UKC

Hi all,

Setting off on the WHW on Sunday with a couple of my friends. We were wondering however, considering the recent camping bans on the east side of the Loch, where is the best place to camp on the first night? Am I right in saying we'll be around the Balmaha area?

Any info greatly recieved!


Thanks

Euan

In reply to euanryan: hey mate, did it last year balmaha is a long push in the first day...plenty manage it but its not easy. i would say anything after draymen and youre doing good, if you are going over conic hill, before you get to the hill out of the logging forest there is designated wild camping spots. these have fantstic views of the loch just be sure to have water on you before setting up camp as its a good walk to Blamaha

In reply to euanryan:


Yeah, Balmaha's a longish first day. You'd maybe be better doing Drymen on day one then Rowardennan on day two, or similar...

That said, we did Drymen to Inverarnan on the 2nd day and it damn near killed us. Missed last orders at The Drovers, see?

In reply to euanryan:

I camped here NS38827 95000
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PDUiSs9zOEYRiM2IGyCdj9MTjNZETYmyPJy0l...

https://picasaweb.google.com/117542672402472670569/WestHighlandWay?authuser...

If there's only one or two of you I think you will be ok

Take a midge net
enjoy

In reply to andork123:

That not an oxymoron?

In reply to euanryan: a wouldn't bother pitching a tent 'till after the boozer, you may get laid and no huv tae bother. If yer ontae plums, then pitch it anywhere late and take it doon early. Enjoy

In reply to euanryan: yep dryman is your best bet on day 1 anything past that is good, unless you are going the road way there is lots of places to camp on the route to conic hill.

once you head out of dryman there is places both in the woods or on the top of the hill after the woods- these are fantastic places, being on the hill i imagine there is no midges.

In reply to euanryan: Ahh, thought as a reasonably fit group we'd make it to Balmaha! Guess Drymen is a safer aim then. I'd like to get as far as possible on the first day, trying to do it in 5/6 days.
So do you reckon, late to pitch, early to leave and we should be good? As a wild camper, it hurts to have to book and pay for a campsite not to mention the fact I was hoping to not have a limit to our journey for the day.

In reply to euanryan: if you are pitching anywhere other than along the loch you should be fine to pitch anytime fairly safely-anytime after 6 and up before 10 and you will be fine i think - dont get me wrong if you are used to walking with the weight on your back you can get to balmaha, but most people dont :P

In reply to andork123: fair enough! 500 quid fine would be nice to avoid! Haha!

In reply to euanryan: If you did want to go to a campsite theres a nice small one here, i think its actually on the WHW, there were definately lots of WHW-ers staying there when i went: http://www.drymencamping.co.uk/

In reply to euanryan:

You'll not get fined for discrete, low impact camping away from a road and out of sight.

In reply to DaveHK: do you think so? We've exhausted all our ideas and it seems to be the only option. I don't want to deal with fines, let alone do I have the money to pay them! :/

In reply to euanryan:
I wouldn't worry euan the fines are aimed at the Neds who every year seem to set up camp for the summer and leave the place looking like a dump when they leave. You'll have no problem with camping for 1 night. Having said that the campsite at Drymen is quite good. GL on the walk.

In reply to Padraig: Thanks or the info! I think we'll set off and if we're running late on time or are knackered, we'll stay at Drymen. If not we'll push on and be discreet.

In reply to euanryan: Not sure if you will get this or not, but I think you would be able to do Balmaha fairly safely today, first time I did the WHW we camped on a beach just after Balmaha on the first day and we were not by any means well packed or feeling fit! About the wild camping, did some of the way last Sept when the ban was in place and ended up camping at Cashel campsite between Balmaha and Rowardennan, however when walking next morning we passed quite a few tents pitched discreetly in clearings in the trees. So I reckon as long as you're discreet you will be fine to wild camp.