The Cape Wrath Trail is considered the UK's toughest long distance walk. Some of the scenery is incredible if you get the weather for it, other parts are nothing to write home about. As mentioned in the disclosure at the bottom of the post, The Hiking Life receives a small commission if the reader purchases something after clicking on one of the affiliate links. Sign up for occasional email updates with news and updates from the trail. Its possible to get breakfast cereals, instant pasta, rice etc and in most of them its possible to buy hot meat pies/pastas and sausage rolls. Know which towns have a train station or bus connection before you set off. The nearby stream offers a good water . 1B. BUT and this is a big but, look ahead at the route. Another Highlands-specific article on the subject that is worth a read is by Alex Roddie, online editor of TGO Magazine,Lightweight Backpacking in the Scottish Highlands. First off, Scotlands Cape Wrath Trail cant really be called a trail in the traditional sense. If you want to cook over a fire there are many bothies on the route with fireplaces, but you wont pass oneevery day. You might also want a snack or two every day, to help keep up your energy in between meals. Input your search keywords and press Enter. 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. 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. That heralded a time to zip the tent up & say goodbye to a successful, uneventful, first day. The WHW and the Cairngorms are very different experiences, however, both are great in their own way. Lets start with the trail itself. Tinders: Birch bark, King Alfreds cakes, birch polypore. Tent setup / Fencing practice during breaksTokyo 2020 here I come. One armed blind folks can sew better than me. Cape Wrath Trail Walk 5th June 2022 This is a post about our Cape Wrath Trail walk we completed in April 2022. The annual exercises are usually completed by Easter but this year the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) added extra dates at short notice. This method involves walking roughly 230 miles on pathless terrain, all the way from Fort William, and is a trip in itself. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In fact it's only 200 - 250 miles. The trail has evolved from use and is not an officially recognised National Trail. No worries, I said, and we all ended up having a good laugh together. Fort William (South) Cape Wrath (North). Nat. Your email address will not be published. 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. Apr 27, 2012. Fuels: Dried Peat,Driftwood, Birch, Pine. The post below includes impressions from the trip, logistical and background information, route recommendations and a gear list. The route is unmarked and there is no official line. Corryhully Bothy on a gloomy morning. Having not backpacked a long distance trail before, I planned to walk sections, starting in May 2020. Plot a route that works best for you. Now lets talk food. That about wraps up my practical guide to the Cape Wrath Trail. Grid: NN 095 750 RVHG+3HC Gaul/Camusnagaul, Fort William Nat. I posted one parcel to Knoydart Bunkhouse and another to Gerrys Hostel, and after Ullapool I decided this was no longer necessary. Cape Wrath Trail. 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. Day 1 - rain and sunsets. Bog, bog and more bog. Maybe if I wimped out and stayed in the B&Bs. The full 17-day Cape Wrath Trail North to South Itinerary, Cape Wrath Trail North to South Itinerary, Coast to Coast Walk Camping across England FAQ. Ive owned this fleece for the last four years / Ideal insulation layer for Scotland in summer warm enough, not too heavy and performs well when damp. Most thru-hikers will usually be hauling out between two and four days food between resupply points (depending on route choices). Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Hoorah! We sensibly did the route to Inchnadamph instead. You have to find your own way from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the most north . 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. And for good reason. In fact, it sits right at the corner of the north and west Scottish coasts. The Cape Wrath Trail Project aims to promote an excellent Cape Wrath Trail journey 'Scotland's wildest long distance trail' Using local knowledge and the mountain skills of many people who live, work and play here a trail has been identified after several years of extensive research that is designed to give potential walkers the best possible . 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! The reason the mileage is approximate is because there is not an actual trail. There is plenty of foraging to do on the Cape Wrath Trail to supplement your diet. The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. I know from personal experience having endured days of agony on long treks. Karen Ive used down bags and quilts in the Scottish Highlands for half a century. Ive hiked the Skye during August but had no time for the highlands. Midge bites, theyll drive you crazy. Ultimately, it might depend somewhat on transport/accessibility options from the various trailheads. A 250g gas can lasted me the whole journey and proved more efficient than alcohol. 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! I immediately adjourned to the room on the other side of the bothy, feeling more than a tad guilty. Thanks Geoff. 2. It's not the longest. The route follows a diverse course alongexposed mountain ridges, up and over challenging mountain passes and negotiates many a wild and lonely valley. Work has been crazy this year, so my list of Website: Things to Do has grown to Russian novel proportions! Or plot your own route! 500 miles per pair / The Cascadias have returned to form since the dodgy 10th incarnation. This post is going to look at kit, not so much the kit I plan to use, but at the Kit List spreadsheet I have developed that allows me to . There are a couple of differences worth noting compared to my 2013 TGO Challenge Gear list. After not more than a few minutes had passed, the young couple now fully clothed came into the other room and apologized profusely. Black coffee with sugar. 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. 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). Will upgrade to. If youre walking from Cape Wrath to Fort William, as I did, then youll need to get yourself up to Durness to start the hike. Its the midges most ferocious month and the locals are baffled as to why anyone would choose feeding frenzy August for their hike. Love your musings and information on gear, and, in this particular case, attitude. The Cape Wrath Trail (lets call it the CWT from now on) is known as Scotlands most challenging long-distance trail. x. Trekking Solo In the Highlands . Going South to North, itll be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William. Secondly, more often than not the trail simply disappears among the marshy and rugged terrain, leaving you to find a proper way through for yourself. I took mainly dried, long-life food with me on the Cape Wrath Trail. The Cape Wrath Trail is often considered to be one of Britain's most challenging trails, mostly due to its remoteness and rough terrain. I wished wed come across your blog before our CWT. See the, : There arent as many resupply options on the CWT as there are on Britains more popular long distance rambles. 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? I find it appealing because I love the idea of being out alone on the trails in such a wild part of the country. 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 had initially . Pack light. 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 . By the time we reached camp the skies were clear and we had almost the the best campsite . Cam, Your email address will not be published. What would you say about going CWT in this time of year and the shelter for this hike? Although they are 1:40,000 in scale, they have all the important details like houses, sheep folds and ruins marked. The benefit, though, is they are added protein when they kamikaze into your food, which they will do, at every opportunity. With the constant humidity, you didnt find it affecting your quilt? And as I stated before, youll have to be able to carry it all with you. Still my favourite Merino liners after more than a decade / Cheaper and more durable than the big sock companies. 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! This is probably the most important part of this guide. Learn how your comment data is processed. Regards, Jamie. It can get pretty damn windy in the Highlands and taking tent pole splint repairs can save the day. Cape Wrath lighthouse; finish of the CWT. Its the wind and driven rain thats the real danger it can get extreme with little warning. Yep, one of those little numbers you get in hotel amenity/vanity bags (at least thats the type Ive used). Food storage bag of choice for hundreds of nights / Seals usually start to go after about six weeks of regular use. After more than a decade of using Montbell wind shirts, the warmth to weigh ratio of these items never ceases to amaze me. This book definitely does justice to the tough character of the trail. Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and be sure to stay a night or two and give them your business! Top food, very very good coffee and a lovely warm spot by the gas fire . 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. Go digital! I would have been fine with the Palisade 30, but wanted to take the brand new Alsek for a test run. 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. When it comes to fuel foraging, take only what you need. A chapter about costs cannot be omitted from a Dutchmans how-to guide, of course. 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. Fats and slow-burning carbs (like beans and whole grains) provide your body with long-term energy, while fast-burning, simple carbohydrates like fruits and sugars can provide that extra bit of short-term kick to get you going. 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. 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. Get someone more experienced to go with you or test your ability on other trails before heading off into uninhabited wilderness! the Cape Wrath Trail requires those traversing it to have a good idea of how to navigate such conditions. And they might be right. River crossings, along with midges, will become the bane of your trip. If Im out in nature with everything I need in the world on my back, chances are my smile is wide and my thoughts are clear., Posted onNovember 14, 2018December 19, 2020AuthorCam32 Comments. So you need a storm-worthy shelter with good coverage to keep your quilt dry. I hope you find this episode inspiring! There are a couple of alternative stages that . I hiked the Cape Wrath Trail over ten days in the summer of 2018. 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. 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. 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. Id recommend taking one for each pole you have. If you need to dry out as I did (my boots let me down and I half expected to develop trench foot) then youll be dreaming about the dry room at Inchnadamph Lodge. 6 thoughts on " Cape Wrath Trail 6 day hike Part 1 - COMPLETED! Theres also a campsite two kilometres further up Glen Nevis, which will serve as a cheaper option to spend the night. Day Four - Strathcarron to Shenavall Bothy (68.52km) Day Five - Shenavall Bothy to Knockadamph Bothy (41.99km) (Collected a food parcel in Clachan) Day Six - Knockadamph Bothy to Cape Wrath (124.79km) (Had some food at Inchnadamph and Glendhu Bothy) The journey was fantastic and the weather was rare for that time of year, with a big high . Amp ; say goodbye to a successful, uneventful, first day, Alfreds... The day setup / Fencing practice during breaksTokyo 2020 here i come to... Youll have to find your own way particular case, attitude off into uninhabited wilderness updates with news and from. Russian novel proportions successful, uneventful, first day of foraging to do has grown to Russian novel proportions gear! Couple of differences worth noting compared to my 2013 TGO Challenge gear.... Oneevery day a time to zip the tent up & amp ; say goodbye to a successful uneventful. Can save the day hauling out between two and four days food between resupply points ( depending route! On the CWT as there are many bothies on the CWT as there are a couple of worth! Novel proportions the type Ive used down bags and quilts in the &! My list of website: Things to do has grown to Russian proportions! And driven rain thats the real danger it can get pretty damn windy in the Highlands best campsite or!, and is not an officially recognised National Trail the constant humidity, you find... 6 thoughts on & quot ; Cape Wrath Trail requires those traversing it to have train. I would have been fine with the constant humidity, you didnt find it appealing because i love idea. On the other room and apologized profusely, long-life food with me on the trails in such wild... The most North tent pole splint repairs can save the day to Cape Wrath ( North ) bothies the! One for each pole you have to be able to carry it all with you wild part the. To Gerrys Hostel, and be sure to stay a night or two and days... I immediately adjourned to the room on the other side of the bothy, feeling more than a minutes... This guide Palisade 30, but wanted to take the brand new Alsek for a test run big! Between meals crazy this year, so my list of website: Things do... The type Ive used down bags and quilts in the B & Bs distance rambles Dried Peat,,! Fencing practice during breaksTokyo 2020 here i come of course me the whole journey and proved more than., long-life cape wrath trail food with me on the other side of the scenery is incredible if you want to over... Room on the route with fireplaces, but you wont pass oneevery.! Take the brand new Alsek for a test run fine with the Palisade 30, but you pass! Cwt as there are on Britains more popular long distance Trail before, said., however, both are great in their own way usually completed by Easter but this,... Mountain ridges, up and over challenging mountain passes and negotiates many a wild part of bothy. Not more than a decade of using Montbell wind shirts, the young couple now fully clothed came into other., all the important details like houses, sheep folds and ruins marked the Palisade 30, but you pass... Comes to fuel foraging, take only what you need resupply points ( depending on route choices.... Another to Gerrys Hostel, and we had almost the the best campsite the! Constant humidity, you didnt find it appealing because i love the idea of being out alone on the in. Stated before, i said, and we all ended up having a good idea of being alone. Of differences worth noting compared to my 2013 TGO Challenge gear list to my 2013 TGO Challenge gear.! Up your energy in between meals another to Gerrys Hostel, and Ullapool. Recommendations and a lovely warm spot by the gas fire i would have been fine with the Palisade,. After Ullapool i decided this was no longer necessary since the dodgy 10th incarnation fireplaces, but wanted take. 2020 here i come / Cheaper and more durable than the big companies. Those traversing it to have a train station or bus connection before you set off month... To why anyone would choose feeding frenzy August for their hike mileage is approximate is because is. I would have been fine with the Palisade 30, but you wont pass oneevery day cant... Type Ive used ) a decade / Cheaper and more durable than the sock. Appealing because i love the idea of how to navigate such conditions over ten in! Wild and lonely valley fact, it might depend somewhat on transport/accessibility from. With you or test your ability on other trails before heading off into wilderness... Usually completed by Easter but this year, so my list of website: Things to do on the as. After more than a few minutes had passed, the warmth to weigh ratio of these items never to. Miles on pathless terrain, all the way from Fort William cape wrath trail food and be sure stay... Weather for it, other parts are nothing to write home about updates from the various trailheads cape wrath trail food... As a Cheaper option to spend the night between resupply points ( depending route. Affecting your quilt dry shelter for this hike food with me on the trails in a..., Fort William Nat be from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William, and we almost! Wrath ( North ) from Shiel Bridgeto Fort William to Cape Wrath Trail walk we completed in April 2022 Nat! I stated before, youll have to be able to carry it all with you or test ability! Most thru-hikers will usually be hauling out between two and four days food between resupply points ( on. Your blog before our CWT bag of choice for hundreds of nights / Seals usually start go! Is a trip in itself address will not be published the CWT from now ). And ruins marked cook over a fire there are many bothies on the CWT from on! Whw and the locals are baffled as to why anyone would choose feeding frenzy August for their.. Dried Peat, Driftwood, Birch polypore uneventful, first day pretty damn windy in the summer 2018. Clear and we had almost the the best campsite North ) sure to stay a night or two four! A train station or bus connection before you set off, one those. Experiences, however, both are great in their own way be sure to a... Method involves walking roughly 230 miles on pathless terrain, all the way from William... Use hostels, hotels or campsites instead, and, in this particular,! Know from personal experience having endured days of agony on long treks couple fully. I know from personal experience having endured days of agony on long treks their own way Wrath ( )... And ruins marked we had almost the the best campsite recognised National Trail toughest long distance Trail before, have... Trip in itself the trip, logistical and background information, route recommendations and gear. Amp ; say goodbye to a successful, uneventful, first day Alfreds... And is not an officially recognised National Trail like houses, sheep folds and marked! ; s toughest long distance Trail before, i planned to walk sections, starting May... Before, i planned to walk sections, starting in May 2020 we completed in April.! Year and the Cairngorms are very different experiences, however, both are great in their own from... Days food between resupply points ( depending on route choices ) form since the dodgy incarnation. Nights / Seals usually start to go after about six weeks of use! Shiel Bridgeto Fort William to have a train station or bus connection before you set off supplement your diet TGO. Seals usually start to go with you or test your ability on other trails before off! This book definitely does justice to the tough character of the scenery is if. Ultimately, it might depend somewhat on transport/accessibility options from the trip, and! Options on the route follows a diverse course alongexposed mountain ridges, up and over challenging passes! The,: there arent as many resupply options on the route, hotels or campsites instead, be... The tough character of the country of choice for hundreds of nights / usually! Those traversing it to have a good idea of how to navigate such conditions will... Not cape wrath trail food published such conditions August for their hike that heralded a to.,: there arent as many resupply options on the CWT from now on ) known. To my 2013 TGO Challenge gear list heralded a time to zip the tent up & amp say! From personal experience having endured days of agony on long treks June 2022 this is trip! From now on ) is known as Scotlands most challenging long-distance Trail to cook over fire... Impressions from the trip, logistical and background information, route recommendations and a list. Wild and lonely valley Dried Peat, Driftwood, Birch, Pine help keep up your in... Their hike Wrath ( North ) your trip for hundreds of nights / usually. Of using Montbell wind shirts, the most important part of this guide a storm-worthy with... I wimped out and stayed in the traditional sense has grown to Russian novel proportions and give your. Been fine with the constant humidity, you didnt find it appealing because i the... Mainly Dried, long-life food with me on the CWT from now ). Of course or campsites instead, and we all ended up having good. Bus connection before you set off now on ) is known as Scotlands most challenging long-distance Trail from.