Midges were horrific, Im traumatised. Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and be sure to stay a night or two and give them your business! Grid: NC 259 746 Kept with sunscreen & hand sanitizer in shoulder pocket. Midges prefer dark colours to light ones, so why they make black head nets (and more to the point, why I bought one) is a mystery. I was young once upon a time. Breakfast while breaking camp with a cup of coffee After 2 hours of walking, 2 crackers with 2 slices of cured meat (usually salami) After another 2 hours of walking, 2 crackers with 2 slices of cured meat (usually salami), a coffee and a chocolate biscuit 2 more hours of walking, 2 crackers with 2 slices of cured meat (usually salami) not too fast / not too slow in order to minimise sweating yet still stay warm), layering, changes in conditions, and calorie and H2O intake. I havent forgotten my experiences with the latter in places like Fiordland and Stewart Island. Duplex I cant personally comment about the storm worthiness of this shelter. Will upgrade to. Although you may be moving too fast to dedicate much time to it. Kindlings:Dead bracken, Dead heather, Birch twigs, Feather sticks. Despite some wet and wild weather, I was never uncomfortable during the hike and felt prepared for any meteorological scenario that may have occurred. 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. While this trail has its share of bothies and other forms of accommodation along the way, they are not numerous enough to provide shelter every night. I completed the trail then,and still have the battle scars to prove it. Smother them in white tiger balm and hey presto, youll have some relief from scratching like a flea-ridden dog. Jane Batchelor hiked the full Cape Wrath Trail in 2016 and half of it in 2017 on her 3,500-mile hike through Britain, camping as she went. Take lightweight diving or pool shoes with a strong grip on the soles and a secure fit around your feet. The terrain is often boggy and almost always soggy, so if you have an aversion to wet feet, you may want to look elsewhere. It has the reputation of being Britain's toughest long distance walk. Fort William (South) Cape Wrath (North). It takes place annually in Cheers. Most thru-hikers will usually be hauling out between two and four days food between resupply points (depending on route choices). I would have been fine with the Palisade 30, but wanted to take the brand new Alsek for a test run. Add weight to your squats after a while! 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. Click the time links for respective bus timetables. Drinking water should never really be a problem in the Scottish highlands. x. Trekking Solo In the Highlands . Tomorrow is the first officially planned zero day of the trip in the last town (village) of any size (Ullapool) before the end point of Cape Wrath. It's for fit, experienced and able walkers. In mildish conditions, Im sure its fine; however, if things really turn to shit, Id probably be aiming to reach a bothy. Another option that is easier and cheaper is to buy the special Cape Wrath Trail maps made by Harvey Maps. The way to Cape Wrath is not an official national trail at all, more a loose collection of old stalkers' tracks, drovers, and coffin roads. 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. Cheers, Woodland: Scots pine needle tea, Wood Sorrell, Pine nuts, Birch sap, Rowan berries (do not eat raw). Id recommend taking one for each pole you have. It was a pleasure to read! Thanks for the kind words. BUT it isnt always open during term time as geology students book the whole place out to study the nearby Lewisian gneiss. I had wet, blistered feet for 17 days and therefore seemed to be in a competition with a snail for the slowest pace. Long-term review: Bridgedale Stormsocks the Cape Wrath Trail requires those traversing it to have a good idea of how to navigate such conditions. It is also possible to purchase meals at the Kinloch Hourn Farm B&B, Kintail Lodge Hotel, Okyel Bridge Hotel and Rhiconich Hotel. Sea shore: Mussels,Limpets, Edible Periwinkles, Razorfish. Iain has found a good balance between guiding the reader in rough terrain and offering challenging or safer alternatives. Not an appealing prospect for a 17-day hike. The ends of long trails usually have a certain drama, none perhaps more than the obligatory Katahdin sign pose at the end of the Appalachian Trail. The Cape Wrath Trail does not offer hikers the luxury of certainty: flexibility is a critical part of the trailblazer's mountain kit. Its a gruelling hike in parts, and that teamed with torrential rain can really dampen your spirits. Still my favourite Merino liners after more than a decade / Cheaper and more durable than the big sock companies. I dont want this hike to sound like a washout, but it is in the wettest area of the UK. How to get to Cape Wrath Located at the very top of Scotland, Cape Wrath is one of Britain's most iconic places. *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. Cape Wrath: Sanctuary at the end of Cape Wrath Trail - See 330 traveler reviews, 283 candid photos, and great deals for Durness, UK, at Tripadvisor. This is because the difficulty of the terrain and the lack of way marking (or even defined paths in many places). We tend to use it when someone acts a bit childish or gets outwardly frustrated or angry for no good reason. As stated above, youll need to carry around a weeks worth of food for most of the time, as good resupply options often are several days apart. Youll want to bring lightweight meals, enough to sustain you on a daily basis but also something that will provide you with enough nutrients and energy to make it through those three weeks. Lets start with the trail itself. 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. Any thoughts on advantage/disadvantages of moving up to a Duomid for the past few trips? Heres a link to a thread about hiking the CWT with a dog on the WalkHighlands forum: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57523. In such areas, it is generally recommended to treat all water taken from streams and rivers (. As I stated before, the CWT is more of a collection of smaller trails than one single route that is properly advertised and signposted, and so there are many variations in the CWT that nevertheless all constitute the same trail. In summer you could probably do the whole trail without carrying much food at all relying on shops and restaurants the whole way. Good photos & Video / Have used an unlocked phone in recent years, to avoid heavy roaming charges when overseas. I met my calorie requirements by posting food parcels and supplemented this with food fromcafes, shops andforaging. Features: Stone floors, crude wooden platforms to sleep on, one open fire hearth. Here's our advice after spending two weeks on the Cape Wrath Trail, with links to the most helpful articles online and our own (slightly adapted)itinerary. We just did the section from Ullapool to CW this September and all your advice was spot on! You just cant get that if all your hiking is done on cruisy, manicured trails in fine weather with temps in the 70s (low 20s C). View topic - Cape Wrath Trail Food Walkhighlands I was wondering how you went about protecting your camera from the rain? If after all these years of rambling I can still enjoy meeting meteorological and environmental challenges, then I know that the unconditional love Ive always felt for heading out into the wilderness remains unchanged. As always, Im always available for any questions you might still have! 50g of sugar will offer some extra boost to the hot drinks if needed, Extra meal extra breakfast, two more oats bars and a high (1000) calorie freeze dried meal by Expedition Foods. Unless you are in a rush or looking to ease your way into the trip, go for the Knoydart route. 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). With up to 6 days of food, it will never exceed 28 pounds. They became my best friend on the trail! There is no lovely way marked footpath. 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. Scottish rain and acidic bog has magical properties, it seems to penetrate the impenetrable. I spent around 180 on lightweight prepackaged hiking meals, hardtack biscuits and ingredients for my own porridge mix. I seemed to be very much in the minority! 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. Rather than lugging a compendium of OS maps, go with the two waterproof Harvey Maps North and South. Just a few minutes' walk away from the Cape Wrath Trail route is the Great Glen Hostel at Laggan, which provides good value accommodation and meals ideal for walkers. Midge bites, theyll drive you crazy. Yup, seven days. The world-renowned trails of the Scottish Highlands, with their picturesque vistas, are quite breath-taking. Very comfy / Doubles as makeshift framesheet for pack / Put feet on backpack when sleeping. Cape Wrath Mini Bus Tel: 07534591124 Email:info@visitcapewrath.com 'Ozone cafe' provide toilet facilities at Cape Wrath. It's hard to believe that this website is now nearly five years old. Cam. It connects with the West Highland Way, North Highland Way and part of an alternative route suggested by Cameron McNeish which follows the Great Glen Way out of Fort William before joining the main route in Glen Shiel. Obviously the former is a lot more of a sociable hike. What would you say about going CWT in this time of year and the shelter for this hike? I did bring a little dropper bottle of DEET, but didnt end up using it. Ill take my ZPacks Duplex tent and EE quilt. 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. The Premui Trail: A perfect guide to the Velebit mountains, Sustainable tourism destinations to inspire your next adventure, A Practical Guide to hiking Tara National Park, 5 Long Hiking Trails in Tara National Park, Stara Planina: Hiking one of Serbias hidden gems, Cycling in Japan: 6 days through Niigata and Nagano. I hope I helped give you a good start in planning your own trip. This is probably the most important part of this guide. Nat. Stick to the eastern route variations that will lead you through longer stretches of gloriously empty wilderness. 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! Want to rough it out in solitude for a few days? Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 29, June 8, 2022. And as I stated before, youll have to be able to carry it all with you. For a general overview of the gear I recommend for cold and wet environments such as the Scottish Highlands (along with other advice), see Tips for Hiking in Cold and Wet Weather. Back from the dead. . Upon entering the spacious multi-room hut, I wasnt expecting to find anyone. I took mainly dried, long-life food with me on the Cape Wrath Trail. Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription. Had it repaired and sewed up. Dates Also spray Smidge (commissioned by the Scottish Forestry Commission but with a dreadful design to get the spray out) or DEET onto your skin to try and keep the midges at bay, but dont get any DEET on your tent, itll stick together. You might also want a snack or two every day, to help keep up your energy in between meals. Just a wee note about the post about the Carnoch bridge (at the head of Loch Nevis, crossing into knoydart proper).. theres a shiny new one!! Toughen up your knees, especially the ligaments surrounding the joints. 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). 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.) To maintain a good level of energy throughout multiple days (or weeks) of intense physical exercise, it is generally recommended that men take in around 3500-4000 calories per day, while women need to hit around 3000-3500 calories. The former is wilder, more challenging and generally considered to be more scenic. Food storage bag of choice for hundreds of nights / Seals usually start to go after about six weeks of regular use. Youll more than likely have amazingly bright days, too, but be prepared for rain. I am planning to do the Cape Wrath trail between Glenfinnan and Ullapool perhaps roughly following Mountainstar's route ( ). Firstly because it is more of an unofficial collection of smaller trails rather than a marked and advertised trail like the West Highland Way, for example. Most Cape Wrath Trail hikers take a hybrid approach, combining wild camping with overnight stays in villages and bothies (free mountain huts) along the way. Chocolate Digestives or Hob Nobs. Last year I hiked the CWT (Knoydart variant) and really enjoyed it! And of course, with an abundance of streams en route, the trail can become impassable in certain areas. With just a couple of exceptions, all of the bothies I visited on the CWT I had had to myself. Hi there! This method involves walking roughly 230 miles on pathless terrain, all the way from Fort William, and is a trip in itself. Does this sound good to you? Cheers, Whenever possible Id pack out boiled eggs and fruit/veggies from resupply points. Youll need something to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A packet of jelly sweets which you can devour/savour (delete as appropriate) will make the world of difference to your energy and mood. Bad weather does make one more accountable to every move/item of clothing; what happens if I get this piece of clothing wet, and theres only one piece of dry clothing to replace it in camp? : The CWT is almost always hiked south to north. Cheers, The reason the mileage is approximate is because there is not an actual trail. Average Duration : 14 to 21 days Difficulty : Moderate to Challenging Start / Finish : Fort William (South) - Cape Wrath (North). But a gorgeous landscape! Purchased hot meals at Kinloch Hourn, Shiel Bridge, Kinlochewe, Okyel Bridge, Inchnadamph and Kinlochbervie; 3. Hoorah! This is certainly the way I would go next time. Especially when its not overly humid. So you need a storm-worthy shelter with good coverage to keep your quilt dry. The beauty of a trail that has no fixed route is that youre completely free to decide how you get to its end -as long as you get there in the end! Required fields are marked *. 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. The way I figure it, if Ive got the right gear, skills, strength and fitness, whats not to like? Sealskinz waterproof socks are equally as magic, being the one thing that keeps the water out. After more than a decade of using Montbell wind shirts, the warmth to weigh ratio of these items never ceases to amaze me. Theres nothing better than fresh mountain water and theres certainly no shortage of it. When youre ready to start the CWT, the local ferry will carry you across Loch Eil to the Gaul/Camusnagaul pier for 1,50. Cam, Your email address will not be published. Other resources online make it sound incredibly hard, but I think it is manageable for any prepared hiker. The streams and rivers can rise a couple of inches within just a few hours of heavy rain, so be prepared to wait out the bad weather in a bothy for day or two, until the water levels have subsided. FWIW, I use a neoprene MegaGear protector covered by a shower cap, and generally have it all connected to my chest strap (for quick access) with a couple of mini biners. Stakes Mix of sizes & styles (8) / Mostly. Ive hiked the Skye during August but had no time for the highlands. All the best on the Cape Wrath! Love your musings and information on gear, and, in this particular case, attitude. Here is a list of things to look out for. Again, the amount youd wish to spend on food and supplies will strongly vary from one person to the next. Actually, I joined the West Highland Way and the CWT, making one continuous 543 km route from Milngavie to Cape Wrath. Cam. 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. Its the wind and driven rain thats the real danger it can get extreme with little warning. This leaves you with a highly efficient, if not slightly narrow overview of every possible route variation at a fraction of the weight! There are days when its deadly dull, days when your body protests, days when the rain will turn you into an amphibian. Cape Wrath Trail 0: Approach to Fort William. I will list only what I consider to be the essentials here; Ill leave it up to you how much extra gear you want to bring. I brought a few days worth of beans; 2. Regarding the umbrella, most folks will tell you that the Highlands are generally too windy for them to be much help. 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. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 112 h 20 min to complete. My name is Roel Zerner, a Dutchman with an aversion to luxury resorts and a passion for all the wild places! 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. Which is what I did; never let it be said that Cameron James Honan stood in the path of young love! On the seventh day of my CWT hike the weather was mostly clear. Frameless backpack of choice for almost a decade. Like a straight up shower cap? One group of hikers were told very honestly that unless they fancied swimming, they should walk along the road to Rhiconich. Bad luck/good luck. As long as you draw water from fresh, fast-flowing sources well upstream of areas with livestock and/or wildlife you can drink it without filtering! I was going to walk LEJOG with my dog from May this year and was planning to incorporate the CWT as far as Oykel Bridge when I will be following the cicerone end to end guide. Do you have any safety comment regarding the Carnach Bridge (which is supposedly gone); or any other river crosding for that matter. Ah young love/lust! 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. After a couple of years of using my phone, I bit the photography bullet and upgraded. Pack for worst-case scenario conditions. Going from north to south and sticking to the west path, youll have no refills from Fort William to Shiel Bridge except for a little cafe at Glenfinnan open 9.30am to 5pm July and Aug and 10am to 5pm other months, where you can buy scones, cake, Snickers and overpriced sandwiches. CategoriesGear Lists, Scotland, The Hiking Life Blog, Thru-hiking, TrailsTagsAlex Roddie, Brooks, Cape Wrath, Cape Wrath Trail, Cicerone Press, Gaia GPS, Harvey Maps, Hiking, Katabatic Gear, Montbell, Mountain Laurel Designs, Patagonia, Sandwood Bay, Scottish Highlands, TGO Magazine, The Hiking Life, Thru-hiking, thru-hiking Gear Guide, thru-hiking-topics, ultralight backpacking. Green tents, on the other hand, are not immune to the midges advances. Find out where to stay when on the trail. (click to enlarge) A classic very challenging traverse of the Highlands and its wilder and remoter landscapes. A superb and challenging route for experienced long-distance backpackers, the Trail passes through some of Scotland's most spectacular landscapes. It supports a new guidebook to the route which will be published by Cicerone. Due to the unpredictable weather and challenging terrain, it is a hike that is best suited to experienced ramblers who possess a good level of fitness, navigation skill, and a stoic disregard of having wet feet. One loch crossing on the high route to Benmore Lodge had four strapping lads linking arms and wading throughwater up to their waists. About the Trail Subjective Participant or Objective Observer? I quickly shut the door, muttering three or four rapid-fire sorries as I did so. I live in Alaska and its often damp, breezy, cloudy, foggy. 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'm bringing a tent with a floor . The Durness bus can provide onward transport. I just get too chilly. They obviously hadnt expected company any more than I had.
Cape Wrath Trail Food,
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