[nutterly_uts]

First aid kits for you and the dogs. For the dogs I'd suggest stuff for cuts, bites (bug bites/ticks but also maybe snakes?), stings, reactions and bleeding. Also worth putting in a muzzle as a sore dog can be a bitey dog regardless of how lovely they are, and maybe a tick collar/preventative.

[Fleecewife]

I suddenly got scared for you today, Kitchen Cottage.  With it being June you maybe will be expecting endless sunshine.  There can still be snow on the tops at this time of year, plus torrential rain and sudden fogs, so you'll need warm and protective clothing for all eventualities, plus sunscreen just in case the sun shines - those back packs are getting heavier 
Also there may be areas with no mobile phone coverage - Womble will know better about that.
I'm glad you have a travelling companion, as I thought you were doing this alone.

[Kitchen Cottage]

Well, I hadn't anticipated SNOW! I thought of it being rainy and sunny with midges (someone has recommended smidge, which he says has "transformed the highlands".

I have it in mind my companion may not complete this  She has done a lot of training and is not someone with natural grit, if you know what I mean.... so I'll keep fingers crossed and hope I'm proven wrong.

I did 17.5 miles today in 6 hours but it is very flat here.... the first 14 miles were fine, but the last 3 and a half dragged.  Most days are between 12 and 14 miles.  but I have a 19 and a 16 so have to do some long days.

Misty the older cocker was a bit tired but Tilly, her one year old daughter..... could do it again!

Bathed with Epsom salts and feel surprisingly good.  I have ordered gel insoles and the balls of my feet were sore for the last mile but no blisters, which is good.  My knees held up surprisingly well!

Anymore tips will be gratefully received! xxxxx

[Womble]

There was still some snow on the top of Ben Lomond this afternoon, but I'm sure there won't be anything left at the height the WHW gets to.


Re your companion, you have 'ways out' at Rowerdennan (ferry across Loch Lomond), Inverarnan, Crianlarach, Tyndrum, Kingshouse and KLL. If she just can't go no more, it will therefore be possible for her to skip a day and get transport to your next night's stop. Obviously that would be disappointing for you both, but it may at least enable you to complete it.


I went on a canoeing expedition with some friends a few weeks ago, one of whom hadn't prepared well enough, and made everything very difficult for the rest of us, and in the end none of us completed the trip. My one regret is that we didn't have a decent enough contingency plan in place for how to deal with that scenario, so in the end we all lost out. Lesson learned (in my case, go solo in future!  ).

[Kitchen Cottage]

REALLY stupid question but is the way to avoid Connic Hill easy to follow?  Is there any way to avoid the rock scrambling around Loch Lomond and how bad is that?  My dogs will be on leads and it isn't a joy to go down tricky areas with them.

To let you know just how flat my bit of Essex is.... in an 9 mile circuit I have 2 hills of about 100metres each.... flatter than a pancake sat on by an elephant round here.....

[Womble]

OK, I've looked at that section of the route in more detail, and having thought about it, I'm going to recommend you stick to the proper route. Many people do walk down the main road from Milton of Buchannan to Balmaha (see these notes, and also the comments about dogs), but only do that if you feel you must, because:

• It's quite a busy road, although I think nearly all of it has a pavement.
• The proper route only climbs to 320m, and that's also fairly gradual.
• You'll miss one of the best views in Scotland:

Conic Hill is right on the Highland Boundary Fault, and was formed when the lowland earth platey thing met the highland earth platey thing, so everything had nowhere to go except upwards (hello and apologies to any geologists reading, and yes I know some stuff must have been sucked downwards too!  ). This is also what formed the string of islands across the loch, and if you extend that line it even goes as far as Goat Fell on Arran (you can see it right in the distance on a clear day).

The scrambly bit just past Balmaha had a bridge built across it a few years ago, so again, stick with the main route there and you'll be fine.




BTW, I once lived in Tollesbury for nine months. Drove me nuts it did! 

[Fleecewife]

Could you do a few  days trips between now and then to somewhere a bit bumpier, just to get the idea? 

[in the hills]

I was thinking that too, FW.

Few days walking in the Welsh hills.   

I've forgotten what it was like to walk 'on the flat'.  And it does make such a difference .... to me at least.

[Kitchen Cottage]

I wish I could, but I have no leave and m incredibly busy at work, I will go up and down the two hills a bit  it is perhaps not QUITE as flat as I said but definitely not hilly.  Conic looked fine for me from that angle.

Another stupid question.  Southern Jessie working cockers... would you get coats for them?  We don't really need them here and I'll have to buy new because I need ones which work with the harness...