KARMA CAIRNS

Stats-Today we walked 19.2 miles with an elevation gain of 1837’ and descent of 1802’. It was a mixtures clouds, sun, and a few rain showers. We hiked from Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy and on to Kingshouse.

 Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.

                         —Gary Snyder    

Today is long day so we are up early. At 6:30 I look out the window and it is raining hard. Looks like a full on rain gear day. Forty minutes later it is  almost time to head out but now the rain has just stopped so I remove my  rain gear and stuff it into the day pack. 

Off we go! We walk a couple of hundred yards to a small cafe that opens at 7:30 and we each order a classic Scottish breakfast. It usually consists of eggs, rashers (large slices of bacon), pork sausage, baked beans, cooked red tomatoes, black pudding (which is actually blood sausage), and a bread item of some sort. Today it is a potato scone. Plus cup of strong coffee. It all makes for a very filling breakfast!

At 8 am we headed down the busy street for a short distance of pavement, then onto a wide path. The path is actually an old military gravel road. No vehicles, only hikers. The military roads were built in the 18th century after the uprisings in 1715 and 1745 by the Jacobites, as the supporters of the Stuart kings were known. The roads were needed to move the English troops quickly through the mountains to suppress rebellions.They make for easy hiking today!

                                                     The military road

Climbing, the views are wonderful and the weather improves, The suns peeks through the clouds and the wind is at our backs. Soon we come to a large pile of small rocks along roadside. I recognize these as karma cairns, also known as good luck cairns. These are sometimes seen in the mountains in Colorado. Unlike most small stacks of rocks known as cairns which help one follow a route or help with navigation, these piles are different. When you come upon one of these large piles, the correct thing to do is to pick up a small rock from the path and then add it to the rock pile. Adding a rock is said to give you good luck, good fortune, good karma or whatever you wish to call it. The photo above is the first karma cairn that I passed today.

                                     Hazel, the Aussie, is hiking with us again today

                                        Another karma cairn, even larger than the first

Eventually I pass second and then a third karma cairn, adding a rock to each. Now I know our day will be a good one! No one else in our group adds a rock as they pass. I later learn that they were unaware of the karma cairn tradition. 

With this the good karma assured, we need no longer to worry about the long hike, the predicted heavy rains, or the forecast of winds. All will now be copacetic.

                                     The scenery is quickly changing and he trees are disappearing 

                                             A old stone underpass under the railroad tracks

Although a long walking day, the paths are relatively easy, the sun is out a good bit, and we only have three short rain storms each lasting only a few minutes but intense enough to require rain jackets and rain pants. We have wonderful views, purportedly the best of the entire WHW. The skies are magnificent and even a full rainbow appears. There are rushing streams and beautiful flowers. By 4 pm we are at our accommodation called the Kingshouse Hotel with a pint in hand!

The Karma Cairns have worked…..

                              Our accommodation, sitting all alone in the middle of nowhere

                                                    Good luck rainbow

                                 This road that we hiked on most of the afternoon was built just after 1803 by hand                labor and was used for driving animals and commerce over the mountains