To congratulate myself on having walked all the way to England, I spent the day at the bothy.
Sunday 21st August 2016
Got up late (after 9). By time I had had breakfast and packed up, it was midday, so I decided to stay at cosy Spithope Bothy for another day. I gathered and chopped wood, cleared out a bucket of shit, cleared overgrowth from path to stream. Moving rubbish bags outside seemed to repel mice.
The bothy was in a state when I arrived. Apparently there is a problem with the bothy being used for parties, according to police “Bothy Watch” notices. There were half-empty bottles and cans everywhere, and the ash bucket had been used as a toilet then thrown into the bushes. I did what I could to tidy the place up for future visitors.
A couple of Northumbrians popped in early evening, they decided to go off and camp rather than share the bothy. Had a nice fire going in the evening, candles, and John Coltrane’s jazz to keep me company.
Distance: none
Spending: £0
Spithope is the best bothy I have visited, in spite of the mess I found on arrival. It is small, but has a wood burning stove and an abundance of wood nearby.
Hi Justin, I saw you in Chamonix yesterday. You said that it was hard and I made some comment about but you had done your prep and so on. But now I hear what you were saying. Prep is one thing, faced with the challenges is another. You did it all. It’s just fantastic what you did.