Cape Wrath Trail in Winter

Route planning is well under way and I’m realising why not a lot of people walk the Cape Wrath Trail in winter - pretty much everything is shut. Even the bunkhouses that I thought might have some traffic from gnarled winter munro baggers have drawn a blank.

In some ways this makes the whole undertaking purer. It is after all a long distance backpacking trail. The upshot is that I’m going to end up carrying most of my food supplies with me for long stretches of the trail, so I’m already starting to develop a slightly unhealthy interest in how much things weigh.

Generally, the obsession with lightweight kit that seems to have sprung up in recent years really winds me up. I’m bored of reading “I did the West Highland Way carrying gear that weighed less than a gnats chuff” stories.

If a new walker were to pick up one of the main walking magazines, they would surely conclude that they couldn’t possibly venture into the wild places without several thousand pounds worth of lightweight kit on their back and give up without setting foot outside.

By all means spend money on good kit, but let’s keep how much it weighs in perspective. If you’re spending hard earned money on a folding titanium spork then the cash would probably be better invested in a life. You should also know the following:

- De-hydrated food tastes like cack - without exception.
- Lightweight Gore-tex trousers WILL rip, probably on their second outing.
- Lightweight waterproof jackets will not stand up to the deluges the UK mountains will generally throw at you, so saving 120g is a bit pointless.
- Trail shoes or lightweight boots will let in water, lots of it. Ideal if you like walking with wet feet.

For me kit is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The mountains are the ultimate goal. Wainwright spent a life on the hills in a hair shirt and hobnail boots. I like that.

That said, there’s no point being a complete luddite. Technical advances have undoubtedly made things more comfortable on the hills.

On a long distance backpack, comfort and weight become bigger issues. I may have to carry up to ten days worth of supplies. This is why with great hesitation I have decided to replace some of my old faithful kit.

Although leaving base without my Trangia feels as unnatural as finding Graham Norton in a remote bothy, if I’m going to get through this, there’ll have to be a few concessions to lightweight. Sorry Graham.

I don’t want to bang on about kit in this blog. For reasons explained in the previous post, I think gear (especially the newest super lightweight stuff) has become an obsession for some people, virtually to the exclusion of the hills. However, in the interests of anyone else wanting (mad enough) to do the Cape Wrath Trail in winter, I’ll outline what I’m going to take, and tell you what works and what doesn’t when I get home.

The bit of kit that I will miss the most is my trusty old Buffalo sleeping bag. This is the sleeping bag you really want in your pack when the British weather does what it does best. I’ve lost count of the times it has kept me warm and comfortable while others have been drying their expensive down bags over a 2 watt radiator in the campsite shower block.

This is the sleeping bag that laughs at rain. The downside is that it is rather heavy and bulky and weight is going to be at a premium on this trip. Also, on a recent trip to Knoydart when the temperatures dropped unexpectedly, it didn’t quite cut it in terms of warmth.

North West Scotland in mid December and January is not a place to be caught out, so I have recently acquired a PH Designs Minim 500 down bag. I was not influenced in any way by the fact that the company made Ran Fiennes’ expedition suit for his recent attempt on Everest - how dare you suggest it. This is my first ever down bag, such has been the sterling service the Buffalo has given me over the last 15 years.

The new bag weighs under 1kg, packs down very small and has a drilite cover which (I’m promised) makes it very water resistant. All I can say is that when a January storm whips in off the North Atlantic and I’m huddled in my tent - it better be!

P.S PH Designs kit is brilliant but very expensive. I was lucky and got a superb deal in their summer sale. Move quick as there are some real bargains.