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. River crossings, along with midges, will become the bane of your trip. The end of the trail is remote Cape Wrath, linked by a seasonal tourist bus and ferry to near Durness. If for whatever reason you decide you cant go on anymore, at least youll know where to go to get back to civilisation! Train tickets from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Fort William vary between20 and30 for a one-way trip. Interesting too that you went stoveless in that damp weather. I certainly will. Hi there! 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. So plan your gear accordingly. My base weight was 10.5 lb (4.75 kg), and total weight was 14.4 lb (6.5 kg). I cannot recommend sending parcels poste restante (to hold) to post offices, as Britains Royal Mail officially only allows for envelopes to be held, not packages. A packet of jelly sweets which you can devour/savour (delete as appropriate) will make the world of difference to your energy and mood. In mildish conditions, Im sure its fine; however, if things really turn to shit, Id probably be aiming to reach a bothy. Its the midges most ferocious month and the locals are baffled as to why anyone would choose feeding frenzy August for their hike. The midges drove me nuts and stopped me having breakfast on a couple of mornings with their insistent buzzing/biting. Hello Cam, Thank you so much for a great report as well as inspiration. 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. Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 29, June 8, 2022. 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. The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. 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. For many years my rehydrating vessel of choice when going stoveless. 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. Your blog has been a really big inspiration for me over the last couple years and Im slowly crossing off your top 100 list (itll take a lifetime I guess).Thanks heaps! donkeys years). It's not the longest. And possibly in bucketfuls. Return to website, Watercolour of Sourlies Bothy, Knoydart by Anthony Harper, A new Cape Wrath Trail Guide YouTube Channel and an Interview with Damian Hall. For details of ferries and bus to Cape Wrath visit visitcapewrath.com. x. Trekking Solo In the Highlands . Prepare to carry a tent and sleeping gear. We had better luck with the weather too! Car hire from Arnold Clark in Inverness from 26 per day. Hoorah! As it turned out Lara didn't have the most waterproof pack and my rain jacket. Sealskinz waterproof socks are equally as magic, being the one thing that keeps the water out. I picked up some food and . 1A. Additionally, its worth noting that the excellent hostel at Inchnadamph has a small shop, which depending on how picky you are, should have enough options in stock to get you through to Kinlochbervie, : I didnt treat any of my water while in Scotland and had no issues. 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. 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. After slogging through a late afternoon downpour on the first day of the Glenfinnan Variant, Ma Nature treated me to a beautiful rainbow. Hop over to Ullapool (I went from Inverness bus station) and get an afternoon bus at about 16.00-17.00-ish from Ullapool to Durness or go direct from Inverness to Durness at 10.00 or 17.00 (route 805 for the latter time). The Durness bus can provide onward transport. Lovely overview of a wonderful hike. The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. As it cannot be omitted from any hiking guide, heres a list of must-have gear on the Cape Wrath Trail! And we heeded the same advice going in the opposite direction. Groundhogs are great; in addition to their durability, the red colour makes me less likely to lose them than the generic silver. Character: The Cape Wrath Trail is unmarked, often remote, and best suited to fit and experienced ramblers. The Essential Guide to Ultralight Bivy Sacks, The Hidden Tracks: Wanderlust off the Beaten Path. Just came back (August 2020). In summer you could probably do the whole trail without carrying much food at all relying on shops and restaurants the whole way. : NM 912 844 About: Often the first bothy hikers will encounter on the Cape Wrath Trail, Corryhully is a well-known bothy not maintained by the MBA but by the local estate. When its really pissing down, Ill put the camera inside the backpack. Your first order of business will be getting to Fort William to start your adventure. Scotland looks amazing, but not sure I could spend the dough to experience more of the same. The Cape Wrath Trail. The Cape Wrath Trail is not way-marked at any time and often you will find yourself in pathless terrain. Meandering along the Cape wrath trail. 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. Which Direction? Does this sound good to you? Hey Swami, thank you for this great write up! Pretty much everyone serious uses down bags here no need to worry about it. 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. Mother Nature had other ideas. Breakfast - Granola, Muesli or Porridge with dried milk. Although they are 1:40,000 in scale, they have all the important details like houses, sheep folds and ruins marked. Kendal mint cake, which is 98 percent sugar, also works a treat! 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. 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 . 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. The Cape Wrath Trail is considered the UK's toughest long distance walk. 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. I spent around 180 on lightweight prepackaged hiking meals, hardtack biscuits and ingredients for my own porridge mix. 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. Subjective Participant or Objective Observer? Cape Wrath lighthouse; finish of the CWT. No matter how low-budget your travel plans may be, I will always recommend you get proper travel insurance. The reason the mileage is approximate is because there is not an actual 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. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), creating an efficient backpacking food menu, My final itinerary is based on 9 days on the trail, 40g jumbo oats (not rolled) pack more of a bite to them after cooking, 40g granola mix I chose for half my meals to have a berry-based mix and half to have a chocolate based one, 3 tsp of milk powder thickens the mix and gives extra sugars and protein to start the day, Just add half a cup of boiling water and eat after 5 minutes of sitting (use a, It saves some packaging as Im not packing for each day, The days are not equal in length and Ill be walking a combination of long day-short day-long day-short day etc. Fort William (South) Cape Wrath (North). Despite some wet and wild weather, I was never uncomfortable during the hike and felt prepared for any meteorological scenario that may have occurred. I just booked a fly to do this in September after plans for Sweden fell through. Food and alcohol prices . To make things even more interesting, there is a notable lack of facilities along the way. This is the second of three posts related to the planning process for my Cape Wrath Trail walk, in May 2019. Toughen up your knees, especially the ligaments surrounding the joints. My base weight for the Cape Wrath Trail was 9.2 lbs (4.2 kg), and the total weight came in at 12.3 lb (5.6 kg). Excellent beanie / Not too thick / Stretchy enough to fit my noggin / Doesnt seem to be available in the US at the moment. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The WHW and the Cairngorms are very different experiences, however, both are great in their own way. Tent setup / Fencing practice during breaksTokyo 2020 here I come. Theres no point spitting the dummy over something you have no control over. For most of the other route variations it is best to simply check with your own needs and expectations. Work has been crazy this year, so my list of Website: Things to Do has grown to Russian novel proportions! I did bring a little dropper bottle of DEET, but didnt end up using it. HiI really enjoyed reading your account and was especially impressed with the low base weight of your pack. The annual exercises are usually completed by Easter but this year the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) added extra dates at short notice. Although you may be moving too fast to dedicate much time to it. The way to Cape Wrath is not an official national trail at all, more a loose collection of old stalkers' tracks, drovers, and coffin roads. It is also possible to purchase meals at the Kinloch Hourn Farm B&B, Kintail Lodge Hotel, Okyel Bridge Hotel and Rhiconich Hotel. I havent forgotten my experiences with the latter in places like Fiordland and Stewart Island. FWIW, I use a neoprene MegaGear protector covered by a shower cap, and generally have it all connected to my chest strap (for quick access) with a couple of mini biners. Duct Tape, Mini Tube Super Glue (repairs). They were up in the Highlands for their first ever multi-day backpacking trip. 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. As a general rule, you should eat around 1kg of food a day while hiking otherwise you will lose weight. Hey Rob, The Cape Wrath Trail (lets call it the CWT from now on) is known as Scotlands most challenging long-distance trail. One group of hikers were told very honestly that unless they fancied swimming, they should walk along the road to Rhiconich. Pitched the tent & had a comfortable hour having food & few brews before the expected rain came in. 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. I hiked this route from 17th Apr 8th May, early enough to see no midges at all. The path is not waymarked and has many variations. When in spate, the rivers can flow at full force up to your thighs, hips or waist. A few hours later a shrieking woman appeared demanding that everyone get off her lawn. Overall I was happy with my gear selections on the Cape Wrath Trail. It can get pretty damn windy in the Highlands and taking tent pole splint repairs can save the day. Hand Sanitizer (repackaged in dropper btle.). And of course, with an abundance of streams en route, the trail can become impassable in certain areas. This looks amazing! Chances are, you've no option to do this on your current trip anyway. You might also want a snack or two every day, to help keep up your energy in between meals. We didnt move, the midges were attacking everyone, but had they not have been, she would have made sure everyone relocated. It was a pleasure to read! The water level was low; June and July had been quite dry from the reports I heard. Thank you for the kind words. 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. " lizziwake says: 21st September 2021 at 2:53 pm. 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. With all that and a comfortable bed for the night, it was the perfect pit stop for us. Did you use it much on the CWT?? Cant thank Angie and John enough for a wonderful welcome after completing the Cape wrath trail. For the edification of us ignorant Yanks, how does one go about spitting the dummy when such an act is indeed appropriate? 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. Note in particular his comments regarding guyline length, and the modifications made to the corner struts. Here's what to expect: The post below includes impressions from the trip, logistical and background information, route recommendations and a gear list. Especially when its not overly humid. 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. Otherwise you will find yourself in pathless terrain note in particular his comments regarding guyline,! They are 1:40,000 in scale, they should walk along the road to Rhiconich its really pissing down Ill! 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