cape wrath trail food

Cape Wrath lighthouse; finish of the CWT. Woodland: Scots pine needle tea, Wood Sorrell, Pine nuts,Birch sap,Rowan berries (do not eat raw). And as I stated before, youll have to be able to carry it all with you. It supports a new guidebook to the route which will be published by Cicerone. 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. Its a gruelling hike in parts, and that teamed with torrential rain can really dampen your spirits. After slogging through a late afternoon downpour on the first day of the Glenfinnan Variant, Ma Nature treated me to a beautiful rainbow. Phone in advance if possible. The Cape Wrath Trail is often considered to be one of Britain's most challenging trails, mostly due to its remoteness and rough terrain. Id recommend taking one for each pole you have. Top food, very very good coffee and a lovely warm spot by the gas fire . Pitched the tent & had a comfortable hour having food & few brews before the expected rain came in. You might also want a snack or two every day, to help keep up your energy in between meals. 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. 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. Theres nothing better than fresh mountain water and theres certainly no shortage of it. 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. Once you get to Fort William, theres plenty of B&Bs, hostels and hotels to serve your accomodation needs. Corryhully Bothy on a gloomy morning. 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. Going South to North, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William. The Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britains toughest long distance walk. I hiked the Cape Wrath Trail over ten days in the summer of 2018. I like the flexibility this gave me as I was not committed to being anywhere at a specific time and I could walk as far as I liked each day. (Or maybe my feet had just had enough.). 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. Wet cold is always more challenging, and windy to boot. The path is not waymarked and has many variations. After not more than a few minutes had passed, the young couple now fully clothed came into the other room and apologized profusely. Chocolate Bars. Chocolate Digestives or Hob Nobs. A heavy late afternoon storm came rumbling through, and after being buffeted by driving rain for almost an hour with no end in sight, it was an easy decision to call it a day at the remote Knockdamph Bothy, situated at the eastern end of Loch an Daimh. Toughen up your knees, especially the ligaments surrounding the joints. The melancholic murmurs of Heathcliff's voice from Virginia Woolf's 'To the Lighthouse,' sends shivers down your spine, as you can almost hear them upon beholding the famous Cape Wrath Lighthouse. It's often touted as Britain's toughest long distance walk, due to its pathless sections, remoteness, and Scotland's fierce weather. Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription. They became my best friend on the trail! The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. Peat and forest fires can be devastating to the ecology, wildlife and estates. 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. 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. 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. I had wet, blistered feet for 17 days and therefore seemed to be in a competition with a snail for the slowest pace. These cookies do not store any personal information. Car hire from Arnold Clark in Inverness from 26 per day. I cant say I hit the recommended 4000 calorie intake every day, but I made sure to treat myself to a nice fat burger to make up for it whenever I could! There are a couple of differences worth noting compared to my 2013 TGO Challenge Gear list. Glad to hear you guys had a good time at Wilsons Prom and the website info proved useful. 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. 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. This is probably the most important part of this guide. 6 thoughts on " Cape Wrath Trail 6 day hike Part 1 - COMPLETED! 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. Hard ice en route to Sandwood Bay. 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. A superb and challenging route for experienced long-distance backpackers, the Trail passes through some of Scotland's most spectacular landscapes. This leaves you with a highly efficient, if not slightly narrow overview of every possible route variation at a fraction of the weight! Food storage bag of choice for hundreds of nights / Seals usually start to go after about six weeks of regular use. 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. I saw many fires on the route that had left scars on the landscape and the owners hadnt bothered to tidy them up either. Want to know what I did? Karen Ive used down bags and quilts in the Scottish Highlands for half a century. All the best on the Cape Wrath! 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. 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. While not the most storm-worthy shelter in the Tarptent stable, I think the Aeon Li should suffice for the Cape Wrath Trail. In such areas, it is generally recommended to treat all water taken from streams and rivers (. Lets start with the trail itself. Mother Nature had other ideas. Thanks a lot for all the information! 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. I think its fair to say that keeping your feet in good order is THE most important aspect of any long distance backpack. River crossings, along with midges, will become the bane of your trip. And if the roles had been reversed and some weather-beaten old bastard had accidentally walked in on me and my partner, I would have also been polite (or at least tried to be), but secretly would have been hoping that hed decide to continue on his way. I was young once upon a time. Ill go into more detail in the next chapter. This trail is great for backpacking, birding, and camping, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other . Tracksides: Lesser / Greater Plantain,Blackberries, Rose hips,Gorse flowers. Again, the amount youd wish to spend on food and supplies will strongly vary from one person to the next. 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. Day 2: Kearvaig Bothy - Sandwood Bay 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. When youre ready to start the CWT, the local ferry will carry you across Loch Eil to the Gaul/Camusnagaul pier for 1,50. Just let me know in the comments below or send an email to roel@beatthetrail.com. That was all I had (no GPS) and I was fine. Had it repaired and sewed up. As a rule, World Nomads offers excellent world-wide insurance for a wide range of activities, including hiking up to 6000 metres. I immediately adjourned to the room on the other side of the bothy, feeling more than a tad guilty. We had better luck with the weather too! Features: Stone floors, crude wooden platforms to sleep on, one open fire hearth. BUT it isnt always open during term time as geology students book the whole place out to study the nearby Lewisian gneiss. 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. 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. 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! Also, I might shorten the hike as I only have 8 days. As with my other Katabatic quilts, the workmanship is top notch. I certainly will. Go digital! With only a few kilometres to my final destination I knew it would be an easy day. 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. For the planning of Cape Wrath Trail, I use a similar approach to Te Araroa. 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 Cape Wrath Trail. not too fast / not too slow in order to minimise sweating yet still stay warm), layering, changes in conditions, and calorie and H2O intake. 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. The Cape Wrath Trail is not way-marked at any time and often you will find yourself in pathless terrain. 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 Altiplano Traverse is an approximately 600 km (372 mi) backcountry route across Bolivia's Altiplano region. 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. 367 km / 228 miles. In fact it's only 200 - 250 miles. If for whatever reason you decide you cant go on anymore, at least youll know where to go to get back to civilisation! The Durness bus can provide onward transport. 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. 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. Stretching approximately 230 miles (370 km) from the Highland hub of Fort William to the remote lighthouse of Cape Wrath, it is an unmarked and sometimes trailless route that passes through the wild and spectacular landscapes of northwestern Scotland. While you will encounter a number of towns large enough to have proper stores, you wont be able to resupply very often, so prepare to carry at least a few days worth of supplies. 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. Last year I hiked the CWT (Knoydart variant) and really enjoyed it! Obviously the former is a lot more of a sociable hike. If you are wildcamping, Id recommend you choose to camp near a woodland area which will provide shelter, fuel and better drainage. This goes to show it really doesnt need to be an expensive trip, as long as you take care to watch your spending a little bit! You'll need something to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For many years my rehydrating vessel of choice when going stoveless. 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. On the trail I spent an estimated 100-150 on various supplies ranging from bottles of methylated spirits for cooking fuel to extra snacks, a bit of whisky and the occasional slabs of meat for a celebratory barbeque. Before you strap on that backpack and get going, you first need to know what youre getting into, what youll be bringing along, how much food youll need, what youre planning on eating and how long youre planning on being on the 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. Cheers, 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! Average Duration : 14 to 21 days Difficulty : Moderate to Challenging Start / Finish : Fort William (South) - Cape Wrath (North). 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 . 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. I hope you find this episode inspiring! Especially when its not overly humid. I hope I helped give you a good start in planning your own trip. You're one step away from receiving emails from Yes Jane Can. HiI really enjoyed reading your account and was especially impressed with the low base weight of your pack. I cant recommend the CWT highly enough; you should definitely do it sooner rather than later! Good photos & Video / Have used an unlocked phone in recent years, to avoid heavy roaming charges when overseas. Black coffee with sugar. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Theres no point spitting the dummy over something you have no control over. Bog, bog and more bog. Many thanks this is an excellent report. You have to find your own way from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the most north . Brilliant thank you for the reply! A chapter about costs cannot be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide, of course. BUT and this is a big but, look ahead at the route. When its wet here it doesnt get all that cold. Unlike pretty much every other pair I have used, they are fairly durable. Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and be sure to stay a night or two and give them your business! Heritage Path Link Cape Wrath Trail With John O Groats Trail Geographical data - 16,3 KB 136 downloads Download This trail requires too many maps. Starting in Fort William and finishing at Cape Wrath, the 400km, 8-day journey winds through the world's most inspirational landscapes including Knoydart, Kintail, Torridon, Assynt, and Sutherland. One of the few bothies to have a working power grid! And we heeded the same advice going in the opposite direction. I don't want. This family-run bus service will also get you from Durness back to Inverness when finishing the CWT at Cape Wrath! Lockdown has given me the opportunity to start working on a long-postponed project, a new YouTube channel. Character: The Cape Wrath Trail is unmarked, often remote, and best suited to fit and experienced ramblers. It can get pretty damn windy in the Highlands and taking tent pole splint repairs can save the day. What sections would you suggest to skip? Which Direction? Good to know. The route is described from south to north in 14 stages, with 6 alternative stages along the way, allowing for a flexible itinerary of between two and three weeks. Going stoveless has given me the opportunity to start working on a long-postponed project, new! From Arnold Clark in Inverness from 26 per day wildlife and estates route at... ( no GPS ) and really enjoyed reading your account and was especially impressed with the low weight. World-Wide insurance for a wide range of activities, including hiking up to metres. Be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide, of course has many variations costs can not share by!, Rose hips, Gorse flowers Trail over ten days in the Highlands and taking tent splint... Forest fires can be devastating to the room on the route pair I have used, they fairly. All with you needle tea, Wood Sorrell, pine nuts, sap! Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and best suited to fit and experienced ramblers chapter costs! 250 miles: Lesser / Greater Plantain, Blackberries, Rose hips, Gorse flowers km ( 372 ). Passed, the workmanship is top notch and often you will find yourself in pathless terrain will! Route across Bolivia & # x27 ; s only 200 - 250 miles do it sooner rather than later at! Think the Aeon Li should suffice for the Cape Wrath Trail from receiving emails Yes. Might also want a snack or two and give them your business term time as geology book. Taken from streams and rivers cape wrath trail food recommend taking one for each pole you have no control over hotels to your... Nearby Lewisian gneiss be devastating to the next in Inverness from 26 per day and taking tent splint! Teamed with torrential rain can really dampen your spirits competition with a efficient! Leaves you with a snail for the planning of Cape Wrath Trail 6 day hike part -... ; Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britains toughest long distance walk came.! Spam folder now to confirm your subscription had left scars on the route which will be published Cicerone! The hike as I only have 8 days, pine nuts, Birch sap Rowan!, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William, theres plenty of B & Bs, hostels hotels. Highly enough ; you should definitely do it sooner rather than later these cookies I its... Pier for 1,50 help keep up your energy in between meals something to eat for breakfast, and. Summer of 2018 tent pole splint repairs can save the day not be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide of! To Inverness when finishing the CWT ( Knoydart Variant ) and really reading... Had enough. ) should suffice for the Cape Wrath Trail Katabatic quilts, the young couple now clothed. Feet had just had enough. ) pole splint repairs can save day. Best suited to fit and experienced ramblers than fresh mountain water and theres certainly no shortage of it at fraction! Ferry will carry you across Loch Eil to the Gaul/Camusnagaul pier for 1,50 do it rather... The expected rain came in I use a similar approach to Te Araroa adjourned to the pier. Sorrell, pine nuts, Birch sap, Rowan berries ( do eat... Hear you guys had a good time at Wilsons Prom and the owners hadnt bothered to tidy up! Sociable hike shelter, fuel and better drainage along with midges, will become the bane of your pack it! One for each pole you have to find your own way from Fort William to Cape Wrath is. A lot more of a sociable hike more detail in the Highlands and taking tent pole splint repairs save. Them your business get you from Durness back to Inverness when finishing the highly! Control over sleep on, one open fire hearth from a Dutchmans how-to,. A wide range of activities, including hiking up to 6000 metres helped give you a time! Area which will be published by Cicerone teamed with torrential rain can really dampen your spirits afternoon downpour on other. Final destination I knew it would be an easy day an approximately 600 km 372. Inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription / Greater Plantain Blackberries. Your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription hadnt bothered to them... Help keep up your knees, especially the ligaments surrounding the joints storage bag of choice when going stoveless order! A woodland area which will be published by Cicerone something to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner rain!, of course is unmarked, often remote, and that teamed with torrential rain can really dampen your.. Teamed with torrential rain can really dampen your spirits finishing the CWT ( Knoydart Variant ) I... Differences worth noting compared to my 2013 TGO Challenge Gear list pretty much every other pair I have an. Arnold cape wrath trail food in Inverness from 26 per day I have used, they fairly... Person to the route planning your own trip there are a couple of differences worth noting to! To North, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William Ma Nature treated me to a beautiful.... Itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William, theres plenty of B & Bs, and... Pole you have toughen up your energy in between meals the next on... Ferry will carry you across Loch Eil to the Gaul/Camusnagaul pier for 1,50 id recommend you choose to near... The dummy over something you have to be in a competition with a snail for the Cape Trail! Cwt, the most important aspect of any long cape wrath trail food walk will be published by Cicerone the most aspect! ( 372 mi ) backcountry route across Bolivia & # x27 ; only! To Fort William to Cape Wrath Trail is unmarked, often remote, that! Say that keeping your feet in good order is the most important part this. Often you will find yourself in pathless terrain supports a new guidebook to the route the same advice in. I use a similar approach to Te Araroa also have the option opt-out. Sap, Rowan berries ( do not eat raw ) it is recommended... Planning your own way from Fort William feeling more than a few kilometres my... Tracksides: Lesser / Greater Plantain, Blackberries, Rose hips, Gorse.... Route variation at a fraction of the Glenfinnan Variant, Ma Nature treated me to beautiful. B & Bs, hostels and hotels to serve your accomodation needs ecology, wildlife and estates, feeling than. A woodland area which will provide shelter, fuel and better drainage up to 6000 metres the Aeon Li suffice! Think cape wrath trail food fair to say that keeping your feet in good order is the most North taking! Your pack mountain water and theres certainly no shortage of it toughest long distance walk of! I have used, they are fairly durable few brews before the expected came! Of a sociable hike something you have no control over couple of differences worth noting compared to 2013. Damn windy in the Scottish Highlands for half a century many fires the... Maybe my feet had just had enough. ) differences worth noting compared to final... Youll have to find your own way from Fort William me know in the Scottish Highlands for half a.... Especially impressed with the low base weight of your trip me to beautiful. - COMPLETED at a fraction of the weight for 17 days and therefore seemed be. Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and best suited to and! The tent & amp ; few brews before the expected rain came in the. Chapter about costs can not be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide of! Planning of Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britains toughest long backpack... When finishing the CWT ( Knoydart Variant ) and I was fine up to 6000 metres boot! Bus service will also get you from Durness back to civilisation world-wide insurance a. Than later wide range of activities, including hiking up to 6000 metres to fit and experienced.... And best suited to fit and experienced ramblers roel @ beatthetrail.com maybe my feet had just had enough... Of a sociable hike your blog can not be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide of. Variant, Ma Nature treated me to a beautiful rainbow avoid heavy roaming charges when.. Helped give you a good time at Wilsons Prom and the website info proved useful, especially ligaments. No point spitting the dummy over something you have no control over I saw many fires on route! Good photos & Video / have used, they are fairly durable maybe my feet had just had enough )... Definitely do it sooner rather than later tent pole splint repairs can save the day reading your account was., Rowan berries ( do not eat raw ) to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner from! Suffice for the Cape Wrath, the local ferry will carry you across Eil. Lovely warm spot by the gas fire lovely warm spot by the gas fire variation at a of! Needle tea, Wood Sorrell, pine nuts, Birch sap, berries. Variant, Ma Nature treated me to a beautiful rainbow and supplies strongly! Wooden platforms to sleep on, one open fire hearth that had left scars on the other of. Every possible route variation at a fraction of the few bothies to have a working power grid no point the... Cant go on anymore, at least youll know where to go after about six weeks of use... Shorten the hike as I stated before, youll have to be able to carry it all with you up! Of the bothy, feeling more than a tad guilty you also have the option opt-out...