Finding the right path!

It's not often I'm given 3 days off running but following last weeks back to back mountain running on Friday & Saturday, those were the orders from my coach Genevieve.  Her data indicated a rest was required so I happily obliged.  That didn't mean there wasn't any gym sessions however!  I had two runs of 14 & 16km later on in the week and I felt the benefit of my rest.
Her generosity was because this weekend was a biggy.  Going solo in the mountains and staying overnight, in a hotel not a tent, to get the early start today without a long drive made sense.  The weather forecast was fantastic and it didn't disappoint.
I headed off to Kinlochleven to gain access to the Mamores.  A stunning mountain range that I raced the Ring of Steall last year.  On Saturday it was blue skies all day.  The scenery was stunning and my pal Michael had planned the route for me using the online OS map so I had it on my phone and watch - what could possibly go wrong?  Starting from the right place is so important and after 200m I checked my phone which showed I was on the wrong path!  Once on the right path it was fine, until there was no path to be seen.  Apparently Michael's red line on the map doesn't mean there is a path!  So it was a straight climb up the front of the mountain.  Mostly through heather but that can be very tiring.  If there was a path, I never found it until the last quarter of the climb where a path appeared from nowhere!  The views from the summit of Stob Ban were absolutely stunning. I met a few climbers and we took pictures using each others cameras to capture the views with us in them.  Then it came to finding the way off the summit down to the ridge.  It wasn't obvious at first as it was a very steep drop and it was one of the other climbers that spotted it for me.  It was a precarious descent and I had to pick my way carefully through the rocks, making decisions about the direction to take.  I then followed a stunning ridge to East Top then Mullach nan Coirean.  On reaching that summit I could see across the mountain range to the sea loch at Fort William. Although it wasn't on my plan I decided to add another 30 mins to my run and go across another ridge to Meall a' Chaorinn.  The picture I got was worth the effort and I took ten minutes to eat some food while enjoying the mountain to myself.  These days are very rare.
But then the descent, which is connected to the title of this blog, was awful.  In short there was no bloody path and once again I was walking straight down the face of the mountain.  It was slow and painful but I almost made it unscathed.  15 m before the track at the bottom my foot disappeared down a hole, I fell over an my right ear landed on the handle of my pole - ouch.  Thought I'd burst my eardrum but as I hadn't lost my balance I picked myself up and ran out to the end.  A wee reminder of how easy it is to hurt yourself and why you always need to be on guard even when safety is in sight.  That could easily have been a broken limb which is why I always carry a survival bag and other provisions.  But 21km with 1,500m of ascent was just what I needed.
Today was always going to be a tough one on tired legs which was the plan to build me for my 125km race in 2 weeks.  33km with 2,000m of ascent and an out and back just to muck with my head.  From Glencoe over the Devil's staircase to Kinlochleven then out the other side and up the initial climb of the Ring of Steall and summit Am Bodach then back down and over the Devil again.  Another nice day although windy so I kept my jacket on until I had descended Am Bodach - it was definitely chillier.  The path is fine till you start the final climb to the summit and it's a boulder field.  There are numerous routes because the one I went up was definitely not the one I came down.  When you're solo on these mountains you are hyper aware that every step is important and when running down from the top, every footstep is an potential ankle turn or break.  So you are constantly making decisions about which path to follow as the path splits giving you two or three options.  You have to concentrate so hard as you are travelling at speed over loose rocks, shale and soft peat.
In my head I wasn't looking forward to the route from Kinlockleven back over the Devil so I imagined my running pals were with me.  It was good to have some "imaginary company" and the amazing thing is, I flew up the hill quicker than I'd thought possible.  It's a reminder of what goes on in your head makes a difference to how you approach challenges.
When I'm out on the hills solo, finding the right path is essential and constantly being aware of the risks of descending quickly needs my full concentration.  And starting from the right place or heading off the summit in the right direction, even if you can't see the path is important.  Sometimes the right path isn't visible until you've started and your vision of the landscape changes.  Have fun out there but be careful and if your head is in a negative place or your nervous (as I was on the summit) call on your "imaginary friends" - it works!