Week 11

I had an awful night’s sleep last night. This had nothing to do with the room, the bed or anything at all to do with the B & B I was staying in. I just couldn’t get off to sleep. I have no idea what was going on in my head but after watching some TV to try and make me tired and then some chilled out tunes on my iPod – no, not thrash or death metal  before you say anything guys – I eventually gave up after seeing midnight clock past. Clearly at some point I drifted off as I woke up at 3:30am thinking it was time to get up. I guess I was worried I’d over sleep? After that I dozed until 5:30am and then tried my best to ignore the fact that I was again wide awake. It was a good job there was a short day ahead for sure.

Another bad night’s sleep last night. Again, I think the day’s walk ahead was playing on my mind and the fact that I had to be up earlier than usual to get breakfast and get out the door. After walking with Jonathan, or Ashley as he prefers to be called, we decided to meet up at breakfast and spend the day walking to Kings House together. Company for another day was a pleasing prospect so I was looking forward to the day. Fortunately, the Guinness from last night wasn’t having any adverse effects as I got myself ready which I was extremely happy about.

Right. That’s it. I am now officially sick to the back teeth of not sleeping properly. You would have thought that after five pints last night I would have had at least an ok sleep…but no! I was awake until gone 2am when clearly I dozed off at some point just to wake up at 5am, wide awake! I have no idea how my body’s continuing to function with such little sleep?! I did try to get back to sleep after that but it just wasn’t happening so I got up well before my alarm went off and started to sort myself out. I wanted to head off as soon as possible this morning, even though it was a short day, so that I could be done and dusted early as Steve and Jill were driving up to see me and I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could.

After the previous two nights of next to no sleep I guess my body finally gave in and allowed me to have a whole six hours asleep last night – gasp! All wasn’t the best though when I did wake up as I had a few new aches and pains in my shoulders, the first time this has happened since leaving Land’s End. Not a good sign, especially as the waist belt on the pack really isn’t working as well as it used to due to the amount of weight I’ve lost. I now have some very nice red rub marks around my hips where I desperately try and keep it tight and it rubs as I walk. Ho hum. I got down to breakfast at 8am sharp to find the place in darkness and all the doors locked. I was the only person actually staying in the hotel last night, with others camping and staying in their cabins by the loch, so I was a little worried that they’d forgotten I was there. I let Andy and Sue in as they were up early for their breakfast but there was still no sign of anyone until a few minutes later.

A bit of a rare event this morning: I made it down to breakfast on my day off! Ok, I didn’t rush down there but I managed to be sat down before 9am which wasn’t bad. As I was sat there tucking in to my cooked breakfast Ashley strolled in having stayed in the hotel last night too. In fact, as I found out later this evening, he was actually just across the corridor from me but as he gorged himself on McDonalds when he got to  Fort William and then crashed out for the rest of the night. We had a good chat, or should I say moan, about the terrain and weather yesterday and we both agreed it was a pretty bad way to end the West Highland Way. Still, it was good to see him again and to have a nice chat to start the day. But, with a lot of things to sort out I couldn’t really hang around. We arranged to meet up in the restaurant for dinner and I headed off back to my room.

I think I may have been a little concerned about over sleeping this morning as I promptly awoke at 4:35am…wide awake! Not a good start considering I had just over twenty two miles ahead of me that’s for sure. I tried to sleep a little longer but I think I only managed to doze for the next couple of hours on and off. Breakfast started at 7:30am and I sorted myself out and got down there promptly for the start to find the hotel reception in complete darkness. Well, not quite complete darkness as the girl on reception was trying to work by torch light. She told me that during the storm/rain over night something went wrong with the electrics and all the lights in the reception area went out and never came back on again, and that she was waiting for an electrician to turn up to sort it out. Ashley never made it down to for breakfast as early as he said he would so I polished my food off and went back to my room to sort out my final bits as quick as I could. As I walked through reception the electrician was working away trying to figure out what had happened to the lights. I was surprised he’d made it out that early!?

I know I’m setting myself up for a telling off (from Rachel) but upon arriving at the youth hostel last night, and getting myself sorted out, I couldn’t be bothered with sorting any dinner out so I had some crisps, some biscuits and a bottle of Lucozade sport – this was after I wolfed down a pasty upon arrival. I know I should have done some more but I couldn’t be bothered to buy anything from the shop at the hostel and then to fight in the kitchen around everyone else. I didn’t go to bed hungry before you ask but I knew I’d probably not had enough to eat after the long day I’d just had in the rain and wind. Now, what is it you’re supposed to do in bed? Sleep! Yes, that’s it. Unfortunately for me I did little of that last night. I tried desperately to have an early night but what with the other seven people in the room coming in and out, switching on lights etc. it just didn’t happen.