Ivel Valley Walkers.co.uk

Bedfordshire's largest and most active walking group

Day-2 Drymen to Rowardennan (14 miles)

Today was to be the toughest day yet, it included the first real climb of the walk Conic Hill at 1100 ft, plus an afternoons trek along the surprisingly rugged coast of Loch Lomond.

The day started in the usual way breakfast, rest, bags and shopping for lunch. The weather was rather like yesterday dull, grey with sunny and rainy periods. The morning's 7 miles began with the steady climb up to the Garadhban Forest, along the forest track and on to the open spaces below Conic Hill. The ascent itself was long and steep (in places), but we reached the top in about an hour. Dave and Nick even managed to clamber the last few hundred feet right to the summit, before a heavy shower came across.

The Southern shores
of Loch Lomond

The descent was steep and tricky, a mixture of uneven steps, grass and rocks all made slippery by the recent shower. Once down the hill it was back into the forest and onto Balmaha for lunch. The highlight of this was Dave's rescue of a fledgling who'd fallen from its nest.

The remainder of the day was spent walking along the shores of Loch Lomond, a pleasant stroll along the beach it wasn't. It started with the climb up Craigie Fort, and continued its rugged and often undulating way through the trees for the next 6 miles until we hit the road near the Rowardennan Hotel. Where we stopped for a brief rest bite in the hotel bar.

Having rested we strolled the last stretch along the road and through the car park to the Youth Hostel (beware the midges), staying here was a treat not to be missed, four 6ft+ lads (and their luggage) in a corridor 5ft by 13ft is cosy to say the least. Youth hostelling hasn't changed much in 40 odd years, except you don't have to do the washing up now. Dinner and beers that night was back at the hotel, the walk back being livened up watching two drunk/stoned lads trying to drive a car over a boulder (we'd seen them earlier so we thought something might kick off).