Hope that helps. Fort William to Strathcarron (Harvey Maps : Cape Wrath Trail South) This is my second blog post in my Cape Wrath Trail series, you can find my first blog post here which is an Introduction & Full Kit and Gear List. This book definitely does justice to the tough character of the trail. 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. Get someone more experienced to go with you or test your ability on other trails before heading off into uninhabited wilderness! We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Naturally I investigated, and upon opening the door I was greeted with the sight of a young couple in an advanced state of undress getting more than a little hot and heavy. One of the few bothies to have a working power grid! Woodland: Scots pine needle tea, Wood Sorrell, Pine nuts,Birch sap,Rowan berries (do not eat raw). Groundhogs are great; in addition to their durability, the red colour makes me less likely to lose them than the generic silver. Another important note is to know your exit points in advance. 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. Which brings us to another important part of your preparation: stamina. Work has been crazy this year, so my list of Website: Things to Do has grown to Russian novel proportions! Not only are there only two of them, they are durable and waterproof as well! You have to find your own way from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the most north . There is no lovely way marked footpath. I only used one 230g canister and a bit of a smaller one. Going South to North, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William. There are a couple of differences worth noting compared to my 2013 TGO Challenge Gear list. Bog, bog and more bog. All-time favorite liner gloves. There are some similarities between hiking there and in Alaska, but for the most part I feel like they are quite distinct experiences. Good to know. For the sake of simplicity and the limited . They obviously hadnt expected company any more than I had. Ive always enjoyed hiking in crappy weather. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Prepare to carry a tent and sleeping gear. Neither the Cape Wrath Ultra nor the Cape Wrath Trail is sign-posted or waymarked, although you may come across some formal or informal posts, pillars or markers at times. The Essential Guide to Ultralight Bivy Sacks, The Hidden Tracks: Wanderlust off the Beaten Path. 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. A few tips? (Or maybe my feet had just had enough.). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Regarding the umbrella, most folks will tell you that the Highlands are generally too windy for them to be much help. 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. Last year I hiked the CWT (Knoydart variant) and really enjoyed it! Thanks Geoff. Theme by Jason M Design. 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. Length 233.9 miElevation gain 43,467 ftRoute type Point to point. Lastly, youll need to plan your route. This blog post details my itinerary and route used for the Southern Section of the Cape Wrath Trail (as per the Harvey Maps) from Fort William to Strathcarron. They became my best friend on the trail! 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. 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. 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. As with my other Katabatic quilts, the workmanship is top notch. See you on the Trail! Breakfast - Granola, Muesli or Porridge with dried milk. Overall I was happy with my gear selections on the Cape Wrath Trail. 367 km / 228 miles. Cam, Your email address will not be published. Yup, seven days. Good on you! Dried food is the staple of hikers because the low water content reduces weight. Grid: NN 095 750 RVHG+3HC Gaul/Camusnagaul, Fort William Nat. Cheers. For many years my rehydrating vessel of choice when going stoveless. Choice of maps is a particularly important decision when planning an expedition on the Cape Wrath Trail. 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. Cant thank Angie and John enough for a wonderful welcome after completing the Cape wrath trail. 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. Or plot your own route! No worries. The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. This headlamp has grown on me | Lightweight, double-click, four settings, good battery life, 160 Lumens max | No longer miss my old Black Diamond Spot. Duct Tape, Mini Tube Super Glue (repairs). Upsized from the Solomid XL for a little more space on what promised to be a cold and wet trip / Very quick set up / Holds up well in a storm. First off, Scotlands Cape Wrath Trail cant really be called a trail in the traditional sense. Top report, really enjoyed reading all the detail. Spitting the dummy- or chucken a tanty! Unfortunately, plans changed with the pandemic, the various lockdowns . Do squats, a lot of them. Ive never hiked with a real camera before so Im about nervous about keeping it dry! Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 112 h 20 min to complete. A memorable beginning to a hike I had long been looking forward to. 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. During the days Id also eat bars, trail mix, crisps, nuts; basically whatever I could find. 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. Thanks for the kind words. HiI really enjoyed reading your account and was especially impressed with the low base weight of your pack. Lightweight, adjustable declination; compass of choice for years | (Note: No longer made. After more than a decade of using Montbell wind shirts, the warmth to weigh ratio of these items never ceases to amaze me. The path is not waymarked and has many variations. Thanks for the kind words. Fuels: Dried Peat,Driftwood, Birch, Pine. Since the CWT is somewhat of a lengthy trail, bringing all the maps that cover the CWTs route can result in quite a pile of paper. This family-run bus service will also get you from Durness back to Inverness when finishing the CWT at Cape Wrath! 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. 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. There is plenty of foraging to do on the Cape Wrath Trail to supplement your diet. Long-term review: Bridgedale Stormsocks Having no experience with Scottish winds, do you think that a Tarptent Aeon Li is suitable or do I need something more storm-worthy? You might also want a snack or two every day, to help keep up your energy in between meals. No, the CWT is challenging because it will take you across some of the most wet, marshy, pathless, wild and generally difficult terrain the northwestern highlands have to offer. I hiked the Cape Wrath Trail over ten days in the summer of 2018. This website has been developed as a resource for people planning an expedition on the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland. the Cape Wrath Trail requires those traversing it to have a good idea of how to navigate such conditions. . The Durness bus can provide onward transport. Take lightweight diving or pool shoes with a strong grip on the soles and a secure fit around your feet. I'm bringing a tent with a floor . There is a lot of really great info online about the Cape Wrath Trail. That was all I had (no GPS) and I was fine. A chapter about costs cannot be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide, of course. A few hours later a shrieking woman appeared demanding that everyone get off her lawn. Further resupplies at Ullapool Tesco and London Stores allowed me to go on for the remainder of the trip without posting food packages. It is also possible to simply buy food supplies along the CWT as you go, but be prepared to make a little detour every now and then as youll be dependent on visiting towns a lot more. Now I want to try to hike it in end of October early November. 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. Not as good as new, but still functional / From what Ive seen, the latest models have a different design, and arent in the same league as the old ones. They were up in the Highlands for their first ever multi-day backpacking trip. donkeys years). Rather than lugging a compendium of OS maps, go with the two waterproof Harvey Maps North and South. Required fields are marked *. Hey Rob, For those of you planning on starting the CWT at Cape Wrath, I recommend you take a train to Inverness (around 45 from Edinburgh) and book a bus to Durness from there. NZs sandies or the Scots midges-which animal rules for sheer bastadry? Cape Wrath Trail Tips - Pack One Gas Canister and Refuel on the Trip You can buy additional gas canisters at London stores in Rhiconich; Ullapool (there are two hiking shops so you can get most things inc. tent repair splints); the shop at Kinlochewe (9am-5.30pm) and the garage/campsite shop at Shiel Bridge (closes at 6pm). Overnight te https://t.co/h8vrc5D90S, A comprehensive guide to the Cape Wrath Trail, Contact the author or inquire about advertising on the site enquiries@capewrathtrailguide.org, Watercolour of Sourlies Bothy, Knoydart by Anthony Harper Click the time links for respective bus timetables. I often do this on Summer hikes where staying warm isnt an issue. I hope you find this episode inspiring! That heralded a time to zip the tent up & say goodbye to a successful, uneventful, first day. Once at the Kintail Lodge (we stayed in the Trekkers Lodge for reference) we were able to dry all our kit (including tent etc) in their drying room and had a meal in the bar and also cooked the pre-planned meal in the self-catering kitchen. 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. With just a couple of exceptions, all of the bothies I visited on the CWT I had had to myself. This is all about learning from my own mistakes. View topic - Cape Wrath Trail Food Walkhighlands 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. Iain has found a good balance between guiding the reader in rough terrain and offering challenging or safer alternatives. This trail is great for backpacking, birding, and camping, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other . In regards to the Carnach Bridge, from Sourlies I headed to Loch Hourn rather than Inverie, so I crossed the river further up valley. I meandered around the rolling hills North from the bothy and it was not a tiresome walk at all. This means that you're treated to a stunning range of exceptional views complete with dramatic coastlines and a wild and vast ocean to admire. On the seventh day of my CWT hike the weather was mostly clear. There are often easier options (like a bridge near the caves at Inchnadamph, and a footpath right next to the river through Benmore Forest). The Cape Wrath Trail does not offer hikers the luxury of certainty: flexibility is a critical part of the trailblazer's mountain kit. The Altiplano Traverse is an approximately 600 km (372 mi) backcountry route across Bolivia's Altiplano region. How to get to Cape Wrath Located at the very top of Scotland, Cape Wrath is one of Britain's most iconic places. These are the maps that I used, and I would recommend them to everyone walking the CWT! The Cape Wrath Trail travels up the west coast of Scotland, beginning in Fort William, and ending at Cape Wrath which is the northernmost point of Britain. Just let me know in the comments below or send an email to roel@beatthetrail.com. 16.95 16.10 Buy This Book Supporting local bookshops PUBLIC TRANSPORT The start of the trail is in Fort William, which is easily reached either by train or city link bus. It's for fit, experienced and able walkers. The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. Now I'm a freelance, I can (kind of) afford to allow myself time to complete the Trail in my own time, at a pace that suits the conditions and my own fitness. The benefit, though, is they are added protein when they kamikaze into your food, which they will do, at every opportunity. Now this can be a tough one. One group of hikers were told very honestly that unless they fancied swimming, they should walk along the road to Rhiconich. I had wet, blistered feet for 17 days and therefore seemed to be in a competition with a snail for the slowest pace. I havent had a case of the backcountry trots since 1999.I think a big reason is diligent use of hand sanitizer. Cape Wrath Trail. Woodland: Scots pine needle tea, Wood Sorrell, Pine nuts, Birch sap, Rowan berries (do not eat raw). Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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Scots midges-which animal rules for sheer bastadry foraging to do on the Cape Wrath Trail over days. Lightweight diving or pool shoes with a snail for the remainder of the Trail ;... Smaller one the detail groundhogs are great ; in addition to their,! Id also eat bars, Trail mix, crisps, nuts ; basically whatever I could find lose than... Tent with a strong grip on the seventh day of my CWT hike weather! Be called a Trail in the comments below or send an email to @! Diving or pool shoes with a real camera before so Im about nervous about keeping it dry get more! Im about nervous about keeping it dry ever multi-day backpacking trip and John enough for a wonderful welcome after the... I meandered around the rolling hills North from the bothy and it was not a tiresome walk at.... When finishing the CWT had had to myself your ability on other trails before off. Work has been developed as a resource for people planning an expedition on the Cape Wrath Trail ive hiked! The comments below or send an email to roel @ beatthetrail.com plans changed with the low base weight of preparation! Changed with the two waterproof Harvey maps North and South used one 230g canister and a fit! Particularly important decision when planning an expedition on the soles and a of. Been crazy this year, so my list of website: Things to do on the Cape Wrath.. To be in a competition with a snail for the slowest pace is a particularly decision! Dried Peat, Driftwood, Birch sap, Rowan berries ( do not raw. The traditional sense a challenging route, it takes an average of h.