Where have I gone?

Have you noticed I've not been hiking much recently? Perhaps it was my absence from social media? Most likely you didn't notice at all! But I have been absent, and my last big hike was in Norway 2018.

Everything changed towards the end of 2018 when my Father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Anybody who's been down that road knows how it completely takes over everyone involved and your life becomes one long series of appointments. Time for anything else is minimal and certainly, there was none for long self-indulging hikes. Shortly after my father's death, we were all struck by COVID-19 and travel of any type became nearly impossible. Not long later, cancer hit again and this time it would be my mother. Fortunately, that outcome was different and Mum's doing well.  In addition, during this period I moved house and Brexit caused Tramplite Gear to, effectively, cease trading. None of this was helpful to my hiking. However, the big stopper has been my own health.

5 Degrees West

By accident, I came across a website by Bill Jack called the 5 Degree Challenge. Here a route is described following the 5 Degree West Line of Longitude from the southern tip of the Cowal Peninsula to Cape Wrath. The route promises to traverse the finest walking terrain in Scotland as well as being one of the most challenging long hikes in Britain. This all sounded fantastic and I was also pleased it was a lengthwise coast-to-coast hike across Scotland, something I’d not done before.

5 Deg west

Isle of Arran and… 2020 still sucks!

My second real hike of the year was supposed to be the big one, nothing too major but given all that’s gone on in 2020 still a good hike. I would start on the Isle Of Arran and walk the coastal path with a friend. Then, I would slowly hike north to Cape Wrath, by a little-known route. I was super excited to get started but once again 2020 had different ideas and a mixture of my father’s poor health, and an unexpected flood stopped the hike after only 4 days.

Still, those 4 days on Arran were excellent!

Arran

The Long Wait

Normally a hike like this wouldn't make the blog, I don't blog much and I save what little I do for the longer and more “interesting” trips. However, as we all know 2020 hasn't been a normal year and this hike feels as important as any of my others, if not more.

Coast to Coast triple crown (Scotland, England, Wales) 2019

*This is one of many trips that didn't get posted when I all but abandoned this blog back in 2015. It's now 2020 and I'm adding in that missing content in a more photo-based blog post, this trip was from 2019*

Because of family health issues I wasn't able to go far or do any particularly long hikes in 2019. However, not hiking for a year wasn't going to be an option so while on The Great Outdoors Challange, a 2 week organised hike across Scotland, I came up with the idea of completing a coast to coast across all 3 mainland UK countries, or the Triple Crown for UK coast to coast hikers. Even better I could do this in 2-week chunks while still fulfilling my home commitments.

Norway End-End 2018

*This is one of many trips that didn't get posted when I all but abandoned this blog back in 2015. It's now 2020 and I'm adding in that missing content in a more photo-based blog post, this trip was from 2018*

End to end hiking is my passion. A hike starting at one end of a country and finishing at the other feels complete, particularly so if that start and finish is bordered by sea. Actually, the sea is quite important because the feeling of physically not being able to walk further is a very satisfying way to end a hike, more so than any man-made border. Walking Norway is one of those great hikes and this one turned out to be a particularly satisfying on many levels. It also be happened to be my toughest hike to date!

Wainwright's and Outlying Fells

*This is one of many trips that didn't get posted when I all but abandoned this blog back in 2015. It's now 2020 and I'm adding in that missing content in a more photo-based blog post, this trip was from 2018*

I wrote a piece for TGO magazine about this hike that I recommend reading, it's available as a back issue for £4.99.

For more info on the Wainwright's then look here and for the Outlying Fells here. For more info on bagging try here.


To be honest I didn't know a lot about the Wainwright's or even the man himself. My first long-distance hike was Wainwright's Coast to Coast and that was about the level of my knowledge at that point. Of course, I was aware of the 214 Wainwright's which are extremely popular peaks to bag, but I'd never even heard of his 116 additional Outlying Fells.

Continental Divide Trail

 *This is one of many trips that didn't get posted when I all but abandoned this blog back in 2015. It's now 2019 and I'm adding in that missing content in a more photo-based blog post, this trip was from 2016*

After last years poor showing on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), which ended in a fractured foot, it's now time for a 2nd attempt. Like last year I would hike south which I'm convinced is the best way for any CDT hike. Why? Well, a northbound hike will likely hit heavy snowpack, leftover from winter, forcing a compromised route through some of the best hiking that the CDT has to offer in Colorado. 90% of hikers will head north and securing permits can be an issue for the busy Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. However, for me, the main reason for my southbound hike was I didn't want to experience an overcrowded trail like I had on my previous hike across the USA, on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I love hiking in the USA because of the true wilderness that we just don't have in Europe and large numbers of other hikers can spoil that for me. 

Pacific Crest Trail Hike Report

The PCT was aways one of those trails that I knew I just had to hike. It looked spectacular and unlike, say the AT, it has a point. Great long hikes should have a definite start and finish, coast to coast hikes are the ultimate example of this. You just can’t go any further when you hit the sea. Borders give a slightly more diluted experience but there is still a clear purpose to the hike. I had dreamt of hiking the PCT for many years and it had a lot to live up too. Did it? Overall I think it did. As with any long hike it has it's highs and lows but the PCT was great experience. This isn't a day by day account of my time, others do that better, this is just a collection of thoughts that you may find helpful when thinking about, or planning, your PCT hike.

Coast & Moor Summary

This is the first of the new style trip reports that I shall be doing from now on. Trip reports take forever to do thoroughly, which is fine if you are only doing a couple each year, but now I don't have the time, or will, to spend weeks putting in-depth reports together! Reports will be an overview of the hike with any other relevant information added that I can remember.

The end for ultralight hiking?

While I was away it seems that ultralight hiking took a bit of a bashing from some bloggers, Martin Rye, Andrew Skurka, Dave Chenault, among others and to various degrees. At the time I was out on my Coast and Moor hike so didn't get involved because, as we all agree, actually hiking is far more important than just talking about it! Since returning I've had time to read it properly and some good points have been raised, some I agree with... others, not so much. I've been an ultralight hiker since 2000 but its not something you will find mentioned much in this blog. It's just a label and not really relevant in the real world. Hendrik of hikinginFinland.com fame asked me, and a few others, to contribute towards an article he was compiling in favour of ultralight hiking for his blog. I was happy to do so. I recommend you read the full article but I think my thoughts on the subject are important enough to be published alone here.