Cape Wrath Trail in Winter

I was a bit surprised to see the Kahtoola lightweight crampon getting slated in the latest edition of Trail magazine.

I’ll be taking a pair with me on my Cape Wrath Trail expedition in a few weeks, and looking at the weather forecasts I’ll need them. The trail, although mostly what could be described as low level has some tricky sections and high passes which snow and ice would render treacherous without the right gear.

However, I’ll likely only need to use my Kahtoola’s for limited stretches, making them perfect in terms of weight and function, where a heavier mountaineering crampon would be overkill. The crux of the argument outlined in Trail seems to be that these crampons would be dangerous in technical conditions. Personally I would take that to be as self-evident as saying it’s a bad idea to wear carpet slippers up Ben Nevis.

As ever it comes down to the right kit, used by the right person in the right place. I’ve got to carry these babies for 200 miles and they strike exactly the right balance between weight and function.

I suspect the SPOT satellite tracking device would be utterly incomprehensible to a man in whose era hobnail boots were considered cutting edge.

SPOT allows you to transmit an emergency distress signal and GPS location via satellite from almost anywhere in the world. The really interesting feature is it’s ability to plot your “live” progress on a Google Map.

Having followed Pete McFarlane’s progress on the West Highland Way I was keen to use this device so readers of this blog could follow my own progress. Also, given that I will be walking long stretches solo, I have a very real need for this device’s core purpose - an emergency fall back in areas with no phone coverage (almost the whole Cape Wrath Trail).

I am totally indebted to the Adventure Trading Post who have very kindly agreed to supply me with a device for the duration of the walk. You’ll be able to follow my progress on maps both on this blog and their site.

I’ll also be posting brief updates from the trail via text, with a full report on my return. Ok, that’s it from me Alfred - you can stop spinning now.