This was the part of our route that I’d been both really looking forward to and really dreading: The Pass of Glen Coe. The A82 climbed endlessly from the camp site until it finally reached “the wiggly bit” that is clearly visible on maps as it nears the summit.
The Pass of Glen Coe passing Loch Tulla
Here, we were greeted by the sight (and sound) of a lone bagpiper set against the spectacular backdrop of the surrounding mountains and valleys. We were going to take a picture but he wanted money for it so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with a photo of us instead!
Us on the Pass of Glen Coe
After reaching the highest point a couple of miles further on, our efforts were rewarded with a down hill that was both steep and over 10 miles long, as we hurtled from over 300m down to almost sea level.
Dan and I have known for a long time that I’m slightly better on the up hills but he’s faster on the downs, and the difference was never more visible than today. I’d found the climb long and was tired at the top, but by the time I’d chased Dan down the other side, peddling as hard as I could all the way, I was lagging behind by about a quarter or a mile and more exhausted than I had been at the top. Dan also commented that the down had been good but the up had seemed longer, while I’d felt that the down seemed to have been impossibly long, given how far we’d climbed. Mobile internet here’s too slow to consult the detailed map and discover the truth, but I suspect there isn’t much in it.
Rolling down hill, surrounded by menacing clouds
After cycling through Fort William, we got a call from Graham to say that he’d found a different camp site because the Scout site we had planned to stay at not only had no hot showers (we already knew that), in fact it had no showers at all… or toilets, or water supply, or anything at all except grass. We ended up at a commercial site in almost exactly the same place but on the other side of the valley, where another kind neighbour allowed us to charge our laptop batteries so we could continue blogging.
Dark clouds hovered menacingly over the hills on all sides, all day, but we didn’t get wet and even enjoyed a few spells of sunshine.
Uncertain weather over Loch Linnhe viewed from Onich
