Day 2 - Saturday 7th May
Ceann a Chreagain to Inchree
(19km / 170m ascent)
That was a cold night - I woke to ice on the flysheet at about two in the morning, needing a pee. Once outside the starlight was wonderful - virtually no moon and so the stars were as bright as diamonds.
A good lie-in but the sun was not going to appear over the ridge for a while so I decided to carry on and have breakfast rather than wait for the sun to melt the icy tent. Porridge, cheese and biscuits, hot orange, coffee and a couple of breakfast bars. That should get the food-bag down in size! Phil is notorious for his late starts, but he was pretty good this morning and we were away at a reasonable time and making our way up the glen to Lochan a Chothruim. We had a little river crossing on the way - a little gushy stream that was fantastically cold but refreshing then an early break to dry out the tents in the cool breeze before we headed off down Glen Gour.
I had heard so many stories of Glen Gour over the ten years I had been doing the Challenge - virtually all of them of the 'Here be Dragons!' type. I had allowed a whole day out of respect for these stories.
How wrong could they be! But I am so glad I allowed a day to enjoy it.
Glen Gour was a true delight. Dancing streams, roaring linns, wonderful rock architecture and a streamside path that came and went as you needed it. Flowers and new growth all around.
Loch Linnhe was soon in view and we picked up a good track to speed us on our way passed the old dishevelled dam and the road.
photo © Phil Lambert
We have a simple rule to help us on our Challenges - never pass a pub or tea-shop without calling in, and so we knocked back ice creams from the village shop at Clovullin sitting on the step in the hot sunshine.
It was only a short step from there to the pub at Corran and we decided to miss a few ferries in the pub with Mike Daniels and Di Wooffindin.
We popped in to the pub at the other side of the ferry but decided to only have the one as we were looking forward to a good meal later at Inchree. Our B&B was wonderful and the meal later at the restaurant was first class. Phil's leg was holding him up fine and so we drank to his leg.
