This is a blog about my newest obsession. The Cape Wrath Trail. From Fort William to Cape Wrath!
370km (230miles), 13000m (42650ft) over the most remote terrain there exist in Great Britain. Hardly any paths, wildlife, elements, me against time.
I will be posting here my thoughts while preparing for the challenge. At the minute I am not giving away any details and plans, but they will come soon.
January went well, 400km of running with 11000m of elevation to start me off. Now I am stuck with a cold and trying to get through the days trying not to put too much pressure on my body.
Today is 5th of February. My birthday. 35 years of age.. yep.. but I feel like I’m in my twenties just a little bit more tired. To make it more exciting I bough a 10kg weighted vest. My runs now going to be much slower, but this preparation for the Cape Wrath should work. I’m still not 100% convinced, because everything hurts like hell, but I will give it a go and everything I have. Time to sleep. Tomorrow starts another week of hard grafting.
07.05.2023 – Monday.
I won’t be writing every day. All depends how things go.
Today was a special day as I ran 15km with my weight 10kg pack with 450m of elevation. I decided to take my sticks out to practice and just in case. I never ran with that much weight on my shoulders. I really don’t want to get an injury. 3rd day of using the weighted vest and my arms are finally getting used to it. Well, as much as possible. Marks on my shoulders might say different. I felt this run to be a very hard run physically but not mentally. Physically I felt pain, darkness slowed me down, 10kg on my shoulders showed me down, recovery from a sinus infection that still lingers.. Mentally I felt great. I was planning the whole Cape Wrath in my head with a smile. I am super happy I overcome this physical obstacle.
I might start a YouTube podcast series about ‘What we think or say when we run.’ This randomly came to my head and was stuck with me for 2 laps (6km).
08.02.23 – Wednesday
After 2 days where I ran 30km with 900m of elevation carrying 10kg on my back my quads started to get sore. Today was a nice an easy day wearing the new hiking/running bag. Exodus 55l lent to me by my friend Brad. Absolutely amazing piece of kit.
There is a lot happening in the background. We are already organizing food for the expedition. Kit is being delivered by Dynafit, Petzl, TEKO Socks and food organized by Base Camp Food for the whole adventure.
Super exciting. I am slowly getting to the navigation stage and trying to figure out when to start and how to take the route. But first I have to visit the dentist, service my car and keep working on my Fort William Mountain Festival speech.
10.02.23 – Friday
Yesterday was a day away in Inverness getting my car fixed and ready for the season of traveling (exploring, racing, adventuring).
Help I received so far for my Cape Wrath Trail FKT.
Dynafit: shoes, leggings, t-shirts, gloves, waterproof jacket and trousers.
TEKO Eko Socks: a selection of merino wool socks
Petzl: Nao+ head torch
From a friend: Exodus 55 l backpack, so far after testing it looks like it’s going to do the job. 510g of weight, no frame, comfortable.
12.02.23 – Sunday
Good week of training, hitting 90km+ with 3000m of elevation over very boggy and rocky terrain. It was a mix of heavy weight carrying, running with sticks and easy recovery days with no weights.
On Friday I managed a 15km run with 400m of elevation through bogs and high grass carrying about 6kg of kit, then the weights shifted after 8km so I had to ditch them under a traffic cone to be picked up later… I’m not putting sand bags in my bag ever again….
I got absolutely soaked through but I got what I wanted at the end of the day. I’m not in for an easy ride on this one that’s for sure.
On Saturday I managed to get around 13kg (30 pounds) of kit on me (actual kit and weights) and kept going through the bogs, water, mud and rocks and road for 16km. This made my day as I was absolutely knackered at the end of it. But this is what I need.. this is what I want..
Today I climbed 1000m, run 21km with no weights. Got the sticks out for practice on rocky terrain. Felt like heaven for the first hour with no extra weight on my back. 2nd half of my run was just plowing through it as my legs are very tired.
Coros is telling me to rest for 4 days… Tempting…
13.02.23 – Monday
Got up today. Feeling super fresh, coffee, changed, grabbed my sticks and in the garden just dropped them on the ground and continued.
A good run with no extra support or weights.. as I always did! 2 big muddy laps later and a small rocky lap. 15km with 400m elevation appeared on my watch. I love Mondays like this. The wind was everywhere, pushing my up the hill, slowing me down going downhill. My body felt great, I was more springy than normal and the bogs didn’t have a chance to slow me down as I was flying over them.
Small steps lead to big goals. One step at a time.
23.02.23 – Thursday
A lot have happened in the last 7 days.
Last Weekend I gave a talk at the Fort William Mountain Festival. What a experience, you can read all about it in my summary.
Monday started as always with running and continues every single day to become stronger and more prepared. On Monday I carried 35pounds (15kg) of weight on my back. Over 20% of my body weight. I managed 15km with 400m of elev. Super slow, foggy, slippery, very muddy terrain. Great training but definitely too much to carry and I won’t be doing that for a while. I got a freight of my life when my Achilles tendon was a bit tender the next day.. Stretching, massage, EMS and after 2 days of easy running I’m back in full fitness. It was a close call. This could destroy the whole plans and disrupt the whole season.
Anyway I am feeling great, my fitness is higher than ever and increasing day by day. I am eating super healthy and nutritious food what speeds up my recovery. I feel great!
A lot is happening in the background.
Fiends from Mountain Intrigue on Instagram are supporting my expedition sending me adventure, expedition food. Thank you so much Ben and Megan!
I messaged MOWI, company I work for, and we are working on ways to help me in this adventure.
Mountain Fuel Sports Nutrition is going to support my FKT attempt with a pack of goodies. Amazing thank you!
The whole expedition is going to be filmed by Kevin Woods (282 winter Munro’s) and Brad Cain who completed the CWT and knows the ins and Outs of the route. We are meeting in 2 weeks time to arrange all the details.
Teko Eco Performance socks are supporting my expedition with a selection of amazing, cushioned socks to help me get through it. Hopefully without any blisters.
I really need to keep the weight down of my backpack as much as possible. The necessary items I will need on the way up to the lighthouse are just adding up…
Exciting times are ahead of us as I am planning to do some reccy runs. First of the Glenfinnan Fort William area.
…
24.02.23 – Friday
Working on some Cape Wrath Trail graphics for the social media.
Thanks to Teko Eco Performance socks I have the best socks for the CWT. I was testing them for the past 7 days and got my absolute favourite:
EcoTREK Heavy Full Cushion
EcoHIKING Medium Full Cushion
EcoHIKE Discovery Light Half Cushion
All three have amazing cushioning. It will go down to the shoes I choose. If I go for the Feline SL then I will use the full cushion. If ultra 100, then the Half and medium cushion will go to work.
27.02.23 – Monday
I will be running for Lochaber Hope and in memory of my dad who passed away last year before Christmas.
You can follow the link below for donations.
28.02.23 – Tuesday
My training so far is on the spot. Last week was again a slight increase in mileage. With 5 weeks to go I will be increasing the mileage weekly. Hoping to finish at 90 to 100 miles 2 weeks before the Cape Wrath Trail.
Since January I was doing 60+ miles a week with around 10 000ft of elevation on average per week. On mixed terrain. Mostly trails.
Running a challenge like that is really hard to judge how much you should be doing, and how much the body can take. I am juggling family life, work, training, sleep deprivation which keeps my fatigue very high. Training o tired legs and with elevated heart rate is not easy or advised.. but I know I need to get my body prepared for the worst. This is not going to be a park run… I am in for a painful experience. Wrath…
On another note… Next Monday we are meeting with the filming/safety team to discuss all the details. Looking forward to it!
03.03.23 – Friday
In a week’s time we are meeting up to look at the route I will be taking. I’m super excited about this. One thing that has to be changed is.. there will be no longer a filming crew. According to the FKT website and the unsupported conditions:
Unsupported
Unsupported means you truly have no external support of any kind. This means you carry everything you need from start to finish except water from natural sources (public taps along the trail are fine, but no water from any commercial source even if free). This naturally limits the length of an Unsupported trip. Spectating in person by friends, family, or photographers is supportive, and thus not in the spirit of this style, and will be classified as Supported starting February 4, 2021 (all FKT classifications previous to this date will remain unchanged). Phone and digital communication is not considered support, and spectators and support people at the start and finish is also allowed. Using public bathrooms to defecate is fine, as the less feces in the backcountry the better.
You can’t have it any clearer. So I am back to the old style. Set of, run, everyone enjoy some dot watching, finish, get picked up and back home for work. Sounds easy.
I can do this.
On another note, training going really well. I am totally exhausted but I can’t really complain as this is what I do…
I train hard to finish,
I train hard to feel less fatigued,
I train hard to feel less pain,
I train hard to recover faster.
I just love running.
February was great despite being the shortest month of the year. Under 400km with 12 000m of elevation. 4 week’s of training and kit organising and off we go.
07.03.23 – Tuesday
The charity is live! Thank you for all the donations so far.
The charity is for Lochaber Hope and in the memory of my dad who passed away last year before Christmas.
On another note. Today was a reccy day (reconnaissance) of the first part of the Cape Wrath Trail.
41km and 950m of elevation in 5h 7min with 6kg(13pounds) of kit on me.
I set out from Glenfinnan and run to Loch Linnhe through the glens. (Turned around just before the loch to make it back for the train)
It was a perfect day.
My body is tired from the training load. That’s good. I need it. I had 6kg(13pounds) of kit on me. It made things slower but that’s good. Gave me a better feel of what’s to come.
It hit me there on the way back.
I am in for a serious punishment doing the Cape Wrath Trail.
Part of me is scared, the other excited and I can’t wait.
If the weather plays by my rules it will be a jolly…. Seriously… I know I’m in for some serious pain.. physical and mental… kind of addictive…
I encountered some bag issues but I have solutions. My Dynafit running vest sits perfectly under the actual main backpack and has lots of pockets on the sides and straps. That’s one issue sorted. I know.. extra weight.. but I will battle through it as it gives me comfort and is what I am used to!
2nd thing. Shoes.
Fell shoes, the Feline SLs are a no go. My feet were very sore after this distance. Terrain is fine for the Ultra100s which have plenty grip anyway! There is a fresh red and black pair waiting to get used. And I know the perfect occasion for it.
12.03.23 – Sunday
Last post was over 2 weeks ago. Time to give you all a proper update.
A lot was happening in training and kit preparation. It will still go on for a while untill I get all my ideas together and put into work.
Please consider donating to this charity I’m running the Cape Wrath Trail for. This expedition is for my late dad Wacław who suddenly passed away last year before Christmas and for a local charity Lochaber Hope. Please support us.
The fundraiser link is available here: https://gofund.me/7fcf725d
Training.
Mileage and vertical height is at its best. The training load is high and my resting heart rate is at its highest ever. This week I completed a 100mile (161km), 16000ft ( 5000m) vertical training session. My body held up nice and I am feeling great to go out for a run but I will have a rest day. It was meant to be a 75mile (120km) week went other way. The good way.
Reccy.
This week I was lucky to complete 2 reccy runs of the Cape Wrath Trail.
A 26miles (41km) run from Glenfinnan through Cona Glen to Loch Linnhe and back with a half kit pack.
A 36mile (57km) run from Glenfinnan to Barrisdale Bay and then to Inverie to catch the boat back home with a 70% full backpack.
All went really well. I learned a lot, I made up my mind on most of the stuff I need and don’t need. Navigation is good and I am really happy with this.
I don’t think I will be doing any more reccy runs of the route as there is to much travel involved and I am too busy to just go and run again for a day.
Kit.
A massive thank you goes to Mountain Fuel Sport Nutrition. https://www.mountainfuel.co.uk/ for supporting me in the upcoming challenge.
Thank you to Teko Eco-Socks for the support. https://www.tekoforlife.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAjbagBhD3ARIsANRrqEvBVAx9U4960j7QpZU6zTBLEFB9INbu_qFQPA4HeFgakxW63qxhgZgaAvMKEALw_wcB
Grab your pair of socks with a discount using this code: TEKOPAWEL
Map
I had a great few hours of map studying with Kevin Woods and Brad Cain. Route choice is very important and I am sticking to the plan as it should be for the FKT. Thanks guys for the support!
13.03.23 – Wednesday
Last week’s 100miles (161km) and 16400ft (5000m) of elevation assured me that I have it in me to complete the Cape Wrath Trail. I felt great this week, standard tired body since January. This week I am working Nightshifts so it adds up extra to my tiredness.
I have ordered last few bits of kit. And finalizing the food now. So next week I will know exactly the weight of my pack. I am going as light as possible, but I need to make sure I have everything I need in case of emergency.
Nights will be the hardest and they are really scaring me. I know I will have to overcome my fears and push through it.
I am planning short cat naps to keep my brain working and body ticking over. I am weaning myself of caffeine as well at the moment, so on the day I will get the kick I really need to from the coffee I love so much.
18.03.23 – Saturday
Last weeks 100 miles took it out of me, not much but I felt the load at the start of this week. First few days starting this week after a Long 10h expedition was on the painful side of things. As the week went on I started to feel better but the fatigue didn’t disappear. I am working at night, family, house chores, animals during the day and running in whatever time is left. Most of the time I manage a 80min run, but when it goes almost to 120min I am super happy. Training is coming down nicely. Today is Saturday and I clocked in 62miles (100km) in the last 6 days. They were all on the slower side but all is going in the right direction.
On another note. I have ordered a new running watch. An upgrade of my loyal Coros Apex Pro. The watch arrived yesterday, but sadly I had to send it back today with a special delivery back to the supplier. Watch was broken. Waiting for a replacement now. Hopefully it will be delivered next week, and WORKING! A bit stressful as I really want to have all my kit together now.
Last thing to do is recounting the calories I will need for the CWT. Making sure I have enough but not too much… I really need to get it right to minimise weight! I will be adding all the food up in the next coming days and ordering what I need. There will be some home made stuff as well, mostly savoury food which I like.
I am receiving a lot of nice messages from the Polish community in the area and from work. They all want to help me in this expedition and after a discussion we came to a conclusion that helping me getting food for the challenge will be the best support I can have from them! I will be thinking about all of you guys that donated few ££ in every bite of my food on the CWT. Thank you! I am meeting up with the team next Thursday in Mallaig.
My Mountain Lab 