What I Learned Walking The West Highland Way
- Kirsty Heap
As I walked, I found myself using many of the same tools I offer to my coaching clients. Reframing tough moments, breaking big challenges into micro goals, and taking time to pause and look back at how far I’d come.
It’s been a couple of weeks now since I finished walking the West Highland Way, and I’m still carrying it with me, not in my legs but in my soul. We set off on Friday 25th April, and I took my final step into Fort William on Wednesday 2nd May at 11:15am. I walked the whole route with my wonderful husband Joph, and together we carried everything we needed on our backs, camped each night, and braved the elements with grit and a sense of shared adventure. The journey began with a warm send-off from one of my amazing clients, Nicola, also known as The Bonnie Gardener, who came to meet us at the start and waved us on our way.
I took this on as a personal challenge. Each year I try to do something that stretches me physically, but unlike previous events like my half, full marathons, and super sprint triathlons, this wasn’t about one burst of endurance in a single day. It was about committing to something that unfolded and compounded over time. It was a full-body and full-mind experience: walking for hours each day, sleeping under canvas, and surrendering to the rhythm of nature.
And it wasn’t easy. The first three days were drenched with rain. Each morning I’d have to put on soaking wet clothes and boots and set off again, knowing there were miles and miles ahead. That first night after walking 18.5 miles and tackling Conic Hill, I lay in the tent wondering whether I’d bitten off more than I could chew. My body hurt, my pack weighed 16kg, and I genuinely questioned if I could keep going.
But something shifted. From day two, I was surprised at how our bodies adjusted. We found our rhythm, and despite some testing moments, like the time I hit my head hard on a low branch after a dip in Loch Lomond, I kept going. Day three brought another big challenge: the undulating second half of the Loch Lomond stretch, slow and technical, leaving us still searching for a wild pitch site after 8 pm. And yet, just as we needed it, a flat riverside spot appeared. Those little gifts from the universe never stopped showing up.
There were incredible highs, too. Cresting the Devil’s Staircase and seeing the Highlands open up before us felt like a reward beyond words. The hills rolled endlessly, silent and majestic. That view will stay with me forever. So will the deep joy of waking up each morning under canvas, watching mist lift off a loch or sunlight catch the side of a mountain. I thought my camping days were behind me, but this trip reminded me why I once loved it so much. There’s real magic in the simplicity of carrying everything you need, sleeping close to the earth, and letting nature set your pace.
I’ve always known I loved the outdoors, but this experience took that to a new level. Being in those vast, awe-inspiring landscapes stirred something in me, a quiet, expansive joy that fed my soul in a way I didn’t know I needed. There’s nothing quite like the smell of pine, the feel of fresh mountain air in your lungs, or the sound of wind moving through the trees. It made me feel both grounded and limitless at the same time.
As I walked, I found myself using many of the same tools I offer to my coaching clients. Reframing tough moments, breaking big challenges into micro goals, and taking time to pause and look back at how far I’d come. I was reminded how important it is to enjoy the journey, not just push through it. That applies to so many of the people I work with. Often, we’re juggling professional ambition and personal goals, trying to do it all. But this walk reminded me how vital it is to carve out time for our own adventures. Just like we plan for business milestones, we need to plan for joy, challenge, and connection with ourselves, others, and the world around us.
I also found myself reflecting deeply on how I live and work. The experience stirred questions about how I might bring more of my love for nature into my coaching, and even how where I live aligns with my values. These aren’t just ideas I explored while walking, they’re shifts I want to honour going forward.
Since returning home, I’ve been doing small things to keep the feeling alive: ensuring no matter what the weather is, I get outside to walk, to touch those tree trunks without caring who’s watching, breathing in slowly and letting the air fill not just my lungs but something much deeper. We filmed parts of our journey and will eventually put together a video, not for show but to relive it, to remember it, and maybe to inspire someone else to take a leap into something unknown.
As for what’s next? Well… that’s something I’m still sitting with. Right now, I’m living in the moment and the memories of this beautiful, challenging, soul-feeding trip. The next adventure will come, I’ve no doubt about that. But for now, I’m just grateful for this one.
