walkhighlands

Cape wrath trail - fast and light in 8 days

Date walked: 25/05/2018

Time taken: 8 days

Distance: 380km

coming just of a 2 days walk of the Skye trail i caught the bus to fort williams and took the last ferry across - starting my hike on friday around 17 - i walked just alone the tarmac first part (10km) and a few more along the river on the gravel road - before finding a nice spot to put up my tent - have a well deserved bath in the river and a lazy evening :) - i didnt really plan on going particulary fast - but i carry light - around 4-5kg base weight and 3 kg of food to start off with - and the weather turned out to be amazing - just 5 min of rain in the 8 days it took me to reach cape wrath. i wont go into all the details with day to day reports or things like this - just give my considerations on how to walk the trail in the "easiest" or fastest way - i had only one resupply in kinlochewe - i slept mainly out in the terrain (just once in a bothy in soulies) but otherwise aimed at getting started 6.30-7 each morning and ending around 19-20 most days - walking around 50km per day. a few advices - trekking poles - makes it a lot easier on especially the grassy uphills and technical boggy areas, shoes - wear trail runners with small gaiters, - i used harweys maps - but looking back viewranger with the route downloaded - would have been fine - and the cicerone guide on my phones kindle app - bring sunscreen :D - i managed to get burned a bit - so ended up having to wear long trousers and shirt in 30ish degrees weather. - but otherwise - the trail is really great and interesting challenge with its unmarked nature - make sure you know how to navigate and most of all read the logical lines of the terrain - bringing as little at possible and using trekking poles will make you sink down a lot less and move easilier through the boggy areas - and make sure you enjoy - coming from denmark i dont have this kind of wild open nature - so i feel right at home anytime i go to scotland - hoping to come back next year - maybe doing the cape wrath trail again :)

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Comments: 10


Kaarebjert


Activity: Munro compleatist
Pub: Home
Mountain: Ben Nevis
Place: Skye
Gear: Mapcase
Member: Opdag verden Denmark
Ideal day out: Long day hiking in mountains

Long Distance routes: West Highland Way    Skye Trail    Cape Wrath Trail   



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Statistics

2018

Trips: 1
Distance: 380 km


Joined: Jun 03, 2018
Last visited: Aug 13, 2023
Total posts: 6 | Search posts