x. Trekking Solo In the Highlands . When it comes to fuel foraging, take only what you need. Buy a green midge head net, not one for mosquitoes as the holes are too big, and youll attract less of the Scottish blighters than your black-netted hiking counterparts. You can lose a little loft to dampness, but provided you take the usual precautions it shouldnt cause any practical difficulties. Tent setup / Fencing practice during breaksTokyo 2020 here I come. This is probably the most important part of this guide. The other thing I love about hiking in inclement weather is that it acts as an affirmation. This is all about learning from my own mistakes. Hi Maureen, glad the tips were useful. Subjective Participant or Objective Observer? I was wondering how you went about protecting your camera from the rain? 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. 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. Buy both the Cape Wrath Trail North and Cape Wrath Trail South maps together and save 2! Learn how your comment data is processed. Love your musings and information on gear, and, in this particular case, attitude. Having no experience with Scottish winds, do you think that a Tarptent Aeon Li is suitable or do I need something more storm-worthy? We had better luck with the weather too! Peat and forest fires can be devastating to the ecology, wildlife and estates. 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. 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. This book definitely does justice to the tough character of the trail. Wet cold is always more challenging, and windy to boot. Do you need to make more supply runs? Did you use it much on the CWT?? I had initially . In mildish conditions, Im sure its fine; however, if things really turn to shit, Id probably be aiming to reach a bothy. Everyone I met for the first four days had bailed somewhere along the route by hitching or cutting their trip short. Id love to do this route before I get too old and creaky. (photo from Wikipedia). While not the most storm-worthy shelter in the Tarptent stable, I think the Aeon Li should suffice for the Cape Wrath Trail. Seasons greetings to you all. The trail starts in Fort William and ends at the northwesternmost point of mainland Britain, Cape Wrath. Another option is to walk the epic Cape Wrath Trail. and thick fog) is that it makes me a better hiker. Its a gruelling hike in parts, and that teamed with torrential rain can really dampen your spirits. But more on this later. Brilliant thank you for the reply! One armed blind folks can sew better than me. Many thanks this is an excellent report. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. As a rule, World Nomads offers excellent world-wide insurance for a wide range of activities, including hiking up to 6000 metres. We started in Fort William with the Camusnagaul ferry and finished in Kinlochbervie, after walking off the peninsular from the Cape Wrath light house. Which is what I did; never let it be said that Cameron James Honan stood in the path of young love! I will mention this again: if you are not physically prepared and/or have no previous experience with (solo) long distance hiking, you should not be walking the Cape Wrath trail alone! Snacks - Dried fruit and nuts. Frameless backpack of choice for almost a decade. The nearby stream offers a good water . 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. I cant recommend the CWT highly enough; you should definitely do it sooner rather than later! Cape Wrath Trail 0: Approach to Fort William. Green tents, on the other hand, are not immune to the midges advances. April/May 2018. I havent had a case of the backcountry trots since 1999.I think a big reason is diligent use of hand sanitizer. Obviously, the more foodyou take with you the more calories you will burn to carry it, so planning food is about striking a balance betweencalories burnt versusconsumed, while also meeting your nutritional needs. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. This looks amazing! This is because the difficulty of the terrain and the lack of way marking (or even defined paths in many places). Breakfast - Granola, Muesli or Porridge with dried milk. Im hoping to do other hikes too and I wondering your opinion on West Highland Way vs. Cairngorm National Park? Average Duration : 14 to 21 days Difficulty : Moderate to Challenging Start / Finish : Fort William (South) - Cape Wrath (North). Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription. MLD Duomid (0.75 DCF) with Solomid Silnylon Innernet. Here is a typical day of food on the trail, usually totalling around 3500-4000 calories. It turned out they were students in their late teens/early twenties from Bristol. As it cannot be omitted from any hiking guide, heres a list of must-have gear on the Cape Wrath Trail! 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. 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. Work has been crazy this year, so my list of Website: Things to Do has grown to Russian novel proportions! A packet of jelly sweets which you can devour/savour (delete as appropriate) will make the world of difference to your energy and mood. I find it appealing because I love the idea of being out alone on the trails in such a wild part of the country. Hey Rob, I hiked this route from 17th Apr 8th May, early enough to see no midges at all. 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. Overall I was happy with my gear selections on the Cape Wrath Trail. Hi Frederick, Glenfinnan Viaduct and the train to Hogwarts! The Te Araroa begins with a lighthouse at Cape Reinga but ends at a less impressive signpost at Bluff. NZs sandies or the Scots midges-which animal rules for sheer bastadry? Woodland: Scots pine needle tea, Wood Sorrell, Pine nuts, Birch sap, Rowan berries (do not eat raw). Another important note is to know your exit points in advance. 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. Buy on Amazon More on the book The route As it turned out Lara didn't have the most waterproof pack and my rain jacket. In fact it's only 200 - 250 miles. These cookies do not store any personal information. Day 2: Kearvaig Bothy - Sandwood Bay So I was a little surprised when over the sound of howling wind and rain, I heard noises emanating from the downstairs sleeping room. 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? We then had a wonderful camp near by and had a tasty breakfast the next morning. Ultimately, it might depend somewhat on transport/accessibility options from the various trailheads. Like a straight up shower cap? Always make sure to thoroughly check your insurance plan, as conditions may vary for your nationality or itinerary. You'll need something to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was young once upon a time. 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. 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. Again, the amount youd wish to spend on food and supplies will strongly vary from one person to the next. 367 km / 228 miles. 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. A superb and challenging route for experienced long-distance backpackers, the Trail passes through some of Scotland's most spectacular landscapes. The way I figure it, if Ive got the right gear, skills, strength and fitness, whats not to like? It has the reputation of being Britain's toughest long distance walk. Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and be sure to stay a night or two and give them your business! I didn't book any accommodation and wild camped every night. There is plenty of foraging to do on the Cape Wrath Trail to supplement your diet. Just remember to train your core, lower back and legs most of all. Cape Wrath Mini Bus Tel: 07534591124 Email:info@visitcapewrath.com 'Ozone cafe' provide toilet facilities at Cape Wrath. I don't want. 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!). 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 . Theres an Estate Office in Archfary where you might be able to pop in and enquire about the river conditions up to Rhiconich (walking south to north). Lovely overview of a wonderful hike. Take lightweight diving or pool shoes with a strong grip on the soles and a secure fit around your feet. My base weight was 10.5 lb (4.75 kg), and total weight was 14.4 lb (6.5 kg). 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. Sea shore: Mussels,Limpets, Edible Periwinkles, Razorfish. Thecalorie content should be well above your normal daily intake. But a gorgeous landscape! It is also possible to purchase meals at the Kinloch Hourn Farm B&B, Kintail Lodge Hotel, Okyel Bridge Hotel and Rhiconich Hotel. 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. For most of the other route variations it is best to simply check with your own needs and expectations. A memorable beginning to a hike I had long been looking forward to. . Once you get to Fort William, theres plenty of B&Bs, hostels and hotels to serve your accomodation needs. As with my other Katabatic quilts, the workmanship is top notch. 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 know from personal experience having endured days of agony on long treks. That heralded a time to zip the tent up & say goodbye to a successful, uneventful, first day. The Great Glen route is slightly quicker to rejoin the rest of the trail near Shiel Bridge, but the Knoydart variant is generally considered to be the most beautiful if not the most challenging choice. In fact, it sits right at the corner of the north and west Scottish coasts. 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. And as I stated before, youll have to be able to carry it all with you. Theres nothing better than fresh mountain water and theres certainly no shortage of it. Luckily the rain only lasted an hour or so and then it started to dry out. 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. In regards to what I did for food on the CWT: 1. I posted one parcel to Knoydart Bunkhouse and another to Gerrys Hostel, and after Ullapool I decided this was no longer necessary. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. When its wet here it doesnt get all that cold. Although you may be moving too fast to dedicate much time to it. 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).