As a seasoned mountaineer, I know that a successful expedition on the mountain depends as much on its provisions as its prowess – here are some ideas to nourish your body and fuel your mountaineering days out from my recent trip to Skye.
I experimented in traveling to Skye by public transport and as the campsite I was staying at was miles from a shop I decided to take what I needed with me. More on my experience on this trip and what routes we got done here.
In this post, I will share my thoughts on the food I took on my recent trip and how I tried to pack light and minimize my supplies. I was inspired by The Backpacker’s Cookbook by Dave Coustick and Moveable Feasts by Amy-Jane Beer and Roy Halpin, and I will provide a few examples of the recipes I decided to try on my trip.
Breakfast
I had taken muesli to have with dried milk powder followed by a boiled egg with an oat or corn crackers. Some days, I would have extra corn cake with peanut butter for an extra boost of protein. All washed down with a mug of peppermint tea, while making my sandwiches for lunch.
Lunch
For lunch on the trail, I carried two pitta breads with vegan cheese and quorn ham, a TREK Smooth Lemon Protein Flapjack, a Nakd Berry Delight Fruit & Nut bar, and some Nairns Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuits. I also carried 1 liter of water to stay hydrated.
In hindsight it would have been better to take more sandwiches although the weather was so wet, stopping to eat was a quick affair.
Dinner
As soon as I arrive down to the campsite I would have either a cup of Sainsburies Hubbard’s Foodstore Vegetable Cup Soup or Mama Instant Rice Noodles and an Itsu Instant Miso Soup Sachet
Then with some food and fluid in I would take time to sort through my kit for the next day making the most of any dry weather and then start on dinner. Some of the evenings that meant sitting outside on my spare tent footprint that I used as a picnic blanket and other sat inside the tent cooking just outside the door feeling glad to have a good supply of water in my waterbag to keep me going as in the following photo.
My three favourite recipes that I took were:
1) LENTIL & MUSHROOM CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
- 140g red lentils
- Sainsbury’s Sliced Button Mushrooms 290g (156g)
- Small handful of dried onion
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- Black pepper and mild chili powder, to taste
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the red lentils and stock. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft.
- Meanwhile, rehydrate the dried onion in a mug of water.
- Add the rehydrated onion, oil and tin of mushrooms to the pot of lentils. Cook until the mushrooms are tender.
- Season with black pepper and mild chili powder to taste. Serve with boiled basmati rice cooked in a separate pan.
2) RED LENTIL KEDGEREE
Ingredients:
- 1/2 mug of rice
- 1/2 mug of split red lentils
- 1 small handful of dried onion
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 heaped spoonful of curry powder
- 750ml of water
- Optional fresh vegetables
Instructions:
- In a pan, combine the rice, lentils, dried onion, vegetable stock cube, and curry powder.
- Add 750ml of water to the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let the rice and lentils cook for 25 minutes, or until tender and the water has been absorbed.
- Optional: add fresh vegetables to the pan for added flavor and texture.
- Serve immediately.
3) MUSHROOM STROGANOFF
- Sainsbury’s Sliced Button Mushrooms 290g (156g) or dried mushrooms
- small handful of dried onion
- 2 sachets of instant mushroom soup (or mushroom stock cube)
- 4 spoonfuls of milk powder
- ¼ tube (40g) of green pesto
- salt and pepper
- dash of olive oil
- 4 large handfuls of dried pasta
Instructions:
- If using dried vegetables, soak them according to the instructions on the pack. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a pan, carefully add ¼ mug of water and the mushrooms. The water will hiss and spit. As soon as it starts to boil, add the soup powder and pesto.
- Mix the milk powder with a small quantity of water in a mug to make a creamy mixture and add to the mushroom sauce. Stir well and set aside.
- In a larger pan, bring water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the instructions on the pack. Drain thoroughly and stir in the sauce. If needed, return to heat for another minute and serve immediately.
In addition to the recipes I shared above, I also had a couple of simpler meals on other nights, such as:
- Half a pack of couscous mixed with half a pack of cheese mash and served with a stir-in sauce.
On some nights, I opted for a
- Quick and easy meal like pasta with pesto.
It was a nice change of pace from the more complex dishes I had prepared earlier in the trip.
One thing that I noticed while camping on Skye was my gas usage. The Primus Power Gas 450g Cartridge canister of gas lasted just over three days, even though I was not particularly conservative with my usage.