The West Highland Way in Scotland is a 96-mile , scenic footpath through some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth . At any age , committing to making this trek in five to ten days is a physical fitness motivator . For our group of seven seniors , there was even more determination that we were GOING TO MAKE IT . And we all did .
Outfitted and geared up in our REI best , we launched our trek on September 1 , 2016 , at the Way ’ s southern entrance in the town of Milngavie ( mull-guy ), near Glasgow . Each year the West Highland Way ( WHW ) attracts 80,000 hikers who walk some portion of it , and 15,000 hearty souls who make the entire trip . For us , it was all or nothing .
We opted for the ten-day , self-guided trek with Scotlandbased MACS Adventures . Our group , ages 65 – 72 , chose to have our luggage ( and Janet ’ s two guitars ) magically transported from inn to inn each day while we were on the trail . Our road warriors were Laura and Jeff Lundy , San Martin ; Sherry and John Hemingway , Morgan Hill ; Janet and Mike Thompson , San Martin ; and Laura ’ s cousin Trish Mackay from New York City . Our motivations for doing this were as varied as our hiking experience .
After a quick photo op at the trail ’ s granite starting marker , we picked up WHW “ Passports ,” which would be stamped along the way . This added to the satisfaction of making it to the next daily destination , and offered the promise of a completion certificate at the end of the trail in Fort Williams .
Once on the trail , we realized that the surprisingly affordable MACS Adventures had been an excellent choice . They booked our lodging in charming inns and guest houses , and provided local knowledge in the form of good maps .
We quickly understood how very much we were on our own . We studied our waterproof maps and followed the “ thistle emblems ” on wooden trail markers . For the most part , the trail was well marked , and we never got lost .
Local lore about the journey : “ One reason people finish the WHW is that once you get on it , you can ’ t get off .”
It was true . Once you left a village for the next one , there was nothing in between . In many places , the only way out was by ( very expensive ) helicopter .
Our hikes ranged from 7 to 16 miles per day , with the shorter days tackling more challenging terrain and the longer days walking flat land with easy trails .
Most of us used hiking poles , which gave us balance over slippery rocks of widely varying sizes . Other essentials : comfortable hiking shoes , and rain jackets and pants . Most of the time the weather was beautiful , except for those occasions when it poured buckets . We had good gear and the scenery was spectacular . Even buckets were great fun .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MARCH / APRIL 2017 gmhtoday . com
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