The devil’s ladder! – The walk

Day 8 at WHW! We spent a lovely evening at the Kingshouse Hotel surrounded by panoramic views of the mountains. Last night we went to bed early because today we tackled the Devil’s Staircase. We will cross the “weeping glen”, which was the site of the Glencoe Massacure in 1692. And then we will walk to the highest point of the WHW at 548 metres.

Sugar Sand has some reservations about this part after the muddy, slippery Conic Hill disaster. But we are still blessed with cool, sunny weather and we all assure you that there is nothing to fear. The game plan is an early start and a slow, steady climb.

Pay attention to the change in trail ratings

Sugar Sand has made an official request that we change the trail ratings in the future. They are currently classified as easy, moderate or strenuous. From then on by decree of Sugar Sand:

Easy = OMG!

Moderate = Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Exhausting = What the fuck!

Therefore, the Devil’s Stairs hike that was previously rated as moderate is now rated as Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

History of the Devil’s Staircase

The day starts cloudy but clear as we leave the Kingshouse Hotel and cross the valley to the base of the climb. Now the Devil’s Staircase is full of Scottish history. The name itself has several different stories behind it. One is that the road construction program under General Wade had workers carrying construction materials up the mountain and was quite unpopular. The workers would receive their wages and travel across the mountain to the Kingshouse lodge to spend their wages. Often the somewhat soggy walk back after a night of drinking many pints would result in the devil getting his due from the poor souls. The trail’s name doesn’t come from weary hikers, but it gives us pause.

Sugar Sand had not enjoyed heights and was worried that it would be treacherous. After some convincing from all our new friends, she’s ready to go. Slow and steady will be the mantra. There is a cool breeze early in the morning and my initial fear is that it will turn into a jacket-to-jacket type day, but that turns out to be incorrect. It heats up quickly with a cool, constant breeze that keeps us comfortable. The trail is dry and the curves make it comfortable. The ascent portion rises 1.1 miles and the views of the mountain are stunning. Before we know it, we’ve reached the top, and as more members of our new group of friends arrive, we pause to celebrate.

Top of Devil’s Staircase

Some of the gang

Kinlochleven

Moving towards Kinlochleven the path continues downhill, crosses the berm with steps and then begins to climb slowly again. To the right appears the Blackwater Reservoir. The road continues descending until it reaches the dam road at the height of the pumping station.

knee burner

This section is a knee burner! After having both knees replaced 2 years ago, I am aware that I need to protect my new set. I practice a zigzag technique to keep pressure on my knees and prevent my feet from putting pressure on the uppers of my trail runners. So far this week all my preparation for foot care and knee protection has worked well. Foot care has become a changing goal over the years. Currently, in addition to using leukotape to protect areas that have had hot spots in the past, I have also adopted a 2-sock method. I use toe socks as a base layer and wool socks on top. This does require having shoes with enough room and space. This method has stopped my chafing and blisters quite effectively. Sugar Sand wears one layer of socks, as that’s all the room his trail runners will allow him. But the second toes on both feet are bruised and battered. He has been wrapping them more snugly now, but fears that the toenails will eventually be lost due to early damage. As a nurse, I brought a product called soft wound care foam if necessary. But we have found that soft foam cut into pieces and then secured with leukotape is the best combination. No matter what foot care you use, the best care is stretching, pressure relief with a hard ball, and vitamin I (ibuprofen).

Still very steep, the path continues down to Kinlochleven across the river, through a small section of woodland to the end point where the water descends into the stream. The roar of the water is deafening but fascinating to watch.

hiker trash

We arrive early in the city and have to wait for our accommodation. After eating something quick, we all occupied the benches in the city’s green square. I choose to fill myself with hiker trash and take off my shoes, throw away my jacket and backpack, and take the neck pillow out of the backpack. I prostrated myself on the grass, with the pillow under my neck, my feet elevated on my backpack, and the lights were off. The best nap of my life and waking up to the perfect blue sky.

View from my nap

The B&B for our night is finally ready. Our host is quite entertaining as he explains the house rules. Tomorrow will be our last and biggest day yet. We have 15 miles with lots of elevation gain and an option at the end. There seems to be a new final path that goes up while the traditional one goes down and through the city. The decision of which path to take will be made tomorrow depending on how much stretch we have left. As the trip comes to an end, we are sad that we will soon no longer be with our WHW hiker bubble. We have developed friendships throughout the week and are committed to everyone’s success. Until tomorrow when we attempt the final stretch which is Jesus, Mary and Joseph / What a day!

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