In hindsight

I've put a full account of my walk so far, complete with pictures, on the walkhighlands website, click here to see it.  I will be uploading one here but it takes time...!

To be continued...

Thanks to some problems which need dealing with at home, I've had to cut my trip short for the time being.  I managed to walk from Glenfinnan to Cluanie over 3-and-a-half days, some 80km, and climbed two munros and a corbett en route.  I fully intend to pick up where I left off when time permits, although it may not be for a couple of weeks.  Watch this space for a full account of the Stravaig so far, complete with pictures...

Hello everyone! Today Ben went up Gairich which was a lovely easy scramble to the top and the view was fantastic with hills in every direction for miles. He saw a golden eagle and two ptarmigan. After having lunch at Quoich Dam he started heading along the north shore. More updates soon!!

Hello everyone. Whilst my husband is off on his big adventure, I will be posting updates on his progress. Yesterday, upon arriving to Glenfinnan, Ben walked to A'Chuil and spent the night in a
the bothy. By 11am today he had reached Glen Kingie and proceeded to climb Sgurr Mor (Munro) and Sgurr An Fhuarain, which is a corbett just to the East of Sgurr Mor. Thanks to the weight of his pack, he thought it best to leave it at the bottom of the climb and retrieve it on his way down from Sgurr Mor. Due to the heavy wind and rain he was forced to alter his route slightly and is no longer going to go to Knoydart, instead he will spend the tonight in the bothy at Kinbreack. More updates soon!

Mmm

Last one of these for a while!

1 day to go

Unfortunately, due to the nature of modern life, sadly sometimes it's necessary to make sacrifices.  In this case, due to an absolutely unavoidable work commitment, I have had to revise my plan from the original Aberfoyle to Cape Wrath route to a (slightly) more modest Cape Wrath Trail variation (still over 200 miles through some of the wildest and remotest land in Britain- contrary to the name it's not a marked trail), with an annoying split in the middle to spend a week with an extremely well reputed Scottish orchestra (though that will deduct from the annoyance).  I still fully intend to climb as many peaks as possible, and hope to reach Ullapool before joining the orchestra, finishing the route after my time with them.

And, having just got back from a week of work in London and Europe, that means I've got only today for my final preparations for the Stravaig.  Today's checklist is as follows:

- Prepare individual maps for the whole route, complete with escape routes and alternatives
- Organise transport to Glenfinnan and back from Ullapool (with alternatives from further South if I don't make Ullapool (Cluanie, Glen Carron, Kinlochewe)
- Give my route details to my wife so that she knows where I should be and knows when to get worried if she doesn't hear from me
- Explore possible rendezvous en route, and send some supplies ahead
- Buy batteries and a new headtorch (mine died), and the rest of my supplies that I haven't got already
- Sleep well!


When I'm away there will be a couple of other people keeping the blog up to date on my behalf, so you'll hopefully be able to keep updated on my progress.


And it'll all be worthwhile thanks to your continuing donations to this brilliant cause!

Ben Ledi

Went up Ben Ledi from Callander today. It was lovely until the weather got foul! Now we're sitting waiting for the bus in the rain getting midged, yum.