13th -14th January

13th January day 314

The snow was falling heavily as I prepared myself for the short hike over the hills,  through the forest and down to Carsaig. Checking the weather forecasts for the following days it was obvious the snow wasn't going to be stopping anytime soon. Heading off into the isolation of the wild away from any signs of civilisation was a risky decision and not one to be taken lightly.

From the bridge I followed the canal that queen Victoria once travelled to the nearby village of crinan. Beneath my feet the snow scrunched with a crispand satisfying sound. Snow flakes began falling swirling as they did with the light breeze to lay on the path ahead. It was only a couple of miles before I arrived at the coast again and at the start of the days wilderness forest walk to Carsaig. Across from the harbour on the islands opposite snow was capping the landscape. I wondered as I sat for a short break whether there was enough fresh powder to snowboard the peaks off piste and how much fun it would be finding out. Then i felt an incredible urge to embrace my inner child. It was long and before me stood harold the snowman. Had the snow been deeper i would have probably made a snow angel too.

Continuing along the forest track enjoying the winter wonderland I heard the roar of wind through the trees. A few minutes later and I was engulfed in snow as a blizzard took hold.

Thankfully it was an easy hike following the forest tracks and the blizzard passed over relatively quickly. After a couple of miles and another snow storm i began to descend from the hills to lower ground and back towards the coast. My left shoulder was beginning to hurt again, it wasa problem i had endured now for quite some time and knew it would continue til i made it back to Southampton.

Carsaig bay was now in sight,  with one last push and jiggle of my pack i soldiered towards it, the final leg of the day.

14th Jan day 315

Fresh snow lay thinly on the ground and thunder clapped like a nuclear explosion a few miles away. Deciding to wait till the storm passed I eventually left Carsaig bay around 12:30 and made my way along the western coastline. About half a mile into the days journey I was stopped in my tracks where cliffs met the waters edge. Startling some sheep I watched as they darted through a gap in an old stone wall I was following. It looked as though that would be my only way round without having to head back the way I had come. The only problem was that I would have to ascend a small rocky wall to get to the top of the hills behind and continue on. The rubber trousers I was wearing although waterproof were extremely restrictive as was the thick fishermans floatation jacket. The climb was considerably more difficult than it would have been if I'd been wearing the right gear. My bulky pack also caused me difficulty catching on the branches of trees growing out from the face. Despite almost loosing my balance and falling I soldiered through to emerge at the top.

After a couple of miles hiking the baron wilderness the weather changed quite dramatically and as night began to fall it became apparent that I wouldn't make it to the safety of the woods on the island of Dana. Spotting a couple of ruins across a small bay I decided to seek shelter. Looking around the old stone buildings I could see setting up camp would be difficult. Behind the second ruin I spotted a small stone wall which provided some protection from the wind which was building up to quite a force. Laying nearby were fallen branches which I bound together using the cable ties I'd been given by roto some months before. It was far from perfect but laying and Tieing the tarp over the top I managed to construct a small bivouac just large enough to sit under out of the ensuing storm.

It was going to be a long and uncomfortable night with temperatures near freezing,  the rain driving between the gaps in the wall and the wind hammering on the tarp. Not sure if I'd survive the night I made myself up a chilli con carne and coffee and hoped the weather would die down before I did.

Getting a few hours sleep I was sharply awaken around 2:30am by a the deafening sound of the tarp as incredible gusts of wind hit camp. As I lay beneath  estimating the force of the gusts at around 50-60mph I wondered if there would be anything left of my shelter in the morning.