The Cape Wrath Trail - 1 year on
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- One year after I completed the Cape Wrath Trail solo, I'm looking back at the experience - the best bits and the inevitable worst bits, too!
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Hi, I do enjoy listening to people’s time on the CWT and doing it seems to nurture passion in everyone as I certainly look back at my 2 part journey on it now 13 years ago as also being one of my best hiking experiences too.
A massive well done for doing it on your own and in one go.
It looks like I may be having a second go at it with my son in law next year as having just completed the Cambrian way and new to hiking hopefully he can help me along and I can manage it again although I think I will need may 3 or 4 rest days this time.
Anyway lovely to hear you reminiscing so thanks.
ATB 🏕️
Thanks Dave. I would love to walk the CWT again, and hopefully enjoy better weather! So I am jealous of you giving it another go. Good luck!!
Cheers for the video! I have fair experience up in Knoydart and that area, planning to walk CWT next May. I hear/see a lot of people champion the trail runners but I'm still not convinced... my boots are light thin leather (Supalites) and descending whilst exhausted I always tend to slip and nearly roll an ankle... so I think imma go with boots still. I am second guessing.
Can you tell me how much food you carried? I'd like to do it without posting supplies but not sure how viable that is :D
Thanks again!
Hi. Don't get me started on footwear! :-D
The debate is contentious, with strong opinions both ways so it's very much a personal choice. But having said that, I think there are 3 critical factors on the CWT: Weight, water crossings, and grip.
Weight: The Berghaus Supalights weigh approx 1kg dry. Altra Lone Peak trail runners weigh around 600g. That's an extra 400 g that you will have to lift every step, and there's an old saying that 'a pound on your foot is worth 7 on your back' and in terms of accumulated fatigue on a trail as demanding as the CWT there's a big advantage in going for the lighter footwear.
Water crossings: It's the nature of the CWT that there are inevitable river crossings and deep boggy sections, and it will be virtually impossible to keep your boots dry inside (especially if you have 2 weeks of rain as I did!). You _could_ change out of your boots every time, but after a day or two I expect you'll get fed up with that and the ability to walk through the water without delay will be very appealing. Trail runners, possibly combined with waterproof socks, will dry out quickly and they'll allow you to carry on through without delay.
Grip: This is where trail runners can be worse if you're not careful. The Altra Lone Peaks that I wore didn't have a good grip at the heel, so I've since switched to the Topo Athletic MTN Racer 2, which are more sturdy and have a Vibram sole, so they're the best of both worlds :-)
I did a bit of research into the ankle support benefits of boots, and it seems that it's a bit of a myth. Training whilst wearing trail runners soon builds up sufficient ankle strength.
Food-wise, I don't think it's wise or realistic to avoid resupplying. To enjoy the trail with all the ascent & descent it will be really important to minimise the weight you carry. I carried too many snacks etc., so if I was doing it again I would use my training trips to gauge the amount of food that I need each day. My typical intake was;
Breakfast: porridge & coffee
Daytime: snack bars on the trail. Started off healthy, but I soon preferred to binge on chocolate and more chocolate
Evening: a large dehydrated meal, plus pudding & chocolate treat.
This was supplemented by extra food whenever I got an opportunity at a shop/cafe. Kintail Crafts at Shiel Bridge now sell dehydrated meals, I think, and there's an outdoor shop at Ullapool too so you could buy supplies as you pass through, but I think it's better to have the certainty of knowing what supplies you have got waiting for you.
Anyway, it's good to be planning so far ahead. I hope you have a fantastic trip; keep me posted!
@@longsufferinghiker Thanks for taking the time - really appreciate the response!
I hear you! All very good points. I like the idea of runners with waterproof socks - I think it's the idea of having perpetually damp feet vs sometimes dry, sometimes soaking boots. It might be the case that I am being stubborn here :D I've also toyed with the idea of taking some swimming shoes to slip on in the past... I think it really does come down to what the weather is saying.
That bog after Sourlies has left me dry on some crossings and semi-drowned on others all depending on weather. I suppose I have to expect the drowning variation, or at least ne prepared for it :D
I'd have gone this year but negotiations with my wife and work schedule were not successful ^_^ Plenty of time to prepare and think about shoes :D Thanks again really appreciate your response.
Doing the CWT a second time, but with some variations to stop it being boring, helped me enjoy it more. I think the first time I was so hyped up after what must have been a year's preparation that is was hard to be completely at ease in the wild. Doing a longer trek than the CWT has also helped in pairing down gear and getting more confident in myself.
I just happened to be stuck in Britain after my CWT due to Covid, so having all my hiking gear I then went and did The Pennine Way. Different in many ways to the CWT but an absolutely fantastic hike at the same time.
I would love to do it again, possibly North to South. Like you say, it would be nice to make some changes. I agree that the first time there was lots of nerves and uncertainty, after months of preparation. Doing it again would allow me to appreciate it more. Perhaps one day!
In the meantime I’m doing the Hebridean Way and Cleveland Way this year.
Thanks really useful to look back and give some tips. I’ve negotiated with my wife that I will be able to do it starts 8 September. I’ve done the usual c2c ,whw ,Cleveland way in April but now at 58 crave the wild places a bit more. Got my pack weight down to 7 kg but looking at food- what would you suggest for the start 3 or 4 days worth? I can see that there are more supply points now with towns/ campsites. Really interested in some more detail on the food. How much you would suggest taking and what type etc. 🙏
That's an impressive pack weight! And you'll be glad of it during the long uphill slogs :-)
Food-wise, to enjoy the trail with all the ascent & descent it will be really important to minimise the weight you carry. I carried too many snacks etc., and I took protein shakes which weren't really needed. If was doing it again I would use my training trips to gauge the amount of food that I need each day. I didn't get near to eating the 3000 calories a day that I anticipated. My typical intake was;
Breakfast: Summit to Eat porridge with raspberries & coffee
Daytime: snack bars and trail mix. I started off healthy, but I soon preferred to binge on chocolate and more chocolate.
Evening: a large dehydrated meal such as Sea to Summit Pasta, plus optional pudding & chocolate treat.
This was supplemented by extra food whenever I got an opportunity at a shop/cafe.
To resupply with dehydrated meals Kintail Crafts at Shiel Bridge now sell dehydrated meals, I think, and there's an outdoor shop at Ullapool too.
Have a great trip!
Great video. I'm looking into doing the CWT so came across your channel. If you're interested in any overseas trips, the GR20 in Corsica is amazing; remote, wild, challenging, stunning scenery. GR11 in the Pyrenees is fantastic, too. The Dingle Way, over my way, is beautiful too. Whatever you do next bring a camera!
Thanks for the suggestions - I’m going to spend some happy hours checking them out!
I really hope you get to walk the CWT; well worth the effort! 🙂
Have a look at the Cambrian Way. If anything it's tougher than the CWT. I enjoy your content - keep doing it!👍
That’s really kind of you. Thanks!!
Valuable insight, thank you for sharing. I think you’re looking for the Cambrian Way
I'll check it out!
Snowdonia way, mountain route. There are not very many videos on it as well.
That’s a great suggestion; it certainly looks challenging! I’m going to check it out. Thanks!!
I have just completed The Scottish National trail which joins the Cape Wrath Trail at Morvich , maybe you should try that one . the night I spent in Sandwood bay , it rained all night .😆. Glad you enjoyed yourself .
Wow! That's a brilliant achievement; I'm very impressed; congratulations!!
I'm thinking of doing the Hebridean Way next spring; not quite as challenging :-D
@@longsufferinghiker Thankyou very much 🙏, I have enjoyed watching your Cape Wrath Trail. Good luck with your adventure next year, hope the weather is kind to you 😊
Great video, interesting reflections. I’d be interested to hear what gear you would leave behind next time and how much food you’d take. If you’re looking for another challenge the Cambrian way looks even harder than cape wrath. A pal and I did a section across the Brecon Beacons last month and it was tough going. You’re point about training properly is so valid and if I’m honest we hadn’t done enough, we got through it but it would have been so much easier if we had been able to do some more multi day walks leads by up to it. This is one of the problems of doing a big walk I’m early in the season.
Thanks! I packed far too many snack bars as I overestimated how much I would eat during the day, and they were heavy (and frankly not enough chocolate!). I also took protein shakes, which were unnecessary and heavy. And I probably could have done without a fleece in addition to my down puffy. Ah well, lesson learned 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion of the Cambrian Way. I know the Brecon Beacons very well, and accompanied a friend on that section of the Cambrian Way a couple of years ago. It’s a real rollercoaster!
Thanks for response. On my last walk I tried to make sure I had 3000 calories a day and the weight of all the snacks was also very heavy. It’s difficult hitting that right balance between ensuring you have enough energy from food and the weight.
Hi charles. Watched the video. Interesting and honest. You say you weren't ruthless enough regarding weight of your pack and you brought too much food. Did you not send a parcel to kinlochewe or Ullapool etc. Out of interest with your full compliment of food, what weight was your pack??
I sent resupply parcels to Shiel Bridge and Ullapool. But I sent too much. The ‘dry’ weight of my pack (exc food, gas, water) was around 9kg.
@longsufferinghiker OK. Any idea what it was with food gas ie fully loaded.....14kg?
The full breakdown of my 8.7kg pack weight is here: lighterpack.com/r/brviub
The weight including food & gas would be around 10kg. Never as much as 14kg!! If your pack weights that much then somethings wrong. Reducing the weight will make a huge difference, especially because there's a lot of ascent & descent on the CWT. You don't need to carry much water; there are streams and lakes all over the place :-) If you do plenty of test & training trips then you'll be able to work out the optimum set up.
@longsufferinghiker thanks charles. Great to compare kit lists. As it happens I'm on a training mission the next few days. I'm heading to glenfinnan on the train and doing a thru hike to Inverie on knoydart!
@siraidanofmayo7678 wow that sounds fantastic. Have a wonderful time!!
I watched the CWT video and this 1-year roundup with great interest as I am intending to attempt the CWT next spring.
You say do more training, what was your training regime and what extra would you do?
Hi. I'm glad the videos were interesting for you :-)
I had 6 months to prepare for the CWT, and I drew up a plan to progressively increase my training over 5 months, leaving time to allow for injuries etc and to give a couple of weeks break before starting the Trail. I gradually increased 3 factors:
-The distance covered in each training walk
-Weekly mileage
-The load I carried
Culminating in 20 mile walks carrying 13kg, and totalling 60 miles a week.
I also had regular sessions with a sports physiotherapist, which were very helpful in caring for my knees & preventing injuries etc.
This was certainly good enough and I managed perfectly well, but I wish I had incorporated bigger ascents and descents into the training. From the start, the Trail features some significant climbs over Bealachs (the day from Cona Glen to A'Chuil being a good example) so I would have benefitted from spending more time training in mountainous areas with a full pack.
Basically, the fitter you are, the more you'll be able to enjoy the magnificent trail and the less it will be just a physical challenge.
Good luck!!
I have just completed the CWT and can completely understand your thoughts.... it is a brutal, unforgiving, yet stunning and deeply inspiring journey. My most challenging day was from Inchnadamph to Achfary.... getting through Glencoul and Glendhu was just soooo hard, but in the end its what makes the CWT whar it is. Happy trails
Yeah; that loooong climb up from Glencoul bothy went on for ever! And the road section from Achfary wasn’t much fun; I was holding out for a promised pitch spot at Loch Stack Lodge, which turned out to be a myth. And it rained all day *sigh*. Hey ho; like you say, if it was easy then it wouldn’t be so special
Well done. My favourite trail apart from the CWT was the Southern Upland Way. It doesn’t have the majestic mountains but truly quiet, well signposted and in my opinion better than the English C2C because of the ability to wild camp easily. We passed 5 bothies all of which were empty so we stayed in all of them. Even went 4 days without seeing another person (not counting as you go through village or town) I am really bemused as to why more people don’t do this trail. 215 miles and 14 days in early June. Cheers Matt
Cheers Matt. That’s a really good suggestion 🙂
Can I ask what your recommendation is regarding trail runners, looking at making the transition from boots 😊
That’s a great question!
Think of the shoes and socks as a combined ‘system’.
I personally use mostly the Altra Lone Peak, because I have wide feet and they fit me well. I’m actually using a pair on the Hebridean Way at this very moment 😃 but the grip at the heel isn’t too great. I also use a pair of Topo Athletic MTN racer, which have a better Vibram sole.
But remember that your feet _will_ be getting wet, so it’s important to combine them with very good quality socks. I’m using a pair of merino wool blend from Silverlight, and they are great; warm when wet and dry out well. Some people opt for Sealskinz or similar waterproof socks, but they don’t let your feet ‘breathe’ as well, and take ages to dry out once they’re wetted out.
If you’re going to be walking over rocky paths then some kind of stone/rock ‘plate’ underneath the insole helps a lot, too.
Hope this helps. Good luck! 😃
@longsufferinghiker Thank you for the quick reply. One of the reasons I'm considering the swap is the "sweaty feet in goretex syndrome". I currently wear darn tough in the sock department so might try them when I gather up the courage to swap. Enjoy your trip and stay safe.
You won’t look back… 🙂
Did you follow a specific training plan and if so what did it comprise, if that’s easy to explain?
Over 6 months I worked my way up to doing 20+ miles per day with a full pack. But distance alone wasn’t enough; you need to be prepared for 3000 feet ascent and descent also, something that was hard to do in leafy Hampshire! So I included several multi-day trips in the Welsh hills. These also helped to fine tune my equipment set-up. I also went to a sports physio every 10 days to prevent injury. But I still wished that I had done more training.