Day 18 -to Fort William- For most the most difficult day-I was in Heaven

UK's Highest peak Ben Nevis(1345 m) emerging from the Mist above Fort William as we get to board a little  Ferry . Been a big day and team are exhausted.boa back across the sea lock to get to Fort William

Do they look tired ?waiting for the little ferry to get across the loch and finish last 4 ? off km back to hotel in Fort William

                Little did I know when I took this photo of a gadget at Breakfast at a dinner 800 m from our campground/lodge that is was a very appropriate image of the day. It was far out and crazy fun in the alpine environment we were soon to enter

Looking at Breakfast menus-We were provided with Breakfast and lunch as part of the tour costs. Most breakfast were in hotels but this was in a dinner, so not continental, only cooked 

An hour and half latter we were at Briefing, Bags packed and ready to roll, well just about

The Route Board for today-had some pinch points as we had ferries to catch to avoid traffic we crossed the Loch(a sea loch) so that we had better riding conditions(less traffic). Although it looked like we wouldn't make it, we achieved with spare time in the end

The mossie report-This is actually a real report produced on the Internet. Glad to know we had none and are probably unlikely to have any from now on I am told.

Stats from my Bike computer software, if you look at the map we sorted scootered around some peaks .

                                                Leaving for the day, bit cool

So good so far, actually really lovely

Camping on the west Highland way-apparently one of the most popular walking tracks in Scotland. Certainly we passed heaps and this was a Thursday, not a weekend. 

Oh who put those rocks there. A very tricky but, wet and slippery and sharp rocks so team took it cautiously

doesn't look bad but the rocks and climbs we beyond most as well climbed and pushed and carried bike. Andy was superb helping carry bikes. The next bit going down was sharp rocked and girls were very sensible and just did very slowly. Very wise and was challenging.

I was in my elements but we are a team and worked and helped each other along today. Was challenging for many but I just loved it. This was early on and a one for what was to come. I really loved it, but this sentiment was not generally felt, but they did get thru it and I think can feel pretty proud of their efforts and determination

 The hill were getting bigger as we climbed to the alpine stuff where we were latter in day

 This was one of the more dangerous bits and was very slow . Electric bike are quite heavy

That Andy having just carried someones bike down to his bike

 

                                                                Under way again

                                 under a bridge in wet and slippery and then an awkward gate

                                            I love these rocky outcrops. the heavy rain had stopped but we were to have drizzle often today

We passed so many walkers today. Americans, Dutch, Germans. It's a popular walking area as is a lot of this area around Scotland. I can see why Andrew and Tasha loved walking here in Scotland

                                    Crossing road to continue on the backcountry trails

 Came across a large group of German students having presumably a hiking holiday or school project

standing in the peddles this bloke

 

                                                            Starting to climb again

                         see those hills and tress in the far distance, that's where we were going

the countryside starts to open up as we get nearer the pass 

nearer the summit pass, on our left which you can't see are the backside of a very steep ski slope of Glencoe

We passed these. guys as we stoped and one of us had a puncture that took a while to repair, Again team work got it fixed.

the views open up into large basin 

                                    there  is a main road down in that basin below

This photo is over the hill and moving down into a basin. the buildings you see are the Glencoe Ski Base, and you may be able to make out the first chair lift up to the first ridge, and then up and up again and we were coming up looking at the back side of these hill which go up pretty high. 

Remember its a high latitude here so although not really high in M above ski level its the lattitude. probably like sth of Invercargill Lattitude. Need to look that up.

SO HERES THE ANALYSIS FROM A GOOGLE SEARCH

Below is fort William where we ended the day. It's virtually 57degrees North.

Below that is Invercargills lattitude and its 46 degree south.

So a difference of say 12 degrees, Each degree I think from my coastguard days is 60 Nautical mile and its 1.8 nautical miles to a 1 km so the maths are

1.8 times 60 time 12 degree so therefore 

its about

1300 km south of Invercargill in NZ terms , so that way way south in the southern ocean. Gives you idea of the lattitude . OH I hope I have the maths right. 

One of the worries about climate change for the Uk  is that the golf stream which the water that flows up the Atlantic coast of the US that carry warm water up that coast and then down around the ocean actually keeps the Uk warm and its being disrupted and if it get seriously damaged or stoped the Gulf Stream operating then the UK will get seriously colder. This is apart from considering the atmospheric currents that flow around the earth. Like the Atmospheric rivers we got from the North in nZ in the last few years that brought us all the cyclones down from the island. All so interesting but long and short we are now closer to the pole than we are at home.

FORT WILLIAM "56.8198° N", 5.1052° W

Latitude and longitude coordinates are: 56.819817, -5.105218. Fort William is a large town in Highland, Scotland.

INVERCARGILL "46.4179° S", 168.3615° E

Owing to its relatively high latitude (46° 24′), the city enjoys nearly 16 hours of daylight at the summer solstice in late December, with astronomical night lasting as little as 2.5 hours.

Postscript added Monday 24/06/24

I had been thinking about this whilst cycling and decided to check this morning

see below from Google search about 1 degree of latitude

In other words I was short on Km- difference in degrees is approx 12 degree times 111 km= 1332 directly south of Invercargill. I had it slightly wrong

See the chair lift going up to that first ridge

                                                Emerging from that Alpine trail

                              Dorothy did really well. See turns 70 in next month or so. I asked her and she was a. tomboy in her youth and was amazing.

This Photo is after lunch and we are heading down the valley now and on descent soon. In thos hills they filmed part of the bond Movie Skyfall. And the suns came out a bit which was nice to warm up

Stunning climbing hills and Scenery beside a busy main road. Nick, Andy and Gwen are all mountain climber. I mean serious outdoors stuff and they all are very experienced. Gwen and Andy do guiding now as a career(a third life career for both of them). they told us last night that from October they are taking a 6 months holiday and climbing some big mountains in Sth America and a couple in Afica.

As the climb thru the hills took a lot longer than eLocxpected we were now on the march and headedd for a lunch pick and rush. We were successful as put the hammer down and manages=d to catch our 3:15 ferry to cross the sea lock and get on less busy roads on the other side to climb up to Fort William and then catch a little ferry that you will see to get back on the main road on the Fort William side of the sea Loch. the photos will reveal this

                                                We made in time and caught the ferry

                                                this is a light house on the other side

Starting off on these quite roads for another 15 odd Km, on really flat roads that were nearly deserted and a good surface which made for fast easy cycling. Andy in the front. A real character. He and his wife Gwen have been simply amazing. Going so far beyond what you would expect to look after us and if things go wrong try and help us out. And think go wrong. things break and they have been to the miles of the earth to fix if they can. All quietly in the background. So so good. Very customer orientated.

beside ethe wharf was this boat on the shore, showing the tidal lift whilst we wait for the little ferry to get back on the fort William Side of the Loch

the first little ferry was too full so we had to wait 20 minutes for t to upload on other side and come back

That fort William on the other side and above it is Ben Nevis emerging  from the cloud. To the left and just out of the photo shoot is a power station that feeds an Alumium Plant very similar to Manapouri and Invercargill.  

Further up in Scotland the are building storage lakes in the hills and pumping up water to fill them in the day when energy is surplus and then slowly emptying them to cater for perk electricity demand. So effectively acting as a storage battery for electricity. Simple in concept and what we are looking at doing I understand in NZ. 

Can really see it now and the walking track on the right hand side going to the summit

loading the boat. these guys are so strong and agile to climb around the decks with these big heavy bikes

Unloading at Fort William for last 3 or 4 km to go to Accommodation and see Lee -Anne for first time in over 3 weeks. the longest we have ever been apart. We wonderful to catch up !

Well this was sent to me from the team, this happened a few days ago. I spotted a Ewe with it stuck in a wire in the stream. It had its horns and head stuck.Climbed the fence and tried to get free which I finally did after a struggle, bit I could not get it to move and not entangle itself again. So Gwen jumped over and together we dragged it under the wire only for it to collapse exhausted on the other side. it was in a warmer place and hopefully recovered. 

I then got told about Ticks. We don't have them in nZ but they do in Aussie and do here. I then proceeded to think I had ticks in my skin. You know like thinking about spiders. I don't think I got one as they give you a nasty disease called Limes disease. Think I am all good but had Lee -Anne check me out that evening for any telltale signs .

                                                Posing as we had completed our task ! 

You go, no you go first, no you go, no you go. You know the routine.😀