The Cape Wrath Path is taken into account the toughest mountain climbing route in the UK. Situated in Scotland, it runs from Fort William, via the Highlands and Western Scotland, to the lighthouse at Cape Wrath, the northwestern-most level of Scotland. Roughly 230 miles in size, most individuals take 2-3 weeks to backpack the journey.
Technically, the Cape Wrath Path just isn’t a path in any respect, however a route, which means which you can stroll from one finish to the opposite any method you want. This offers hikers a good quantity of leeway the place they hike and the mountains and aspect journeys they soak up alongside the way in which. There are numerous well-known mountains alongside the west coast of Scotland, nicely price climbing, if the climate cooperates and you want mountain views.
Whereas there are guidebooks obtainable and even maps for individuals to comply with, the Cape Wrath Path is unmarked and unblazed, requiring good navigation expertise to finish. As a rule, individuals stroll a number of the method on outdated drover’s roads known as Hill Tracks, property roads, and outdated paths, though there are occasions when you’ll hike cross-country over miles of grass tussocks, heather, and bathroom. Earlier Scottish hillwalking expertise is unquestionably an asset and a excessive diploma of self sufficiency is required.
Why would one ever wish to hike a route like this? It’s in Scotland for one, which is solely a magical place to backpack. Mountainous, wild, and distant, you possibly can journey for days with out seeing a soul. Planning your personal cross nation route can be a enjoyable, if time-consuming course of, and provides to the pleasure of the journey. Lastly, mountain climbing the Cape Wrath Path offers you the chance to navigate a wild route for lots of of miles with out worrying about personal property boundaries and different hassles. Walkers can hike the place they need in Scotland, one of many few nations on the planet that has right-of-way legal guidelines for that function. The liberty to roam…that’s freedom.
However the Cape Wrath Path is difficult for all the explanations that make backpacking in Scotland difficult:
- Being on the west coast, you’re extra more likely to encounter the moist climate that blows cross nation from west to east.
- There are not any timber, so little cowl, and also you’ll typically have to camp at evening in excessive wind.
- Large peat bogs, the Scottish equal of quicksand, require cautious footwork to cross.
- Resupply factors are scarce, so that you’ll wish to carry loads of meals and gasoline.
- The bottom may be very moist and your ft can be moist more often than not.
- You must be consistently vigilant about the place you’re, so that you don’t get misplaced.
Fortunately, there are not any bears or wild animals to fret about, though bloodsucking midges are a hazard relying on the time of yr, and Lyme illness carrying ticks are on the rise.
Whilst you’ll in all probability camp out more often than not, there are streams and lochs in all places and water is rarely in brief provide.
There are additionally outbuildings known as Mountain Bothies that dot the countryside, typically donated by farms and estates, for walkers to shelter in. They normally have a range or fire inside. I’ve mates who carry lumps of coal on their backpacking journeys after they plan a keep since there’s so little firewood obtainable close by. Nonetheless these plain buildings present welcome shelter in poor climate and make a pleasant spot to get out of the wind and rain for lunch if you go by in the course of the day.
For those who’re not from Scotland, your greatest problem is more likely to be understanding the thick Scottish accent and unfamiliar vocabulary utilized by locals in native outlets and pubs. However individuals are usually well mannered and welcoming in rural Scotland and so long as you thoughts your manners, you possibly can anticipate heat hospitality.
The very best time to hike the Cape Wrath Path is mid-Might to early June earlier than the midges come out.  For those who’ve by no means backpacked in Scotland, mountain climbing from the west coast to the east coast of Scotland within the Annual TGO Problem is nice preparation for planning and mountain climbing a Cape Wrath route of your personal. I accomplished the Problem in 2010 solo, and once more in 2013 with good friend Martin Rye, and have one other crossing deliberate in 2024.
For extra details about the Cape Wrath Path, listed here are a number of good hyperlinks and references:
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