I enjoyed chatting to them very much, and it gave me a reason to stop for a while. An amazing day but tough going! Wildwalkinguk is a blog run by myself and my wife in our spare time, and we pay for its running costs ourselves. As I rounded the corner into Barrisdale Bay, I found a number of perfect camping spots, but each had a sign saying no camping. I stopped for lunch in a little fishing hut by the river; what a pleasure it was to sit on a real seat! Sourlies bothy. Be attentive to any advice message that might be sent to your GPS (YB) Tracker by Race Control. It is also possible to spend a number of nights in accommodation and bothies, which would make things a little easier. The midges were still there in the morning, so I got packed up as fast as possible and left. This is a part of the Cape Wrath Trail that I had been worried about since I set off, as I’d read that it was very steep and exposed with some scrambling. There were lovely views down the valley and it made the hard climb the night before well worth the effort. This is too complex a scenario to give further advice on, and would need to be assessed by the participant on a case-by-case basis. My route took me along more rough ground before finally picking up a path along Loch a Garbh-bhaid Mor. I love the convenience of just adding water, waiting and eating out of the bag! Vocal Communication: In noisy environments, generally caused by river noise and wind noise, greater time and efforts must be taken to communicate and to be heard, or that clear gestures used. Thank you so much for your support. I often double-checked I still had it in my pocket and the GPS mapping I had on it was reassuring across this terrain. I stopped for breakfast, and it was nice not to be breakfast for the midges any more! This crossing was a simple paddle as there had been little rain lately, but I can imagine this could get difficult if the river was in spate. (Image courtesy of Jan-Philipp Kappner.) This was a stunning little gorge I can imagine most people don’t see, but then I shouldn’t have been seeing it either. It is important to note  that even minor streams, such as this one (location HERE) could become uncrossable during heavy and prolonged  rainfall. Once I’d eaten, I set off again, only to spot a bus shelter on the other side of the road where I could have eaten my dinner in the dry. If you were then unable to cross the river, you would then be without your pack and safety equipment. From Kinlochewe there are two choices. Most importantly, all participants are experienced and will be expected to make sound mountain judgements, and not jeopardise their own or other people's safety. Today was cool with a light breeze, and dry all day. *FOOTNOTE: the boots were great on the Cape Wrath Trail, but the waterproof lining failed after about 500 miles. It is not adequate to shout and wave and believe that your advice or warnings have been heard and understood, not least due to language barriers. The path is not waymarked and has many variations. This might occur in the following circumstances: If there has been a prolonged period of rainfall preceding the event. As there were 60mph winds this day, I suspect the ferry operator and minibus driver had sensibly retreated to the pub! Avoid crossing where there is a combination of many large boulders and fast flowing water. If you have gone off-route to achieve this crossing, this is when you should study and plan your new ongoing route to get back on track as fluently as possible. Gary as the larger person is positioned upstream ©Ben Winston. In spate these rivers may not be deep, but they will be fast-flowing, and our graphic and advice reflect this trait, rather than that of deeper, slower river crossings that will exist off-route. As in summer, river crossings are a key hazard, with the added risk that the weather could be much wetter – and the consequences of a dunking are potentially much worse. It was a long, remote walk following a four-wheel-drive track around Ben More Assynt, but a walk I would happily do again. These boots have been very comfortable and lightweight, and I haven’t had too much trouble with blisters. Feeling revived, we followed the road towards Rhiconich. In February 2019, I hiked 299 miles from Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath, the north-westernmost point of mainland Britain, mostly following the Cape Wrath Trail. I stopped and dried everything out in the sunshine, enjoying finishing early for once. The rain had turned up, but I finally made it to A’ Chuil Bothy where I made use of all the hooks and clothes lines in the biggest room to dry my gear. The Cape Trail route up to the Forcan Ridge bealach doesn’t have a path, so navigation became far more demanding. The crossing of Loch Linnhe provided a somewhat dramatic start to the Cape Wrath Trail; the longest, toughest and most spectacular part of my trek across the Scottish highlands. I've used a traditional leather boot which never really dried out properly and caused rubbing problems. He obviously knew the track well, but I couldn’t see a thing. Sunshine, bogs, river crossings and blizzards: we take a deep dive into the wonders and hardships of the Cape Wrath Trail, Britain’s toughest long-distance hike. Today’s weather was cloudy and dry until mid-afternoon, then heavy rain lasting all night. Note that the ferry/minibus service only runs between May and September, and is regularly canceled due to the weather and military operations. The path was a little rough and rocky in places. As I wanted to stay as remote as possible for as long as possible, I carried a week’s worth of food at a time, relying mainly on dehydrated meals. This is a rough walk where good map reading skills are essential. ). Mountain rivers and even small streams (in Scotland called ‘burns’) can swell dramatically, and equally, can recede fairly quickly. I’d been living solely on them since the Rhiconich Hotel with Max and had got used to them. River crossings. Watch each other closely, and help each other where appropriate. Buddying-up makes river crossings safer. A Mountain Safety Team that may be despatched to known trouble spots and/or known workaround routes. I went inside and made myself a meal, and enjoyed sitting in a proper chair for a while. You have to find your own way from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the most north westerly point in the UK. I decided to carry on, wanting my solitude back! She drove us to Spean Bridge and then friends of hers drove us along Loch Arkaig and dropped us at Strathan for a 3 mile walk along forest tracks in rain to A’Chuil Bothy, which we shared with five others. We chose this alternate route as it was easier walking than the inland option. T he Cape Wrath Trail is the best long-distance hike in the UK. Firmly holding the rucksack strap below the underarm is better than holding hands or arms. My GPS helped me to locate the cairn marking the start of the path down. (In my defence, it was a really big tree). Over the last few weeks, we’ve published a number of features about the Cape Wrath Trail , with an emphasis on planning a winter trip (although we’re moving into the summer season now, winter trips take a lot of planning! I ate the last of my chocolate here as I knew I had a resupply package waiting for me at the campsite the next day. I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who keep places like the Schoolhouse Bothy open and look after them so well. I was almost considering paying for a B&B that I’d seen a sign for. You could take a different route where resupplying more often would be possible, meaning a lighter pack. We would rather that you become competent at shallower crossings than risking deeper immersions. I sat watching the lights of Unapool across the loch in the distance, and missed Max’s company. I thought I’d share my kit list that I took for the Cape Wrath trail earlier this year, and also some notes on what items of gear worked and what didn’t. Now I’m a freelance, I can (kind of) afford to allow myself time to complete the Trail in my own time, at a pace that suits the conditions and my own fitness. As we knew we would have to re-trace our steps later, we left our backpacks by the side of the road about mile before the Cape. There's nothing else in Britain like it. Cape Wrath Trail route in blue, with various waypoints added. So I am happily following the track to its end, when I realise that I’ve reached a big, uncrossable river. Did you know? Wet feet would be the least of your challenges! I chose to walk this route from north to south for two reasons: I set off for the first three days of the trail with my 18-year old son, Max. Waiting: It is possible that participants may need to wait before crossing a river. Consider whether crossing a marginal river could then leave you trapped between other rivers, especially if rivers are rising. The consequences are likely to be VERY SERIOUS if a participant stumbles or slips. I followed the detour and joined the vehicle track to Benmore Lodge. River crossings present a significant hazard on the Cape Wrath Trail. Over the course of about 3-4 weeks I massaged a preferred route from all the variations. On the 81 mile route you'll find historic Jacobite battle grounds in Kintail, beautiful Caledonian Pine forest near Kinlochewe, and traverse the Fisherfields known as the last great wilderness of the UK. The river was surprisingly cold so I was glad to get my feet dried off and boots back on. If in doubt, and if not in danger, the participant should continue along the route to the marked crossing point and expect the ongoing plan to be revealed. I could have climbed over Ben Dreavie from here, but the summit was hidden in cloud and the going was likely to be pretty boggy. The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. Something I definitely wasn’t at this point! If in a group or with other runners in proximity, should you be together, checking upon each other, and are you all okay? I finally got my chance to … There is a choice of routes here. It was quick to put up and could handle high winds. After stopping to cook another meal to top up my energy reserves, I continued around the loch on an undulating path. This event requires numerous river crossings – generally expected to be shallow wades. Our Cape Wrath Classic takes in some of the best sections of the north western part. The trail offers a number of activity options. We do have some affiliate links and adverts on the site. Required fields are marked *. The Cape Wrath Trail is an amazing walk for the experienced and I loved every minute of it. There are longer UK trails, but none avoid civilisation to the same extent. I spent some time pumping up my airbed, putting my sleeping bag out to air and hanging my clothes all around to dry. This is where my Toughphone Defender Pro became my best friend and most valued piece of equipment for the whole walk. Cape Wrath is 19 km (11 mi) (plus a short boat ride) from the closest public road and is only accessible by foot or via a combination of passenger ferry and minibus from Keoldale. I had arrived at midday, so I got the place to myself. Instead of taking yet another bus all the way to Cape Wrath, we walked about 8km along a dirt road through MOD territory to Kearvaig bothy, which is an absolutely lovely place to start your journey and is located about 3km before the official start of the Cape Wrath Trail. If walking it north to south, it takes you from the north western tip of Scotland at the Cape Wrath lighthouse, through Knoydart, Torridon and Assynt, ending up at Fort William. Pitlochry to Loch Cluanie . It led me past the Heights of Kinlochewe which will be a really nice woodland in a few years’ time. I thought perhaps he would be better suited to a more popular, well-graded walk like the West Highland Way. We have written the following advice to help you consider your approach to river crossings during the Cape Wrath Ultra®. The trail generally follows glens and passes which means walking next to a lot of streams and frequently crossing them. This can be briefly practiced on dry land before starting into the river for real. Follow my progress as I attempt to walk the length of the UK, from Dover to Cape Wrath, wild camping every night. Consider searching for an easier crossing point upstream where the river may be narrower, or downstream where the river may be wider and shallower. However, when river levels rise, there is an increased danger of serious injury and drowning. As soon as I’d eaten I felt great again, helped especially by the amazing weather. The minibus driver will even drop a bag of coal for you at the junction with the road. On my map the track stopped, but when I arrived it had been recently improved and continued all the way over to Coulin and beyond. I had really earned it today. All known bridges will be mapped. Do not try to be clever: Participants must NOT devise any ‘roped’ or ‘equipment managed’ methods of crossing rivers. My wild camps had been so good that I wasn’t keen to camp around other people again, plus it would mean paying! Team Up: Use the assistance of another to cross the river, where possible, and consented. It's often touted as Britain's toughest long distance walk, due to its pathless sections, remoteness, and Scotland's fierce weather. I took a route with the fewest river crossings. At the end of the loch, I joined a path heading for the Falls of Glomach. Not an appealing prospect for a 17-day hike. I loved the steep climb to the Bealach Bhearnais, and the pathless top was a great challenge. Chatting to him further, it turned out he knew the taxi driver that had driven us from Inverness Airport – it’s another world this far up in Scotland. At this point I was ahead of schedule, so I had a number of dehydrated meals left over. This bothy is in a spectacular setting next to the beach and is the best I have ever stayed in. I used the Terra Nova Laser Competition 1 for 10 nights wild camping and 1 on a campsite in it. When I finally reached Kintail Lodge, I realised that this was a popular, busy place filled with clean, nice-smelling people. There are numerous stream crossings, far too many to take your shoes off every time. The ground has been very wet at times, so I give full credit to my boots – La Sportiva Trango TRK GTX. And it’s not really a trail. Solo crossings are still quite acceptable and normal in the lower river height levels. Exhaustion finally forced me to stop for the day in the last possible place, on a pitch of long wet grass. Looking at my maps I could see that there were long ways around them if necessary, but the idea of more river crossings did cause me to feel a little more cautious. Hands should be kept free for best reactions and purchase in case of a fall – unless handling trekking poles. *FOOTNOTE – this bridge has now been washed away in a storm, so check to see if it has been replaced if you are heading here. I stopped for a second breakfast and a chat with the occupants. I stopped on top of Meallan Odhar to cook some breakfast. Cape Wrath Trail Tip 2 – Take Diving Shoes. There were three river crossings (you only need to do two, see the bullet points below). Heavy rain later in the day. This would give a nice steady start to the walk, rather than starting with the much rougher conditions I had just walked through. There is a ferry and minibus that operates along here, but it is very dependent on the weather conditions and demand. Here's how it went, plus a few photos. Unknowingly, I had dropped down a little and went straight through the middle of Creag Ghlas Bheag. These three videos were recorded in September 2014 when Shane Ohly (Event Director) and his wife, Heather, completed the Cape Wrath Trail. When I finally got there, I was very disappointed to discover that the phone box was completely empty. If I could do the Cape Wrath Trail I would not change a thing, but this was my way. I now had to follow the A890 for a mile or so. They were perfect for the whole trip, really comfortable and I never had wet feet once but on returning home they started leaking. I passed a chap cutting some pristine grass at Benmore Lodge, but otherwise there were no signs of life. The Cape Wrath Trail is considered the UK's toughest long distance walk. However, they can be quite monotonous but I have found buying a range of different meals from different manufacturers helps to alleviate the repetitiveness. The route is roughly 230 miles, and it took me 15 days to walk it north to south. Cape Wrath Ultra™ Event Director, Shane Ohly, provides some insights into the challenges of crossing the many rivers found on the Cape Wrath Trail. They are an eyesore across the valley; the last few miles are marked on the map as a path, but were actually a damn great track. Wlld pitch by River Carron . I used valuable energy up climbing back up and was happy to find the right (very small) path running alongside the river. Re-routing: The perceived contingency routings may be pre-mapped, either on your event map, or as information provided at the pre-start of each event day. Reluctantly, I didn’t visit the local hotel but prepared one of these meals again instead. This was a significant decision as now I had resupplied with a week’s worth of food, my rucksack weight was back to around 18kgs or so. When in spate, the rivers can flow at full force up to your thighs, hips or waist. Length 219.3 mi Elevation gain 24291 ft Route type Point to point. 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