In August 2023, Claire Allen set off from John O Groats to walk around Great Britain to raise money for homelessness. As part of her 4000-mile, year-long walk, Claire hiked the UK’s toughest trail - the 230-mile Cape Wrath Trail which covers some of Scotland’s most remote and unforgiving terrain. Much of the trail is pathless and there are just a few resupply options along the way. Cape Wrath thru-hikers must carry enough food for several days at a time - which is where we stepped in, providing Claire with enough meals for the duration. Read on to find out more about her incredible journey!
When I was 17, I went on a three-month ‘expedition’ to Chile. Expedition comes with quotation marks because although it involved flying to the other side of the world, sleeping in a bivvy bag and using long drop toilets (at best - hand dug holes the rest of the time), it was also fully supported - with a team of staff including medics and mountain leaders.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and I still remember it clearly. I remember the people and the projects but mostly I remember the food. It was all provided - porridge for breakfast, military ration packs for lunch and dinner. Each pack contained Biscuits Brown (hard, savoury, oatcake style biscuits - apparently developed to squash soldiers’ libido or make them constipated - I never found out which) plus Biscuits Garibaldi aka squashed fly slices. There was also an unbranded foil pack of dehydrated stew/ casserole/unidentified meat in brown liquid and a Mars bar. I don’t think there was a veggie option and vegan wasn’t even a word we knew in 1997. Other than the occasional local festival where the community ‘jefe’ would roast an entire lamb (also not great for vegetarians), that was all we ate for three months. I came home full of stories and about two stone heavier.
So when I started planning the Cape Wrath Trail section of my year-long walk around Great Britain, my dietary expectations were low. I’d set off 11 months earlier from John O Groats and with a break for Christmas and the odd rest day, have been walking clockwise, nonstop to raise money and awareness for homelessness charities, Shelter and Only A Pavement Away.
The Cape Wrath Trail added a different level of complexity to the expedition. It’s labelled the UK’s toughest trail - 230 miles from Fort William to the Cape Wrath lighthouse - GB’s most northwesterly point. There are long sections with no path, no phone service and certainly no hope of a flat white or a bacon butty. I’d have to carry four or five days' worth of food to be safe, in case the weather closed in and I couldn’t walk for a day or more. That would add extra weight to my already heavy pack. And it would be physically harder than anything else I’d walked over the last year so getting enough calories was a factor.
I should say I love food. To the point of obsession. I’ve worked in food-related jobs since I left university. Whether I’m at work or walking around Great Britain, I start thinking about what to have for dinner almost immediately after breakfast, often before. Every meal feels like an opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted. On my Great British Walk, mealtimes have been the punctuation marks that have kept me going - physically and metaphorically. Yes, the scenery has been spectacular but a woman cannot live on views alone.
So hallelujah for Base Camp Food which delivers on every count - taste, variety, ease. They sell food for all meals as well as drinks and snacks and list out the weight and calories per pack. It’s the perfect one-stop shop for any long-distance hike, bike ride or run where pack weight, convenience and calories are considerations.
I ordered an initial batch for the start of the trail and a second delivery to pick up from a campsite about halfway through. And it was a game-changer. Favourites included Firepot Mac ‘n’ Greens and Orzo Pasta Bolognese - eaten at Sourlies Bothy (the UK’s most remote bothy) after a particularly gruelling 10-hour day. For breakfast, the Summit to Eat Morning Oats with Raspberries scooped first prize - followed by Tent Meals’ Sour Cherry and Chocolate Breakfast which tastes extra good eaten in a tent as the sun comes up. Even better, there’s hardly any washing up. In most cases, you add boiling water to the sachet, stir, re-seal and leave for a specified time. And they’re robust too - despite being stuffed into my damp rucksack for days on end, there’s no question of the pack splitting or getting soggy. Win win win.
It took me 18 days to walk the Cape Wrath Trail and already, I can’t quite place which mountains I climbed on which day. But I can remember where I slept each night and what I ate. Now it’s time to turn right and head for John O Groats and the end of this adventure. I wonder what’s for lunch…
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If you would like to donate to Claire’s cause, you can do so here.