One Million Boot Steps

Day 2 in the Lowlands dawned bright. A good nights sleep and a good breakfast and we were ready to try a few more steps. Nothing too strenuous – no really. I know we have said it before but today we meant it. We both have considerable drives tomorrow – doing it with a bad back, hip, knee, hamstring, calf (yes these were all squeaking this morning) would not make for a pleasant journey home. So we elected to do a local walk from Drumlanrig Castle, nice and flat, and see how far we get.

It was a later start as we decided to put something back into the local economy with a little shopping (while we were still relatively mudless and alert). Then it was off to the castle.

The castle normally charges entry for access to their grounds. But after explaining we had come simply to walk we were handed a map, waved on with “have a nice day girls”. Girls? Well I will take that, thank you. A quick look at said map revealed a heap of way marked routes taking in lots of lovely scenery. So a rapid change of plan and today’s challenge was now to complete every walk route!

First route, the green route is described as the most strenuous. It begins at a leisurely pace, lulling you into a false sense of security, alongside Druids Loch literally covered in lily pads. It then begins to rise, feel those calves tighten, and those thigh muscles burn. It heads on and up to Mount Malloch giving stunning views down onto Drumlanrig Castle and across to the Lowther Hills beyond. This route holds special memories for me as we came here some years ago with our old Labrador Megan who managed this walk to the top. We were so proud of her as she was getting on in years. It’s fair to say she slept well that night.

A very convenient and welcome stone “sofa” awaits you when you finally reach the crest. And a quick scan of the horizon revealed (we think) one of the summits climbed yesterday with the arch on top. Did we really go up there yesterday. Awesome! The sun was out, the jackets were off. Beautiful. This is also the longest route and ended with a relaxed lunch stop before joining the Blue route.

This is known as the watery walk as it follows the route of the Marr Burn and eventually crosses to reveal a surprise! Another Andy Goldsworthy sandstone arch. It got me thinking how this trend would benefit my Glenlivet region, drawing tourists to areas which may otherwise lie untouched and never visited.

Then it was time to pick up the purple route, through beautiful broad-leaved woodland and following Coldsteam Burn over the Montagu Bridge, past Beech Loch eventually, briefly heading into fields. It was here we met a family, exchanged some good humour, shared my story about a Million Boot Steps, before returning to the car park.

A brief comfort stop and the last route was in sight. The shortest and we discovered most loved by children as “Terence the Pixie” leaves notes about nature for a nature trail. Oh to be a child again – instead I settled for completing this route with an ice cream.

Back at the car park and today’s steps amount to 19,713. The location might not be a mountain or indeed represent a challenging distance. By far the biggest challenge today was the self-motivation to “get up and walk again” while feeling stiff and tired. When you first begin to climb again, your whole body starts to scream “not again!” and three routes in I could easily have abandoned the fourth in favour of tea and a scone in the tearoom.

But that’s the beauty of walking as two…and with someone who was also feeling proud of the distance we had covered in two days. As we drove back to the hotel she said “I really feel as if I have been part of your challenge – and now I know you really are doing some really challenging stuff”. Thank you Kara for being my walking buddy for the last two days. You did amazing!

Total steps to date are now sitting tantalisingly close to 300,000. How many dog walks up the “killer” hill from the Gallowhill will it take to get reach that milestone before the biggest challenge by far, Lochnagar, next weekend?

When I began my Million Boot Steps Challenge I did say I was donning my boots to do walks that challenge me. And I guess for many that would read mountains? Distance? Speed? Solitude? Carrying 25kg! But what else could that word mean?

Well, this week was my chance to test another challenge – for me. You see I am very much a high/low person. I tend not to shout about the low bit, instead waiting, hoping for the moment I will find my mojo again, a goal, something that ignites my inner emotions to the point I fly. Because those are the days I love. And I could run for ever on that fuel.

But of course life isn’t like that.

For no obvious reason – or maybe it’s a tiny trigger – something quite incidental, puzzling, dismissive to most even, which will knock me off my high wire. Send me on an introspective journey which can steal my enthusiasm. Let’s call it the “happy thief”. And this week the happy thief came back off his holidays. Or maybe it’s a “her”.

Last night’s walk was an impulse. Planned earlier in the week when I was in control of the week ahead and had space to go out and walk on a whim. But then over a period of 24 hours I went from yay to nay! Nothing was working. The weekend’s event laundry was taking way too long. It was raining – again. My e-mails were coming in quicker than I could reply. Ok, there was a host of other underlying stuff, like a very sad reminder popping up in the midst of my mental see-saw. And then a lack of clarity somewhere else. Imagine a big melting pot of “stuff” and that was my inner me. Oh, and there was no bread in the freezer? I know, bonkers isn’t it!

Then there was the other factor – the TV factor. Andy Murray about to play his quarters in what would be an epic. And Wales in the Euro semis with the whole of Britain (mostly) suddenly feeling a bit Welsh. But I swear if TV ever dictates how to spend my free time then my life truly is on a downward spiral.

So by 3:30pm the boots were on, my packed “tea” was in the rucksack. No bread meant time to get creative with a salad concoction. A “Kara” concoction (she’ll be reading this, she’ll laugh!). But I was going. Hell, yes, it’s still raining, and hell, yes, I really don’t feel much like it and was this close to bailing, but am going. Destination? Somewhere called Carn Cattoch just outside Archiestown Village. Not a marathon, not a mountain, but a mental challenge to get me from my own low to high(er) God willing.

Got my map, got my printed Walk Highlands route, got my banana, got my water. And my camera. Phone Fitbit set to count and I am off.

It was a quiet start. Then I lost the path! Well not entirely. See the village plan said go this way. And the Walk Highlands route quite clearly said count three yellow posts til you get to the red one. Well I passed a purple, and a yellow. And before I knew it I was already three miles round with no signs of a “red” path up to this Carn! Even with a detour up, what turned out to be a newly formed forestry access roads (one of many) I still couldn’t find the blasted Carn. But I was now on a mission. If I can’t go up then I am going all the way.

The whole 9 miles and bring it on. See it worked. I did have a couple of “what if I am not where I think I am” moments but the track just kept going left. So you have to come back round eventually. Don’t you? Ok, quit worrying. I know I shouldn’t be allowed out alone, but don’t fret, I was on a pretty well made track and if all else failed I would “make a U Turn”. And anyway by the time I reach the desert next year there will (hopefully) be a line of camels in front and I can simply follow my nose (literally).

So the lesson for the day? If you take a map then have it to hand and read it – oh and perhaps it would be better if it wasn’t 20 years old. Ok, I hold my hand up, I have almost all the UK in pink OS maps dating back to many years. Am proud of them! So proud they take up an entire shelf in our office. They are fine for roads, we haven’t had that many new roads built. But trees grow I guess?

The smile eventually came. Meanwhile that’s another 18,431 steps approx

Carn Diamh is literally a ‘hop skip’ up the hill behind our home. Says she. I first walked the route two to three years ago, maybe even more and I am embarrassed to say I failed to reach the summit. It was a lovely sunny day then and an impulse day out. I remember it felt like an age and we still couldn’t see the top. Instead, tempted by a route which dropped us back down into our own back garden we admitted defeat and went home.

So when a rare free hot Saturday afternoon presented itself back in May we decided it was time to woman up and “conquer the Carn”. Boots on, lunch packed, sun cream applied and we set off. I have often heard people refer to getting your breathing right, being in the right frame of mind, but never really understood the relevance until that day. I was barely half an hour up the track before I could feel myself flagging. Lead legs and definitely not feeling the love – despite this being my “love to try the Carn again” and it being sunny! This was not a great start! Time to stop, take on some food (setting off when you are already hungry is maybe not to be advised), then refueled we set off again.

 Much better this time. The route to the top is a well worn track in varied conditions. Some stoned, some boggy, some rocky. The final pull to the very top is a testing one but I was delighted to not stop every 20 steps. Mr Smith said that was a noticeable change in my fitness. Go me!?

At the top the chance to take a few photos, exchange hellos with the odd walker and cyclist (who appeared from nowhere) before returning back to the turnoff which would take us back towards the back of Clash Wood. 7 miles and 17000 steps later and we had completed the walk in a little over 4 hours. The sun was still shining and I felt great.

Fast forward to late June then and it was time to revisit the Carn with friend Jo and Diesel their Labrador retriever. Carn Diamh is also a regular favourite of Jo’s and she is a whole lot fitter than me. How do I know? Well, she can walk and talk without losing her breath for a start.

A very different day this time – a dull start, more clothing layers – and a Labrador intent on snacking on any dead mammal or discarded innards along the way. A gruesome fact of country life but carrion feeds much more wildlife, so it all forms part of the food chain really – just not sure a black lab counts as a carrion feeder? And circling the Labrador was definitely not on my original agenda – but hey, it’s a few more steps.

We made the summit far quicker, though I did need to take breath more than I had hoped. But as Jo said, when you can climb up here AND talk and not have to stop then you will be at peak fitness. No pressure then, eh Jo?

The route this time took us past the Carn and dropped to the “spooky wood” as Jo’s daughter calls it. Actually, it is a lovely quiet wood where the most you are likely to encounter I expect would be a roe deer who would be more ‘frit’ of you than you of it.

Onwards and homewards, with a nice stop for lunch by a babbling steam – well the sun was out by now. The clip clop of the riding school also passed by with a very cheery hello! Amazing how the sun shines through us all when it comes out from behind its cloud. Home in just about 4 hours and 20048 steps/8.5 miles this time. Must be improving.

And that takes my total number of steps to 207,613

12th June 2016 – Loch Affric Circuit

Well it’s been a wee while since the four of us walked together. Such busy ladies I think we need a collective PA! But today we achieved the almost impossible and we got all four out. Out of their homes – and at 7am in the morning! The 6am alarm call sure felt tough for a Sunday.

“Yay! We’re on a road trip”. Four girls went to walk, went to walk a ….beautiful part of the Highlands. Glen Affric is often described as the most beautiful place in Scotland. It is easy to see why. Sited within the Highlands National Nature Reserve it boasts river, lochs, tumbling waterfalls and gorges and stunning mountainous skylines. All perfectly punctuated by a majestic mix of pine, birch and oak trees.

11.25 miles the Walk Highlands online guide said we would walk. Along good tracks, boggy sections, steam and fall crossings and all with ever changing views. We had no plans except to walk, look, chat and enjoy. We set off from the River Affric car park around 9:40 soon settling into our own pace. Two ahead, Susan and I bringing up the rear (my camera is never far from my hands so I can’t help stopping to snap).

Glen Affric has long since been a favourite of mine but enjoyed almost entirely by car until today. It really is quite stunning. Our route circumnavigated Loch Affric and was well marked by a fairly good path all the way. A couple of slightly tricky water crossings were really our only challenges along the way apart from a few “up to the ankles” bog sinks. Oh and an unexpected “woman down” in quite spectacular style.

Time to stop for lunch and a complete change of clothes and some improvisation which no doubt drew the odd double-take as one of our group (I promised not to divulge, but it wasn’t I) modelled the latest in outdoor attire – it’s amazing what you can turn a spare waterproof jacket into when your trousers are soaked from waist to ankle. We think it might take off?. Thankfully we did only pass possibly 4 or 5 individuals or groups (and a couple of pigs) along the route.

Onwards and homewards. The weather remained fine as we continued to make progress. Not sunny but mild and dry and just enough midges to remind one you are in the Highlands, but not quite enough to drive you to distraction.

And how many steps? My Fitbit says 26,664 taking me to just over 165k to date. Where next? Well, you will have to watch this space to read about the next walk..