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Friday was our second Big Walk.
Further, this time, but theoretically flatter, along the coast to the Carsaig Arches, a pair of sea caves which have been dramatically hollowed out by the action of the waves. The route, Rob informed me, follows the 10 metre contour line, so it must be more or less flat. Silly boy :-)
Afterward, the GPS reported that we'd actually done about 3000 feet of climbing during the nearly 10 miles we walked - nearly as much as getting to the top of Ben More, just in smaller doses...
Looking back toward the start :-
It started out with a fairly pleasant, if rather boggy, path but later the track went up narrow earth paths and down again for no apparent reason (other than sadism on the part of whoever laid it out) across rock falls, and over rocky terrain where you could barely tell where the path went. I didn't take many photos on the way out, as I was aware of being slow again and making an effort to keep up. There were ravens on the cliffs above us and feral goats on the beach but I foolishly failed to get pictures of either.
We passed the Nun's Cave where the nuns of Iona reputedly took refuge after being driven from their nunnery and the pass where they supposedly climbed the cliff. Nuns were obviously very tough in those days!
Eventually we got within sight of the first arch and I elected to sit and rest while Rob toddled over to it and took more close up pictures. The little red dot to the right of the picture is him, which gives some idea of the scale of the thing.
He had a go at climbing the path over to the second arch, but that proved too precipitous even for him...
Fortunately, after a few minutes getting myself back together, I was able to carry on, albeit probably slower than ever. Rob was very good and kept me hydrated by collecting water from the waterfalls in his filter bottle (which removes any lurking nasties) so that I had plenty to drink in the hot sunshine that had emerged in the afternoon.
I was jolly glad to get back to the van for the drive back, even though it involved more of the rather hairy hill roads :-) I shall post a picture of the bruises on my leg, but in a separate post, so the squeamish can avoid it more easily :-)
Further, this time, but theoretically flatter, along the coast to the Carsaig Arches, a pair of sea caves which have been dramatically hollowed out by the action of the waves. The route, Rob informed me, follows the 10 metre contour line, so it must be more or less flat. Silly boy :-)
Afterward, the GPS reported that we'd actually done about 3000 feet of climbing during the nearly 10 miles we walked - nearly as much as getting to the top of Ben More, just in smaller doses...
Looking back toward the start :-
It started out with a fairly pleasant, if rather boggy, path but later the track went up narrow earth paths and down again for no apparent reason (other than sadism on the part of whoever laid it out) across rock falls, and over rocky terrain where you could barely tell where the path went. I didn't take many photos on the way out, as I was aware of being slow again and making an effort to keep up. There were ravens on the cliffs above us and feral goats on the beach but I foolishly failed to get pictures of either.
We passed the Nun's Cave where the nuns of Iona reputedly took refuge after being driven from their nunnery and the pass where they supposedly climbed the cliff. Nuns were obviously very tough in those days!
Eventually we got within sight of the first arch and I elected to sit and rest while Rob toddled over to it and took more close up pictures. The little red dot to the right of the picture is him, which gives some idea of the scale of the thing.
He had a go at climbing the path over to the second arch, but that proved too precipitous even for him...
We had lunch overlooking the arch and then set off back again. I was tired by now, and had a couple of minor slips early on. Then a bit further on I fell entirely off the path, which luckily was only a couple of feet off the beach at that point. I hit a sizeable stone with my right hip and for a few painful seconds I seriously thought I'd broken it - but then I realised it wasn't hurting enough for that. When I got up again, Rob having come back to find me after hearing the "Thunk!" as I hit the rock, he pointed out to me that I hadn't fallen over my own feet, as I often do - the path had actually crumbled out from under me.Photo by Rob
Me on the way back, by Rob
Fortunately, after a few minutes getting myself back together, I was able to carry on, albeit probably slower than ever. Rob was very good and kept me hydrated by collecting water from the waterfalls in his filter bottle (which removes any lurking nasties) so that I had plenty to drink in the hot sunshine that had emerged in the afternoon.
I was jolly glad to get back to the van for the drive back, even though it involved more of the rather hairy hill roads :-) I shall post a picture of the bruises on my leg, but in a separate post, so the squeamish can avoid it more easily :-)
cheerful
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