My hardest challenge to date, and boy was it a good one! This was the first Highlander UK event and I was lucky enough to be invited along. It was an incredible few days, filled with lots of hiking, dips, food, great company and amazing views.
This is another long one, so I’ve split it down into sections to help you navigate to the bits that may be of interest.
Imagine credit: Mihai Stetcu
About Highlander:
Highlander is the leading long-distance hiking event series in the world, with events taking place from Croatia to California. There are two formats, the Pegasus which is approximately 50km over 3 days, and the Hercules, which is approximately 100km over 5 days. The team take care of all the logistics including route planning, food and water – meaning that you just need your kit and a sense of adventure. There were evening activities, including a navigation workshop and talks from experts, as well as morning yoga sessions.
It’s such a great set-up if you’re keen to get out on a challenging thru-hike, but are either a bit anxious about the logistics, don’t enjoy the planning or aren’t keen on doing it alone.
The Route:
You can check out the full route in this gpx file, however this includes the original route for day 4 and not the lower level one that we ended up doing due to weather warnings.
– Day 1: Pooley Bridge to Bridgend (21km 894m ascent)
The Highlander team had the event organisation absolutely nailed, with comprehensive pre-event info covering everything you’d need to know, live Q&A’s and registration either the evening before the first day, or just before setting off. When you registered, you collected your passport, food for day one and bib number. I chose to head over the evening before and spend the night at my grandad’s, which was just down the road.
The route for the first day was pretty steady and incorporated several Wainwrights (all of which were one’s I hadn’t ticked off yet!). The weather was a mixed bag, which is expected in the Lake’s, but there was long enough between showers to dry out though, which is all you really need.
We made it to the campsite around 2pm, so had plenty of time to set up camp, chill and make dinner. We went for a little walk just to stretch our legs without the weight of our bags and then all got together for a navigation workshop. The first nights camp was at Deepdale Hall, a lovely campsite between Hartsop and Patterdale. We ended up having a relatively early night, and safe to say, I slept like a log.
– Day 2: Bridgend to Langdale (24.5km 1726m ascent)
Day two was pretty brutal, and I was rather broken by the end of it. The elevation was tough going, with Steel Fell in the middle being an absolute killer. This day was definitely a mental battle, and having done a lot of the route before (over a mix of different hikes), I wasn’t too focussed on taking in the views around me. Don’t get me wrong, it covered some beautiful summits, but my head was in ‘put one foot in front of the other mode’. Personally, I feel this is exactly what this kind of challenge should involve. I was hoping for something to really push me, and this certainly hit the spot.
I spent the afternoon hiking with Tom (@weekend_hiker), chatting about life, but the last couple of hours were spent discussing how excited we were for a cold glass of coke, as soon as we got to the pub. After a drink, a chocolate bar and some crisps, I felt like a completely new person and we smashed out the last km to the campsite.
The evening meals provided were Tactical Foodpack dehydrated meals, which were surprisingly tasty! We spent the night at Stool End Farm, in the heart of the Langdales. This is one of my favourite areas of the Lake’s, so it felt like a pretty special place to camp.
– Day 3: Langdale to Stonethwaite (15.5km 774m ascent)
On the whole, day three was some light relief after the intensity of day two, however it did start with a pretty hefty incline up to Allen Crags. The weather was moody and misty for most of the day, with plenty of cloud on the tops.
I ended up hiking with a new group of people for the majority of the day, and it was really nice to have new conversations and get other’s perspectives on both the event, and life in general.
We finished up early afternoon as Stonethwaite campsite, which was a lovely little gem. We decided to do an extra 6.5km round trip for a well deserved dip in Black Moss Pot – a well known local swim spot. I don’t think cold water has ever felt so good! After, we were treated to chilli from Fell and Dales catering, who the Highlander team had organised to cook dinner for.
– Day 4: Stonethwaite to St John’s in the Vale (19.5km 427m ascent)
With thunderstorm warnings all across the UK, the Highlander team made the decision to change up the route for the day, replanning a much lower level hike. Though it was definitely the right call at the time, the storms didn’t hit until much later in the afternoon and we were blessed with some glorious weather.
We set off early, but soon decided we were all in need of coffee, and stopped for breakfast at Mary Mount. The route took us through St John’s in the Vale, which is a pretty special place to me, as three generations of my family got married at the church there. From here, we followed the edge of Derwent water, before heading off east towards Legburthwaite.
The day felt pretty easy going and we got to the campsite around lunch time. After a refreshing dip in the beck, we put on the cleanest clothes we could find, and got the bus into Keswick for a wander and some pub grub. Soon after we got back to the campsite, the heavens opened and we were treated to an incredible thunderstorm.
– Day 5: St John’s in the Vale to Pooley Bridge (24km 1066m ascent)
We decided to set off at 3:30am on the last day to try and catch the sunrise. It felt pretty exciting packing away the tents in the dark and tiptoeing around trying not to wake the others.
The sunrise wasn’t too spectacular, but setting off early ended up being a good idea, as the weather got pretty hot by the time we were finishing up at 10am. The pace of the group I was with was much faster than my normal walking pace, and I didn’t think I was going to be able to keep up. But they all had more faith in me than I did, and we crossed the finish line together, in a pretty speedy 6 hours. The last part of the route followed the Ullswater Way back into Pooley Bridge – I’m hoping to do the full loop in the next couple of weeks.
We surprised the organisers, and turned up just as they were unloading the van to set up the finish line. We took the opportunity to get a well earned coffee and cake for breakfast, before relaxing in the sun and drying out our tents.
I had such an incredible few days. I pushed myself well out of my comfort zone, met some amazing people and got to explore some areas of the Lake’s I haven’t been to yet. It’s an experience I would definitely recommend.
Lessons Learnt:
- Work out the balance of weight vs. comfort that you’re happy with – it’s personal preference. There are definitely things that I can upgrade to save some weight on in the future, but there are also comforts that I don’t want to give up to save a couple of grams (a change of shoes, a pillow, too many snacks).
- Pre-plastering your feet is definitely worth it if you’ve suffered from blisters in the past. Even though I had new boots, I put compeed on the places I got blisters previously, and by the end of the 5 days, I only had one tiny blister.
- Fuel is key! Snacks definitely got me through the longer, tougher days. I would always recommend carrying more food than you think you’ll need. For me, constant snacking is the best way to keep my energy levels high and stop me becoming grumpy. I made up snack bags for each day with a couple of cereal bars, some mini bags of Haribo and a bag of crisps. We did also eat at pubs a couple of times, which definitely helped with the refueling.
- Taking a spare dry bag to separate out my tent when wet, was one of the best ideas I’ve had. It saved me a lot of hassle over the 5 days, and meant that the inner section of my tent stayed dry.
- I can do more than I think I can. Before I set off, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to complete the full route. But after finishing the second day, I knew I could. This event has done wonders for my confidence and self belief.
- Take the risk, meet new people, go on adventures!
Kit List:
My kit list ended up being pretty similar to what I took on the Dales Way, with a couple of additions (groundsheet, extra shorts) and a few things removed (book, cards).
Camping:
- Rucksack: Osprey Renn 65l I absolutely love this bag and have found it so comfy on these longer distance hikes. It’s not the lightest, but after the first day I’ve found I don’t really notice the weight. It’s got plenty of pockets and compartments, which I’ve found really helps when organising kit and knowing where things are. It also has big pockets on the hip stap, which are the perfect size for all the snacks!
- Rucksack Liner: Osprey 50-70l I’ve found it’s definitely worth making every effort to keep my kit dry when out for multiple days. I use this ultralight liner to pack everything in, but I do also use additional dry bags inside to help organise my kit.
- Tent: MRS Elixir 1 I really can’t fault this tent. We had some pretty brutal weather on this trip, including high winds and torrential downpours, but I had no issues at all. I took a spare dry bag with me so that when I packed my tent away in the morning I could separate the wet outer from the dry inner, and it worked a treat. I also kept my poles on the outside of my bag, which allowed me to squish the rest of the tent down smaller on the inside of my bag, making it easier to pack. It is not the lightest of backpacking tents, but for the space and comfort, I definitely think it’s worth it.
- Sleeping Bag: OEX Fathom EV 300 This sleeping bag is probably a bit warm for this time of year, and I probably could have saved some weight if I’d invested in a new one (the next thing for me to upgrade).
- Sleeping Mat: Therm-a-rest Neoair Xlite & Alpkit EZ Sleeper I’ve got very lazy when it comes to sleeping mats, and recently I’ve just been using the Apkit one, rather than blowing up the Therm-a-rest. I lot of the camp spots have been on soft grass, so it’s pretty comfy anyway, but I think most of it is pure laziness. I think I used both mats just one night, but I did get a good nights sleep every night.
- Inflatable Pillow: A pillow is essential for me for a good nights sleep. Mine is just a cheap one from Vango, but it does the job. I’ve seen some other brands that pack down super small though, so this is something else I think I will look to invest in in the future.
- Groundsheet: Hikeman A recent addition, and a bit of extra weight, but I’ve found it really handy. I use it as a groundsheet in the porch section of my tent and also as a communal sitting area wehen st camp. IT’s also useful when packing my tent away in the rain, as I use it to wrap all my bit’s in before I’m ready to pack it all in my bag.
Electronics:
- GoPro: Hero 9
- Power Bank: Anker 325 I had taken two power banks as a precaution, as I knew there probably wouldn’t be anywhere to top it up on route. But, even after charging my phone every night and my watch once, by the end of the trip it had only gone down one bar. Definitely only going to take the one next time!
- Headtorch: Klarus HM1
Clothing:
- 1 x Walking Boots: Inov-8 Roclite G400 I decided to replace my boots before this trip, as I’d worn my other ones into the ground. They had changed the shape slightly and I ended up sizing up to a UK9 (usually an 8). I honestly can’t recommend these boots enough. They are incredibly comfortable and lightweight – I only ended up with one tiny blister at the end of the 5 days. My feet also stayed dry, despite the weather.
- 1 x Sandals: Reef Vista* These are my go to camp shoes due to them being both lightweight and comfortable. Even with comfy boots, it’s such a relief to be able to change into something open to air your feet after a long day of hiking. It also makes it a lot easier when nipping out of the tent to go to the loo or get water.
- 2 x T-shirts: Dare2be These have become my go to tops recently, due to how lightweight and quick drying they are. They are also perfect for a trip like this, as they pack down so small.
- 1 x Long Sleeved Top: Dare2be* Long sleeved version of the T-shirt and perfect for layering.
- 2 x Shorts: Peachy Queen Company (10% off code ‘LISA10) The Ride the Dales shorts are my absolute favourites and I wore these the whole 5 days. They are hard-wearing, longer in length, pockets on both sides and quick drying.
- 1 x Thermals: Mountain Warehouse* (to sleep in). I love these as they pack down super small, but still provide plenty of warmth.
- 1 x leggings
- 2 x socks
- 3 x underwear
- 2 x sports bra
- 2 x fleece
- 1 x beanie
- 1 x cap
- 1 x waterproof jacket and trousers
- 1 x swimming costume
Other:
- Microfibre towel: Lifeventure*
- Stove: Alpkit Brukit
- Hiking poles: Black Diamond
- Mug
- Water bladder
- Water filter (didn’t need, but glad I had)
- Snacks
- Coffee sachets
- Tissues
- First Aid Kit
- Toiletries
- Trowel
- Penknife
- Suncream
What’s Next?
After finishing this challenge, I had a week or so of feeling pretty low. I think it was a mix of coming back to reality, the excitement of the adventure being over and also the fact I’d got three days off before going back to work. But, this made me realise I just need to get onto planning the next adventure. Having walked part of the Ullswater way on the final day, it’s now firmly on the list to complete the whole loop. I am also hoping squeeze in some more multi-day adventures, but having used a lot of my annual leave, it’s going to be trickier to find the time!
Fancy the challenge yourself? Registration is already open for the 2024 event. You can use the code ‘LISA20‘ to get 20% off the registration fee.
If you have any questions about Highlander, my kit, or long distance hikes, then drop a comment below or send me a message!
Happy adventuring x
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Lisa Outdoors 