In addition there are a dozen stories from the world of multi-day running enthusiasts and ultra-distance athletes. In the UK these tales range from bothying in the Black Mountains with Anna McNuff to running from Land’s End to John O’Groats with Aly Wren. Iain Harper tackles the Pennine Way in one push, competing in the legendary Spine Race, while Jasmin Paris and her husband, Konrad Rawlik, take a more leisurely approach along the same trails to celebrate her birthday. Further afield, Olly Stephenson takes on the iconic John Muir Trail in the States; Jez Bragg goes hut-to-hut running around Monte Rosa, in Italy and Switzerland; and Anna Frost takes us on a sky-high running journey in Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
By sharing our fastpacking experiences and what we love about multi-day running, we hope that our stories will spark ideas and inspire you to try fastpacking too.
Fastpacking can take you to remote and inaccessible places – Barrisdale Bay, Scotland (Route 8)
How fit do I need to be?
Fastpacking is for all trail runners. It’s not a race and it’s up to you how far you go each day. Slowing down is the secret to multi-day running. Compared to a typical run, you can expect to be much slower, mixing running – probably at the pace of a slow training run – with plenty of power-walking. Few people have the fitness to average more than about three miles an hour on hilly or mountainous routes over several days. That’s not fast; it’s the pace of an average walk.
A word about walking
Fastpacking is just like ultra-running in that you will do a lot more walking than you would on a typical long run. This is due to the extra weight on your back and the fact that you’re doing it for several days. When fastpacking, most people will usually walk the hills, and run the flats and downhills, unless the terrain is very technical. A leisurely pace also gives you more time to enjoy the views!
How do I train for fastpacking?
If you are already a trail runner, then training for fastpacking has the same principles as preparing for stage races. You need to get your legs and body used to sustained effort over multiple days and to be able to recover quickly. Back-to-back runs – for example, a long run on a Saturday and another on a Sunday – are a key component. The length of these runs would depend on the distances you are aiming to cover in your trip. Although not necessary, you could also squeeze in a brisk run on the Friday so you enter the back-to-back weekend fatigued, to get used to running on tired legs.
To get used to running with a pack you should try a couple of long runs beforehand with a pack slightly lighter than the one you’ll be carrying on your trip, perhaps about 5kg.
If you are planning to follow a mountainous or hilly route, you should include hills in your training, to give you leg strength for climbing. Any time spent hiking in the mountains is also great training, because rough trails and big climbs mean you will often be power-walking. Cycling and indoor bike training, such as spinning, are also excellent for building leg strength for hilly terrain.
Strength training of the upper body will prepare your back and shoulder muscles for the effort of running with a pack, while exercises to build core strength will benefit your running posture and speed.
The different styles of fastpacking
Broadly speaking, there are four types of fastpacking – unsupported, where you carry your own food and shelter; running between existing accommodation, such as huts, guesthouses and hostels; self-supported trips, where you might cache food and equipment along the way; and finally, fully supported trips.
Unsupported fastpacking
This is considered by many to be the purest form of the sport because you carry everything you need to be self-sufficient. Your pack will contain a shelter in the form of tent, tarp or bivvy, plus food and sleeping gear. This style is particularly popular in the US where more reliable, dry weather in national parks, such as Yosemite, makes it possible to use a lightweight tent or tarp and carry less clothing, compared to, say, a European or British trip. In the UK, two-day mountain marathon events follow this approach, with runners carrying food and equipment for an overnight camp. Examples of unsupported trips would be two days of running and wild camping in Dartmoor National Park, or taking on the entire Cape Wrath Trail.
Running between existing accommodation
The second variant is running with a small pack between overnight stops, such as mountain huts, guesthouses and hostels. In continental Europe, hut-to-hut running is growing in popularity since there are excellent trail networks coupled with perfectly spaced huts, providing runners with a warm place to sleep and get a hot meal. A lighter pack allows you to enjoy your running more comfortably and to travel further, and by staying in huts you can enjoy the local food and culture, and meet like-minded travellers in the evenings.
Mountain huts are usually in spectacular locations. (Rifugio Morelli – Buzzi, Italy)
Self-supported trips
On these trips, you cache supplies and equipment along the way. An example would be a three-day trip that two runners made across Wales, from Borth on the coast, to Hay-on-Wye on the English border. They doubled up their camping gear by borrowing an extra tent and pair of sleeping bags, and on their drive to the start of the run they dropped off their equipment, along with food for breakfasts and snacks, at two pre-planned campsites en route. They then ran back, sleeping at the campsites and eating in pubs in the evenings. They had to recover their car from the start and collect the camping gear on their drive home, but it was a fun, self-styled adventure.
Supported fastpacking
These are trips where a crew will tend to runners at checkpoints along the route, offering backup in case of an emergency. They are generally the fastest and lightest fastpacking style and also fun and social trips. Every year since 2003, for example, a group of runners from Edinburgh and Aberdeen Hash House Harriers take on an Easter Challenge – a four-day run along a long-distance path or a bespoke route – with a driver and minibus. The end point of each day is the next day’s starting point. By night, instead of camping, the friends return to a hotel for food, drink and a comfortable bed.
Baggage transfer
Although marketed largely to walkers, it is easy to use baggage transfer services (available on many long-distance routes in the UK) for multi-day runs. For a small cost, your gear will be moved between your overnight stops, allowing you to run with just a day pack carrying essentials. Some companies even deliver bags to campsites. Often hotels can organise this for you too, using taxis, and there are now companies that offer self-guided trail-running holidays where all of this is taken care of.
Where to stay
On a multi-day route there may be guesthouses, hostels, bunkhouses and hotels to stay at, but when fastpacking there are additional options that allow you to explore wilder, remote or mountainous areas. These are covered below.
Wild camping
Wild camping means you can stop wherever you find your perfect spot (Photo credit: Chris Councell)
For the purist, fastpacking is about being totally self-sufficient through wild camping and carrying all your own gear and food. This has the advantage of allowing you to travel through remote areas and get off the beaten track. Strictly speaking, in the UK this is only officially permitted in Scotland and Dartmoor.
In Scotland you are allowed to camp on most unenclosed land. However, due to overuse, East Loch Lomond is subject to wild camping byelaws which restricts wild camping in the area. Be sure to familiarise yourself with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot)