Day 1... ooop norff without a paddle

 

Plans for Iceland having been put on hold until the summer, I loaded up my car... with much more kit than I take for 4 weeks. never mind 2.. and set off on Plan B... the Outer Hebrides via a loch somewhere in the highlands. The plan involved trying to get to the middle of nowhere with few people and also involved an impossibly early start of up at 4am, load the kayak and bike and set off by 5am.

It was only when I had reached a point too far to turn back did I realise... I had left my paddle at home. Not quite the proverbial shit creek, because I had packed my spare one.. but it did make me laugh. Of all the things to forget... can you imagine dragging my kayak the length of the country only to. find that I couldnt use it! Fortunately the spare is quite adequate.

The first part of the journey ooop norff (yup I'm gonna keep saying it like that) was familiar and a bit of a grind... A34, M40, M42, M6... so familiar. Fortunately it was a Sunday so no usual gridlock. Then past Brum.. as usual.. the rain started falling.... and essentially hasnt stopped yet!

That aside I was looking forward to getting to my favourite bit of the M6... the bit that wimds its way through the lakes, easily the prettiest bit of motorway in the uk..

Seeing the hills rise high above.. ok so they were covered in cloud and it was tipping down but still... it did make me smile and long to jump out of the car and go lose myself there. But onward I pressed.

Carlise brought a welcome stop with chai latte and a catch up with Nic and David, who due to Covid etc etc etc I havent seen for a loong time. We sat in the costa and caught up, laughing over some of our escapades and vowing to repeat them sometime soon.

Then back on the road... 5 hours driving done.. 5 to go.

Once I crossed over the border memories came flooding back but no bitter pain or disappointment.. (hands up who got the reference). Instead I was filled with nostalgia for the time I hauled my bike from Snowdon to Ben Nevis, camping as I went. I could remember it all so well that I could pick out my camping spots as I passed...

On the layby by the first house in Gretna.. near the bridge of orchy where I woke up at 4 am and packed my tent away swatting the midges as I went.... I could even remember cycling along that road and picking out possible camping spots.

As I passed Ben, standing silent and shrouded with cloud, I remembered reaching the campsite, my journey done... I remember Dave coming over to say hello, I remember getting up at 4am to start the ascent of the grand old Ben with Mike and Jules and the rest of the LHS walkers. 

Ben does not remember the 4 times I have trudged up his paths but always he has been good to me

Just beyond that, a poignant memorial to the Commandos... a staue of three men looking out towards the snow capped Ben Nevis with a memorial garden where messages and pictures were left.

Onwards I went through the rain, winding roads and thoughts about the journey ahead. Different than my usual, I must remember that this is a holiday... I am on no real schedule....

Finally I arrived at the campsite... yup it was still raining... to find it fairly crowded. Bikes were lined up against the fence and I remebered that the North Coast 500 went past here.  Unfortunately it meant that there were more people. around than i hoped, but I managed to find a reasonably quiet corner. 

Setting up the tent was reasonably easy... once I had re remembered how to do it... ot didnt take long to sort and then I forced myself to get out my stove and cook some hot dinner... forced because I was knackered and wanted to curl up in my sleeping bag. Nonetheless I fired up the stove, shoved a few spoons of water at the bottom. and proceeded to heat up the packet rice... threw in some cut up salami and hey presto. 

It wasnt the most appetizing of meals to be fair, but it was quick, easy and essentially hot and food, which would do the job. 

I had intended to try out some other meals on my little stove, something other than pasta, to see what works and what doesnt. 

Abroad you are very limited as to what you find in foreign lands which usually means I eat pasta... not a bad thing... but some variation would be good. 

I curled up in my sleeping bag with a massive headache from tiredness and slightly cold... but soon conked out. 

Fingers crossed the rain stops soon!