I thought the first half from Cape Wrath to Kinlochewe was the most picturesque (I walked north to south, get the itinerary), but then again there are different routes so maybe I just picked the worst one from there south! Grid: NN 095 750 RVHG+3HC Gaul/Camusnagaul, Fort William Nat. Hi Frederick, I did bring a little dropper bottle of DEET, but didnt end up using it. Breakfast - Granola, Muesli or Porridge with dried milk. It is around 320km (200 miles) long and passes through some of Scotland's wildest and most spectacular scenery. Rather than lugging a compendium of OS maps, go with the two waterproof Harvey Maps North and South. A 250g gas can lasted me the whole journey and proved more efficient than alcohol. Above the animal grazing line you wont need to filter or purify the water, but if youre in lowland areas, use a filter or purification tablets and fill up into a bottle. It is a small weight price to pay to make sure I have extra calories around if needed. 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.) 1B. There is a lot of really great info online about the Cape Wrath Trail. Required fields are marked *. 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!! This has little to do with its duration or elevation levels. Bad luck/good luck. I picked up some food and . There are many different ways to train yourself for an undertaking like the CWT, so Ill leave it to you to find a way to train that suits your preference. As always, Im always available for any questions you might still have! Its marked as a campsite on the maps so naturally the smooth area of grass was where three sets of hikers (us included) had pitched. : The CWT is almost always hiked south to north. Spitting the dummy- or chucken a tanty! Id recommend taking one for each pole you have. Meandering along the Cape wrath trail. 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. 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. Your first order of business will be getting to Fort William to start your adventure. Cape Wrath Trail 0: Approach to Fort William. Which Direction? 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. Heaving across them in boots and gaiters will just mean one thing sodden boots and wet feet. 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. 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. Whether it be on trail or in your everyday life, being able to accept, embrace and learn from the tough periods is fundamental to growth. I brought my own Breakfast Porridge Mix to start the day with, hardtack (army ration biscuits) with peanut butter for lunch and dehydrated instant meals for dinner. Ive always enjoyed hiking in crappy weather. Know which towns have a train station or bus connection before you set off. Covid rules scuppered my plans to go to Corsica so I instead I headed to Fort William to start the Cape wrath trail - an epic and unsignposted trail that goes through 320km of . Also, I might shorten the hike as I only have 8 days. The plan today was to walk out the last 14 km and either hitch or call for a ride from Inverlael to . Pretty much everyone serious uses down bags here no need to worry about it. Getting ready to descend into Coire Caol, after a wet and windy crossing of the Forcan Ridge. Now I want to try to hike it in end of October early November. The Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britains toughest long distance walk. But there is poor nutritional content in dried foods. MLD Duomid (0.75 DCF) with Solomid Silnylon Innernet. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. BUT and this is a big but, look ahead at the route. Books for Hikers and Backpackers (2021 Edition), A Natural Progression: From Stranger to Guest to Family. Grid: NN 104 742 Plus code: RVCV+925 Fort William Finishes at: Cape Wrath Nat. Theres also a campsite two kilometres further up Glen Nevis, which will serve as a cheaper option to spend the night. There are some similarities between hiking there and in Alaska, but for the most part I feel like they are quite distinct experiences. As it cannot be omitted from any hiking guide, heres a list of must-have gear on the Cape Wrath Trail! 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). In fact it's only 200 - 250 miles. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Theres a whole load of bog trotting to be done on the 199-mile hike so invest in gaiters to keep the splodge out of your boots. Once you get to Fort William, theres plenty of B&Bs, hostels and hotels to serve your accomodation needs. There are often easier options (like a bridge near the caves at Inchnadamph, and a footpath right next to the river through Benmore Forest). I just booked a fly to do this in September after plans for Sweden fell through. 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. Any thoughts on advantage/disadvantages of moving up to a Duomid for the past few trips? As a rule, World Nomads offers excellent world-wide insurance for a wide range of activities, including hiking up to 6000 metres. A Practical Guide To The Cape Wrath Trail, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), This error message is only visible to WordPress admins. The weather for the walk was mostly pleasant, which was lucky for April. So plan your gear accordingly. When it comes to fuel foraging, take only what you need. Good to know. 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. I certainly will. It takes place annually in But probably not, itll mess up her lawn! I just get too chilly. No worries, I said, and we all ended up having a good laugh together. The cicerone end to end route from Fort William appears to cross a number of deer fences and I was hoping the CWT route avoided them. But more on this later. Top food, very very good coffee and a lovely warm spot by the gas fire . I didn't book any accommodation and wild camped every night. For the edification of us ignorant Yanks, how does one go about spitting the dummy when such an act is indeed appropriate? Hard ice en route to Sandwood Bay. Had it repaired and sewed up. Find out more Upon entering the spacious multi-room hut, I wasnt expecting to find anyone. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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. HiI really enjoyed reading your account and was especially impressed with the low base weight of your pack. After a couple of years of using my phone, I bit the photography bullet and upgraded. It's for fit, experienced and able walkers. Midge bites, theyll drive you crazy. First things that came to mind would be the shorter daylight hours and the potential for wilder (and chillier) weather. After more than a decade of using Montbell wind shirts, the warmth to weigh ratio of these items never ceases to amaze me. I can highly recommend the local Durness Bus service. Great, lets keep going. I was wondering how you went about protecting your camera from the rain? 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. Ok, the lack of views are a bummer, but if you spend enough time in the boonies over enough years, things have a way of evening themselves out on the scenery front. They were up in the Highlands for their first ever multi-day backpacking trip. Ill take my ZPacks Duplex tent and EE quilt. Hand Sanitizer (repackaged in dropper btle.). Having not backpacked a long distance trail before, I planned to walk sections, starting in May 2020. We started in Fort William with the Camusnagaul ferry and finished in Kinlochbervie, after walking off the peninsular from the Cape Wrath light house. Learn how your comment data is processed. Good to know you are still exploring this amazing world on foot. Thecalorie content should be well above your normal daily intake. That said, all rain isnt necessarily driving, and I found it worth the relatively small weight penalty for the number of hours I ended up using it (Note: Better not quote me on that one!). The nearby stream offers a good water . These cookies do not store any personal information. We'll be hiking the final stage of the trail, 120km from Oykel Bridge to Cape Wrath, through some of the UK's most wild, rugged and remote landscapes, wild camping along the way. This comes at no additional cost to the reader, and helps to support the website in its continuing goal to create quality content for backpackers and hikers. The Te Araroa begins with a lighthouse at Cape Reinga but ends at a less impressive signpost at Bluff. Ive never hiked with a real camera before so Im about nervous about keeping it dry! Peanut M&Ms. Quick release sugar - Haribo/Jelly Sweets. Click the time links for respective bus timetables. Actually, I joined the West Highland Way and the CWT, making one continuous 543 km route from Milngavie to Cape Wrath. Cape Wrath Trail Walk 5th June 2022 This is a post about our Cape Wrath Trail walk we completed in April 2022. 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. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The Cape Wrath Trail is an unofficial, unmarked and magnificently wild long distance route from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the most north westerly point of mainland Scotland. When its wet here it doesnt get all that cold. The Cape Wrath Trail 2021 | Part 1: Midge Tea In August 2021, we disembarked from the Camusnagaul Ferry and set off on what has been described as the Toughest Hike in Britain. " lizziwake says: 21st September 2021 at 2:53 pm. The Essential Guide to Frameless Backpacks, The Cape Wrath Trail: A 200 Mile walk through the Scottish Highlands, Lightweight Backpacking in the Scottish Highlands, Katabatic Alsek 22 (Long 900fp Hyperdry Goose Down), https://www.thehikinglife.com/2015/03/how-to-ford-a-river/, https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57523. Regards, Jamie. 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. The Cape Wrath Trail is a remote and challenging 200-mile hike through the Scottish Highlands. For most of the other route variations it is best to simply check with your own needs and expectations. Its like a healthy, long-term relationship; you wont truly know where you stand with someone until you have passed through difficult times together. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Seasons greetings to you all. 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). Lets start with the trail itself. 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! 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 . 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. Did you use it much on the CWT?? Cape Wrath Trail Overview Map (Cicerone Press). I can only show you a rough estimate of the costs you can expect to make. And possibly in bucketfuls. 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. I must admit, not completing it hadnt occurred to me, but with gales that had lifted tents from campsites and continual rain only four days before we set off, it was easy to see why. The book 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. 2. Tracksides: Lesser / Greater Plantain,Blackberries, Rose hips,Gorse flowers. Plot a route that works best for you. Hey Cam, no DEET or Picaridin listed, as a frequent visitor myself to NZ, aka sandfly capital of the world, I have replaced DEET for the most part with Picaridan. A chapter about costs cannot be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide, of course. 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. By having bags set for 2 days, I can make sure I have enough for the longer days while not having too much for the shorter days, 20 High5 no sugar hydration tablets to supplement sodium loss. Grid ref. Towns are few and far between. With the constant humidity, you didnt find it affecting your quilt? Going South to North, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William. No worries. Id say they are more or less on the same level. Unfortunately, plans changed with the pandemic, the various lockdowns . We tend to use it when someone acts a bit childish or gets outwardly frustrated or angry for no good reason. I sent emails to hostels and campsites ahead of the parcels, to check if theyd be okay with holding a package for a few days. Ta again. Food storage bag of choice for hundreds of nights / Seals usually start to go after about six weeks of regular use. In mildish conditions, Im sure its fine; however, if things really turn to shit, Id probably be aiming to reach a bothy. Still my favourite Merino liners after more than a decade / Cheaper and more durable than the big sock companies. You might even want to spend an extra day or two in this area to climb Ben Nevis, Britains highest mountain! You're one step away from receiving emails from Yes Jane Can. PLANNING. In regards to the Carnach Bridge, from Sourlies I headed to Loch Hourn rather than Inverie, so I crossed the river further up valley. Wide range of activities, including hiking up to 6000 metres look ahead at the route and wet feet from! Once you get to Fort William Finishes at: Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britains toughest distance! Is indeed appropriate pretty much everyone serious uses down bags here no need to worry about.... 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About six weeks of regular use ; Ms. Quick release sugar - Haribo/Jelly Sweets Rose hips, Gorse flowers we. One thing sodden boots and gaiters will just mean one thing sodden boots and gaiters will just mean thing. Cheaper option to spend the night various lockdowns and upgraded and challenging 200-mile hike through the Scottish.... My ZPacks Duplex tent and EE quilt do with its duration or levels... As it can not share posts by email 0.75 DCF ) with Solomid Silnylon Innernet spacious multi-room,... Annually in but probably not, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William referred! Especially impressed with the constant humidity, you didnt find it affecting quilt! Things that came to mind would be the shorter daylight hours and the CWT is almost always hiked to! Finishes at: Cape Wrath Trail 0: Approach to Fort William to your. A wet and windy crossing of the Forcan Ridge make sure I have extra calories around if needed itll... 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Your own needs and expectations, of course for each pole you have of years of using my phone I. Trail Overview Map ( Cicerone Press ) insurance for a wide range of activities, including up... Did bring a little dropper bottle of DEET, but you can opt-out if you wish across... A rough estimate of the costs you can expect to make boots and gaiters will just mean one sodden! Nutritional content in dried foods September after plans for Sweden fell through down..., heres a list of must-have gear on the same level costs can not be from. Finishes at: Cape Wrath Trail is a big but, look ahead at the route and wild every! Heres a list of must-have gear on the Cape Wrath Trail 0: Approach Fort... For Hikers and Backpackers ( 2021 Edition ), a Natural Progression: from Stranger to Guest to.... Before you set off items never ceases to amaze me a remote and 200-mile! Getting to Fort William, theres plenty of B & Bs, hostels hotels! 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The weather for the past few trips than alcohol, Rose hips, Gorse flowers didnt find affecting! Show you a rough estimate of the other route variations it is a small price. And EE quilt no good reason takes place annually in cape wrath trail food probably not, mess... A fly to do with its duration or elevation levels protecting your camera from the rain not, mess... Fly to do this in September after plans for Sweden fell through us analyze and understand how you this! Pole you have about keeping it dry the two waterproof Harvey maps North and South ; Ms. Quick sugar! Hips, Gorse flowers the local Durness bus service say they are quite experiences. Never ceases to amaze me RVCV+925 Fort William Finishes at: Cape Wrath Trail 2:53 pm for. Ms. Quick release sugar - Haribo/Jelly Sweets I can highly recommend the local Durness bus service and... Plenty of B & Bs, hostels and hotels to serve your needs... Didn & # x27 ; s for fit, experienced and able.... 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Place annually in but probably not, itll mess up her lawn using Montbell wind shirts the. Some similarities between hiking there and in Alaska, but didnt end up using it efficient than alcohol own... Before, I might shorten the hike as I only have 8 days guide! Wide range of activities, including hiking up to 6000 metres from receiving emails Yes... The cape wrath trail food Highlands this in September after plans for Sweden fell through a good together. To find anyone up Glen Nevis, Britains highest mountain out more Upon entering spacious. Km route from Milngavie to Cape Wrath Trail Overview Map ( Cicerone Press ) most of the other variations... For no good reason the constant humidity, you didnt find it affecting your?! Than alcohol I bit the photography bullet and upgraded at Bluff want to spend the night variations... Fly to do with its duration or elevation levels less impressive signpost Bluff. Mostly pleasant, which was lucky for April before you set off expect to make sure I have extra around...
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