The scenery was great as were the views, when it didn't rain, but the hardest part is the pain now it's all over.

We started at 10.00 am Saturday in fine weather despite the forecast and it was ok until about 3.00pm when the showers started, some heavy some not too bad. We had a fine few hours between 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm ( about 43 miles) and then it rained, down it came like stair rods for almost 2 hours until it eased to a steady rain until  3.00am when it eventually stopped..By that time trench foot had set in, boots and socks thoroughly wet. A tough section from Loch Errochty including a tough  700 ft steep uphill section through heather with no footpath (apologies for the bad language which appeared from my mouth on that bit ! ) and then a steep descent eventually brought us to the breakfast stop at Kinloch Rannoch where I was grateful to have a complete change of clothes and boots as well as breakfast.

The feet were sore and hurting at this point and there was still 43 miles to go !!

Another tough section after the breakfast stop saw us climbing 2048 feet around the flanks of Schiehallion, an 8.16 mile section including another energy sapping uphill half mile of 'heather bashing' to checkpoint 10 at Pheiginn Bothy in the middle of nowhere. After the next checkpoints at Fortingall the climbing eased off a little apart from a 1423 ft continuous gradual uphill slog through Tay Forest Park to Loch Kennard and still 12 miles to go. Darkness fell again as we emerged from the forest park and it was head torches on again for the last 6 miles to the finish at Dunkeld.

 

104.44 miles   --    13225 feet of accent   ----    38 hours 41 minutes   --   Blisters, the size of medals on the soles of both feet  and still a 400 mile drive home to look forward to.

 

After a shower and a  5 hour sleep in a stuffy dormitory of the Drill Hall followed by breakfast we set off for home at 9.30am and there were still  walkers arriving at the finish  - they'd been out for 47.5 hours !!!!