The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond I

Notice: This web page is designed so that you can only put yourself on the waiting list. Once I verify that you satisfy the registration requirements I will move you to the list of participants. See registration requirements below.

NOTE: We will schedule several meetings to answer questions and organize ourselves for this event.

We will do the first half of the West Highland Way. This is a beautiful route joining the Scottish lowlands with stunning Highland scenery. We will walk along the "Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond" with great views of the mountains and -weather permitting- climb Ben Lomond, a famous Scottish landmark.

AUDIO

The West Highland Way is completed by thousands of walkers every year, but this is a challenging route passing through increasingly remote and mountainous areas. There are some longer days too. This is a route for experienced walkers. The terrain is varied: lowland meadows, foothills, loch sides, remote moorland, and high mountain passes. The route is generally well maintained, but there are sections where the going is rougher and others where it can get muddy. The average daily climb will be around 1500 ft, except for the ascent to Ben Lomond, where we will go up twice as much. The route is well marked and follows well defined paths. The Way starts in Milngavie, a suburb of Glasgow. From Milngavie to Drymen it travels across rolling hills and lowland plains. This is an easy pleasant walk along the valleys of Blane and Endrick with good views of the hills. From  Drymen to Rowardennan it continues with a mixture of good woodland paths, moderate gradients on Conic Hill and hillside tracks. The approach to Loch Lomond is very picturesque. The section from Rowardennan to Crianlarich is mainly rugged walking over loch side rocks and tree roots with some scrambling.This can be a wild and demanding section of the Way, especially north of Inversnaid, so I divided it into two segments.

Schedule: This is a bare bones description. For more details see the Official Site.

Day 1 (Monday, June 5). Arrive in Milngavie, a suburb of Glasgow.

Day 2 (Tuesday, June 6). Milngavie to Drymen. Distance: 12 miles. Along the way we will stop at the Glengoyne distillery for supplies.

Day 3 (Wednesday, June 7) Drymen to Rowardennan. Distance: 14 miles. 

Day 4 (Thursday, June 8). Ascent to Ben Lomond and return to Rowardennan. Distance 14 miles. Ascent and descent: 3100 ft. Highest point: 3196 ft.

Day 5 (Friday, June 9). Rowardenan to Inverarnan. Distance: 14 miles. This is by far the roughest section of the Way, where the path makes a tortuous route along the side of Loch Lomond with many ups and downs. A hard walk but the scenery is superb.

Day 6 (Saturday, June 10). Inverarnan to Crianlarich and end of trip. Distance: 6 miles.

By Air: The nearest international airport is Glasgow (GLA). There is a regular shuttle bus into Glasgow city center (approx 25 mins). Glasgow to Milngavie is 7 miles. You can either: take a taxi from Glasgow city center; travel by train directly to Milngavie (this takes 25 minutes); or travel by bus, which takes 40 minutes. By Public Transport: Milngavie has a railway station. Most services will pass through Glasgow. By Road: Milngavie is 7 miles north of Glasgow. From Glasgow follow the A81 direct to Milngavie. Getting to and from Crianlarich is probably best by train as there is a station there. Prices for the trains vary depending on time of day and how far in advance you book. Tickets are usually released 3 months ahead of the trip. More details, as well as instructions on how to get to our accomodations, will be given later.

Information about Glasgow and the UK

Most places along the Way will accept credit cards but you should also carry some cash as well. Cell phone coverage is intermittent on the route, but I will be carrying a satellite phone for emergencies. Most accommodations have free wifi but it tends to be quite slow. You should carry enough water for the day as there are limited places to fill up in some areas.

Registration Requirements.
TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT:
1. You must be either an AOC trip leader or be recommended by an AOC trip leader. This requirement is in place to verify that you have the necessary level of fitness and, most important, that you are a sociable person that will get along with the rest of the group and will not engage in disruptive behavior. Please put yourself on the waiting list. I will check whether you qualify, and, if you do, will move you to the list of participants ASAP accordin to the preference rules stated below, provided the maximum number of participants has not been reached.  Under the same preference conditions, people that put themselves on the waiting list before you will have precedence.  

2. After I move you to the list of participants I will give you an address where to send your deposit. If I don't receive your check by December 5 I will move you back to the waiting list.

To participate in this event I will give preference to those that are able to participate in both "The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond" I and II at a ratio of about 2 to 1, i.e, for every two people that are  moved to the lists of participants of both events I will move one person to the list of participants of each event.

WEATHER: The climate averages for Crianlarich for the month of June are the following: Sunshine (hrs per month): 160; precipitation (mm) 79; days with precipitation: 13; high temperature (in Celsius):15.7; low  temperature (in Celsius):5.5; sunshine (hours per day): 5.3, so it is cold and rainy.

Additional Services: If for any reason you cannot walk on a given day transportation may be provided to transport you to your next destination. This will involve additional costs. Cell phone service should be available on most of the route, and I will carry a satellite phone.

DISCLAIMER: The Trip Leader for this event has elected either to personally collect the funds that event participants are required to pay, or to require participants to pay funds directly to a third party. No funds will be paid to the Atlanta Outdoor Club for this event, except for the $25.00 user fee. Therefore, by registering for this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following: (1) the monies paid by registrants will not be monitored, managed, or otherwise accounted for by the Atlanta Outdoor Club; (2) that the Atlanta Outdoor Club bears no financial responsibility for this event; and (3) you waive any and all claims against the Atlanta Outdoor Club, and hold the Atlanta Outdoor Club harmless for the loss of any monies you paid for this event.

*Accomodations for five nights in a shared room, English or Continental breakfast included, in either hotels, farmhouses, village inns, guest houses or family B&B's. Due to limited space, no single rooms will be available for this event, and it is possible that some participants may have to share the same bed.

*Luggage transfer between overnight stops. We leave our luggage at our lodging in the morning and we pick it up at our next lodging upon arrival. We only carry a small pack with the day's necessities.This service is limited to one bag per person, with a weight limit of 18 kg or 40 lbs.

*Packed lunches will be provided for each day's walking, since there will not always be a handy shop or cafe on the route.

*A nonrefundable $25.00 AOC user fee and $5.00 for incidentals.

If you are participating in both "The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond I"  and "The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond II", you cost for both events will be $1260.00, including $5.00 for incidentals and a $25.00 nonrefundable AOC user fee.

Cost does NOT include anything not explicitly mentioned above, in particular:

*Meals, except for five breakfasts and five packed lunches. In particular, our evening meals are not included in the package, but we will have full details and recommendations for each evening meal in our itinerary. We will normally be within walking distance of a pub and/or restaurant; or, where there is good food available at the accommodation, the service provider will book that for us. Allow about 20 pounds per night (without drinks).

*Airfare to and from the United Kingdom and local transportation in the United Kingdom, including transportation to Milngavie and from Crianlarich.

Schedule of Payments:  The trip leader must receive a deposit of $140.00 (or $275.00 if you are participating in both events) no later than December 12, at an address that will be provided as soon as (and if) you are moved to the list of participants. The balance must be received by the Trip Leader no later than April 3.

Important: The cost for this event has been estimated based on a rate of exchange of $1.30 USD to 1 British Pound. Since this exchange rate may vary slightly I will contact you around March 20 to give you an adjusted balance. If the value of the pound decreases between March 20 and the moment I pay the balance to the service provider, this surplus will be transferred to AOC. On the other hand, if the value of the pound goes up, I will cover the deficit from any unused portion of the $5.00 set aside for incidentals, and if that is not enough, from the $25.00 AOC user fees. All surplus funds that may remain from this event will be transferred to AOC.

In the event of cancellation, any money that has not been sent to the service provider will be refunded in full (except for the AOC user fee) but once it has been transferred no refund is possible. However if there is another person on the waiting list that is qualified to participate in the event you may switch with her or him. The Trip Leader will not be involved in your private financial arrangements.