DAWN TILL DUSK | Fastpacking the length of Scotland in two weeks
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- Опубликовано: 25 мар 2021
- 2020 was weird as. Going a bit crazy in lockdown, I dreamt up my biggest, hairiest and most audacious physical challenge to date - squeezing the 864 km Scottish National Trail into just two weeks of annual leave.
By September, lockdown had eased enough that I finally had a window to give it a crack. So I set off, solo and self-supported, and somehow managed to get it done in a new overall FKT (Fastest Known Time) of just under 14 days. This is how it unfolded (spoiler alert - it involved walking from before dawn till after dusk, and a lot of chocolate).
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While the film focuses on my (mostly) solo physical journey, I received a huge amount of support and encouragement from afar - sadly I just don't have the material to do this side of the trip justice in the film. People all over the world followed my GPS tracker (with many following me all the way to the lighthouse at crazy o'clock), donated to the fundraiser and shared messages of support. A few friends (and a stranger!) even surprised me with brief visits on the trail by tracking my GPS location. I had an army of people behind me, and I'm eternally grateful to you all.
There was also a late night encounter with a sheep, a tick bite scare and a near-disastrous lack of food, but those are stories for another day...
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Festival selections/prizes:
🏆 Fort William Mountain Festival 2022 - People's Choice Award
🏆 Fort William Mountain Festival 2022 - Wild Places Film Prize
🏆 New Zealand Mountain Film Festival 2021 - Best Solo Film Award
📽️ Kendal Mountain Film Festival 2021 - Official Selection
📽️ Buenos Aires Running Film Festival (BARunFF) 2021 - Official Selection
📽️ RunNation Film Festival 2021 - Official Selection
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Raised £5,250 for WaterAid and their amazing work bringing clean water and sanitation to those who need it most: www.justgiving.com/fundraisin...
Shot entirely on a DJI Osmo Action camera.
My interview on the Dirt Church Radio podcast: www.dirtchurchradio.com/dirtc...
Fastest Known Time verification: fastestknowntime.com/fkt/matt...
My blog/trip report: stubbornlyoptimisticmatt.word...
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Massive thanks to my good friend Hamish Fraser for the stunning map animations: / _hamishfraser_
Thanks to these amazing musicians for making their work accessible:
♪ Glacier || Chris Haugen (available via RUclips Audio Library)
♪ Adventure is Calling || Vens Adams (available via Uppbeat.io)
♪ Stone Cold || All Good Folks (available via Uppbeat.io)
♪ Ashes || Radical Face (Bear Machine Records, creative commons)
♪ Home Movies || Radical Face (Bear Machine Records, creative commons)
♪ The Lost Garden || Radical Face (Bear Machine Records, creative commons)
♪ Rising Sun || Lane King (available via Uppbeat.io)
♪ Ashes in the Window || Radical Face (Bear Machine Records, creative commons)
♪ I Can Hear the Ocean || Vens Adams (available via Uppbeat.io)
♪ Waltzing in the Ashes || Radical Face (Bear Machine Records, creative commons) 
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Excellent video... This is the type of adventure film RUclips needs more of. Great filming, editing and well paced story. Looks like a brilliant trip to boot. Good job!
Very kind words, thanks so much Chris. It sure was an amazing trip. If I find the time/motivation I hope to make more short films like this, so watch this space!
Absolutely incredible video mate. I'm looking at starting Fastpacking to try and get me back out and active after leaving the army in March after 8 years in the infantry. Got a little lazy! This is truly inspirational. Thankyou.
Wow, I'm so glad you liked it, and thanks for letting me know! All the best adapting to 'normal life' again and I hope you have some awesome fastpacking adventures :)
What an achievement Matthew - well done for raising a great sum for Wateraid and showing us all the scene of Scotland - an inspiration to us all
Thanks Davie, glad you liked it! Plenty of great scenery to enjoy on screen while we're stuck inside, and yeah the response to the fundraiser still blows me away... Had a quick look at your music clips by the way - very cool!
Congrats Sir, what an epic journey. Thank you so much for this video, you've really inspired me to go after my own goals!
Just read about this on bbc news, cracking effort. Would like to see the other stories as well, really enjoy this sort of content so the more the better! 👌🏻
Same here.
Glad you liked it Dylan, I'm looking forward to putting together some footage from other adventures. Appreciate the encouragement!
Beautiful, inspiring and refreshing. Thank you Matt!
Ah thanks so much man, really appreciate that. Glad you liked it!
Seriously underrated video. As a Scottish lad who got into hiking in New Zealand and now living in Australia, this is always a great wee video to stick on waiting on my trip home next year.
Thanks mate this means so much! Glad it can bring you good memories of home.
Absolute respect. Not surprisingly, at Cape Wrath your eyes look like, as the saying goes - ‘piss holes in the snow”. Totally shattered
Haha yeah that's dead right Richard - I didn't have much left to give at that point. Only just enough for the walk back to Kinlochbervie...
What an incredible journey Matthew!!! Thank you for being an inspiration to many :)
Thanks so much man, and the inspiration is mutual! All the best for the end of your amazing challenge and journey :)
This was a great film Matt, and such a remarkable achievement. I remember the feeling hitting the lighthouse doing the cape wrath trail, can only imagine what it would be like after the SNT!
Thanks so much Edward! I'm sure the scenery along the way brought back a lot of memories for you (both highs and lows no doubt!). Looking forward to digging into some of your hiking videos.
Absolutely amazing! Well done. Not many birthdays can compare to that can they! What an adventure.
Thanks so much!! Yeah it was definitely a birthday to remember... A toasted sandwich and cup of soup have never tasted so good before (I was eating too quickly to film it haha)!
This is epic! Well done Matt, great effort.
Cheers buddy, glad you liked it! Hope all is well at your end man.
Wow! Thanks for making such an amazing video Matt. I was entertained and in awe of your adventure! I can't imagine the beauty you experienced especially in the North, I have been to Scotland twice and done some great hikes, beautiful country.
Ah thanks so much, glad you liked the adventure! You're so right - the scenery up in the north of Scotland is beautiful in a way that a camera can only partly do justice, especially in the morning and evening. I'm sure you've experienced that yourself.
Congratulations m8, sure Scotland is proud of you, and sure your family is too!! It’s just amazing what you did, I seen your story on the news, and I had to read it! You smashed every single mile! 🙏🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thanks so much mate, glad to feel the support from near and far!
Such grit & determination to get through that! What an amazing accomplishment
Thanks Donna, it was quite a mission... Hope all is well with you!
Yo this is incredible, incredible stuff Matt
Wow thank you so much!! Really appreciate that, glad you liked it.
Inspiring. What a brilliant adventure at such a bonkers pace as well! Magnificent.
Thanks Rob! I still kinda can't believe it actually worked out... What an incredible trip. Glad you liked the film!
Wow, what an absolutely astonishing journey, thanks for sharing. You have my deepest respect. Enjoy your rest and recovery.😁👍👏
Thanks so much Paul, I'll definitely be sharing more videos from similar adventures.
What a great achievement! And what beautifully filmed! You are a real storyteller. And this trail I add on my list. I love Scotland and this seems like the great adventure I'm searching for. Well done 👍
Wow, thanks so much Floor! Glad you liked the journey and the story. And yes, I'd highly recommend the trail! I see you get up to some great adventures yourself, keep having fun out there 🙂
So good! I was tracking your journey, loved it!
Congrats mate
Cheers man! Thanks for following along - the support during the trip was incredible. And glad that I can now share the memories and scenery in this way.
congratulations Matt, what a tremendous effort. You're an inspiration. Thank you for making and sharing your adventure (including the wrinkly feet...) with us all.
Thanks Rae, glad you liked the story! Yup I felt it was important to share the good and that bad haha.
Wow, what an excellent film and such a big achievement. Well done!
Thanks so much!
What a terrific achievement and a great video to watch. Well done 👏👏👏
Thanks so much Ronnie!
Absolutely fantastic Matt, what an achievement - you’re an inspiration, we’ll done 👏👏👏
Far too kind Lex, glad you liked the film!
Great film Matt of an incredible journey. Well done on both accounts. Best regards, Janet and John
Thanks Janet and John, glad you liked it. Hope all is well with you both - exciting things happening in your whānau!
What an unbelievable trip and an epic portrayal on your video
Huge congratulations Matt - apologies for not having picked up on your journey before this. Well done - a record breaking epic journey 👍👍👍👍
Wow thank you, I really appreciate that. I'm so glad the film came together well and I've really been blown away by the response. Cheers!
Amazing! What an incredible achievement. I follow you on Strava but didn’t realise you had made a film of this epic adventure until I heard about it on dirt church radio. Beautiful film! So well done! Congratulations on your FKT!
Wow thanks so much Natalie! Yeah it took me a while after the trip to get the film done, but it was a great UK winter lockdown project. Really glad you liked the film and DCR chat, and keep doing your epic adventures!
Great effort Matt. Great documentary should be an inspiration to many people. Great footage and editing. Got some good running motivation!!
Thanks man! Hope it gives you a little boost on a run sometime 😉
I don't know what's more impressive, your walking achievement or your beautifull film, huge respect on both counts 👏👏👏
Thanks Dominic, it was a bit of a balancing act but I'm really happy with the result. Glad you liked the film!
Amazing, Matty! You are such a legend 👏
Ah thanks so much Kath! Hope life is treating you well :)
That is a mental achievement. I simply would not have the optimism or willpower to complete the SNT, or probably even half of it, so truly well done.
Thanks Ian! You might surprise yourself... A trip like this wasn't something that was ever on my radar until lockdown drove me a bit crazy.
Awesome film, great effort on the trip and amazing storytelling. Really enjoyed that, thanks.
Wow thanks so much man, glad you liked it! It really was an unforgettable trip, and it's amazing being able to share it with others through the film.
Brilliant effort Matt ,well done .
Cheers David, much appreciated.
Wow - the achievement itself is incredible - huge congratulations. To have had the ability to record and then create this absolute joy of a short film is equally miraculous - wonderful stuff
Thanks Gaz. Yeah the film definitely took a bit of extra mental and physical energy, but it's been amazing having something so tangible to share with people. Well worth the effort!
Fantastic man! Very inspirational - very much !
Wow thanks Chris!
Another viewer sent by DCR checking in - what a great video and accomplishment Matt, thanks for putting it together.
One of my biggest admirations of people like you is on top of the actual "getting it done", it's all the looping backwards and forwards you must have to do to get those scenic third person shots. I could never bring myself to do those extra kilometres, let alone the mental capacity it must take to think about those shots while you're 42 hours deep into day 391. So glad that people like you do that, though, so we can live vicariously through you and experience an amazing trip.
Wow thanks so much man! Great taste in podcasts too 😉
To be honest, if I didn't have the filming as a distraction and creative outlet I probably would've gone properly crazy out there! Yeah it was a little extra weight/time/distance, but my legs were probably grateful for the occasional pauses too. Really glad I managed to do the trip the way I wanted, and to be able to share the memories in this way.
Thanks again man, glad you liked it!
@@MattGirvanNZ That's a really interesting bit of context that wouldn't have occurred to me. Thanks for sharing!
A great film, and a great achievement!
Thanks so much Paul!
just amazing. I can do a day walk of 35 miles but to keep going for nearly 14 days is superhuman. your willpower and mental strength is of the charts. well done laddie
Thanks so much! But don't play it down - 35 miles is a big day! I try not to go that far in a day too regularly haha.
Hell of an achievement Matt, must have been tortuous at times, especially keeping that relentless pace during darkness. You adapted your commentary and filming to your walking very nicely indeed. It worked really well, your poor old feet must have been delighted to finally rest, job done as we say.
Thanks Terence, really appreciate that. Yeah there were some tough moments, especially starting early and finishing late, but most of it was just doing what I love in some incredible paces. Glad you liked the commentary and filming - it really was just a case of grabbing what footage I could on the fly and I was relieved/surprised to be able to cobble a story together from it! And yes, it was a great feeling to finally finish!
Great hiking film! And your speed is admirable. Cheers!
Thanks Jon, really appreciate that!
Well done pal! Me and my gf met you on a beautiful day on the Affric kintail way, about half way through your trip, and you still took a moment to have a blether with us!! What an achievement and lovely video too, good man! All the best!
Sorry for the slow reply mate but yes, I remember you two! Haha I was always more than happy to stop and have a chat - company wasn't always easy to come by. Hope you had a great trip - really want to go back and walk the rest of the Affric Kintail Way.
This is ridiculously well made, It looks amazing! I was kinda shocked when I read you shot all of it on the DJI Osmo Action, you nailed the color grading!
Ahh thank you man!! Really appreciate that. I have been consistently blown away by the Osmo Action - stabilisation, picture quality, even the in-built mic is pretty decent. It was fun to get creative within the constraints of the one little camera and try to take it a bit further than 'just another GoPro video'. And I'm glad you liked the colouring - this was more first real foray into grading but pretty happy with the result. Cheers
Amazing effort mate. The kind of trips that beat us down but that we never regret eh!
Thanks pal! Yeah absolutely, so many fond memories of this trip despite it being very hard work for some of it.
Thanks for a awesome and inspirational movie. Love from Sweden
Tack så mycket Nina, I'm really glad you liked the film! Sverige is one of my favourite countries - I'm actually going to be there for Christmas! Love from Scotland 🙂
Wow!! Absolutely amazing. The shots are super well done and creative! And the narration is not overly dramatic. Idk how you have only 175 subs, but lets make it 176 ;-)
Ahhh thanks so much! It was a lot of fun trying to get as creative as I could within the constraints of a tiny action camera - glad you liked the result! I haven't been very active on RUclips lately, but appreciate the extra sub ;)
Huge round on heart felt applause to you Sir!
I heard about your film from the Dirt Church Radio podcast. I really enjoyed it! Brilliant work on the run and the filming. It's a fantastic vid and exactly the sort of thing I had in mind when I started filming my own runs a year or two back.
Cheers Gareth - I remember listening to and liking your DCR chat too! Glad you liked the film - it became a pretty massive project in itself but I'm really pleased with the result, and I love hearing how people are connecting with it. I'll definitely check out some of your videos, and hopefully pick up some tips for a sub-3 marathon! All the best with you training, Matt.
Very cool!! I heard about this from the dirt church radio podcast. Bloody well done🤙
Ah nice, glad you liked the film and chat! Cheers
Remarkable ,👏👏, I fall short of words now, can’t express but really inspired to do something like this 👍, thank you , well done
Wow thanks so much, I love knowing that this might encourage others to put their shoes on for an adventure!
Well done. Truly inspiring
Thanks Alan, really appreciate that.
The best vid I have seen in a long time! What would you done differently in your gear selection?
Incredible! Looks so beautiful. Well done.
Thanks! Yeah the scenery on this trip was incredible - hard to get bored when Scotland's throwing all that at you!
Amazing job, well done!
Thanks mate!
Holy shit mate, that is absolutely incredible! Congratulations!
Thanks man! I see you've got some really adventurous videos yourself - will have to check them out.
@@MattGirvanNZ Nothing like this 😄 I just started filming my trips into the hills during winter and haven’t really stopped since then, with all the ups and downs that come along with it 🙂
Thanks for sharing your story. Very good spirit of adventure and adventure for a purpose as well.
Thanks Denis, really glad you liked the film and the story/purpose behind it.
Really enjoyed that. Well done Matt
Thanks Aaron, glad you liked it!
Fantastic film Matthew!
Thanks so much Markus!
Incredibly well done mate. So, so far, in rough terrain without support. You must have been knackered for a while after that lot.
Hey Matt - I came across your film serendipitously and am just blown away by it and by your fabulous achievement. Many congratulations, from an old CWT completer (14 days in 2019, via Knoydart variant - you really need to log this section). Best wishes for 2022.
Hey Nicholas, I'm glad you found the film and thanks so much for the comment! Well done on finishing the CWT - it really is a doozy, and yeah I'm very keen to explore Knoydart someday soon. Take care and happy new year!
Outstanding lad,well done 👏🏻
Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it!
Beautifully done, you’ve got a real talent!
Too kind, thank you!!
Brilliant, very impressive!
Cheers Jeremy, appreciate that.
I also read it on BBC news.
Awesome buddy. Totally awesome. I'm a former Royal Marine and in total admiration of your discipline and persistence, almost certainly the result of your confident optimism. Well done. Keep that optimism in life, don't let barriers that would stop others stop you.
Wow thank you, that means a lot coming from a Marine! Ultimately it's easy to put effort into something if you really enjoy it, and I just had to let the highs carry me through the lows. I'm sure you know all about that!
Outstanding achievement - congratulations!
Thanks Paul!
Great video, such lovely landscape. Very inspiring. Might have to get my walking boots on now…
Thanks Leng, the moody scenery really just speaks for itself. Hope your boots have been getting some use!
Amazing achievement, really well filmed!
Thanks, glad you liked it!
That was an awesome work of short documentary. Haha I thought you were a Pom. A Kiwi, so that explains the insanity of your attempt. Hats off mate. This video has inspired me to push my limits Fastpacking even at 55.
I have just watched your video after reading your story on bbc news well done you 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks Lewis, glad you liked the article and film!
Serious going....well done man!
Thanks Brian!
Awesome Matt.... Stella effort..... 💪💪
Thanks so much!
Just watched a few days after what was my biggest ever day walking in the cairngorms. I only managed half of Matt's daily total - and he did it day after day. I am in utter awe...
That's a big day out, nice work! I definitely switched into a different gear for this trip, but a day walk in the Cairngorms sounds much more enjoyable 🙂
Matthew just watched your BG round. Hero. Really well done. I'll give you the greatest tip my Welsh climbing instructor gave me though when I asked if he had any toilet paper on a trip to Snowdonia: he said "grab yourself a handful of moss. It's gods toilet paper." He's right.
Other than that, cracking effort... LOVED THE CHIPS AND GRAVY AND PIZZA COMBO. Did the GR5 last summer. Put it on your list...
Congratulations on your achievement, really enjoyed your story!
Thanks so much, glad you liked the journey!
excellent work fellow water industry professional. many many congrats from the other end of the UK
Thanks so much, and great choice of industry 😉
Fabulous film! I completed the CWT in fourteen days, and found that pretty full-on 😂 So the length of the SNT in the same period of time is astonishing!
Ah thanks Thomas! The CWT is tough going... nice work! I think next time I won't be quite so ambitious haha.
Congratulations! 💪💪💪👍🍻
Thanks Dávid!
fantastic film and brilliant storytelling
Wow thank you so much man! It blows me away that people are still finding and enjoying this.
Incredible! Well done!! :D
Cheers Kristen, much appreciated.
Fantastic!
Thanks Richard!
thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of your video journal! be well.
Really glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Nice! Well done 👏
Thanks, glad you liked it!
This is a really self-supported FKT. No crew, not even family members around; all the filming by yourself. (I would pretty sure forget to take fotos on an endeavor like this; can’t even imagine to compile a movie …) Congratulations !!!
Thanks Karsten! Yeah it was a fairly solitary endeavour, though so amazing to have had support from afar both during and after. I think I needed to talk to the camera to keep me sane!
wow massive respect mate, something you can talk about your entire life. Giving me itchy feet to do it now! hahaha
Ah thanks so much, yeah I won't forget this trip anytime soon! Haha itchy feet often lead to the best adventures ;)
Well done !
Thanks!
Inspirational well done 👍🏻
Thank you!
Hi Matt. Well done you beauty. I know that I am late to the party but this was such a great find from the Tube of U algorithm. Congratulations to you from the motherland (Wellington NZ).
Thanks Paul, glad the algorithm hit a winner for once! Well, I'm glad you thought so anyway. Hope all is well down in Welly!
Well done lad!
Thanks Steven!
Very inspiring! I bet the showers felt so good
Cheers bro, hope all is well with you! And you bet - the occasional showers and real beds were just incredible...
Good effort and well done 👍🏻
Saw this on BBC news. Well done. New Zealand boys always seem so strong and outdoorsy.
Although may be taking more and thicker socks might have been a good idea and perhaps keep feet drier if that's possible. I felt the pain.
Yeah I think the Kiwi/British landscapes and mindsets are similar enough that they translate well. But yes, I'll definitely be taking some better socks next time!
This is awesome! I want to hike this, great job!
Thanks very much, glad you liked it! You definitely should come and hike it - it's a brilliant journey.
@@MattGirvanNZ would be incredible!
Well done totally epic ..
Wow, thank you!
Congrats matt. You are an inspiration!
Wow thanks so much Mario!
@@MattGirvanNZ made me attempt an fkt on the gr11 :)
@@northofsociety Oh cool! And??
@@MattGirvanNZ went according to plan :)
Awesome, congrats man!!
It took you longer to make and post the video than it did to destroy the trail..!
I've said it before but I shall again, good effort on the record and achievement. I still remember feeling happy with myself that I was so far in on day 32 and you nodded saying well done and then informed me you were on day 11..!
Your next camp after that bothy I met you took me 2 days to get to, what a bothy it was too.
Haha yeah it did take me a while to get around to it... But it's been a great way to relive the memories - I'm sure there were a lot of familiar places/experiences for you.
That was a great night at the Schoolhouse Bothy, I really enjoyed trading adventure stories. And I owe you big time for the biscuits and phone charge! Hope we can finally catch up for that pint sometime soon.
👍🏾👏🏾 good stuff.
Thank you!!
Brilliant video, and awesome new FKT!! Huge respect mate, you did an incredible job. Started the vid and thought I recognise this guy! We met you in a bothy below Beinn Ime a little while back 😂 Small world.
Ahhh hey man, thanks for commenting - that was a great night in the bothy! I'm pleased to report the van did start the next morning, thankfully...
And thanks so much, glad you liked the film and adventure. Cool to see some epic stuff on your channel too - I'll definitely check out your videos! Hope you're having fun in the snow up north.
@@MattGirvanNZ Glad the van started! Your running adventures are incredible man, and very chilled on classic Kiwi style. 👌🏼
@@OutdoorIntrigue Ah cheers man, just loving finding some endurance in my legs and having a new part of the world to explore!
watching from Brazil. Loved it. congratullations.
Wow, so cool to know you're watching from all the way over there 🙂 Glad you liked it.
@@MattGirvanNZ yeah =D i've been to scotland twice, made a road trip on 2019. Hope i can come again someday!
Love it :)
Glad you liked it Wolfgang!
Cinematic dream nice work!!
Wow thank you! Amazing what you can do with a little action camera these days.
@@MattGirvanNZ did you use ND filters for the osmo action?
@@LeonHeyn I took a set with me and used them for a couple of slow-mo shots (waterfalls). But most of my filming was very much 'on the fly' and I didn't want to spend the time to set up filters etc for a shot.
Generally I've been really impressed with the Osmo Action and I'm not convinced that filters would add much for the type of rough and ready filming I do, so I actually haven't used them since.
Totally blown away but this video, what an achievement ❤️ can I ask do you have a packing list ? Would like an idea on what to take on a trip like this x
Wow thank you! Of course there was a very colourful spreadsheet behind all this... I made some comments on the gear in my trip report below, and there's a link to my full gear list too. Hope this helps!
stubbornlyoptimisticmatt.wordpress.com/2020/12/28/scottish-national-trail-trip-report-2/