrath now! Since Torridon, I've been trekking across the Highlands with Beth and some more rugged days. Yesterday it took us the best part of ten hours to cover ten miles of quagmire and hillside, really difficult conditions underfoot. The day finished with eight miles on the main road, but then a good meal here.
We've had some fantastic, glorious days with mountain views from the bothy door and other bleak, grey days with the cloud closing in. Just a few more midges, but we won't say anything about them. At Shenavall bothy, Phoebe and Neil, reporter and photographer from Trail magazine, arrived to stay the night. So we could be appearing in the November issue!
This will be the last update before the Cape, so be thinking of us. Over 1150 miles and still going!
Looking out over Ullapool harbour on a fine day with a good forecast - just a week to Cape Wrath now! Since Torridon, I've been trekking across the Highlands with Beth and some more rugged days. Yesterday it took us the best part of ten hours to cover ten miles of quagmire and hillside, really difficult conditions underfoot. The day finished with eight miles on the main road, but then a good meal here.
We've had some fantastic, glorious days with mountain views from the bothy door and other bleak, grey days with the cloud closing in. Just a few more midges, but we won't say anything about them. At Shenavall bothy, Phoebe and Neil, reporter and photographer from Trail magazine, arrived to stay the night. So we could be appearing in the November issue!
This will be the last update before the Cape, so be thinking of us. Over 1150 miles and still going!
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