*10% discount for joining 2 stages - contact us by email before signing up for the discount to be applied, **20% discount for joining all 3 stages - contact us by email before signing up for the discount to be applied, • Guided hiking by a highly experienced and qualified Mountain Leader The wildest stages are the final approach to the cape – the stretch we’d chosen to take on. You can also tweet us @citymountaineer, : Contingency Day - used if we decide to shorten hiking days, or decide to spend 2-nights in one location to explore, relax or avoid bad weather, : After breakfast, we will spend the morning on the beach, exploring the Smoo Caves before heading to Inverness for a return home (expect to be in Inverness for 3pm). It was a difficult hike, arriving at the bothy by 2000hrs. Während wir unterwegs waren ist eine neue Auflage herausgekommen. You eventually end up on a small track that easily wends a way along the south bank of the river until you see a clear wooden sign to your left- FALLS OF GLOMACH- you cannot miss it (I say this because I did miss it, and when I backtracked I couldn’t believe how this happened). The landscape over the bealach is quite unique and striking. The Cape Wrath Trail takes you to beaches, glens and mountaintops that see very few humans pass by in a year. The path narrows to nothing as you reach the river source, and there is a curious gate with no fence; everyone usually succumbs to the urge to go through it. This is the third and final stage of back-to-back, 1-week trips, in total taking in the entire Cape Wrath Trail, an unofficial long-distance route from the foot of Ben Nevis, to the far north-west coast of Scotland. 30/03/19 Stage 3: A’Chuil to Sourlies Bothy, 7 miles (11km). Difficulties and delights. I guess it’s Ultralight because they say so – who can say how heavy a UL tent should be…but 2.2kgs is NOT UL in my view! The day was straightforward, however there was an incident at the bothy, which could have been very serious indeed. The dog was getting all the off-cuts from the kitchen; he had won more hearts. Some of the river crossings on the Cape Wrath Trail can be potentially difficult and dangerous. You can also check out the excellent trip reports below for further photos and personal experiences from the trail. Comfortable, hardwearing, weighs 1.2kg. The 8 stages of Cape Wrath Ultra vary from 16 miles to 45 miles and these rank somewhere along a scale of ‘quite easy’ to ‘very hard indeed’. It took 2 hours to clear the bog, through driving sleet and icy rain, and when I established the north bound path around the headland the bothy was heartbreakingly still in sight. Wild fires dotted the hillside opposite to give a dramatic scene. The Trail climbs slightly then trends northwest above a scattering of lochs. Overall I was happy with my gear selections on the Cape Wrath Trail. Auch das Wetter trägt seinen Teil dazu bei. The Cape Wrath Trail (CWT) has a deceiving name: it is actually not a trail, but a route, running the length of the Scottish Highlands between Fort William in the south and Cape Wrath in the north. We visited Strathchailleach Bothy out of curiosity for James McRory-Smith who lived there for 40 years, making regular treks out to the London Stores to collect his pension and gather supplies. From here the scenery becomes much more dramatic; the remote nature of Knoydart really begins to hit home. Angie came to our rescue, and for a modest fee took us to Kearvaig Bothy and agreed to meet us in the morning and take us as far as the ferry berth. Oykel Bridge to Loch Ailsh. Stage 17, Inchnadamph to Kylesku. Quantity. The scene was terrifying. It takes place annually in I was elated, and planned to treat myself to a sausage sandwich at the tearoom there. 06/04/19 Stage 9: Kinlochewe to Loch na Sealga, 17miles (27½ km). I took a Zajo Gotland 1-person tent, which was good enough, easy to pitch; Onyx and I were comfortable in it. I doubt I could have completed it without him. Absolutely awful weather! It is basic, vestigial, cold and uninviting; very simple and somehow unwelcoming. While there I met a man who was part of the early Cape Wrath Trail movement. hard (!!) I dropped down to cross the river by a good bridge before taking the torturous final 5km to reach the bay. The guidebook has the stage ending in Riconich, but I thought that would be optimistic and always planned on a wild camp somewhere around Loch Stack. It is approximately 200 miles in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK. Alpkit Pipedream 400, weight 860g. The wind made it cold. It had been a difficult, long day, and it seemed prudent to have a good meal inside me. Small lochans were useful for navigation. There followed a disastrous start. I managed to lighten my pack by 1kg, and left it in a dry bag to collect on my return. The schedule I settled on had 4 nights out of 16 under canvas. The long-awaited view of the Cape Wrath lighthouse, and the road carrying my last steps on the Cape Wrath Trail. The ground around was rough and uneven; camping would have been difficult. If you want to view the falls it is worth it, but bear in mind the route off follows a line from the sign above the falls. I underestimated the effects of a heavy rucksack (as mentioned in the early stages) and the virtues of lightweight gear cannot be overemphasised. The descent into warmer air was good, and I passed the Ling Hut and main road around lunchtime. Our South and North sections are available back-to-back 3 times a year, and don’t require any wild camping! The Cape Wrath Trail is a 230 mile, 3-week challenge through wild and magnificent landscapes, such as Morar, Knoydart, Torridon and Assynt. Many thanks go your way. This guidebook describes the Cape Wrath Trail, a long-distance trek from Fort William to Cape Wrath crossing the wild northwest of the Scottish Highlands. I spent a lot of time worrying about the dog; I thought that if I was hurting so much, then so must he. Hostilities had recently ceased some three days before our arrival, however the brutal winds were still battering us. There are many variations along the length of the Trail. ( Log Out /  It was with such great relief when we found the path that descends into Kinlochewe, arriving at 2115hrs after 13 very tough hours in the hill. It typically takes between two and three weeks to walk. My mood was definitely brightened and I walked with a smile on my face. Having said that he was brilliant throughout, and it was a great source of strength to have him alongside me. It was difficult finding a decent spot to cross the river outside the bothy. Also, the hotel had ‘bothy rooms’ that I had read about in the guidebook, and I suddenly warmed to the idea of staying in the relative luxury of one of these rooms. 30 Jun 2019. The Cape Wrath Trail is a remote and challenging 200-mile hike through the Scottish Highlands. Following quite a difficult river crossing we neared Riconich, and the ground became flatter and much easier. I hated it; loved it more. The terrain is rough, with a long and arduous climb through the Glendessary plantation before rising still to reach the cairn in the middle of the valley. Cape Wrath (Schottisch-Gälisch: Am Parbh, An Carbh in Lewis) ist ein Kap in Sutherland, Highland, im nördlichen Schottland.Das Kap stellt den nordwestlichsten Punkt der Insel Großbritannien dar.. Der Name Cape Wrath (auch englisch für Zorn oder Wut) stammt vom altnordischen Wort für "Umkehrpunkt". There was also a navigational error that lost me nearly an hour as I negotiated the path through the forest east of Inverlael. I could have stayed at the bothy, but this is Sandwood Bay; tomorrow everything will be full of sand but it didn’t matter. Cape Wrath Trail Gear List. I love Scotland! Thoughts were even drifting to taking accommodation in the bunkhouse, but dreams were cruelly shattered when I reached the hotel and read the sign at the door that said CLOSED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES. Pressing on, passing the river and very simple campsite, I met Malcolm, the Kinlochourn stalker. A small and simple gesture that made this bothy infinitely more comfortable for us. The first sight of Loch Nevis soon follows a fairly straightforward river crossing. The map showed a lochan to my left but I couldn’t see it, and I began to feel disorientated and unsure of my position. Cape Wrath / ˈ r æ θ / (Scottish Gaelic: Am Parbh, known as An Carbh in Lewis) is a cape in the Durness parish of the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland.It is the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain. The descent into Barrisdale was fast, and spirits were good. Glencoul Bothy is in one of the most sensational settings imaginable. While we’re talking about kit – what happened to the gear you left at the first bothy? Pack light. Oh, I see. It is around 7km along a forest 4×4 track, and we reached the bothy at 1900hrs, 7½ hours after leaving Glenfinnan. I grabbed the shawl that one of the girls had dropped and quickly used it to smother the fire; it worked, the fire was out, but what a mess. Each pack weighed around 3kg with the exception of the last one that contained whisky and weighed around 1kg more. Did exactly what they were designed to do. Cooked dhal and read the guide in readiness for tomorrow. Part one covers the what and the why; part two covers the how, with a more detailed look at skills and experience, fitness, gear, … The French girls screamed and ran from the table to get out of the bothy. The river crossing that follows can be difficult in spate, but the rivers were low for us and again we just skipped across. I hadn’t even noticed the lit tea-lights that were on the surface, in amongst all the usual clutter you find in bothy kitchens (pasta, oats, tins etc). The gear that was left at Corryhully I had wrapped in a large tarp that was there. ” It’s like they’re saying – though it’s a ‘1’, that two people would carry it!! It really was a most random encounter. I soon realised my error and was able to simply track across the rough ground to find the 4×4 path above the loch. You can join for 1-week, 2-weeks* or for all 3-weeks** of awesome, remote hiking! I enjoyed a full river wash, following the departure of my colleagues for the night. Once you leave the road and become established in Cona Glen, the excitement levels really don’t elevate much more. The bothy rooms cost £35 per night, with a full Scottish breakfast an extra £10.