SNT (day 11) - Laggan to Creag a Mhaim (Cape Wrath Trail)

Second day on Cape Wrath Trail and I got totally schooled by it.

After a breakfast in Great Glen Hostel, I've packed and left for the trail. First part of the day was a rinse and repeat of yesterday, walking along logging roads and Loch Garry the difference was that I have not met anyone along the way.

Around mile 35, the logging road suddenly disappeared along with, well any trail at all and I started my first challenging section of Cape Wrath Trail. It was running along the river bank the terrain was very marshy and uneven with long grasses and moss covering everything, few times I underestimated the depth of the boggy terrain and sunk my leg up to my thigh inside of it. Soon after came two river crossings followed by another pathless, boggy section after which the trail finally arrived at the country road.

This comfortable trail only lasted for about a mile after which it turned into a muddy and wet ascent towards Spidean Malach after which it was following a beautiful valley inside a mountain range. I've unexpectedly met a whole Scottish family in this remote place having a jolly good hike, except most of them looked like they didn't have the best time, exception being the grandfather who probably organised the whole adventure.

It was raining and the wind was quite strong at this point, I've lost the track of the trail several times and had to jump through the fences and cross few small streams and a river to find it, it certainly wasn't getting any easier. After few more miles next climb started, at this point the trail was just a flowing stream of water, my clothing was soaked throughout and I started to have doubts about carrying on. The view from the top of the mountain looking back at the lake, the river and the valley showing essentially my whole days progress was amazing though, probably the best one on this trail so far.

It was after 5pm now and as I made my descent I started to look for a place to camp and here another problem revealed itself. The terrain was so spongy, uneven and saturated with water that there was little to none camping space around, also the howling wind made it that much more difficult to set a tent up. I've spotted a heard of deer up ahead on the trail, it was about nine of them and I think they brought me good luck, they obviously chose a sheltered, dryer terrain to feed on and I managed to find a good spot to camp there at a price of scaring them away of course.

I've set up as quickly as I could, threw everything inside the tent as it started to rain again and after a quick dinner I wrapped myself in a cozy sleeping bag, and wentvtovsleep. I was exhausted.

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