 morning lamps been raining pretty hard so and it's still raining it's forecast to be raining all day so rain gear on but I don't think there's gotta be much filming today because it's gonna be it's gonna be a wet one bags all packed in here rain gears on sir just drop the tent chuck it in the side and away we go. I'm just gonna push on now and hopefully get to other pool where I booked a B&B in other pool where I can hopefully charge my batteries and and charge myself and sleep in an actual bed so that'll be good that's what I'm aiming for other pool because I think it's considered the sort of halfway mark anyway I'll strap me antlers on I can't feel miss because soon as I get out of here it's pissing it down a bit so I'm away let's crack on with the day and see what today brings here we have a horse chestnut which is you can make a natural soap out of this which I'm gonna do just to wash the old armpits and that I'll pop that in my bag and somewhere along the line we'll make some soap with it and I'll wash myself with it mother nature mother nature supplying the goods again cheers mush right I've got chatting to to be and I'm gonna be honest with you this morning I felt like shit packed all my stuff away but it was it was pissing it down and it was the first time it was really was cold and it was windy I was like oh mate and then I started to walk on my just me calfs and me uncle it's normal like little bits and all my niggles were just you know prime they were killing me so I grabbed the coffee and a butty from the garage and sat in this out door bit and this old couple in the 70s got chatting to them and they were lovely they were inspirational and the old guy he done a I think it was a 50k or 50 mile race when he was 72 and they left and said good luck and it just it empowered me it absolutely empowered me so not that they'll ever see this but thank you very much to that couple who I had a little chat with very inspirational and it's put a lot of spring in my step so even though the weather is gonna be against me today I feel good and we're gonna have a good day head down ass up let's just get on with it I went wrong way took the wrong bridge just oblivious listening to me podcast just like head down come on went wrong way until I got down that road I was like odd on a minute something's not quite right quick checkup map I mean it's not it's not a lot it's not massive amounts but any little bit when you're doing this is it you just kick your soul in there so anyway I'm consoling myself with a nature bar I'm sitting down there no I'm taking my bag off no I'm taking my bag off mate too unhappy I knew today I was gonna be struggling mates getting me down and struggling a bit I like this and then I'll I'll get back on track but my camera's getting wet so I'll have to be gone see you later she's turned on me brutal day today that's what I wanted though when I self I thought it's gonna be brutal I want it to be I don't want it always to be sideways rain and wind and all that but go have a bit of brutality to make you appreciate it when it's not brutality anyway the four by four track is now turned into a single track which I'm just gonna follow all the way to the lock forget its name and I might think about if it looks nice and there's a nice place to pitch I'm gonna turn this day into quite an easy day and pitch by the lock and then tomorrow it's forecast to be less miserable that well I don't say miserable because weather's only a matter of opinion it's forecast to be less wet and windy tomorrow so I'll do the long day tomorrow to get myself to Ulapool that's my plan anyway but you know things can go things can change pretty quick up in the Highlands so we'll stick that for now and we'll plod on there's the lock we'll have to bring the delta pegs out if we're camping up here today because I mean this is a bit of a chilled spell but there's been some serious winds and sideways rain I'm gonna go have a look down there anyway right I'm at the side of the lock but I got I got here and then look at my feet mate so I got to the side of the lock in the rain I mean still rain now but it was just torrential and the winds were just somewhere else and then and I couldn't see the tops because because of how foggy it was yeah and I got this thing from Amazon to put my phone in which I'm using as a GPS I thought that would be good then I can wear it around my neck and use it like but it's either leaked or with condensation in it or something and so the buttons weren't working so I couldn't even lock it it's all like stuck to the phone so I couldn't even unlock it to see which way I had to go I was like hey mate this is it this is real because my map is sort of tucked inside right down in there and I've had to fumble it all out and you know it was a bit windy for that so I made the executive decision to to pitch up here just get out at rain and the nightmare pitching up in this weather but I was just on my way here thinking are these delta pegs have been surplus to requirement am I glad I've got delta pegs in now I don't feel as confident I mean this scent has been brilliant but thinking about spending a night up in mountains in a I don't know what the weather is gonna do I thought I'd feel a lot safer in the hilly burger let me tell you that well didn't want it all me home way and I've not got it all me home way me feet in tatters man look at blisters on them character building character building I shouldn't have I've got these antlers and at least at least I've got me antlers folding wig I mean on this side I've set it up so that the brunt of the wind hits the back of it and goes over the top instead of it in the doors but when it does it it's a bit nerve-wracking me I'll be honest with yeah I'm like well what's me me contingency if it really does kick off or it's tent goes it ten sheets it I'm not gonna die I'm not like on the edge of a cliff or anything but I am up in mountains and if my tent shits it I have to just bail on it everything in bag what I do is put my map map paper map in my waterproof waterproof case on the right page so if it does kick it in the night torch on I've got my high-powered torch I've got my map so I'll either push on or more than lightly I'll retrace my steps and then come at it again well I won't be able to come at it again what I said I'll be okay hopefully it won't get to that I'm hoping it I'll be hoping it survives if I keep taking the guidelines and keep it keep it keep it all taught it should be okay I'm just using me Garmin mini in reach mini with the app just to message just to message loved ones just to say I'm alright it sends me location so I've sent me locations just said I'm I'm batting down the hatches for today and this is where I am another good thing about this is you can at the cost of one of your messages you can you can request the weather forecast which I have done and it doesn't look good the wind isn't so bad the wind might it says the wind the wind isn't so bad but it's gonna be pissing it down and all day tomorrow as well I thought it was gonna be okay tomorrow which is one of the reasons why I've hunkered down it's three o'clock and I was I was tempted to I was thinking shall I just up sticks and just green and bear it I'm gonna have to bear it at some point what I do is just read my maps and make a decision I probably work because at least I know this is a flat bit of ground and I've got my in fact I'm staying here what my on about I've got my Delta pegs in proper I might I might not find anywhere as secure as this I keep getting the kids been mad gusts of wind and I'm like for some reason I don't know why like if I was it ladies should you do that about fair enough because I'm in the Highlands and I know I'm miles away from anywhere you have to respect it and with that respect comes a little bit of fear you know cuz you're at the you're at the you're at the mercy of Mother Nature and she can be a heartless a heartless wonder at time anyway I'm leaving me sell a lot to do tomorrow to get to the pool for the B&B it's gonna be like a 30k it's gonna be a big day and my dilemma is it's half free now so I could pack all this up and be away at four and get maybe four hours of day like four hours of hiking in I'm I gonna get over that there's no path in four hours am I gonna get over there and up to this bit which is I think is the only bit that I could potentially camp at if I do go for it I'm not gonna bother filming I'm just gonna pack up and we're gonna hide it out of here I've done the calculations I've done the calculations and then I look how beautiful that is the shame not to wake up there but the weather is terrible there's just been a little bit of a break in the rain so I thought right let's just do it put four hours in because otherwise tomorrow it doesn't look like once I'd worked out the mileage on the actual Harvey map it would end up being a ridiculously long day with a chance of me even not making it what was worrying me was that the cloud had dropped so the visibility was terrible and the wind and rain have picked up and this next section is all there's no path to anything so I just a little bit worried I thought I'd sit it out and tackle it tomorrow because the weather was supposed to be good but I've checked on my Garmin I got sent a weather report and it's gonna be shitty tomorrow as well so I weighed everything up and forth right four o'clock let's bat on from let's give it four hours and see if we can just get find somewhere else to camp in four hours so I'm gonna have to take on all this I don't know how much filming I'll be doing because my priority is obviously my safety over making a film so I need to be focused on my maps and and what's in front of me right I've come up at tops I'm glad I did that today because I thought of doing that tomorrow this snow just there the temperatures are a lot colder up here obviously now as soon as I step out here it is really really windy so it's not gonna be the most even of pitches and it's a bit might be a bit boggy but this know this like this hill here if I took myself in to here it protects me pretty well from the wind so I mean it's gonna be a bumpy one but it don't matter the ground's pretty soft I've got me a bed yeah home for the night here we go look yeah home is where I lay my antlers as I've always said look at this clouds coming over the hill and I'm just in this little delve man and it is you're still getting the wind but it's nothing you put your head out with out it's a parapet you certainly know about it there she is look nestled nestled armor so I've got the Delta pegs which I was thinking I'm not gonna bring me I was regretting bringing them but now absolutely I feel so much safe with them and for the rest of it that's enabled me to double up my peg so pegging and then another peg through through the loop at the end belt and breeches and then I've put it to the almost to the ground it'll get enough air flew through it with it being so windy but I just don't want it taking off I've got a water source there running down man that was that was tough that was a tough gig so we get out of all my wet gear I just rest my feet man what time we on quarter past six let's get rested get some tea on my first foreign to the firepot world and it is a and also past the Bolognese it's nice and warm I'm looking forward to it immensely oh dear me is one ain't one ain't gonna be enough oh my god my mouse watering my down pants the truth these were my my thin alchemy marina wool leggings of the perfect combination just shout out Nordic outdoors Nordic outdoors came through for me I'm gonna do a proper video for them but oh man a couple of days before I set off as well or the day before I set off they came good for with them my leggings and stuff but more about that later well this looks nice my mouse watering I'm so looking forward to it if someone took this away from me now I'd go I would literally had implored that's good oh mate yeah I think the thing is you're in hiking all day and rough terrain you're so hungry it could be out couldn't it it could be dog food or whatever just warm food is good but yeah I like this it's very nice did that dinner tomorrow night's tea well I've been thinking about quite a lot today it's gonna be fishing chips hopefully if I get to all a pool in time in time we're gonna be having some whaling tea from a tea right today was a right one so yesterday I made a decision I made the wrong decision went the wrong way today I accidentally went the wrong way so it's costing me a little bit it's Kevin cost during me a little bit decent days hike tomorrow but I'll have a spring in me steps I'll be heading towards a bed and some hopefully some fish and chips we'll have a look at the map and see what we did today let's have a quick look at Mappy Gilmore where did I there that's where I woke up and spoke to a lovely old couple here my heroes and off up here it was the weather wasn't great I kept going up here and I was just I looked at my map here and I was like right there's a bridge up ahead and that's what I'll be crossing so I just kept going and this was a bridge I hit that bridge and just this this is all part of the same path this is like a this little offshoot it is a dick this looks different so I was like right there must be the must be it didn't pay it much mind and off I was off me absolutely furious with myself calling myself all sorts man I was like yeah so anyway to come out way back here disheartened material between mittets and then up here up and up it's just a it's a path it's a it was like a track and it led like a two-wheel track here then it just leads to a single track and it's just it's it's just hard going because it's just a lot of stones and stuff you can't really get a rhythm going anyway I cut through here and then the weather just changed started to piss it down it was really windy and I could see the the clouds coming down off the top so I was like oh my god so I walked down this track and there's a nice bit of grass and I set the tent up Delta pegs the lot and then got in it it was too early in the day and having sat there for a while the weather chilled a bit I got chance to have a look at my maps properly switch a few put a you know switch a few things around and gather my thoughts and I was like right okay well make a push for it and then all of rear is just pathless I had a couple of slips here where I was proper stacked it on my ass one where I was up to me knees in the bog just brutal sideways rain lovely views back over this way don't get me wrong stunning but really difficult terrain all the way over here yeah and then a drop down starting well no I just started to traverse around here and then as I came down here the wind coming through this valley it was just ridiculous so as I got to about actually I didn't follow that path I've come around here look I've come around and I'm just tucked in a nice little delve delve boy behind this hill took the way from wind and as soon as I walk like I get out on a walk that way just a few meters it's just the wind is brutal so I'm really happy really happy that I left that other camp spot and I'm really happy where with where I am I'm just waiting for a little break in the rain and then I'm out everything's away ten past seven I'm gonna put a shift in today to make sure I get to other pooling good time it's easing up it was raining all night and the condensation was pretty bad because I dropped the tent as you can see to the right I've dropped the tent so low so that the outer is pretty much touching the floor all the way around because I thought I was in for a thought was in for a bit of a windy one but this place that I've got next to this hill is just so still no wind at all so there's a knock-on effect you do get a little bit of condensation because there's not enough air getting through but what I do is I mean I've already done this this morning is you use my sponge give it a once over everywhere and then just drain her out well that's fine some mad noises last night I couldn't figure out what it was it was sort of flying around the tent but it was nighttime so what would it have been I thought I maybe it's a bat what the bat's noises it was like did it not electrical it was the maddest noise like a fan like I don't know what it was who knows right we've got a break in the rain so let's do it let's go let's do it morning glampers BTW every totem poles it's gonna be a wet day today which is you know it's what I've expected it's what I've packed for it's what I've planned for it's how I'm you know now I'm all waterproofed up again and tense dried as best as it can be and I'm away because that's what you've got to prepare for when you're coming to Scotland these do you know if you come to Scotland for a week prepare for a week of rain and expect it so there's a little burn here that's just coming off the top some I'm gonna fill both my water bottles on water bottles on there in this burn I'm gonna filter it because it's we're pretty high up and we've got a long day so let's get hydrated there we are look ideal little spot I've been putting wet clothes wet socks and shoes on every day now no strange to that ice cold on digitalic I'll tell you what as well I've got some water from the top of the campsite yesterday and you could taste the chemicals in it used to me Highland spring water right that's water sorted I'm gonna make my way down here and along the side of this lock all the weather's coming in so better pop you in your waterproof cabinet look at that little bit of blue little bit of blue sky mate yeah I don't I've run out of snacks I don't have any little sort of trail snacks I can't be bothered to cook up a full meal just yet I don't think I need it so I've just got them fish that fishing chips is in my brain keeping me going and there's a shop there as well so I can get some sweeties I guess some sweeties the simple thing I'm gonna cry cry I think you're having a Mars bar man I wonder how much of this shit is just not being explored a bit there must be little caves and waterfalls and stuff that people haven't been to it's just last man I'm hurting I'm hurting the sun's come out put that oh my fingers were struggling today with the cold a bit but the sun's come over above this I've gone back cloud now but just coming it hit me I was like whoa that is nice steep climb coming up we're gonna follow this single track and I don't know if you can see in a distance you probably can't on here there's like a windy track all the way up there that's where we're heading hopefully because it's a four by four track it'll be it won't be so hard walking like all the way down here you look up my like that's fine it's few few K but it's like that and there's bog and there's stones and there's all sorts of stuff so you can't really you've got a it's almost tiring because it takes all of your attention so although that is steep if it's a four by four track and easy going I'm happy with that because you can just chuck an audio book on and get to the top mate it's quite nice nice change of pace I've come through this valley here yeah and then I'm off up into the clouds the normal path takes you around here to a bothy next to this lock but I'm not going that way I'm going over tops on this track it's pretty steep mind shit oh and now it's hill stoning don't know if you can see but it's hill stoning right let's get let's get rim proof gear back on I guess hill stands mate look at this man there's all sorts of cows I've just seen a beware of the bull sign but you have to give these guys a wide berth because they've got kids with them calves I think you call them they've got calves with them and although you know although don't mind spinning back fist in an adult and felling it in one foul swoop I wouldn't I wouldn't want to leave the calves without a mother and father so hopefully they're gonna give me I mean I'm giving a wide berth for their own good that's what I'm trying to say that's it I took a while saying that because not that was nervous so don't get nervous because I don't if I mentioned but I'm not a civilian well I'm a civilian now but I wasn't a civilian for nine years I was in the power rangers for nine years served I served in the power rangers for nine years look I've bossed that and I got done your lads I've done you I've absolutely done you well anyway that's a bit of fun not been doing much filming because it's just I mean the weather's just been atrocious it's yeah I have everything we've had ale stones rain wind now it's nice so for a lot of it's just ed down and just crack on and over this this track has just been you just can't get a good flow going because it's your ankles keep going over I guess one of the things that's good about hiking boots is that ankle support if you strap them up tight but no I'm waffling this is boring in it I'm boring myself look at this oh my god look at the latch and lock on that thing the wheel of doom that's pretty cool that's for just holding them steady while they do stuff like chop the lads off or whatever nice and deep in there so come over the top of these mountains and sort of follow this tree line down hit a road going along the road and now making our way back back up it's now oh 25 past 12 and you have not eaten today so I'm gonna hold off I'm gonna wait till we get some fish and chips and I'm gonna walk it thought this stretch would be easy in fact just if you think any stretch is gonna be easy just forget it it's a Cape raf trail in it I'm not just popping took garage for a pint of milk this is the real deal it's not easy it's up and it's down and it's boggy and it's stony and I reckon I'll go for another hour I'll go for another hour and if I don't get I'll have a look at the map if I'm nowhere near I'm gonna have to have one of my meals otherwise dig deep and just fish and chips twice with scraps love cheers yes right I woke up here nestled behind this little hill packed up fill me water up and set off along here it was a cold one my hands were freezing and it's open down it's boggy you know it's the same story and it's real nice these views appear to these the mountains are nice and keep going and then there's a couple of river crossings down here nothing too major imagine they do get pretty pretty heavy when it's in spate but anyway you've got two options here you can go along here and keep it the bothy I didn't do that I went over the top this bit's well steep this bit's really it's a track which really steep coming up here coming up here and then I got a lovely view down the valley there was a rainbow I watched the like I watched the rain just falling in the distance that was one of the best the best things I've seen so far on this trip and keep going up of the top it's pretty easy going obviously you just like with everything it's just it's a little slower than it would be because of the stones and the water and stuff you got to keep your wits about you get over here and then you start going down it's pretty steep on its way down killer on the knee through this wood pass some cows and then you hit this road but there's okay because there's a verge on the side of the road up the road through this little property here and then you have to check your map here just to see which which is the right way to go I got I got on the path and it was fine up over the top up here and then it's again it's pretty much it's all the same you're pretty exposed up here and you're gonna be getting wet feet and there's some tricky stone bits and as you go I started to get really tired coming down this end bit here my knee was going ankles were hurting and it is very steep and often going down is harder than going up for me down here I messed this bit up here I didn't know what was going on so I ended up going getting to here I ended up sort of going in here around and through this field and then found the number for the taxi and got the taxi to Ullapool and that's it man fishing chips and a bed for the night