Fort William

The final day was just 15 miles, but the forecast for snow was slightly worrying. Not enough to interrupt a deep 8 hour sleep though.
Checking out time was 10am, so I stayed as long as possible and set off at 10am. The first 20 mins was steep uphill and I caught a group of four half way up. I stayed with them to the top, as the snow began to fall. It had snowed overnight and the hills all around were white.
I pushed on and the next three hours were the most memorable of the whole walk. I was climbing on a track that reminded me of Agneash track. The enormous mountains on either side were shrouded in cloud and the snow was settling on the track. I knew there was a lot of climbing ahead and I was concerned by two things. The grip on my boots was worn and any icy descents would be sketchy. Also, my gloves weren’t waterproof. My hands were already cold. Stop worrying Steve and enjoy the walk!
After about half an hour the snow stopped and the sun came out. It lasted 25 minutes and it was magical. The landscape was incredible. The snow softened the surroundings and it was breathtaking. I was so lucky to experience such conditions. What a difference to the day before.
I passed a few more walkers just before the track reached its highest point. The German lady who kindly took my photo agreed that it was an amazing day ‘Apart from having wet feet again’.
As the track gradually descended, there was water everywhere. The route was like a stream in places. The drainage channels that crossed the path gradually got bigger and fuller and before long it was just impossible to get across without getting wet. Then the sky darkened ahead. The next shower was about to hit.
Big fluffy snowflakes were coming head-on and it was really heavy. Head down, it was just a case of stomping on and waiting for it to pass. There was no ice, so my boots were on, but my hands weren’t faring so well. In the end, I stuffed them between my back and the padded back plate of my rucksack. It was uncomfortable, but effective.
When the sun came out again, it was a real lift. The route was heading towards the finish, through young pine forest and rocky paths. I had a half bar (three blocks) of Yorkie, and decided not to eat any until 15km. Before then I saw a couple just ahead and decided that when I passed them, I would offer them a block each, so fostering a bit of last-day hiking camaraderie. Well, they turned out to be quick and by 15km I was still behind them. So, I just ate all three pieces. When I did pass them a few minutes later. I said ‘Hello, how’s it going?’. The man looked exhausted and said, ‘We’re really struggling for energy now, but should be able to make it’. It was biscuit and raisin. Nice.
The final descent to Fort William gave a wonderful view of a sun-drenched Ben Nevis. As I walked the final few kms along the road into Fort William, guess what? It started raining.
The West Highland Way had taken about four days. No blisters and no injuries. No slips or falls. Highly recommended.Læs mere