3 - 8 October

3^rd Oct 2014

Although I was sleeping in the shelter of some trees it seemed like I was sleeping in a jet engine test facility. Very early in the morning the wind really picked up heavily rustling the trees with a roar and the rain came down hard. Burying my head into my sleeping bag and using my rnli fleece as extra warmth I somehow managed to get back to sleep. The following morning though all was calm. A small steam I'd camped next to was a fast flowing river. The heavens must have dump gallons of water during the night and it was all now funnelling down this small creek. I checked the socks I'd been trying to dry over the past couple of days and was thankful that I now had three pairs completely dried and my boots weren't too bad either. It was a good start to the day.

After rehydrating breakfast I packed up and set off determined to cover as many miles as possible and hoping to try and get back to the coast at the other end of the loch. Following the road I came upon some chestnut trees, laying on the road were dozens of sweet chustnuts ready to throw on to hot coals and roast. A sign that winter was jus around the corner. Continuing along the road I found a small footbridge that took me over a river I'd been following and a short path the other side lead me to the road I would need to take to get me to the headland where I could rejoin the coastal trek. Crossing the river I looked along, the water was flowing quickly due to the heavy rain and as it passed over the rocks it created some fantastic rapids. I wondered what it would be like to take hoolley for a paddle but decided I didn't have time to play and for that matter I wasn't carrying a brain bucket to protect my barnet should I get into trouble and capsize. Putting the idea to the back of my mind I set off following the road. It was going to be a long hike but at least it would be an easy one. Hiking along the road I passed a hotel and feeling a little thirsty decided to pop in for a coffee and to charge up my phone and battery pack. Using their wifi I was also able to upload a couple of videos I'd produced during the days previous.

Filling my water bottle and hydration bladder with fresh water and after a couple of coffees I headed along the road stopping every so often to look across at the other side trying to see where I'd been. A little further along I came across a magnificent waterfall, gallons of water flowing over the rocks every second. The sun was going down quickly and I still wanted to get a good few miles in and despite my backpack being particularly uncomfortable I picked up the pace. It wasn't long before I needed to put the head torch on to light my way along the road. After a good few more miles my left leg began to quiver, the muscle at the back above the knee was feeling the strain and realising that I'd probably pushed my body to its limits I found a spot of grass nearby beneath a tree to stop and setup camp. The evenings were definitely getting colder so I decided to climb into my sleeping bag fully clothed and use my fleece jacket as a small blanket to help keep me warm. Although I hadn't quite made it to the coast as I would have liked I could see it and feeling quite pleased happily settled in for the night ready to make a hard push around the headland the following day.

6^th Oct 2014

It was extremely cold that night and I was glad I'd decided to keep my clothes on. I could expect the temperatures to drop consistently now to as low as -20 with the potential of snow fall and winds upto 120 mph within months. I'd not planned to be this far north during the winter and would have to keep an eye on the weather patterns to make sure I stayed healthy and fit. Waking up the following morning I made myself breakfast packed my gear and called Debbie from the laide post office to see if my supplies had arrived. I was running low but knew I could easily survive at least two more days with what I had left. Debbie sounded quite chirpy on the phone and whilst we were chatting rooted through the deliveries she'd recieved that morning. Thankfully the parcel had arrived and understanding my situation she suggested that if I didn't make it to the village before they closed she would place the rations in a box behind the shop for me to collect when I eventually arrived.

Feeling determined to get around the coast and collect the supplies I grabbed my pack and set off continuing along the road I'd hiked the night before until it took me a small gravel track at the end. The track wouldn't take me all the way though and a fair hike across wet marsh land would provide the first challenge of the day. Having to carefully plot my way I needed to try and keep my boots as dry as possible to reduce the risk of getting foot rot. Skipping across the tufts of solid peat and staying on higher ground away from the bogs meant weaving through the marsh until I finally arrived back at the coast, the ground along the cliffs generally more solid and drier than that inland. It was then a fairly easy walk around the headland of the peninsula other than the stresses my damaged backpack was causing to my shoulders and back. The pain in my right shoulder and back was becoming excruciating and I was stopping more and more often to take breaks in order to relax my muscles.

With the discomfort increasing the further I walked I decided to stop to see if there was anything I could do to make a temporary fix or adjust to distribute the weight more evenly. I took the pack off and had a look at the damage and a long hard think about what i could use to improve things. The primary buckle on one side was missing and my repairs to the secondary buckle appeared to be holding up. On the other side the secondary buckle was broken but the primary buckle was still in tact. By making uneven adjustments to the two buckles I had left I was able to even out the stresses on the shoulder straps which was a vast improvement on what I'd had to deal with. Feeling reasonably happy with the changes I put my pack on and continued with the trek. After a few miles I began to notice how much better it felt and had begun to make much better ground. I was still in pain but I found I wasn't needing to stop as much as before.

The further round the headland I walked the terrain became less vigorous and I found myself getting closer to the shoreline and eventually able to walk across the rocks above the sea which made the hike considerably easier.

I was now confronted by an adam proof fence. 7 feet tall with two rows of barbed wire. There was no way I would be able to climb it so I headed along the fence towards the sea hoping that I'd be able to somehow shimmy around the end. As luck would have it the fence had been damaged at the coast and there was just enough room for me to squeeze round the last post to the other side and continue along the rocks which lead me to a small sandy beach. There was a small river running down from the hills behind but rocks laying across made it simple to negotiate. Following the beach around I was then confronted by another fence, this one impassable. Turning back I headed for the dunes and up to the road and viewpoint above.

From the viewpoint I began to walk along the road looking for a way back down to the coast as I did I thought to myself how funny it would be if I bumped into Diane a follower of the trek who'd said she lived in the area and would be looking out for me. A silver car passed me by and pulled into the car park, with the road ahead clear I put my head down and marched off. A couple of minutes later I heard a slight cough from behind me. A gentleman clutching a white plastic bag and looking rather out of breath had marched after me. I stopped and turned to him hoping everything was alright. "Are you alan? My wife is following you on YouTube or something". "yes I'm Adam" I replied with a smile. Looking back down the road I realised that the Diane was stood alongside the silver car and had told her husband to catch up with me to give me a few munchies to help get me by until I picked up my supplies from the post office.

Although I was on a mission to reach the post office and shop before they closed it would have to wait, I couldn't go on without first going back to at least say thank you and meet Diane who'd gone to the trouble of putting the bag of goodies together for me and sending her husband off to catch up with me. It was an honour and a privilege to meet such a lovely and kind couple and a rare experience for me as I have only met a few trek followers since leaving Southampton back in March. After having a lovely chat I had to head off, racing against the clock and knowing that I'd potentially hard time getting to the shop before closing time. I marched off again looking for a way to get back to the waters edge but had only got a short way before I realised I'd not got a photo of Diane. Quickly turning to call back I realised that they'd already got back into their car and driven off. I was a little disappointed but hoped that I'd once again meet them while I was still in the area.

Continuing along the road it didn't take long before I spotted a gate, on first appearance it looked like it lead to someones private residence so not wanting to disturb their privacy I carried on. Just around the corner though I found another smaller gate that lead to a footbridge crossing a small river. The bridge was a suspension bridge and well maintained spanning from one bank to another. It looked like a public right of way and didn't look like I'd disturb anyone so I went through it and crossed the bridge. Getting about half way across the bridge it began to bounce as if it were on springs, a sensation very similar to walking across a trampoline. On the far side and before tackling the rugged wilderness of the wild headland ahead of me I decided to peek inside the bag Diane had handed me. Inside was a pasta meal for one, an apple and pear, a bag of home made brownies and a reel of thread. Extremely well thought out. I put the brownies in my pocket to eat as I hike and tucked into the pasta and fruit. The sun was beginning to shine and the sky was clear. Feeling adventurous I set off following a small trail down to the shore. Reaching the shore I looked ahead at the rocks leading around the headland and decided that I'd possibly be able to make it all the way round. The tide was coming in and I knew I had very little time to make my way. I set off across the rocks traversing the cliffs as needed until I found myself stopped in my tracks. With the water butting right up to a vertical rock face with no hand or foot holds I was unable to go any further along. Looking above I decided I'd have to climb up out of my little prison and continue on my way over the headland. With my pack breaking apart I was a little hesitant but hoped it would at least hold together while I made the climb, in my head I ran through a couple of fatal scenarios should the pack break up. In essence it boiled down to ditching the pack should it end up throwing me off balance. I practiced unbuckling and dropping the pack with each hand making sure it was possible while still holding on to a rock with the other hand I then chose a route up the rocks to the headland that would be the least challenging and non technical. I couldn't see all the way to the top but far enough to feel confident. I then began the climb. Nearing the top and beyond the point I'd plotted in my head I continued until I reached boulders covered in heather and brambles. These obstacles I couldn't see from the ground but I had a good idea that I'd encounter them so was at least mentally prepared. Slowly and carefully I made my way through the wild plants until I eventually scrambled my way to the top. I now needed to traverse around a few small rock faces until I reached the steep slopes the other side. Sitting down on top of a slope I took my pack off and looked across at the stunning view of three beaches and a couple of islands below. It was well worth the effort I had made getting up there. A view probably nobody has ever seen. I now had to somehow make my way down without accidentally falling over a cliff top obscured by ferns, brambles or heather. It was a gradual descent that I took very carefully making sure I was never too close to anything that looked too steep or in fact vertical. Reaching the bottom I had one more obstacle I really hadn't counted on. A deer proof fence. "Bloody typical", I may have said it out loud. I climbed the fence and eventually found myself safely back at sea level on the sand. Looking across the water I could see the road snaking its way up the next section of coast. The rock faces to steep to traverse or climb and I knew that I'd have no choice but to follow it. I headed across the beach and followed the footprints other visitors had left leading up an enormous dune and through some woods to the road. My adventures for the day were over from here all I would need to do would be to follow the road around until I reached laide and hope that I'd get there before closing time. It didn't take long at all before I reached the village of second coast, then first coast. I could see laide a mile or so away and it seemed I'd made good time. Surprisingly I arrived at the post office and shop a few minutes before closing time. As I walked through the door a little voice from behind the shelves said "let me guess...are you adam? ". Debbie had been expecting me and had the little supply box to hand. We chatted about the challenge and my supplies as well as the places I'd ve heading for next while I rummaged round getting a few bits to take on such as coffee, although not the 3 in 1 ones I usually got, and packets of sweets.

Fully stocked up I headed out side to pack everything into my pack, as I did Debbie mentioned that I might see a nato exercise going on in the next loch over the next few days. Laying my pack down and opening the ration box I began to pack everything away as I normally did only this time the sides of my pack split open. I couldn't believe it, yet another trek victim. This looked serious. I wasn't sure how I was going to continue with my backpack completely damaged. It was nearing the evening now so I decided I'd carry my pack like an injured child, a 25kg injured child, to the near by burial ground where there was a little shelter and some grass I could pitch my tent on. Wondering how I could fix the bag I crawled into my sleeping bag to get some rest.

8^th Oct 2014

It was still blowing a gale the following morning. Summer had most definitely ended and autumn had been passed by, I was now entering the Scottish winter months something I had wanted to try to avoid but misjudging the difficulty of the challenge I would have to prepare myself for short days, cold nights and wet and windy days. I knew I didn't have the right gear to handle the extreme weather conditions I'd be facing and the kit I had with me, damaged, breaking and broken would make simply surviving even more difficult. Outside the wind was howling and it was raining lightly, I started by having breakfast and a hot drink. Climbing out of the tent I could see that the more exposed parts of the bay were taking the full force of the weather and that I was only feeling a small percentage of the winds force in the shelter of the valley behind the stone walls. Packing away the tent was a real struggle and something I knew I would have to eventually master under extreme conditions. I left my little home for the night and followed the stream back along looking for a place to safely cross and continue on the trek. I'd walked about 300 yards when I spotted some large boulders lodged between the banks of the stream and used them to cross over. The ground was soaking with patches of dead ferns and puddles of peaty water amongst rocks and grassy mounds. Trying to keep to the high ground as much as possible and away from the wet marshy patches I managed to keep my boots from getting too wet. I headed up into the hills with the knowledge I'd need to cross three high ridges before I'd reach a small village and the road that ran along the edge of the loch to Aultbea.

The wind was as strong if not stronger than the wind that had blown me off my feet chipping my tooth a some days before. Reaching the top of the first crest I felt the full force of the wind as it struck me and my pack knocking me sideway. I wasn't able to walk in a straight line and at times found it hard to breath. Tucking myself down behind a large boulder I took a break and tried to plan a safe route across the basin in front of me to the next ridge. Trying to estimate the speed of the wind by picturing it as a speeding car and imagining the wind blowing off a train as you wait at the platform I guessed it must have been around 60 mph. It certainly wasn't a breeze and it was considerably stronger than anything I had really ever felt before. It was difficult looking ahead from behind the boulder, my vision blurred and I could feel tears forming in my eyes but not from sadness or fear purely from the force of the gales. It took some time before I felt comfortable with my choice of route to the next ridge and working out the best place to then climb it before seeing the next challenge of the day.

With the wind dying off briefly I made haste to get down from where I was into and across the basin. Making my way down the wind constantly battering me, my pack acting like the tail on a weather vein twisting my body and causing me to slip off rocks and down slopes. Reaching the basin I found the wind, although still blowing hard mostly passed overhead, the ridge protecting me a providing me with cover and shelter. I began to climb up among the large stones and boulders and stopped about halfway up. I hadn't walked far that day, just a few miles but already I was feeling tired and worn out. As I rested I thought to myself that maybe I would have been better staying at the bay that morning instead of being pinned down on a small ledge. I looked behind me up at the rest of the climb and wondered what I'd be faced with when I got there. I couldn't stay where I was, it was too exposed and I only had a couple of miles to go before I'd be lower down at the village I was heading for. Feeling a little rested I decided to get my ass into gear and get going. I climbed near to the top and leant forward head on to the wind. Quickly scoping the terrain ahead I forced my way against the gales and made my way over the top and down the slope the other side. From the top of the crest I could see houses less than a mile away, much closer than I'd expected. At the bottom of the slope I followed the basin along towards a small fence. I figured that if I followed the fence I would eventually find a gate or track I could follow.

The clouds were beginning to part and the sun was starting to shine through. After a short while I came across a gate leading me from the wilderness into a field of short grass. On the far side was another gate and a small white van. I crossed the field and went to pass the van when I bumped into a farmer. "A wee bit gusty today" he said. He wasn't wrong. We talked loudly to get above the noise of the gales blowing passed our ears and I asked how fast he thought it was. He'd heard on the local radio that it was supposedly around 70 mph. I hadn't been that far out with my estimations.

I was now away from the coast and passed the mouth of the loch which meant I could use the road that ran alongside the loch to get to Aultbea where I decided I would stop for the night. The wind was still blowing hard but it didn't seem as strong the further down the loch I hiked. At a guess I'd say I must have walked about 5 miles before reaching Aultbea. Wanting to get a charge on my phone and boosting the power monkey battery I headed for the local hotel passing some historic information boards on the way.

Loch ewe was a very important place during the second world war and was used by the navy as a base for the famous Arctic convoys. Today each year nato still use it to practice maneuvers and coordinate military activities. Its said that during the war efforts of the second world war there were so many ships in the loch you could almost walk from one side of the loch to the other without getting wet. In fact there is still an unexploded anti boat bomb laying at the bottom of the loch today placed there by a german u boat. The wind had died off dramatically now since the morning and went off to the hotel. It was about lunch time and I was beginning to feel a little hungry. Wanting to preserve my rations I decided I'd get a plate of chips and a drink.

In the bar I met mark and lisa, who were from navy logistics and at Aultbea to help organise equipment and kit for this years nato exercise that would run for the next two weeks. Unpacking my chargers from my pack I noticed one of the side pockets zips had broken and although it was zipped up the zipper was open. Reaching in to pull out my usb chargers so that I could charge my phone and solar charger I discovered that one was missing which meant that now I'd only be able to charge one device at a time. Ordering a second drink I managed to stay in the bar until evening trying to get a good top up on the solar charger, the hotel did breakfasts so I figured I could top my phone up the following morning. Needing to make a phone call I went outside to the car park to get a signal, while I was there Diane and her husband pulled up. They lived in the village and saw me there as they passed and had stopped for a chat. I was also able to get the photo I had forgotten to take the day before. It was quite unexpected and really nice to chat this time more relaxed. After Diane and her husband left I went back into the bar and as I sat typing away mark and lisa left to carry on with organising military stuff and a retired couple with their well travelled friend came in. Fascinated by the trek we chatted and they treated me to some of the hotels home made cheese cake with ice cream, it was delicious. As night fell the bar closed early so I headed across the road looking for a place to camp. Finding a small sheltered area near but not to close to the river I pitched up and climbed in. That night the temperature dropped, popping out of the tent in the early hours to water the garden I noticed I'd had a visit from jack frost. A definite sign that winter was on its way.

The following morning I woke around 6:45 am, my sleeping bag was cold and wet. Thinking it was a little odd I rolled over and somehow the ground felt different. It moved like a water bed and sure enough there was water inside the tent. I quickly got up and out of my sleeping bag and went to check the area around the tent. The ground was sodden, the river was tidal and what I hadn't realised was that on that particular night it was the higgest tide of the year and although I was well away from the river bank and nicely elevated the tide had come in and was now just a couple of inches from the tent. The peaty ground soaking up the water turning the area into a marsh. Hastily I packed away my gear and using my towel dried off the ground sheet and sleeping mat. By the time I was finished the hotel had opened its doors for breakfast so I went over to charge my phone and take advantage of the menu. Cereal, fruit, coffee and a full Scottish. Whilst sat there finishing off mark and lisa came down from their rooms and had their breakfast. They'd had problems connecting to the Internet with their laptop and hadn't been able to rectify the issue so had opted for an old fashioned paper based system. After breakfast, leaving my pack at the hotel I went to the shop to get a few extra supplies, my next nearest shop would be about two days a way in Gairloch.

Now with pretty much everything I needed other than gas I set off from the hotel following the road round the loch, stopping at a view point looking over the military refueling depot I met up with the trio I'd met the night before. They'd seen me taking a break and had pulled over briefly to say goodbye and leave me with a packet of cashew nuts. It was a very brief goodbye and a complete surprise. The weather was completely different to that of the day before, it was calm and reasonably sunny although a bit overcast. I set off to a small village called pullewe where I'd need to turn off and follow the road up to the top of the peninsula. As I walked the winding road it began to spit rain, but at least it wasn't windy. Passing a camp site I stopped to see if there shop sold any gas, it was closed. On the door was a small notice with the local weather forecast printed. It looked like the rain was here to stay for the rest of the week although the wind would only reach 10 - 11 mph. I decided to put on my wet weather gear which to be frank was probably pointless due to the fact it no longer kept water out, the inner linings had worn away completely and both the jacket and trousers either had rips or the seems had gone.

I was quite amazed when I passed yet another shop. I really wasn't expecting to see so many in such a short space of time. I knew that once I was further south and the population increased I'd see more but not this far north. I popped in on the off chance that maybe I'd be able to get gas but unfortunately they didn't stock it and suggested I tried the camp site that I'd just visited.

I knew i had enough gas to last me a few days at least and figured that if necessary I'd have to try to make a fire or rehydrate the rations with cold water as a last resort. Taking shelter from the rain behind the shop I made a quick call to two lochs radio as suggested by Diane, to see if I could get some local exposure. The fella on the end of the line had recieved an email about the trek, although he hadn't read it, but at least he was aware. Asking where I was and when I'd be near tge station he was surprised to hear that it would take me two days to walk the 2 and a half miles from pullewe to Gairloch. Most round Britain walkers he met in the passed didn't bother with the peninsulas and often skipped passed taking the easier route. Inviting me to the studio we decided that I'd pop in on the Thursday evening live show which would give me plenty of time to make my way round the top to the coast and back down to the village. For me the walk from pullewe to Gairloch would be closer to 20 miles.

It was still raining as I left pullewe and the water was beginning to seep through my waterproof trousers and feeling cold against my skin. Stopping to take a quick look at a pill Box built into some rocks who should be passing by in a white van but mark and lisa. They pulled up and offered me a lift. Naturally I declined. They were heading to the end of the peninsula sight seeing. After a very brief chat they went on their way and I carried on with the walk. About an hour later, driving the other way I saw them again. Pulling over I asked them what I could expect to find at the end of the road. Apparently I would come across an old gunnery emplacement but I still had a good few miles to hike before I got there. I couldn't let them leave this time without getting a quick photo for the blog. As they left I chuckled to my self, I don't think I'd seen anyone so many times in different places as them and was trying to work out how I'd enter it into my journal.

A little further along the rain still coming down but more heavily now a black car pulled up alongside me. Driven by freda, a local nurse. I would guess she felt sorry for me and offered me a lift stating that the road was in fact a dead end. Obviously I knew this and once again I graciously declined her offer. Before she carried on freda invited me to stop by her house which was a little further on in the glen just off the road for a cup of tea and a bite to eat. This I accepted whole heartedly. It took me less than 10 minutes to get to the house where freda invited me in and introduced me to her little dog scamp. The kettle was on and freda had pulled out sausages, beans and tatties to make me a hot meal before sending me on my way. It was a welcome break and a chance to once again top up my phone charge. We had a good natter about the area and freda showed me pictures of the glen and her croft during the winter months. With snow on the ground and amazing sunsets I could see why she loved the village of cove so much. It was getting late now, around 5pm so I decided I'd need to head off and make use of whatever light was left of the day. Before I left though freda packed up some homemade shortbread and gave me a box of Thorntons toffee to take with me. I collected my phone and charger only to realise that it hadn't worked. I could only assume rain had gotten inside and now the only usb mains charger I had left was damaged. Possibly permanently, I'd need to dry it out thoroughly before I knew for certain but I didn't know how long that could possibly be. From here on I would have to rely entirely on solar power which to be frank wasn't ideal considering winter was approaching and the days were getting shorter.

As I left fredas it was still raining hard, I did feel confident that I'd at least make it to the gunnery emplacement around dusk quite easily following the road and that I could then tackle the coast the following morning. Nearing the end of the road I was met by a gentleman in a white van, freda had called ahead to her brother roto and let him know I was on my way. Roto was dressed head to foot in MOD issue army attire and had come out to find me bringing with him an army 24 hour ration pack, a bag of fruit, some clean, dry army trousers and a heavy duty army jacket. He'd also hand drawn a map showing the location of a small improvised shelter he'd built out of a couple of old industrial fish tanks which were sat in a bay along the coast. Inside were tins of food, a gas cooker, tea, coffee and all manner of other useful items. As we chatted and I was given instructions a young lad, jimmy pulled up on his quad. Roto explained that I was heading to his grotto and the challenge I'd taken on and asked jimmy if he could take my bag on his quad over to the shelter while I made my way in foot. It was getting dark by this time and without the additional weight of the pack I'd make better progress. Leaving my kit with roto I set off following the map and crossing the extremely wet and boggy terrain to reach the shelter. It was getting difficult to see anything now but somehow I managed to find my way and met up with jimmy not far from the shelter near the coast. After collecting my kit and the othet bits and pieces roto had sent I made my way from the bogs over large slippery stones and boulders along the bay to find the shelters.

The shelters were amazing there were three, a small tin up turned water tank, a small plastic fish tank and rotos grotto, two large industrial fish tanks joined together with a small camp bunk and a little kitchen area. Entering the shelter I immediately stripped off my wet clothes and put on the dry army issue trousers and jacket to keep me warm. I looked around and found the water bottle that had been left there and immediately started heating up the army issued rations. The shelter although quite small was amazingly homely and I settled in quite happily. Using kitchen towel that was hung on a roll I screwed up some sheets and stuffed them into my boots. A little tilly lamp provided me with light as I searched for my candle which it appears I must have lost through the split In the side of my pack. It was 7:30 now and pitch black outside.

Again it was a cold night so I slept in my clothes but at least I was inside a solid shelter out of the elements.

I slept well and in the morning heated up some more of the rations roco had given me before checking my kit. It was still all wet and my so called quick drying trousers wet very damp. With two days to get to Gairloch I decided I'd stop at the shelter during the day to allow things to dry out and take a days break. I had everything I needed and I hoped it would be a good chance to get a better charge on my solar charger. It also gave me the chance to catch up on my blogs which I'd fallen a few days behind on.