Day 208: Torrin to Camasunary Bothy
Distance: 13.76 miles
Ascent: 2577 feet
Weather: OverCast, Sunny Spells, Light rain (Heavy Once in Bothy)
Accommodation: Camasunary Bothy
I woke up very comfortable in my little hobbit house and it had been quite satisfying listening to the rain hitting the domed window above my head. Strangely when I actually got up the sky looked quite good and there appeared to even be the chance of some sun. I popped up to the internet hut just to confirm that Ali wouldn’t be making it and then started to get things together. My mind was a bit all over the place but when Paul told me the forecast for today and that there was heavy rain forecast starting between 1 & 2pm I set off pretty sharpish, as there was a chance I could get to the bothy at the end of my day not that long after that and hopefully before it hit.
The day started following the road up and around the head of Loch Slapin (in fact all today was technically Skye Trail), alongside this road there were quite a few people ‘wild’ camping, well camping 20m from their cars at least and I was making quick progress. I followed the road to just before Kirkibost and then joined a little path, and then a series of roads, tracks and paths to Glasnakille. This little stretch was actually quite interesting, passing all the little farms, rural houses and crofts, and I really enjoyed it
At Glasnakille I took the turning for Elgol, and this single track road slowly climbed up and on cresting the highest point the views over to the Cuillins were amazing. From here I descended the road into Elgol where as I had proposed to eat in the café with Al I hadn’t bought supplies for lunch so grabbed a soup and then decided to get on my way as it was already 12ish and I reckoned it could still take me a couple of hours. The weather was still dry but I could see clouds forming on the horizon.
I left Elgol and joined the path to Camasunary Bothy. This started fairly easily but then became a slightly vertigo inducing path very narrow just about clinging to the sort of cliffs. But I was loving this section and the rain was just about holding off. (It turns out some others had been warned not to walk this stretch as someone apparently had fallen of the path a few weeks ago and died.) I bumped into 2 girls lying in the remaining sun and thought I should warn them about the stormy conditions arriving in an hour and they appeared to heed the advice.
There were some cows blocking the next bit so I detoured a bit across the valley before rejoining the path and climbing back onto the cliffs. There was a part where the path had literally fallen into the sea but there was fortunately a little diversion around this bit. The rain started lightly at this point so I waterproofed up and picked up the pace and dropped down to the bothy fortunately before the heavy rain.
Camusunary Bothy is different from the other bothies as it is almost brand new, because the landowner took back the old bothy a couple of years ago, but allowed the MBA to build a new one elsewhere on his land in the bay. It is therefore more practical but less quaint and without a fire. When I arrived there were a few sleeping bags laid out but no one around, and as the day went on a couple of London Hikers turned up (in fact pitching their tents a few hundred meters from the bothy which was brave with the wind forecast for tonight), a Canadian came to collect his stuff, 4 girls a mix of Australian and English, then the sleeping bag owners which it turns out were 5 hungarians and finally 2 students who had just finished uni. They had all turned up in various states of dampness, but the bothy was warm and everyone started to dry up and we all cooked our various meals, with some people going all out even including a sweet potato. I fortunately had loads of food as had bought enough for me and Ali though hadn’t quite carried it all.
After a chilled evening and a few games of Dobble we all went to the sleeping platforms but less than an hour after falling asleep I had to move into the kitchen area due to an incredibly loud snorer just next to me. As I fell asleep I could hear the proper storm/gales starting to arrive and wondered if the tent goers would stick it out or escape in here later in the night.
NB - Camera stayed in bag due to rain.
