Reaching the Summit of Fairy Mountain.
Day 5 – Fairy Mountain, Pirámide and Aching Knees.
So, today I did my workout for the day, week and maybe month. I climbed Schiehallion!!!
Schiehallion means the Fairy Mountain in Gaelic, and it is so appropriate for it. When you walk and climb it, you can see why it got the name. The whole mountain is full of streams that, at the bottom of the mountain, create holes to underground “caves”…
There was a time, before the John Muir Trust purchased the land to do conservation work and keep the landscape from being eroded, you could, if you were brave
enough go down one of those holes and walk in those halls under the ground, which, if you did, you would come out knowing without a doubt that fairies do exist
and live under that mountain.
But today a new route to the top was built, and you cannot wander anymore on your own beyond the permitted paths.
I decided to climb to the top. On paper, it didn’t seem like much. 5km up & 5km down. I figured that if I could walk up to my village, which is 4km up from our place
with an elevation of 400 meters, I could do this.
I did it, but it wasn’t easy! Especially the last part of walking on those terrifying boulders. I was very close to saying… I did my best… I walked 98% of the way;
there was only 250 meters to the top… what’s wrong with that? But then a small voice (that sounded like my hubby) said – BUT are you doing whatever it takes?
Damn him… I wasn’t going to give up. I stopped, drank some water, took more photos (which were always the excuse to stop & get my breath back) and then
continued and reached the summit!
I WAS PROUD of myself! I DID IT!!! The views from the top were worth it. Loch Tummel and Loch Rannoch.
Now the painful part began… walking down. As always, up is hard, but down is painful. I blessed my hiking poles and was grateful I’d brought them for this hike.
You’d think that going down would be quicker… you’re wrong; it’s just as slow as up when you need to have your full attention on how to put your foot so you don’t
slip or land too painfully on your knee.
So, after 4.5 hours from the moment I started, I was back in my car. There was one more thing I wanted to achieve…finding the perfect spot to take
a photo of Schiehallion from a distance and see its unique pyramid shape!!!
Once I got my photo, I was going back to my B&B for a well-deserved bath & rest. My work here in Glen Lyon and the surrounding area was done!!!
Tomorrow I embark on the next part of my vacation and am driving nearly 5 hours to the northern part of Scotland, Thurso, for 2 days with an old friend.
