Tolsta to Ness - 25/04/05

Today's exploits were to be centered around Tolsta, so I went on the 10.45 bus there. This was packed with locals returning from their shopping trips as well as a few tourists. Parts of the route are done on request only, so we omitted the Gress Loop and did go down Camach Park in North Tolsta. On alighting at New Tolsta, further north, I met two Swiss tourists, Dieter and Conny, who were going to walk to Ness. Suffice to say that I also ended up there. It was a brilliantly sunny day, with a gentle southeasterly breeze. Proceeded to Garry Beach, then over the Bridge to Nowhere into the 5 mile stretch across the moors. Showed my companions the knacks of reading the ground in terms of bogginess. Had a look at the massive stack of Dun Othail, a mere 90 m (300 ft) high. Crossed the deep valley at Dibidil, where you have to go down from 110 m to nil and right back up again to 118 m. Had lunch outside the shieling hut. At 2.30 we continued proceedings by continuing over increasingly broken ground to a very long valley and finally the ruins of Filiscleitir. The coastal landscape remains impressive round there. The chapel and the houses (all ruinous now) stand 50 m (170 ft) above the sea. Carried on towards the track and the shielings of Cuidhsiadar. Just after that a T-break and a P-break were held. We reached the Sgiogarstadh roadend at 5 pm, about 1 hour behind schedule for a solo hike. The moors were easier to traverse because it was a lot drier than back in February. Led my fellow walkers through Eorodal to Port Nis, where we concluded the trek. Dieter and Conny had previously walked in Patagonia. He flies Airbuses, she did something in commerce. Between them they spoke "Schwitzertutsch", Swiss German, a dialect I find practically impossible to follow. Bus arrived at 6.15, gradually filling up with locals. Returned to SY at 7.10. The Swiss returned to their B&B at Hal'o the Wynd, I went a little further up Newton Street to my digs.