We love it when our athletes race or get inspired to tackle something that triggers that feeling of “oh……do you think I could do this?” And that’s exactly what we got from Romy when she decided to tackle an unconventional route from Glasgow to Fort William. Here’s some of Romy’s story.
Chasing Highs
I started running when I was 19, mostly road running and cross country with a bit of trail thrown in. I turned my full attention to the trails and hills in 2019, though initially stuck with shorter distances. Lockdown made me go longer – when I saw all the cyclists doing their miles, I was inspired to cycle out of Glasgow to run in the local hills for a bit of me-time, and if you add 60-90s mins of cycling at either side, you quickly reach 4, 5, 6 hours outside. Point hunting for the 2020/2021 Westies Winter League pushed me to go even longer and that’s when I covered my first ultra-distances, doing two Campsies rounds.
When things went back to normal and races started creeping up here and there I wasn’t that fussed about them – I entered a few but they either got cancelled or I ended up catching a cold and couldn't do them. I entered an ultra in the Borders for the end of 2021, mostly so I could claim to have finally completed an actual ultra distance race. It must have been around this time that I first heard my friend Jamie Aarons talk about her plans to do a self-propelled Munro-round, and I thought that it would be nice to have a little adventure of my own to focus on.
And then I walked into the By The Way hostel in Tyndrum in October 2021 for the Pyllon XP4 weekend, and saw the outline of the Highland High Way route drawn on one of the beams in the common room. At first, I thought it was just another name for the West Highland Way but then I looked at the profile of the route and saw them: Ben Lomond, Ben Oss, Ben Dubhchraig. I googled, found the route online on the Long Distance Walkers Association website , and my interested was sparked.
Shortly after that weekend, I bought the 1996 book about the route, written as a seven day walking trip. I did some rough plotting and got the idea into my head to do the main route (without the additional day excursions) over 3 days. My final route had some minor changes to the original, in that I choose obvious paths where available, added some mountain tops where the route went in between hills, didn’t do some of the optional Munro tops on day 2, and didn’t cross Loch Lomond between Inversnaid and Inveruglas but instead took the high route on the east side of the loch.
Getting ready
I was hoping to complete the route in the spring of 2022, but at the end of 2021 I did my back in during a long run. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a quick fix and I was left with chronic pain on and off for 10 months. In spring 2022 I started to work with movement therapist Scott Devenney who helped me get past it. As I was able to do longer days in the hills again, planning for the Highland High Way was back on.
I started recce’ing parts of the route in early 2023. The great thing about this route is that it runs parallel to the WHW which meant that I could do loops – going out over the hills and running back along the WHW (trying to run on wrecked legs makes for great training!). Logistics wise, I didn’t want to be out with a big pack. I looked at luggage transfers but was lucky enough to have friends who could join me along the way and move my luggage for me.
I had two weekends pencilled in for completing the route, in case the weather was unsafe or I wasn’t feeling ready or got sick. This gave me some reassurance that unlike a race which is on a set date, I had the option to complete it at any other time. There were a few setbacks in the lead up to the start – issues with shin splints that dragged over a few months, a returning issue with my back pain, a wee cold, some overseas work travel. I didn’t tell many people what I was planning as I was convinced that something was going to get in the way of me starting – even the week before I kept thinking that I was going to go over my ankle.
Kit Check
Apart from these thoughts at the back of my head, I was strangely calm the week before the event, and focused on packing and ticking things off my spreadsheet (which I had written a month earlier, when I was forced to spend a day on the couch due to a cold). I didn’t do much apart from packing – I took three full days off running but keep moving, did some gentle dog walks and stretching, and tried to get as much sleep as possible. Often before a race I don’t sleep well but this time I was out by 10 pm the night before.
Day 1: Drymen to Inverarnan
My alarm went off at 5am on Friday 12th May, and the first thing I thought was “this is it” and “hurrah, I slept”. I hadn't woken up during the night, so I got a solid 7 hours’ sleep, which was amazing. I’d given myself half an hour to get dressed, eat breakfast, have a cup of tea, make a sandwich and put my contact lenses in, and then I hopped into a taxi to Drymen. This may sound extravagant but was worth every penny for the sleep I got in my own bed. Other than the speeding and semi-dangerous driving the journey went well and gave me a chance to hydrate before starting.
Romy embarking on her epic adventure.
A quick photo at the start and I was off at 6:20 am. My legs felt heavy and not much like running at all, so I kept jog-hiking along. I saw a few walkers packing up their tents by the side of the WHW. Just before it turns towards Conic Hill, I climbed over the wall and headed no-man’s land: now it was just me and the hills.
I had recce’d this section but the cloud was low and the visibility was awful, giving me about 20m of clear view. I had keep a close eye on my watch for the nav. It felt a bit like I was swimming in open water, lifting up my head to sight, readjust, then focus back on my feet. The terrain is pretty rough here, a lot of ups and downs over the heather and very uneven ground. I reached the first top, Gualann, (not on the original route), which was my first check-points where I took a photo and updated my supporters via WhatsApp. Then I followed the fence over ‘the swamp’ (where I fell in knee-deep bog, which was to be expected). In between the check-points I felt like I was executing the plan, and just going through the motions of what I had recce’d and where I needed to go and just kept moving. I continued over a few tops, then my next check point was the top of Beinn Bhreac. The section from here to Ben Uird had been a slog in the recce, and was the same now, especially with the bad visibility.
The cloud lifted at the top of Ben Uird, so I made the decision not to take the runnable path which lead me a bit further down the hill, but instead took a more direct line to the Ben Lomond tourist path. This turned out to be a bit of a mistake as it was very bushy and left me with more cuts on my shins. I had recce’d all of this in long tights and I wish I had something to protect my lower legs – knee high socks would have been a good idea. The original route goes down into Rowardennan for the end of the 1st day of hiking and then up the Ptarmigan path, but this didn’t make sense for me as I didn’t stop in Rowardennan, and didn’t want to lose too much elevation, so I continued up to Ben Lomond on the tourist path. I hit a bit of a low point here after the bad route choice coming of Ben Uird, but then I went into a trance, enjoyed not having to navigate and followed the path. It occurred to me that this was the fourth time I was up Ben Lomond this year, definitely a record for me. I pushed the pace a little, as I wanted to hit the top of Ben Lomond at midday, and got there at 11.59, feeling very pleased with myself.
As I came down the north of Ben Lomond the sun came out. I wanted to get my suntan lotion but couldn’t find it, which turned into a bit of a problem later on as I got quite sunburnt. I had been worried about the section between Ben Lomond and Inversnaid; the recce had been awful but with rain and bad visibility but now that I could see the land in front of me it was easy to navigate down the shoulder of Ben Lomond, up and over Cruinn a’ Bheinn, and then up Cruachan – another top omitted from the original route, but added by me as it's the highest point on this section. My legs were pretty tired going up it, but the views down were amazing and Loch Cruachan looked very appealing - had I not been on a schedule to hit Inversnaid for 3pm I would have stopped for a dip.
As it turned out, the descent wasn’t as bad as what I had recce’d. I tried a different route slightly further west, which paid off and was much easier, and even on a bit of a path. I ended up in a car park and took the Great Trossachs Path into Inversnaid which was really pretty. I arrived outside the hotel at 2.30pm, half an hour before I was due to meet my first support runner Bryan, who had driven up to Beinglas farm with my overnight bag and was running down the WHW to meet me. I went into the hotel to use the toilets and buy a Pepsi which tasted amazing, then sat down and ate my second sandwich, a bag of crisps and some nuts while I waited for Bryan. It was really nice sitting down for a bit after eating and digest properly.
The original route crosses the loch here and then goes up and over Ben Vorlich and then down to Inverarnan. During the week I had called Cruise Loch Lomond several times, and the lady I spoke to last said the ferry to Tarbet leaving Inversnaid at 3.30pm might be able to do a drop off at Inveruglas. Unfortunately, they did not. Alternative crossing options like kayaking and swimming had been discussed, but I had decided that this was going to be logistically too complicated and was happy with the alternatives on offer. The first option was to run up the WHW to Beinglas. At 2.30pm I probably would have opted for that, but after an hour’s rest I felt that would be a bit too easy. So we went for the second option: up and over the hills on the east side of the loch. The spirit of the adventure was, after all, to take the high route.
After being turned down by the ferry, Bryan (who had arrived at 3.27pm, ahem!), and me headed back up out of Inversnaid on the main road. It was a bit of a shock as realized I had been up the same Corbett, Beinn a’ Choin, with a hangover the previous November, so this time I moaned a lot less, though it was hot and steep. It was great to have company and chat away – it had been a while since Bryan and me had made it out on the hills together, so we had loads to catch up on. We hit a bit of a path at the top and kept moving along nicely.
I became quite moany on the last 5k – finishing the day on the only section I had not recce’d was difficult, it was late, the end was not in sight, I wanted my dinner. Bryan endured my moaning gracefully and made fun of me and made me laugh. When we finally crossed the river and hit the Beinn Chabghair path it was the home straight. We did a quick pit stop to stick our legs into the cold water, then clambered down. I had to go slowly here as my legs were pretty tired by now.
I was very glad to see the campsite and get my feet out of my shoes and into my flip-flops. I downed a recovery drink and hobbled to the shower while Bryan tried to put up my tent. We finished the job then went to the bar to get dinner. I was feeling quite sick at this point, so Bryan went to get me a packet of crisps which went down a treat, and shortly after my burger arrived, though I struggled to finish it. While the atmosphere in the pub was nice with live music, I knew I had to get horizontal to rest my legs even if I wouldn't be able to sleep. I brushed my teeth while Bryan got help to jump-start his car, and snuggled down into my sleeping bag - it was about 9.45pm. It was weird to think about how I had left my house that morning and how far I had travelled by foot that day and it felt very surreal.
Day 2: Inverarnan to Glencoe
I didn’t get much sleep – the band in the pub played until about midnight, and I had to get up and pee several times, but I was cozy in my wee tent and reassured myself that I had had good few hours’ of rest and recovery and that was what counted. I had set my alarm an hour before my planned started time of 6:30am. I organized my kit while having breakfast and drinking as much water as I could to re-hydrate, then chucked my overnight great into Jamie’s car – she had arrived the night before, after I’d gone to sleep. I ended up faffing for longer than expected so didn't start until 6.45am.
Seeing Jamie’s cheery face lifted me up instantly. The route took us across the road and off piste, we had a bit of trouble finding the right path straight away, but we did and soon after hit a proper track. I was surprised that my legs allowed me to run, though I had to mix it up with some walking. The first off-path ascent up the back of Ben Oss was hard but I felt OK and kept moving behind Jamie who was talking away and doing the nav. We hit 850m elevation earlier than expected and had by now come out of the clouds so the views were amazing and it was turning into a fabulous day. I could see all the way back to Ben Lomond which seemed very far away now!
We followed the path and were up Ben Dubhcraigh in no time. The descent was steep but doable. At the bottom we hit a good track and ran down into Tyndrum. Here we popped into the By The Way hostel where the owners allowed us to go into the common room for a picture of ‘the beam’ where this whole idea first developed, which was really nice. Outside, I had a quick sandwich and a can of coke while waiting for Jamie’s friend Louise and enjoyed a few minutes to digest and have a break. Then I left Jamie behind to hitch-hike back to get car and moved along the WHW with Louise and her dog Daisy, after a total of 30 mins break in Tyndrum.
The next ascent was up the front of Beinn Dorain. I left Louise at the deer fence and made my own way up. This was a total bitch, and probably the lowest I felt on the whole route. It was very hot by now and I felt nauseous all the way up. I had to stop several times, and it seemed to take forever. Luckily when I hit the top I felt better immediately and enjoyed the run along, and even some of the descent was runnable.
I knew I was behind time and had Elspeth waiting for me at Inveroran – she had picked up my belongings from Jamie’s car on her drive north to GlenCoe and had run down the WHW to meet me. I pushed on and ran as much as I could along the WHW. There was another wee lump to get over which involved some swearing, a short stretch of tarmac, and then I saw Elspeth by Victoria bridge. I was so happy to see her! By now it was 4pm. I had another quick break to drink a second can of coke and some crisps and then we set off again. There was a bit more running before the final big ascent up Stob Ghabhar. I knew it was going to be a late finish, and this was the biggest day, but I had company which was nice, and I had recce’d the section to come which really helped. The way up the Munro seemed to take a long time, but I felt glad to be on a good path, after the previous two off-path ascents that day. I started to get a bit of a cramp in my left glute though it passed quickly. After the top, we hit some very lumpy up and down sections until the final scramble up Clach Leathad. I was following Elspeth’s steps and was breathing quite hard but kept moving somehow.
Again, knowing the route helped massively. I warned Elspeth about the last ‘lump’ before the descent. Ironically it turned out that this was the actual Munro top… it was all getting a bit confusing and jumbled up in my head by now! The descent to the ski centre was not as bad as expected; on the recce I had gone straight down underneath the ski lift which had been a killer on the quads, so I pushed for the longer zigzag route along the road which passed quickly as we ran down, and it was nice to shake out legs.
We could spot Elspeth’s van at the bottom and knew Beardy was waiting in his van. As we finished, he came out to cheer us on, which was a nice moment. He made my recovery drink and oversaw dinner while Elspeth and I had a quick shower. I struggled to finish my dinner of pasta Bolognese, but in the end I did, and even had some yoghurt. I knew I had to lie down soon so got on quickly with getting my sleeping bag ready and brushed my teeth and hopped onto the top bunk of the van for about 10.45 pm.
Day 3: Glencoe to Fort William
I didn’t have a great sleep again, my stomach was playing up and I had to go to the toilet several times. There was also the consistent cuckoo sound in the background and at some point the wind and rain set in. My alarm went off at 5.30am but I was awake from 5am and dreaded what I saw outside – especially given that I was heading for the Aonach Eagach ridge that morning. The van was shaking; both Elspeth and Beardy reassured me that “it always feels worse in the van” but by the time Elspeth and I set off to run to the bottom of the Devil’s Staircase it was still raining, and I was in full waterproofs. I was surprised how my legs were moving and I managed some actual running though I had to walk any up hills. At the car park, Elspeth handed me over to Beardy who had driven up from the campsite, and she ran back to her van to drive home.
Beardy took over and marched me up to Stob Mhic Mhartuin, and then along to Sron Ghargh. I remember thinking how grassy it was and had expected things to be rockier much earlier on. It was windy, but not so much to affect balance, and the rain was heavy – I was glad to have put my better rain jacket on. I was feeling slightly nauseous again, not sure if it was the nerves or the stomach; I kept drinking water and had a few bites to eat, and it cleared up.
The plan was to head along the ridge to Meall Dearg and then head off north towards Kinlochleven. This included the technical downclimb off Am Bodach that I was worried about. The chicken run alternative was to come off at Sron Gharbh. As I moved along behind Beardy in the rain and wind, I expected him to turn around at any minute and say “Sorry Romy, the conditions aren’t right” and lead me off the ridge. But he kept going.
And then he said it was time to put the poles away! This is it, I thought. I had considered recce’ing the section but knew deep down I wouldn’t enjoy it and would just worry about it in the lead up to the event – I also knew that I’d be okay if I had someone guide me and tell me where to go, and that if I’d get this far on in the route I would just put my head down and do it. I didn't mind the lack of visibility (which was actually an advantage as it meant I couldn't see all the way down), so I focused on my breathing and didn't talk, following Beardy’s instructions on where to put my hands, and got on with it. It was a great feeling when it was over!
There was a wee bit more scrambling on the ridge before we hit the top of Meall Dearg, the first new Munro for me on the route. For the descent north of the ridge we were back on rough territory. My heart sank a little when I saw Garbh Bheinn in front of us, a Corbett that I had added to the route. The ascent was very steep and certainly interesting – again I followed Beardy on the scramble up. It was still pretty cold and wet. At the top we decided to take a different descent into Kinlochleven than initially plotted, so it was perhaps a bit steeper but quicker. It started warming up quickly but I was glad for the waterproof trousers protecting my legs from the bushes. As we descended into Kinlochleven, the sun came out and it was roasting again.
Rachel and Bryan there waiting near the Coop and Bryan was just getting ready. Beardy headed back up the WHW to his car. I took 10 mins to eat my sandwich and drink another coke. The layers came off and more suntan lotion on. Then we started walking. I was slow but felt OK, thankful to be following a path again. The ascent dragged on but the chat was good, and this was the final big ascent so spirits were high. Once we were at the top of Sgurr an Iubhair the vastness of the Mamores struck me again. “It’s just along the ridge”, I had thought, but that involved some up and down, and bagging another two new Munros, Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean. The views were amazing, also over to Ben Nevis. The landscape had changed so much over the last three days – from boggy grass to big rocks, and I noticed weird patches of different coloured stone – red and white. The sun came out on and off, but it was still windy. What I remember mostly about this section was the banter, a lot of laughing, talking nonsense, Cookoo noises and stories about paths and lack thereof, and being fed big chunks of fudge. The giddiness at the thought of the nearing end kept my spirits up and I felt myself smiling a lot and talking myself out of any ‘I am tired’ and ‘My feet hurt’ chat, and instead hummed songs in my head – something I had done a lot on the solo training days out.
The last descent was awful as we had to go through a cut forest which left our legs full of scratches. It was a relief to hit the WHW again - we had 9k to go from here. We walked the uphills but ran on the down and had a good stretch of proper running going into Fort William. I can’t say I didn’t hurt but the time passed, and I kept an eye on my watch and counted down the distance left to go, less than 5k, less than 2k, and I knew that was nothing and it would pass in a flash. The entry into Fort William brought back memories of a long run Bryan and I had done from King’s House hotel to Fort William a few years’ earlier; I wanted to have the same finish next to the man on the bench, and I was very happy to see him. And I was still smiling, feeling exhausted and elated at having completed the route.
Rachel, who had driven round from Kinlochleven, was there to take some pics and passed me my bag with spare clothes to change into (note to self: pack flipflops next time!). We looked around for a chippy (I had a craving for chips and gravy) but then we ended up jumping into the car and driving to a takeaway where I ordered cheesy fries to eat in the car on the way back to Glasgow, and also gobbled up several slices of pepperoni pizza that Bryan passed to me (note to self: pepperoni pizza goes down well). As we drove through Glencoe, I looked at the hills around me and the ridge to the side that I had come over; it was overwhelming and the thought that my little legs had come all this way by themselves from Drymen was pretty special. We hit a bit of a queue at Glencoe and had to wait 50 mins before we could move again which was annoying but everyone stayed calm. Once we started moving, I fell asleep. When I woke up, we were beside Loch Lomond, it was dark, but I could make out the outline of hills I had come over just two days earlier. By the time I got to bed it was midnight, eternally thankful for my own bed, and feel asleep sore and tired but very happy.
If you’d like to hear more from Romy, please check out our podcast which we recorded May 2023 :)