HIKING UP GLENKINLASS

I decided to go on a hiking trip yesterday. Ben, Miya and myself had been up to Glen Kinglas earlier in the year when strong winds were battering the west coast of Scotland causing the met office to issue a severe weather alert for the country. We had gone up the day after. Snow was on the ground and the winds were still pretty strong, maybe 50 – 60 miles an hour. Yesterday however was some what different. The sun was out, albeit it was cold at least up until around 11 o’clock. To get to Glen Kinglas you head up the A82 along the west side of Loch Lomond all the way up to Tarbet, then follow round to the left on the A83 to Arrochar. Keep going on the A83 round the top of Loch Long round to Ardgarten then the road swings west away from the Loch and starts to climb up towards the Rest and be Thankful. This used to be the Old Military road, now called the A83. The road winds up all the way to the summit and then swings right and starts to head down passing Loch Restil on the right down till the road levels out round a right hand bend. Just after the bend on the right there is a large layby just next to Butter bridge,which crosses Kinglas water. We parked up there and got ready for the hike up Glen Kinglas. With Ben and Miya we crossed back over the road and through the gate on to the track. The track is more like a single track road that winds its way through the Glen and alongside runs the Kinglas water. The weather was dry,sunny, but a bit on the chilly side. We hiked along the trail, Ben and Miya lolling ahead diverting off the track every time a scent caught their attention. Invariable Ben would come back with that look on his face. The guilt look, “honestly I have nothing in my mouth". “Leave it” I told him. He opens his mouth and a bone from some carcass drops out his mouth. We must have played this game a dozen times as we walked along the trail.

Miya in the meantime tends to trot on ahead, she likes to check out the trail first, she’s the scout. There’s not a lot of sheep up here and that’s why I like it. They tend to stay further up the slopes of the mountains either side of the Glen. On the north side of the Glen theres a deer fence that runs pretty much the length of the Kinglas water. On the south side its more open. On the way up I didn’t see any sign of livestock, that was to change on the way back.

Prior to my trip earlier in the year, the last time I was up Eagles Fall was with my late Father in Law and his dog, Ranger a big German Shepherd. At that time I had a medium sized brindle coloured cross called Spice. That must have been 20 – 30 years ago. The landscape has changed somewhat since then obviously, most notably however, is the trail has obviously had a makeover and at the head were there is a fork in the trail there is now a pine forest. Not very big maybe about 100 acres. We took the right hand fork up through the forest which swings north west. At the tree line the path turns west and heads towards Eagle Falls.We stopped at the tree line and had something to eat. I had brought Chicken pieces and a packet of corned beef slices for my two walking companions. The good thing about this hike is that I don’t need to carry any water with me, for Ben and Miya. Because the Kinglas water runs nearly the entire length of it, they would go in every time they either felt warm or needed a drink. To be honest Ben spent ages in the water, trying to pick up stones from the river bed with his two paws. It was a really funny sight. Miya on the other hand doesn’t like to get her hair wet and would only venture in to elbow depth. Either the temperature of the water or the thought of Ben splashing water on her would be enough to send her back on to the bank. Princess Miya, doesn’t like getting wet or dirty. Ben, being a Lab however would have stayed in there for ages. If theres a puddle in the street he will make for it. Typical Lab, a water baby. And he doesn’t mind getting dirty. And to prove that he waded through some marsh land next to where we were sitting having lunch then proceeded to come and lie on me wiping his Peat soaked fur all over the front of my trousers.

It took us about two and a half hours to get to the top of the treeline. I decided that we would just turn back at that. Two and a half hours back would be long enough. That was five hours in total. I figured Ben being nine now might start to get a bit lame if we went any further. He went a bit lame the last time I took him up the cobbler. My calfs were starting to tighten up as well. At four, Miya, however was neither up nor down and could have gone on without us. The hike back was pretty much the same as the hike up, except that I now noticed that there were more sheep on the hills. Half way down we rounded a bend and there on the road were three adult sheep and two lambs. Miya noticed them first and immediately went into the stalking posture. So I called her in and as we passed them by they ran off up the hill bleating their disgust at us. Further down we came across a Ram this time, standing just up on a rise above the trail. He wasn’t for moving and eyed Miya intently. Daring her to come up, which if I hadn’t control over her, she would have done. I wonder who would have come out on top there. I know where my money would have gone on. All in all it was a really good hike and the weather behaved itself. When we got backto the house Ben threw himself on the floor and slept the rest of the night. After a short nap Miya was up and raring to go. Me, I slept that night and felt it in the morning, but it was worth it.

See you soon……..