Unfortunately, plans changed with the pandemic, the various lockdowns . A chapter about costs cannot be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide, of course. Train tickets from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Fort William vary between20 and30 for a one-way trip. We then had a wonderful camp near by and had a tasty breakfast the next morning. Or plot your own route! Hey Swami, Im heading up to Scotland in May to have a go at the cape wrath, Im toying with taking a dedicated compact camera as the lens on my phone camera is wrecked. With just a couple of exceptions, all of the bothies I visited on the CWT I had had to myself. Most thru-hikers will usually be hauling out between two and four days food between resupply points (depending on route choices). This has little to do with its duration or elevation levels. Some things, however, definitely took us by surprise. There are some similarities between hiking there and in Alaska, but for the most part I feel like they are quite distinct experiences. The other thing I love about hiking in inclement weather is that it acts as an affirmation. Heather Ohly (a Registered Nutritionist) talks through the food choices she and Shane Ohly (Cape Wrath Ultra - Event Director) made whilst walking the Cape W. *Disclosure:This post contains some affiliate links, which means The Hiking Life receives a small commission if you purchase an item after clicking on one of the links. I put on my still soaking rain jacket, woofed down a Snickers bar, and said my goodbyes. Hi Maureen, glad the tips were useful. The Cape Wrath Trail is a challenging route from Fort William to Cape Wrath. Peat and forest fires can be devastating to the ecology, wildlife and estates. Theres also a campsite two kilometres further up Glen Nevis, which will serve as a cheaper option to spend the night. Sanctuary at the end of Cape Wrath Trail. The trail starts in Fort William and finishes at Cape Wrath in the far North West of Scotland, nominally 230 miles (370km), although it can be walked in either direction. PLANNING. I took a gas canister stove, but I saw shops that sold both meths and gas along the route, (Shiel Bridge Petrol Station, Ullapool Northwest Stores, Kinlochbervie London Stores). Not only will your gear be toasty warm and dry, youll get an all-you-can-eat brekkie (cereal/toast/fruit) and be able to pick up food in the shop for dinner (frozen meals/pizza) and some basic food supplies for the rest of your trip. Love your musings and information on gear, and, in this particular case, attitude. That about wraps up my practical guide to the Cape Wrath Trail. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Thecalorie content should be well above your normal daily intake. 9 top tips for hiking the Cape Wrath Trail No.9 is the most important Gear and food reviews Exped Synmat UL Winter M An extremely comfortable winter sleeping mat. Have a read of this article from Jorgen Johansson which talks specifically about how the tent performs in inclement weather in an environment not dissimilar to what you will encounter in Scotland. For the sake of simplicity and the limited . It contains detailed information for more than 200 of the worlds great hikes and was put together with the mission of inspiring and enabling folks to go backpacking. Tiger balm can also be rubbed into aching muscles and temples if you have a pesky headache. Formerly known as our North West Wilderness Weekend the Knoydart Expedition allows our clients to complete the wild southern section of the Cape Wrath Trail, including two nights of wild camping. With the constant humidity, you didnt find it affecting your quilt? Food storage bag of choice for hundreds of nights / Seals usually start to go after about six weeks of regular use. Id love to do this route before I get too old and creaky. One of the few bothies to have a working power grid! (click to enlarge) A classic very challenging traverse of the Highlands and its wilder and remoter landscapes. It turned out they were students in their late teens/early twenties from Bristol. I also just noticed that youve listed your umbrella for this trip? River crossings, along with midges, will become the bane of your trip. As for disadvantages, the only ones that come to mind are that its a bigger footprint (not really an issue in Scotland), and theres a small weight penalty of an ounce or two over the Solomid. Very good, informative and helpful, I dont know how you do it! Choice of maps is a particularly important decision when planning an expedition on the Cape Wrath Trail. Snacks - Dried fruit and nuts. Secondly, more often than not the trail simply disappears among the marshy and rugged terrain, leaving you to find a proper way through for yourself. BUT it isnt always open during term time as geology students book the whole place out to study the nearby Lewisian gneiss. This also means you often wont be able to pick and choose your supplies, as not every store youll encounter will have lightweight meal options, for example. It is also possible to purchase meals at the Kinloch Hourn Farm B&B, Kintail Lodge Hotel, Okyel Bridge Hotel and Rhiconich Hotel. Day Four - Strathcarron to Shenavall Bothy (68.52km) Day Five - Shenavall Bothy to Knockadamph Bothy (41.99km) (Collected a food parcel in Clachan) Day Six - Knockadamph Bothy to Cape Wrath (124.79km) (Had some food at Inchnadamph and Glendhu Bothy) The journey was fantastic and the weather was rare for that time of year, with a big high . So far the story of this trip. An unofficial Trail Guide as well as maps allow me to roughly estimate the times I need to walk the stages and thus planning my resupply points, which are fairly rare, and the amount of food I'll need for each stage. I didn't book any accommodation and wild camped every night. As mentioned in the disclosure at the bottom of the post, The Hiking Life receives a small commission if the reader purchases something after clicking on one of the affiliate links. Also, I might shorten the hike as I only have 8 days. Click the time links for respective bus timetables. And they might be right. They obviously hadnt expected company any more than I had. When I stopped walking and the midges were swarming, Id quickly put on my rain pants, which together with the long sleeve shirt, cap and head net, kept me pretty well covered. Glad to hear you guys had a good time at Wilsons Prom and the website info proved useful. Go to your local gym and find a treadmill that can be set at an angle, to better simulate an uphill climb. But there is poor nutritional content in dried foods. Take lightweight diving or pool shoes with a strong grip on the soles and a secure fit around your feet. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 112 h 20 min to complete. They were genuinely nice kids, and after chatting with them for a short period I said, You know what, guys, I think Ill continue hiking for a little while longer. They courteously insisted that wasnt necessary, but despite the fact that it continued to pour down outside, the decision was a no-brainer. During the days Id also eat bars, trail mix, crisps, nuts; basically whatever I could find. With up to 6 days of food, it will never exceed 28 pounds. It starts in Fort William and ends at the lighthouse . Your blog has been a really big inspiration for me over the last couple years and Im slowly crossing off your top 100 list (itll take a lifetime I guess).Thanks heaps! But probably not, itll mess up her lawn! Day 2: Kearvaig Bothy - Sandwood Bay I was wondering if you could tell me if there are any deer fences to cross on the route? Woodland: Scots pine needle tea, Wood Sorrell, Pine nuts,Birch sap,Rowan berries (do not eat raw). When its wet here it doesnt get all that cold. This trail is great for backpacking, birding, and camping, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other . Iain has found a good balance between guiding the reader in rough terrain and offering challenging or safer alternatives. Outdoors Father is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com. I had initially . The path is not waymarked and has many variations. Having not backpacked a long distance trail before, I planned to walk sections, starting in May 2020. The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. Great value food and walkers' accommodation on the Cape Wrath Trail It is a day's walk from Fort William (23 miles on flat loch-side terrain) is Laggan Locks. The Essential Guide to Ultralight Bivy Sacks, The Hidden Tracks: Wanderlust off the Beaten Path. Hoorah! Fort William (South) Cape Wrath (North). Now this can be a tough one. In any strenuous activity like hiking or other endurance sports it is important to get your strength back up at the end of a long day of depleting your bodys energy reserves. This is all about learning from my own mistakes. Brilliant thank you for the reply! As expenditure is something that varies strongly from one person to the next, Ill say only this: in the end, you decide how much you want to spend. Luckily the rain only lasted an hour or so and then it started to dry out. Alternates: There are a number of different route alternatives during the Cape Wrath Trail. Hop over to Ullapool (I went from Inverness bus station) and get an afternoon bus at about 16.00-17.00-ish from Ullapool to Durness or go direct from Inverness to Durness at 10.00 or 17.00 (route 805 for the latter time). I think its fair to say that keeping your feet in good order is THE most important aspect of any long distance backpack. Great, lets keep going. Hi Frederick, The Cape Wrath Trail is an approximately 350 km (220 mi) walk through the Scottish Highlands, stretching from Fort William to the northwesternmost point of mainland Britain, Cape Wrath. Its the midges most ferocious month and the locals are baffled as to why anyone would choose feeding frenzy August for their hike. It has the reputation of being Britain's toughest long distance walk. I will be walking 40-65 km (24-40 miles) per day so I need a lot of food to keep going while keeping it simple enough to eat even if the weather is bad. Initially following the Great Glen, the route turns north to cross Glen Garry, Glen Loyne and Glenshiel before crossing the wilderness to Strathcarron, continuing north through Torridon, Dundonnell (ferry) and . I hope I helped give you a good start in planning your own trip. Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like you had a real Cape Wrath trail experience! I'm bringing a tent with a floor . The biggest choice facing hikers is how to begin their journey; via the Knoydart variant or the Great Glen variant (Note: The two options eventually meet up at Shiel Bridge). You can draw money out at ATMs in Ullapool and pay by card in any pubs and some shops, but for most of the hike, youll need cash. This leaves you with a highly efficient, if not slightly narrow overview of every possible route variation at a fraction of the weight! In fact it's only 200 - 250 miles. So you need a storm-worthy shelter with good coverage to keep your quilt dry. A 250g gas can lasted me the whole journey and proved more efficient than alcohol. Ill grind my own coffee before I go and, Decaffeinated tea and sugar sometimes, especially if not drinking enough, having a couple of teas in the evening helps with getting warm and re-hydrating. As it turned out Lara didn't have the most waterproof pack and my rain jacket. NZs sandies or the Scots midges-which animal rules for sheer bastadry? Input your search keywords and press Enter. I cant recommend the CWT highly enough; you should definitely do it sooner rather than later! Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and be sure to stay a night or two and give them your business! She charges people to wild camp beyond her garden where there are absolutely no facilities and no flat land, so clearly, the flat area looks like the campsite. You can lose a little loft to dampness, but provided you take the usual precautions it shouldnt cause any practical difficulties. When it comes to fuel foraging, take only what you need. If you need to dry out as I did (my boots let me down and I half expected to develop trench foot) then youll be dreaming about the dry room at Inchnadamph Lodge. Cheers, I can only show you a rough estimate of the costs you can expect to make. Food and Drink Along with the demands of the trail itself, your food supplies will be your main concern along the CWT. Hope that helps. See the, : There arent as many resupply options on the CWT as there are on Britains more popular long distance rambles. I completed the trail then,and still have the battle scars to prove it. Ive always enjoyed hiking in crappy weather. Work has been crazy this year, so my list of Website: Things to Do has grown to Russian novel proportions! Seasons greetings to you all. The CWT is more of a route than a trail because it's not blazed or way-marked and because you can connect the endpoints using any sequence of trails, 44 tracks, paths, roads, or off-trail segments to connect the two endpoints. There is plenty of foraging to do on the Cape Wrath Trail to supplement your diet. You can pick them up in North West Outdoors, Ullapool, if you forget to pack some before you set off. This is the second of three posts related to the planning process for my Cape Wrath Trail walk, in May 2019. As for the up-sizing to the Duomid on this last trip to Scotland/Norway, it was really just to have a bit more space when the weather came in. Everyone I met for the first four days had bailed somewhere along the route by hitching or cutting their trip short. I cant do that even in the 70sF! If you have love for the Great Outdoors, share a passion for travel and prefer discovering the undiscovered over lounging on a beach, make sure to subscribe, check back often and follow me on social media! Buy on Amazon More on the book The route Summary: The Cape Wrath Trail, reputed as the toughest long distance walk in Great Britain, is a hiking route that runs through the Scottish Highlands and along the west coast of Scotland. Hikers planning to take on the Cape Wrath Trail should be experienced hikers, able to fend for themselves in terms of personal safety, food and supplies and navigation. In regards to general tips on fording, I wrote an article on the subject that might be helpful: https://www.thehikinglife.com/2015/03/how-to-ford-a-river/ All the best on your hike! 1A. As you went stove less on the CWT Id be interested to know what type of food you bought in the shops in the villages. Thanks Geoff. Does this sound good to you? But more on this later. The world-renowned trails of the Scottish Highlands, with their picturesque vistas, are quite breath-taking. See you on the Trail! We didnt move, the midges were attacking everyone, but had they not have been, she would have made sure everyone relocated. Grid: NC 259 746 There is no single definitive . Lets start with the trail itself. Many thanks this is an excellent report. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Subjective Participant or Objective Observer? Grid ref. Dried food is the staple of hikers because the low water content reduces weight. Always make sure to thoroughly check your insurance plan, as conditions may vary for your nationality or itinerary. So plan your gear accordingly. The Cape Wrath Trail does not offer hikers the luxury of certainty: flexibility is a critical part of the trailblazer's mountain kit. I took mainly dried, long-life food with me on the Cape Wrath Trail. A comprehensive guide to the Cape Wrath Trail, one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK, published by Cicerone and now in a fully updated Second Edition. Sign up for occasional email updates with news and updates from the trail. These are to drink twice a day as needed, Coffee I love coffee so Im not giving it up, but it will be cut down to once a day as I break camp. In regards to what I did for food on the CWT: 1. It's for fit, experienced and able walkers. Going South to North, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William. Leave enough for others and the ecology. Dates Unlike pretty much every other pair I have used, they are fairly durable. Scottish rain and acidic bog has magical properties, it seems to penetrate the impenetrable. Did you have any time to dry out? As it was Winter, there were not a lot of resupply points so posting food parcels to strategic locations along the route was necessary. Youll need something to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I haven't managed a night in my tent since last October (in Zagori) and I have been desperate to get off grid for a few days. I was wondering how you went about protecting your camera from the rain? Bog, bog and more bog. There are days when its deadly dull, days when your body protests, days when the rain will turn you into an amphibian. Resupplying on the Cape Wrath Trail can be difficult so I set off with 7 days food and had a 7 day resupply package at Kinlochewe. Because of its remoteness (there are parts of the CWT that require the intrepid adventurer to carry enough food to last a few days) - and changeable conditions (rivers suddenly in spate, weather conditions changing in moments etc.) One of the goals for this trip is to produce a big comparative review of dehydrated expedition meals for The Great Outdoors magazine. Very comfy / Doubles as makeshift framesheet for pack / Put feet on backpack when sleeping. I only used one 230g canister and a bit of a smaller one. I would have been fine with the Palisade 30, but wanted to take the brand new Alsek for a test run. Hard ice en route to Sandwood Bay. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Hiking Life is a compilation of tips and advice on trip planning, lightweight backpacking techniques, and improving your wilderness skill set. Green tents, on the other hand, are not immune to the midges advances. I hope you find this episode inspiring! We had better luck with the weather too! Which Direction? Ta again. Id say they are more or less on the same level. Midges were horrific, Im traumatised. Cape Wrath Trail 0: Approach to Fort William. I can highly recommend the local Durness Bus service. This is because the difficulty of the terrain and the lack of way marking (or even defined paths in many places). The Altiplano Traverse is an approximately 600 km (372 mi) backcountry route across Bolivia's Altiplano region. This guidebook describes the Cape Wrath Trail, a long-distance trek from Fort William to Cape Wrath crossing the wild north west of the Scottish Highlands. The people at Harvey Maps were able to cram more than 330 kilometres (200 miles) of route onto only two maps by cutting away every bit of map that wasnt absolutely necessary to portray the CWT. All-time favorite liner gloves. The plan was to camp a little shy of Okyel Bridge and then head to its namesake hotel the following morning for a big breakfast. When its really pissing down, Ill put the camera inside the backpack. Well done on completing the CWT. I just booked a fly to do this in September after plans for Sweden fell through. If you are wildcamping, Id recommend you choose to camp near a woodland area which will provide shelter, fuel and better drainage. Lets get you started! Plot a route that works best for you. Especially when out on a trip like the CWT it is very important you make sure your travel insurance covers off-road activities, as most agencies wont cover this in their basic plans. : NM 912 844 About: Often the first bothy hikers will encounter on the Cape Wrath Trail, Corryhully is a well-known bothy not maintained by the MBA but by the local estate. Car hire from Arnold Clark in Inverness from 26 per day. BUT and this is a big but, look ahead at the route. Your best bet is to scan the CWT Cicerone guide. Although equipment choice is intensely personal, it's always good to know what other people use and I've picked up some excellent tips over the years from fellow walkers that I'd otherwise have missed. Towel, neck/face protection, condensation wipe, convenience store holdups when low on cash. The benefit, though, is they are added protein when they kamikaze into your food, which they will do, at every opportunity. Im amazed at you hiking always in shorts. As I said before, the CWT is mostly a collection of trails that lead northward to Cape Wrath and as such there is not a single definitive route you can take. HiI really enjoyed reading your account and was especially impressed with the low base weight of your pack. Despite not being an officially recognised National Trail it has grown to be one of the most highly regarded backpacking routes, attracting hikers from around the world.
cape wrath trail food