Starts in Scotland – The Trek

Background

Perth has some of the best beaches adjacent to a major city in the world. I don’t take it for granted for a moment, but I love being in the mountains.

That passion began when I was a child visiting my family in Ireland (from the UK, where I grew up).

Over the years, I have camped in Glacier National Park, Alaska, and along the Colorado River in Utah on guided trips. I stood alone along a river in British Columbia with my guide and watched a mother grizzly bear and her cubs about 100 meters away. I have also dived with sharks in the Bahamas.

Therefore, there is a constant backdrop to a busy professional and family life. Now I have more time to look for opportunities to delve deeper into Nature.

The title, ‘Starts in Scotland‘ refers to the hope that this walk will be a springboard to even greater adventures.

where am i now

I work as a legal professional, ten years into my current position. I am lucky to be married and have two children, now adults.

Although my professional life is sedentary, I have maintained a commitment to physical fitness since joining a judo club when I was eight years old. I gave up judo at 16 but played rugby until I was 30. To encourage my two children, I returned to judo when I was in my forties. That experience was briefer and came to an end when I was kneed in the thigh during a wrestling session. I received what is known in the UK as a «dead leg» and in Australia as a «corkie». The injury, to my concern, calcified into the bone; a biological phenomenon that until now was unknown.

My wife thought that the midlife crisis was over. She was blissfully unaware of the fact that there were many more who would take her place.

The first (I hope) ‘Great Walk’

And so, together with Patrick, I will walk the 160km/96 miles of the West Highland Way in seven days. It will be my first walk.

The reasons

Short term

Firstly, my goals are focused on this hike itself.

I want to spend seven days enjoying the spectacular Scottish countryside with my son. He will be a very entertaining walking companion with a dark sense of humor. On a previous overnight camping trip on a local trail, in response to a text from my wife asking, “How are you guys?” He told her that «Dad broke his ankle and I had to eat him.»

Neither of them were correct.

I’m looking forward to trying the haggis, local whiskey and some real ales as I go along. I hope to achieve my goal of completing every kilometer of the hike from start to finish.

Long term

But I also consider the hike as a kind of springboard to future adventures. I will be 59 years old when I complete it.

Time is on my side in a sense, in that the long accrued leave of absence means that I can be away from work for long periods to tackle at least some of the various tasks on my list. Separating from my family is a different matter and striking the right balance is very important to me.

Time is against me, in the sense that there are a surprisingly large number of possible increases in Europe and the United States. I will not always be able to maintain my current reasonably high fitness levels. I am determined to do it for as long as possible.

In 2024 I traveled 370km in four days from Cork Airport to Westport in May. While there were magical moments, as the days went by, I enjoyed the act of riding my bike less and less. Repeatedly pushing a heavily loaded bike up the side of a mountain was difficult. In the end it put me off future cycling expeditions. I really hope it won’t be the same when it comes to long distance hiking.

After a few days in Edinburgh (weather permitting, we also hope to climb Ben Nevis), the plan will be to head south to the west of England, where I grew up, and spend five days walking 120km on a section of the South West Coastal Path (‘SWCP’) in Cornwall.

And so, if all goes according to plan, we will cover about 280 km (175 miles) in 12 days. A decent number of kilometers per day, but we will have the luxury of sleeping in pleasant accommodation each night.

Beyond the West Highland Way

The proposed next step will be two guided hiking trips along the Yellowstone River and then to Mount Whitney in California in August 2027, involving, respectively, six and seven consecutive nights of camping.

Assuming all goes well, I hope to move forward in 2028 to walk the Camino Del Norte (500 miles) along the northern coast of Spain.

Beyond that, there is another step forward: the Colorado route in 2029.

The plan, therefore, is not to give up on physical fitness when I reach 60, but to challenge myself progressively. I am aware of my limitations but retain a sense of adventure. I hope my lifelong commitment to fitness will serve me well in this challenge.

My goal is constant progression. But I’m really intrigued to see how far I can go, building on one year’s achievements (hopefully) into the next. None of us can move forward forever, but I am determined to move forward as deeply as possible.

With 3 weeks left, I will maintain my accountability by recording each week’s progress in some detail. Stay tuned to see how well it prepared me for seven days straight walking 20+km a day on rugged terrain!

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.