Last time, I shared my best bits of the West Highland Way, the first long-distance trail I’d ever hiked. Sure, it was amazing or ‘awesome’ as everyone keeps telling each other nowadays. I’m an optimistic person, but I don’t believe that long-distance hiking is continuous happiness. I mean, come on! For me at least, hiking – as life in general – is with ups and downs.
“They made me a heartless murderer – although I plead self-defense: it was them or me”
The West Highland Way is the most famous long-distance trail in Scotland. Not without reason; it is perfect for novice hikers who wish to enter the realm of the highlands. Being a newbie to multiday hiking at that time (or any hiking in general if I must be honest), but longing to discover Scotland by foot, my friend Eve and I decided to walk the WHW.
Five years ago, a hiker was born. The West Highland Way has infected me with the hiking virus and since then, I can’t think of anything else to spend my holidays.
Given the immense popularity of the WHW, much has already been written about it. So I won’t bore you with numerous facts or long walking reports. I’d rather share the best and the worst, learned lessons, and some personal insights and tips about the WHW in an upcoming blog series.
Trolls, the giant creatures from Norwegian mythology, are said to orginate from stone. They usually avoid sunlight, as the story goes that sun exposure will turn them back into stone. Once upon a time, there was an adventurous (or rather a stupid!) troll living in the mountains nearby the West coast of Norway. In a rebellous attempt to test if the story was true, he showed himself to the sun. First, nothing happened, so he thought to taunt the sun by sticking out his tongue. Provoking the sun was not his smartest move, and soon he turned into stone.
Winter turns me into a couch potato. You’ll find me on the sofa with lots of blankets, surrounded by candles and chocolates, watching Love Actually. Preferably together with my boyfriend Aaron, but unfortunately he can’t appreciate the predictability of those happy love stories as much as I do. So he suggested that we should hike instead. Yes, shocking, isn’t it? I almost choked in my chocolate when I heard it. Hiking when it’s cold. In the snow!!
“Hikers and scientists?” you may think. “Why?” Well, it has something to do with their reasons for travelling to Reykjavik. Hikers, obviously, will go to Iceland for …. (and here it comes) … hiking. So scientists, guess what?!, Continue reading
