Preparing a trek with a TrekDoc

Before I leave on a nature trek, I like to document the specifics in a TrekDoc and share it on Google Docs with the trek participants and the people who stay at home. The document includes the goal of the trek, participants’ contact info, the route we’re planning to take, transport, gear & food to bring, estimated costs and the expected weather conditions. The TrekDoc serves multiple purposes:

It’s a preparation checklist so I won’t forget anything
It simplifies communication between the participants
It’s a convenient information source for the people staying at home

At the end of the trek, I usually add some extra info to the document: some travel statistics (time, distance, height ascended and descended for each day), a link to our final route, links to shared pictures and some lessons learned. That way I end up with a complete log of my trek which can be a useful guide for future trips.

Below you’ll find an example of one of my TrekDocs. Feel free to use it as a template for preparing one of your own outdoor adventures.

TrekDoc Scotland June 2015

Activity
Goal
Date
Location
Trekking route
Participants
Program
Online info
Transport
Food & drinks
Sleeping
Costs
Navigation
Gear
Weather
Other
Results

Activity

Hiking and wild camping.

Goal

Have fun, pretty intense hikes (about 5 hours/day with a backpack over rough terrain), learning some outdoor skills (e.g. navigation)

Date

Mon 15 June 2015 (about 6:00) – Sun 21 June 2015 (about 21:00). This is 7 days including 2 days traveling and 5 days in the mountains.

Location

The Cairngorms. This is the largest and highest national park in the UK. It’s located in the East of the Scottish Highlands, about 45 km South-East of Inverness (Scotland).

Trekking Route

See our planned main and alternative trekking routes on Google Maps (incl. distances, times, elevations and campsites). The main route is partly the hiking route described in Jolanda Linschooten’s Dutch Hiking Guide “Bergtochten in Schotland, Wales en Engeland”. In bad weather we might hike the alternative route.

Participants

Participant	Contact in case of emergency
Marc Smeehuijzen Maasstraat 190-3 1079 BL Amsterdam The Netherlands Mobile: +31 6 24 525 136 E-mail: marc@onlinecaveman.com Date of birth: 27 Nov. 1972	Marcy Smeehuijzen Main Street 123 3000 AB Utrecht The Netherlands Mobile: +31 6 11 222 333
Pete Jones High Street 44 1111 XY Amsterdam The Netherlands Mobile: +31 6 44 555 666 E-mail: pete.jones@hotmail.com Date of birth: 2 Aug. 1980	Pam Jones Freedom Ave 6 1222 PJ Haarlem The Netherlands Mobile: +31 6 77 888 999

Program

Every day hiking and wild camping except the last night when we stay in a hostel in Aviemore. (Typical day: 8:00 get up, 9:30 leave camp and hike, 12:00 lunch, 13:00 hike, 16:00 make camp, 18:00 dinner, 20:00 explore camp area).

Online info

Photos of treks in similar terrain: Aug. 2014, June 2013, Sep. 2011
How to pack a backpack by American outdoor store REI
Navigation skills by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland
Tips for finding a wild campsite by The Great Outdoors Magazine
How to cross a river by Backpacker Magazine

Transport

Bus/train from home to Amsterdam Schiphol airport (NL)
Flight from Amsterdam airport to Glasgow airport (Scotland)
Bus from from Glasgow airport to Glasgow train station
Train from Glasgow train station to Aviemore

Flight schedule
Date	15 June 2015	21 June 2015
Route	A’dam-Glasg.	Glasg. – A’dam
Flight no.	KL 1471	KL 1478
Time	07:55 - 08:30	16:55 – 19:30

Source: https://www.klm.com/home/nl/nl

Meeting time and loc.	Mon 15 June 2015, 06:30, meeting point Amsterdam Schiphol airport (= big red-white checkered cube in the hall with all the escalators down to the train tracks).
Travel distance	10 km (train/bus) + 700 km (plane) + 15 km (bus) + 220 km (train) = 950 km. (Straight line: 800 km).
Travel time (excl. waiting)	0.5hr bus/train + 1.5hr flight + 0.5hr bus + 2.5hr train = 5 hr

Public transport schedule
Date	15 June 2015	21 June 2015
Route	Glasg. air. – Glasg. station – Aviemore (about 250 km)	Aviemore – Perth – Glasg. station – Glasg. air (about 250 km)
Transport	Bus – Train	Train – Train – Bus
Time	9:40 – 10:10 – 12:45 (3 hr 5 min)	11:25 – 13:05 – 14:27 – 14:51 (3 hr 26 min)

Source: http://www.travelinescotl a nd.com

Food & drinks

We bring food for the 5.5 days that we are in the mountains.

Water	Source: local lakes and streams (there are many). Purification: UV light (Steripen), filtering (Sawyer filter) or cooking (Primus camp stove). If there is enough wood around, we can also cook on a campfire.
5 x breakfast	Cruesli/porridge with milk powder and water
5 x lunch	Hartkeks (= crackers from the outdoor store) with toppings
5 x dinner	Freeze dried expedition meals. For sale in outdoor stores. Preparation: just add boiling water and wait 10 min. A typical 2-person meal is 1200 kcal, needs about 800 ml of boiling water and costs about €10. (This trip each person eats 2-persons meals!)
Snacks	Chocolate, muesli-bars, dried fruit, nuts, crisps
Estimate calories needed/day	3000 kcal

Carry all food in a large stuff sack. Everybody brings their own food but Marc brings these items for general use: some tea bags and some chocolate powder.

Sleeping

Shelter	Waterproof, wind resistant and lightweight tent (1 per person).
Sleeping bag rating	At least until 0C
Toilet & shower	Not available so we do everything in nature. Bury excrement at least 30 m from water sources. Use moss as toilet paper or bring toilet paper and burn it after use.

Last night (20 June 2015): Aviemore Bunkhouse, Dalfaber Road (no number), Aviemore, phone: +44 1479 811181
http://www.aviemore-bunkhouse.com/index.html

Costs

Item	Estimated costs/person
Flight	€ 150
Food	€ 100
Bus/Train	€ 100
Hostel (1 night Aviem.)	€ 50
Total	€ 400

Excluding costs own outdoor gear!
Make sure you have travel insurance that covers off-trail hiking and wild camping in the mountains

Navigation

Maps

Name	Scale	Last update	GPS position format	GPS map date
Aviemore & Central Cairngorms (AA Walker’s maps 28)	1:25.000	2012	British Grid	Ord Srvy GB
Cairngorms & Lochnagar (BMC Harvey Mountain Map)	1:40.000	2011	British Grid	Ord Srvy GB

Gear

*	= Optional
M’s pick	= Marc’s pick (brand and type)
W (g)	= Weight (grams)
P (€)	= Price (Euro’s)

Per person

Item	Comments	M’s pick	W (g)	P (€)
BACKPACK & CLOTHING
Backpack	About 50L with hip belt	Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider	830	290
Backpack liner/rain cover	Waterproof	Mountain Laurel Design liner	36	2
Hiking shoes	Waterproof & breathable	La Sportiva Eco 4.0 GTX	1230	170
Gaiters*		Outdoor Designs Alpine AS-G10	240	30
1 pair wool hiking socks		Perry Sport	82	15
1 pair wool hiking socks		Perry Sport	82	15
1 pair undersocks*	Against blisters	Coolmax (Synthetic)	31	10
1 pair undersocks*	Against blisters	Coolmax (Synthetic)	31	10
Boxershort		Icebreaker Boxershort Anatomica	55	35
Boxershort		Icebreaker Boxershort Anatomica	55	35
T-shirt		Icebreaker Quattro Short Sleeve Polo	160	90
T-shirt		Icebreaker Tech Lite Short Sleeve	125	70
Long pants	Quick drying so no jeans	Fjällraven Forrester	510	100
Belt*		Eagle Creek AT Money Belt (money compartment removed)	60	10
Long sleeve shirt/sweater	Mosquito-proof	North Face Men 100 Glacier Fleece	233	55
Puffy jacket/warm fleece jacket	A puffy jacket is a warm and compressible down/synthetic jacket	PHD Ultra Down Jacket: K Series Performance	250	410
Rain jacket		Mammut Albaron	440	280
Rain pants		Rab Bergen	340	110
Cap		Patagonia Unisex Beanie	65	50
Gloves		Ziener Idea WS	70	30
Buff*		OutdoorDesigns	45	15
Hat		Fjällraven G-1000	67	36
Headnet		Sea to Summit HeadNet	30	9
Little towel/dishcloth*		Bijenkorf	100	5

SLEEPING
Tent	Wind resistant and lightweight	Mountain Laurel Designs Duomid (2 person cuben fiber tarptent)	460	390
Tent stakes		12 Easton Nano Nail Stakes	170	27
Sleeping bag	Rated until at least 0C	PHD Minim 400 Down	610	380
Sleeping pad		Therm-A-rest NeoAir Xlite	230	90
Bivy bag*	Preferably with integrated mosquito netting	Exped eVENT/PU (with integrated mosquito netting)	585	229

FOOD, DRINKS, COOKING
Water bottle/bag	Volume at least 1L, for purifying with Steripen it needs a wide opening	Nalgene cantene PE folding bottle	60	10
Bowl to eat and drink from		Trangia	81	9
Spoon	Preferably long one so you can eat directly from freeze dried food bags	Sea to Summit Alpha Long Spoon	12	8
Pocket knife		Bear Grylls (Gerber) Compact II	33	30
Lighter		Bic Mini	12	1
Matches		Flix veiligheidslucifers	6	1

OTHER
Hiking poles*		Leki Makalu Classic (also for supporting tent)	510	60
Headlamp		Fenix LD02 (clip on cap)	24	33
Spare batteries*		Albert Heijn Alkaline AAA battery	10	1
Compass		Silva Field 7	28	16
Mobile phone	With phone no. trek participants and emergency no.	Apple iPhone6	127	654
Whistle		Fox40 micro	7	8
Sunglasses*		Julbo Reflex/Instinct	30	100
Watch*	For navigation, e.g. dead reckoning	See GPS under Gear for general use
Toiletries	Toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm	Lactona compact toothbrush, Elmex travel-size toothpaste, Lypsyl lip balm	38	1
Notebook & pencil*		Schrijfblok A7 + IKEA pencil	50	1
Travel papers	Passport, tickets, insurance, money, cards
Stuff sack	To organize everything in your backpack	Granite Gear Air ZippSack 5L	25	20
Stuff sack	For carrying food	Granite Gear Air ZippSack 16L	45	30

TOTAL			8320	3981

For general use

Item	Comments	M’s pick	W (g)	P (€)
MARC BRINGS
Camp stove		Primus OmniLite TI (for all types of fuel)	341	230
Windscreen		Primus	65	15
Fuel	Good for boiling about 23L water. (Not allowed on plane so buy in Scotland)	Primus large 975ml canister (450g gas) + medium 460ml canister (230g gas)	1025	15
Camp stove		Selfmade alcohol stove (Andrew Skurka design)	6	1
Windscreen		Selfmade alum. foil windscreen (Andrew Skurka design)	4	1
Fuel bottle		Nalgene 0.5L	54	2
Fuel	Good for boiling about 5L water. (Not allowed on plane so buy in Scotland)	500 ml denatured alcohol	410	1
UV water purifier		Steripen Adventurer Opti	110	80
Spare batteries	For UV water purifier	CR123 3V Panasonic Lithium Power	15	5
Waterfilter		Sawyer mini filter	60	40
Waterfilter cleaning plunger	To backflush the Sawyer waterfilter	Comes with the Sawyer mini filter	33	0
Water bag	Needed for Sawyer filter	Platypus 1L	24	10
Water purification tablets	Backup water purification method	Katadyn Micropur Forte MF 1T	1	19
Cooking pot	Volume depends on group size	Evernew ECA-252R Titanium Ultralight Pot 0.9L	105	69
Cooking pot	Volume depends on group size	Primus AluTech Trek Kettle 1.0L	200	18
Cooking pot grip	For gripping cooking pots/bowls	MSR	45	10
Hiking map	See Navigation for more details	Aviemore & Central Cairngorms (AA Walker’s maps 28)	96	15
Hiking map	See Navigation for more details	Cairngorms & Lochnagar (BMC Harvey Mountain Map)	83	15
Map case	Waterproof	Ortlieb 27 x 27	60	20
GPS		Suunto Ambit3 Peak GPS watch (no built in map)	89	500
First aid kit	Contents depends on trip and group size	Bandages, plasters, compeed (anti-blister), sports tape, scissors, tweezers, safety pins, tick remover, pain killers	140	30
Repair items		Sowing set, duct tape, air mattress repair kit, Seamgrip glue	50	10
Sunscreen		Aloe Gator SPF 40+ total sunblock gel waterproof UVA-UVB protect	32	3
Bio-degradable soap		Bever Zwerfzeep	40	4
Toilet paper	Backup	From supermarket (only little bit)	15	1
Small plastic shovel	For burying excrement	Patrick Plastics	50	5
Camera		Sony Cybershot DSC-WX220	122	200
Camera spare battery		Jupio Li-ion Model CSO0025	13	20
Stickpick	To mount camera on hiking pole	BackpackingLight	10	20
Monocular		Bushnell Bear Grylls	140	65
Kindling	For fire lighting in wet conditions	Roll of birch bark in plastic bag	10	0
Fixed-blade knife	For splitting wood	Mora Training Knife Model 780	110	23
Extra rope		2m paracord	60	10
watersocks	For river crossings	Vincere Grip/Boat Socks	88	23
Wind & temp. meter		Kestrel 2000	95	140

TOTAL			3801	1620

PETE BRINGS
Camera		GoPro Hero + headstrap	111	140
Powerbank	For charging electronic devices	Anker 16000 mAh	308	30

TOTAL			419	170

Weather

General

The Scottish Highlands are wet, gray and cool. The highest mountain tops are often in fog and hard wind (can be up to hurricane force!)

Temperature, precipitation and wind in Cairngorms in June
Average. temp.	Max. 12 C, min. 5 C
Average precipitation	98 mm
Av. no of days with precipitat.	19
Av. wind speed	3-4 Bft
Dominant wind direction	South-West

Source: https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/forecast/modelclimate/cairngorms-national-park_united-kingdom_10104113

Keep in mind: temperature drops about 0.8C every 100m of elevation (= lapse rate), and wind generally increases.

Sun
	15 June 2015	21 June 2015
Rise	04:19	04:19
Set	22:12	22:14

Moon
	15 June 2015	21 June 2015
Set	20:35	–
Rise	04:08	10:05
Illumination	2%	22%

Source: http://www.heavens-above.com/

Scottish Mountain Weather Reports (look under “Cairngorms National Park, Monadhliath”):
http://www.mcofs.org.uk/weather-reports.asp

Webcams (e.g. to check snowlines):
http://www.winterhighland.info/cams/cairngorm-mountain/

Other

Keep your stuff light! Preferably max. weight: 17 kg.

E.g.:

Max. weights
In backpack	Gear	10 kg
	Food	4 kg
	1 liter water	1 kg
On your person	Clothing & Gear	2 kg
Total		17 kg

Airplane luggage: max. allowed weight (KLM): 12 kg (carry on) + 23 kg (in hull) = 35 kg.
Packing tip: pack your bag at least 2 days in advance.
Fitness: make sure you are fit enough to walk 5 hours with a backpack over rough terrain.
Wild camping: in Scotland you are allowed to wild camp under the following conditions: in a small group, with lightweight tents, max. 3 nights in one place and out of sight of paths, roads, houses, etc. (Land Reform Scotland Act 2003).
Currency in Scotland: their own version of British Pounds (same exchange rate). £ 1 = about € 1,4. One pound is subdivided into 100 pence (singular: penny).
Time difference: in Scotland it is 1 hour earlier than in The Netherlands.
Power plugs: if you want to charge electronic devices in Scotland, you need different power plugs than in the Netherlands.
Mosquitos, midges and horse flies can be real plague in the Summer in Scotland so sometimes you need to wear long sleeve shirts, gloves and a headnet. Prime midge-time: 15 Jun. – 15 Sep.
Ticks: every day check your body for ticks (some carry Lyme Disease). If you remove them within 24 hours after a bite, normally you are fine.
Flora and fauna to expect: red deer, sheep, roe deer, scottish highland cattle, reindeer, rabbit, hare, fox, red squirrel, adder, all kinds of birds, pine, spruce, larch, common juniper, birch, rowan, gorse, bracken, all kinds of moss, grasses and heather plants.
Hunting: the stag (deer) stalking season is from 1 July to 20 Oct. 2015 so we should not have problems with hunting during our trek. (The Heading for the Scottish Hills website has some [limited] information about where and when hunting is going on).
Peaks: the Cairngorms are home to five of the six highest mountains in Scotland: Ben Macdhui (1309 m), Braeriach (1296 m), Cairn Toul (1293 m), Sgor an Lochain Uaine (1258 m) and Cairn Gorm (1245 m) and features 18 Munros (mountains over 3000 feet or 914 m) in total.
Tree line elevation in Scotland is about 500 m.
Scottish mountain words that might come in handy:

Allt	Stream
Beinn	Ben = Mountain
Bothy	Small mountain hut
Burn	Stream
Cairn	Mound of stones
Coire	Corrie = Curved-hollow
Ford	River crossing
Glen	Valley
Loch	Lake

Other people: the Scottish Highlands are often very quiet so we probably won’t see many other people.
Connection: Assume that you have no (or very little) connection with your mobile phone in the area (no calling signal and no internet).
Alpine distress signal: 6 signals (e.g. whistle blasts) per minute, 1 min. break, repeat. Reply: 3 signals (e.g. whistle blasts) per min., 1 min. break, repeat.
Emergency plan: If Marcy (Marc’s sister) has not heard that we have returned to civilization on Monday morning 22 June 2015, she will contact Scottish Mountain rescue.
Emergency phone number in Scotland is +44 999 or +44 112 (ask for police and then mountain rescue).

< The section below is added after the trek >

Results

	Dist. (km)	Asc. (m)	Desc. (m)	Peak (m)	Time (u:m)	Break (u:m)
15 jun.	7.0	70	0	280	1:30	0:00
16 jun.	17.0	200	100	350	4:30	0:45
17 jun.	22.0	530	330	615	7:00	1:20
18 jun.	15.0	230	200	800	4:00	1:00
19 jun.	15.0	350	600	825	4:30	0:40
20 jun.	16.0	80	180	330	3:30	0:45
TOT.	92.0	1460	1410	3200	25:00	4:30
Avrg / day	15.3	243	235	533	4:10	0:45

Final trekking route (on Google Maps)

Photos (on Online Caveman blog)
Film (on YouTube)

Lessons learned

Incorporating the latest mountain weather forecast (wind, snow, temperature, rain) is crucial for planning our hiking route on the Cairngorms plateau.
Snow was still an obstacle on the higher routes on the plateau (even in the second half of June 2015).
The midges were a real nuisance under the tree line. Good head nets (+ anti-mosquito stuff) were needed.
Andrew Skurka’s selfmade alcohol stove + aluminum wind screen both work well but need some fiddling and care (need flat & stable surface, good wind protection, takes about 15 min. to boil 600ml water).
The 1 : 40.000 BMC map was more accurate in some ways than the 1 : 25.000 AA map.

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