The West Highland Way - 10 Mistakes I Made
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- The West Highland way should be a simple enough distance hike to complete, but make enough mistakes and that simple hike can quickly turn into a nightmare. Here are 10 mistakes I made that ruined my West Highland Way adventure.
The West Highland Way - 10 Mistakes I Made
The West Highland Way (Scottish Gaelic: Slighe na Gàidhealtachd an Iar) is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland. It is 154 km (96 miles) long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route.
The trail, which opened in 1980, was Scotland's first officially designated Long Distance Route, and is now designated by Scottish Natural Heritage as one of Scotland's Great Trails. It is primarily intended as a long distance walking route, and whilst many sections are suitable for mountain biking and horseriding there are obstacles and surfaces that will require these users to dismount in places.
It is managed by the West Highland Way Management Group (WHWMG) consisting of the local authorities for East Dunbartonshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland, alongside the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority and Scottish Natural Heritage. About 120,000 people use the path every year, of whom about 36,000 walk the entire route. The path is estimated to generate £5.5 million each year for the local economy.
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If you are hiking, walking or backpacking in the outdoors then the west highland way walk in Scotland is definitely for you. It stretches 96 miles, almost 100 miles ( 154km kilometres ) , starting in Milngavie and finishing in Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis. After Drymen you will climb Conic Hill where you will witness the bonny banks of Loch Lomond before descending into the village of Balmaha.
There are many options for camping and wild camping is permitted. I'd recommend pitching a tent at Bridge of Orchy. Visit the famous Green Welly Stop shop when you make it to Tyndrum, Inverardran and Crainlarich. Maybe you're planning on thru hiking from Glasgow to Rowardennan when walking the west highland way for beginners? Dont do this. It would be too far in one go. That would be my hiking advice anyway. Stick to Inversnaid, Inverarnan, and Inveroran and if possible try to stay at the Kingshouse Hotel. I would even consider Hammock or tarp camping in Kinlochleven or Kinlochmore.
You'll be climbing the tips of highlands mountains such as glen nevis, glen coe and the devils staircase as long as you avoid the 10 mistakes I made and follow my hiking tips.
Whether you are an expert in 2020 or needing hiking tips for beginners in 2021 please don't make the same hiking mistakes that I did in 2019.
Stay safe and happy hiking
Ewan Priest ( AKA Ewan Goes Hiking )
#westhighlandway #hikingscotland #ewangoeshiking
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Are you thinking about doing the West Highland way? Perhaps you're already planning your hike. Hopefully this video will be of some help to you.
If you've watched my videos you will already know that I was unable to complete the hike this year - having to call it quits 3 days in due to injury.
Here are 10 mistakes I made which ruined my hike. DON'T MAKE THESE MISTAKES!
17kg for a bag still seems much 😅 I've been training with a 10kg bag but the other day, I found myself having to carry bottles of water in a bag which weighed 20kg for about 4 miles - and it was dier! Haha
I'm preparing for WHW and am assuming I'll do no more than 15 miles a day. Asides from Loch lomond (as im aware that there's restrictions) is it okay to camp wherever you so desire?
Hi
Generally Scotland has the right to roam, so wild camping is OK with certain exceptions like Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Management Zones between March and September. There also may be certain restrictions in times of deer stalking, but that is later in the year and would apply to walking, not just wild camping, but unlikely on the WHW. However, I think some limited camping in these management areas is allowed if you pre-purchase a permit. But there are always commercial campsites along the way. Commercial campsites, now and again, will be good to get a shower, wash and dry your clothing and other gear. With the heavy foot traffic the WHW sees, there should be no problem finding open commercial campsites between March and say October. Outside these times, the weather can be horrendously wet and unpleasant, 4 seasons weather in a typical Scottish day. Being able to dry your wet clothing out at overnight stops is a real bonus, which you should think about when not wild camping. Putting on cold wet clothing in the morning is not something to look forward to! BHamishB
@@AmarSingh-ew3nc
I usually do the WHW every year for the past 6 years, I often combine it with the Great Glen to make a longer adventure. I always carry my own pack at around 12kg and wild camp unless camping restrictions are in affect. Usually is is just me and the dog but one year I took my mum, while she does want to try again she experienced a lot of similar set backs. The biggest hurdle for her was they way other hikers talk about mileage. While I know I can do a comfortable 30 miles I would never expect someone with limited/no hiking experience to keep to that. I suggested we do 5 - 7 miles per day and just have a longer adventure. However because of the way other hikers talked she quickly became self-conscious and pushed herself far to hard doing 12 miles on her very first day and getting blisters. then when day two progressed slowly she felt bad.
There is nothing wrong in taking your time, the best piece of advice I can offer is ignore when other people talk about there amazing mileage just be proud your out and about. Its far harder and braver to do these things if you are a little unfit or inexperienced, don't worry what you think other people may say or do, just do you.
For all the experienced hikers out there remember its not about how fast you can do it, but how much we all enjoy it.
Great advice Natasha. Thank you 😊👍
Natasha Hazle Well said!
I used to do the 40km; no longer. Too creaky. It is the joy of being there. Especially with everything on your back.
I'm 10km, 10kg now. Maybe less.
Even when the rain is coming horizontal off the atlantic, but you are ready for it. Ah, back to basics...
And the phone is charged, you have a signal, kindle is there, water and Merlot is to hand and all the bivvy kit there. A brew and some dreadful package food that tastes like Michelin 3*
Exactly. That's what I've been saying. I can do it in 3 days by myself. I did it with my girlfriend in 7 days. Stopping as often as we like to enjoy different parts of the trail. The whole purpose of something like this should always be the enjoyment and tranquility of nature. If people are so obsseeed with numbers maybe they should look into an endurance race, not a long distance hike.
Natasha, thanks for your encouraging comment. I'm planning to walk the WHW next April/May. Being 60 years of age and only used to dayhikes, I decided to take all the time I need. I'm planning on spending two weeks on the WHW. I'm even planning two days of rest. Just in case. Both, the days of rest as well as shorter stages will allow me to see a little bit if what's left an right of the path.
Your comment is encouraging me to proceed as planned. Thank you.
I admire your honesty here mate - good on you!!
I appreciate that Neil. Cheers 😊👍
To avoid blisters, I wear two pairs of socks. A thin pair next to the skin and hiking socks on top. The socks rub together instead of rubbing against your skin. Walked the WHW twice and never had any blisters.
Good piece of advice. Thank you. I always walk distance walks with 1000 mile socks now. Pretty much the same thing.
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. 🙂
dont wear two pairs of socks.causes more heat so more blisters.one thick pair of socks is the way foward rhe less friction the better
@@chrisyoung9653 wrong
What about using talcum powder on your'e feet would that stop blisters.
Good list.... Many years since I completed it, I remember the last time (1994) I attempted it with my non-hillwalking mate. I had it planned to a T. Not too far, me carrying the most (18 stone second row forward playing first team rugby!) leaving him with only essentials to carry. He appeared at the train station with a MASSIVE rucksack. Told me he had packed a leather jacket and good jeans for going out at night! Honestly!
Day 1, we barely made it to Drymen and got a B&B. Day 2 - Conic Hill nearly killed him. Stopped at Balmaha for a quick bite to eat and a quick pint (would be rude not too!) Was served "proper scrumpy" from a barrel underneath the bar. After 3 or 5 of them we decided to start walking again. Leaving the pub I threw my rucksack over my shoulder, heard a crack and realised my index finger had been caught in the strap and had broken/rotated through 90 degrees. Woops. Ended up getting the ferry from Rowardennan to Tarbet and hitching a lift to Fort William to get my hand sorted (interestingly enough, straightened my finger without anaesthetic as I had been drinking!).
At least my mate got to wear his bloody jacket.
Definitely want to do the WHW again though!
I hope your next attempt goes a bit smoother (and your pal leaves the leather jacket at home). 😂
Thanks for the comment Rob. Gave me a giggle. 😊
Mate I literally pished myself laughing at this, leather jacket 😂😂😂
Thanks for your honesty.
"Let the shipwrecks of others be your seamarks" as they say. 😊
Love that saying. So true. 😊
I failed the west highland way 5 times before finally completing it yesterday. Everything listed in this video played a huge part in each downfall - but a different one or two each time, I didn't repeatedly make the same mistakes. My advice would be - Do not underestimate this walk, particularly if you're doing it by yourself. It is simple in terms of layout and that it has a beaten path but there is a psychological aspect to this as well as the fitness. Its a beast of a walk if you're not in the correct mindset. Just because a lot of people do it, it doesn't mean you just show up. There is huge effort required.
I did the WHW back in 2018 and I had done some pretty good research beforehand. I had watched some people on TH-cam talking about the WHW, read some blogs and also basically learned the guide book by heart, so when I started hiking I knew roughly what I was doing. Not to mention that I've been working as an outdoor/hiking guide since 2015, so I knew my gear pretty well and also my overall streght.
My goal was to hike about 22 km per day on average, but also listen to my body, just in case I need more time or a longer rest. On day 1 I sticked to my planned route to the meter, as I had pre-booked a spot to camp and obviously made use of that. After that first night I had nothing pre-booked anymore, just in case the distance I chose was to big for me to handle and I needed to stop somewhere else.
Day 2 came around and the weather was perfect. Sunshine with mild wind, not to warm or to cold. So I hiked and hiked and pushed myself further than what I had planned, but I really wanted to make use of the nice weather, just in case the other days would be just rain. So on Day 2 I covered 36 km, bringing me a lot further on my track, than what I had planned. Day 3 was the same, weather again amazing for hiking and I pushed myself a lot further than the planned 22'ish km, so by the time Day 3 was over I had hiked close to 100 km, out of the planned 66. I basically was a whole day and a bit ahead of schedule and I could feel it in my legs, not going to lie. When I woke up on Day 4 I looked at the map and decided to force myself in doing a shorter hike today, just to allow my legs and feet to get some more rest, and just have more time in Camp. Maybe even dip myself into some body of water and go for a swim, or at least cool my feet down in a stream. While I was hiking (again, weather was nice, a bit more windy and cloudy than before, but still dry) I ran into some other hikers and we started chatting. Accodring to them the weather was supposed to change the next day to strong winds and rain, so I made the decission to push myself one more day, just so on (what would probably be my last hiking day) the next day I only had to cover a short distance and hopefully not end up feeling to miserable and soaked by the time I walk into Fort Williams. Well I underestimated how much I can push myself and by the time I whipped out my map in the afternoon to check for a good spot to camp, I noticed that I was less than 10km away from Fort Williams already and made the (stupid) decission to just finish the WHW that day and sleep in a proper bed. Not going to lie, the idea of having a shower and a cosy bed gave me some fresh motivation and I just kept on walking, but by the time I arrived in a BnB that had room for me, I was so tired that I nearly fell asleep under the shower, didn't even have dinner and went straight to bed. My legs and back where sore the next day and I was sort of disapointed, that the WHW was already over.
So now for 2020 I wanted to go back and do it again, but being more strickt on the distances set, to sort of "force" myself to take more breaks and just enjoy it more, instead of just keep pushing myself to the limits. But then the whole Plague happened so for now this is postponed to 2021. Not going to lie, I'm acutally happy that I postponed it now, as it gives me more time to hike with my dog and get him used to sleeping in a camp, before we head out on the WHW (he's never seen a tree in his life, so it'll be exciting for him).
Hiking 50 km in a day is no fun, not even with a rather light pack (mine weight about 12 kg with water and food) and your legs are going to hate you for pushing the limits.
It's especially hard, if you've hiked 40'ish km the days before, I know that some thru hikers do that a lot, but for me it was quite a push. The hills and rocky path where rather nice tho, as where I usually hike our hills are just piles of loose rocks with no path what so ever, so this was rather easy in comparison.
But I definetly say, do your homework before going on a longer track, read/watch what other people have to say about the track, give your gear a good test beforehand and listen to your body. Don't push yourself for no good reason and enjoy being outside. It's supposed to be fun, not a race.
Some great advice there. Really enjoyed reading about your WHW trip. Thank you 😊👍
Thanks Ewan, you nailed it. Boy, this brought back memories- some good, some not so good. I did it twice ('02 & '04) and dropped out halfway through due to overweight pack, serious blisters, dehydration, and being the "hard man" instead of the "smart man". I was embarrassed and humbled.
Stages: Milngavie to Drymen, Drymen to Rowardennan (Hostel), Row to Crianlarich, Crian to Bridge of Orchy, BoO to Kinlochleven, Kinl to FW. My Dad tagged along and he stayed at B&B's while I camped. We'd meet for lunch and at days end.
Similar to your experience, Ewan, my mistakes:
1. Heavy backpack- too much spare clothing, camping gear, luxury crap. Much lighter 2nd time. Was too proud to ask my Dad put some non-essential items in the car!
2. Boots/Socks: I wore an old pair of 70s style leather hiking boots I bought in Canada and 1 pair of cotton socks. This was my biggest mistake. My feet were soaking wet, badly blistered and swollen so much it was agony squeezing on my boots next morning. My toenails fell out later. My 2nd time, I invested in good hiking boots, and 2 x 2 pairs of socks (1 thin, 1 slightly thicker). I also taped up my heels and between toes each morning with a bit of surgical tape (unnecessary at start but glad later)
3. Hydration: Same, I'd fill my Nalgene bottle and think I'd wait till next big stop to refill. I collapsed and was dry-heaving at Crianlarich.
4. Route Planning: By far the hardest part was Rowardennan to Crianlarich. The route was long, 80% along Lomond, and was hard on quads and knees with that ridiculous pack. On 2nd time, I prepared the hard stages and where I'd be sore and managed it (ie. avoid Devil's Staircase at end of a long day).
5. Training: I'd done a few marathons and tri's and was generally fit, but throw a heavy pack on, walk all day up and down with wet, blistered feet, and camp rough took its toll on my quads, knees, ITB. I trained (including good stretching) for the second one and was glad.
6. Hiking Pole: none the first attempt, glad I had it on the second time.
7. Fast Walking: I had a race mentality and tried to power each stage. My 2nd time, I left early, paced myself, took time to enjoy the scenery, stopped more to have a flask of tea, pint at BoO. I even went for a quick (cold) swim near Ardlui and loved it. Know your limits and embrace why you're there.
I learned from my mistakes on the second attempt (same schedule and route) and it was way more enjoyable. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks again and good luck!
Really appreciate you taking the time to write that. I think a lot of people will find it helpful. Sounds like you definitely learned from your initial mistakes and had a great WHW second time round. All the best 👍
Good on you Ewan for being so honest. To be fair to you, anyone of us could have made those mistakes. Keep up the videos 👍
Thanks William. I appreciate that.
All the best,
Ewan
Totally agree.
We’ve all been there. Lessons learned and you’ll become more and more an experienced and sufficient hiker. Just don’t give up yet
Hiking experts : your pack should weigh no more than 20% of your body weight.
Soldiers everywhere : Lol
....true 😂
That's why most infantry soldiers have knees like Jenga stacks by the time they are 35
@@woden_the_wanderer true 😂.
@@woden_the_wanderer This i can confirm, i'm in my forties and had to give up hiking for bike packing due to my weetabix knees.
Yuup
Water! The WHW was my first walk, aged 60. I prepared well, main pack went via carrier, first section was as yours, to conic hill. I got to the pub at the car park at balmaha but couldn't eat a thing, l was ill! Three pints of cider later I was fine. Moral? Drink something!!! From then on I was fine. Took me 7 days. 3 or 4 years later I did it again over 5 days. Still drinking! Now I always carry a daily supply of strongbow when I'm walking. Enjoy the fresh air while you can, now my health has gone of all the many and varied things I used to enjoy hiking is the one I've missed the most. Cheers, Dusty.
Cheers Dusty. So sorry to hear you can't get out hiking anymore. Wishing you all the best and thanks for watching and commenting.
Every time I get a foot/knee/hip injury there has always been one common factor - I walked more than 15 miles in a day. So I conclude that when you walk over that distance you are going to pick up injuries. They might not be serious ones but when you are walking long distances day after day even minor injuries (blisters, slight sprains) can make it a much less enjoyable experience. Walking too far in a day especially at the beginning of the trail when you're body hasn't adjusted to the physical challenge is, for me, one of the worst decisions you can make. Usually by about day 3 you notice a big change in your ability to sustain the physical challenge of it but don't get carried away, take it easy and take one or two extra days to complete the trail - you are supposed to be enjoying yourself, it's not a race, try and keep your distances around or less than 15 miles. Also the other thing I would mention is pack weight. Don't take ANYTHING you don't REALLY need. You need basics - you need to stay warm, dry, hydrated, and you need to take care of your feet. You don't need a book, a laptop or a fresh t-shirt for every day on the trail! If you are camping invest in light weight gear. It is worth it a thousand times over.
Great advice. Thank you 😊👍
Philliben1991 that’s great advice. I’ve just failed in my attempt to walk the Cleveland Way as I developed shin splints and had to quit after 90 miles. Despite all the training I did for it, walking 22 miles and 23 miles on the first 2 days was the main cause.
Good advice!
Made everyone of these mistakes mate, you are not alone 😂 and put my knee out on the first day just after Balmaha after a 22 mile day. Battled ex hurricane Callum from day 2, left my water proof trousers in Inversnaid day 3. Stuck hip deep in a bog at the start of day 4 after finally drying out my boots the night before... Pro Plus and pain killers (and thank God for the walking poles that made good crutches) got me through and managed Ben Nevis at the end, but I was broken 😂
Ben Nevis at the end too? Glutton for punishment. 😂 Sounds like you had an eventful hike for sure.
Good video Thanks. I've found that if I have layers of merino wool, which doesn't stink (synthetics are the worst) I take fewer clothes. I'll have one extra t-shirt, 1 extra underpants and the rest is just 2-3 layers then a jacket and scarf. I could do 30C or 0C. I think we take more clothes to feel more comfortable, which means we don't smell like a dumpster. Ditching the synthetics seems to mean you can wear the exact same things day after day. (My wool will get salt stains from my sweat, but a rinse and wearing it - if it's not too cold - will quickly dry it out. (I'm surprised no one in the UK with all those sheep around has ever noticed how comfortable they seem in all conditions.)
Hotspots. Leukotape, or some equivalent. Yep, I've done what you did. Now at the sign of anything I slap on some tape, maybe it was a hotspot maybe it wasn't -- no matter it's taken care of. I think I've learned to wear oversized boots (but this is hardly expert advice. For years I was size 8.5 (US) then I was 9- 9.5, when I started wearing 10.5s I was in heaven. I'm 64 I've learned that our feet, noses, and ears keep growing, I just don't know when our feet start doing this and I don't know if anyone else should be wearing larger boots). And of course a pair of socks and maybe a t-shirt kept aside just for the sleeping bag. What's better under the fly than fresh socks and a sleeping bag?
I'm allergic to down so I have to carry a heavier synthetic bag, but I also carry a Thermorest Liner. It's like having a thermostat in my sleep gear. If it's hot I'll sleep on top of my bag in the liner, a bit cooler, just the bag... I've also got a cheap heavy fleece liner that could be a sleeping bag all by itself. It had a zipper which just got in the way. I sewed it up and after a test night I used a stitch-ripper to remove the zipper.
Charging block. I was in Japan with my iPhone 6s, summer of 2016. It had a problem where the phone's battery would just die. I had an Anker 20800 block. Always got me through. (I've got the bigger one now, but it's overkill. The 20800 size will get your 4-5 good days using GPS)
What happened to your knee? When I hiked up Ben Nevis as the first of many planned hikes in the Highlands, my knee started hurting something awful. I did two more hikes before I taped it up and turned Scotland into a road trip with limping. On my last day before taking the ferry to Belfast, I was camping in a town with good WiFi, so I set out to google my symptoms. Because I'd done this before I had one operating premise: What ever I would find would invariably turn out to be wrong! (So why do it?) An hour an a half later I figured out I needed one of two major surgeries with months of PT. But then I said, "But I know that I'm wrong!" So I kept digging. Also the two conditions were caused by sudden accidents, like basketball and the footie, my condition just got worse the more I walked. I changed walking to running and came upon Illial Tibial Band Syndrom ITBS. WIthin 30 minutes I'd watched a few TH-cam videos and then spent ten (ridiculous) minutes rolling my butt on my coffee mug. Then I peeled off the tape and...went for a walk! A woman who had jogged by me that morning jogged by again, "You're doing better!" So I started to tell her... "Oh, yeah, ITB syndrome. All us runners know..." I'd been a runner before-- I never knew. I'd even met a doctor on Hadrian's Wall who chatted me up about my limp and knee.
The buckle on your backpack. Would it have been better if it had broken on the hike and you'd jury rigged it with string? I've been in that situation where fewer options would've been better options. Of course how do you know?
Also Sealskinz waterproof socks. Amazing. I get chilblains, but not with these socks. I turn them inside out at night to air them out, wear them every day for days and days. They aren't cozy, but they are never chilly. Okay, enough of my nonsense. If I've got time to yammer on with all this nonsense it's clear I haven't been on a hike in a month.
Thanks for the awesome reply. Some great info in there. Yeah I swear by merino wool. It can be pricey but you definitely get your moneys worth. My knee issue was a strained IT band (syndrome). I had torn my meniscus the previous year which didn't help and I think the extra weight and miles were just too much.
Thanks again for the reply. I enjoyed reading it. 😊
@@EwanGoesHiking Your welcome Ewan. ouch! So same condition. IT band (syndrome). I feel for you. *Be a good topic for a video, especially how to check if you're beginning to get it, how to avoid it....*
I was in Kirkcudbright, high on a hill searching the internet for information. After I was pretty sure what was wrong, (after I was pretty sure I was wrong and keep searching) I came across this video: th-cam.com/video/GI1MB2eii-8/w-d-xo.html I didn't want to be a typical male pig and watch it because it had an attractive woman... I finally relented. Best video on how to treat it. I wrapped my stainless steel Klean Kanteen thermos in my 2'x2' 1/2" yoga (butt) pad, and started rolling out my thigh and butt on the picnic table bench. The Scottish must depths of tolerance because no one called the police. Within ten minutes I knew it was working.
And the brilliant thing about fixing a knee by rolling out your butt and thigh is that if you are entirely wrong about your diagnosis -- you are never doing anything to your knee - so you can't make it worse.
And (as I am sure you know) the inflammation, and pain, are still present, but I could begin to walk without the knee brace and tape. I only wished I'd been able to figure this out before Ben Nevis.
A major symptom I'll bet even your physical therapist isn't aware of: I started slowing down long before I was aware of the pain. In 2009 I was the fastest hiker in China, in 2016 the Japanese left me in the dust and I began to notice I had to take it easy on big drops (I was also 60 years old, so I assumed weaker ligaments cartilage). I was in Scotland in 2018. So fellow hikers might notice when a buddy is slowing down, or having problems on big down steps.
The weeks before Ben Nevis I'd walked all over London and did about 40 miles of the Wessex Ridgeway over 5 days (60 lb backpack - stupid) I don't remember any problems (until I realized my water filter hadn't been working....) I think it was the climbing on Ben (I took the tourist path up and down), and especially coming down where my knee started screaming. I rested a few days and then hiked Torredon, made it to the loch, limped back. Suilven, I got to where you turn off the loch to reach the approach and had to turn back. After that just driving for two weeks. Two days after I fixed it at Kirkcudbright I was walking all over Belfast, a few days later I did over ten miles to and around the Giant's Causeway. A few other similar hikes around Ireland. The 180 meter climb to St. Fionan’s Monastery on Skellig Michael? No problem. What surprised me was how it seemed runners know all about ITBand and hikers seem to not know, and how I lived 60+ years, as a nerd, runner, hiker with occasional knee twinges but never learning about it.
Ewan I think you are the man to launch the SNITBSC, the Scottish National Illial-tibial Band Syndrome Campaign. Or maybe make a video. Interview your physical therapist, doctor, hiking buddies, "We didn't want to say anything. Ewan's our mate....We were afraid we might have to put him down...." I intended this to be short, but I think I'm just procrastinating going for a walk or a peddling my bike...
I did the WHW in 2001 with my 18mth old baby on my back, we camped mostly, staying at kings house hotel along the way. I think he may be the youngest person to complete the walk.
That's pretty damn impressive. Thanks for sharing. 😊
Not as if he walked it😅😂
That’s a toddler, not a baby😉what did you do with his nappies btw?
He was the easiest baby you could ever have, hand delivered by Jesus himself. We are seasoned campers and always 'leave no trace'. We carried everything including bagged up nappies... mind there are quite a few bins along the walk.
@@fraser6772 he walked little bits of it.
being able to indentify mistakes and learn from them goes a long way ! Ive done a WHW , A TGO and numerous dartmoor hikes, and have made every one of these! but the key is dial in yr gear b4 a big hike, practicing on overnighters, figure out wot works, wot doesnt, also, cheap gear is a false economy, doesnt mean good gear is expensive, but researching gear is always good, a good idea is to search on youtube ppl doing the same hike, I always check out their review of the hike, see their gear and any issues they had on route, on the WHW i saw ppl saying the top loch lomond section was hard going so adjusted my campsites accordingly. I always pace my hikes round 15 miles per day, stopping regularly , i take my boots off, check and air feet, whilst resting, this helps loads. i could go on, but any questions always happy to help out a fellow hiker! ATB WJ
Some cracking advice there mate. Really appreciate it.
Great video. Really useful info. Thank you.
Thanks for making this video, its very useful and imformative
Superb video incredibly helpful.
Great video! Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences, couldn’t have been easy.
My own tips:
1. Build up some hard skin on your feet before doing it, using the footwear you intend to use. Add any blister protection when your feet are dry, before you set off.
2. Travel LIGHT. And then LIGHTER! Don't pack much food.
3. Under estimate your abilities. E.g. I thought I could manage ~15 mile days which is usually very easy. But with a pack, I was struggling to hit 10 mile days. Subsequently I only managed 55 of the 96 miles.
4. Don't wrap up TOO warm at night. One night was -1 so I wore extra layers and a fleece sleeping bag liner. I actually ended up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night.
5. Travel outside of midgie season.
Some good advice there, particularly number 5. People really do underestimate the wee blighters if they've never experienced them before. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
I loved your honesty!
Thank you for your honest story! It helps me a lot. I'm walking it first week May 2024. I hope you can do it again and then enjoy of a lot!!! 🙋🏼♀️
Really helpful!!!
Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot.
You're welcome Stacey. Glad it was of some use. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great video. Full of helpful precautions. You asked for advice. I did full length of West highland way 16 years ago and my advice is. Relax, take an extra day, speak to the people you meet and learn their stories. Worked for me and I met my wife. Enjoy this beautiful walk.
You gained a wife and all I got was a busted knee! haha
Some good advice there Ken. Much appreciated. 👍
I finished the WHW in September and I was incredibly lucky. It was my first hike ever (not even long distance, hike in general) and you might call that insane. We took 7 1/2 days and it took all I had. But it was an experience I’d Never want to live without.
My tip:
no matter how rainproof your gear is, waterproof it extra with a plastic lining.
And really get yourself some rainpants. I didn’t have any and ended up buying them in tyndrum and it was so much more pleasant from there on out.
And really don’t pack as much stuff, the first few days killed me!
Some good advice there....particularly the waterproofing.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Much appreciated. 😊👍
Very helpful
Excellent and honest vid, cheers Ewan 👍
It's such an honour to get to know you today!! Great video. Really helped me to prepare for the hike.
I did the southern part, Crianlarich to Drymen, in one 16-hour walk. 12 noon to 4am the next morning. I had two cameras, a laptop with 3G, a wrap from Pret-a-Manger, and two bottles of water which I refilled. Not sure it was the wisest plan, but I did it. Eating the wrap at night on the shores of Loch Lomond was heavenly. I'm a city person ;)
Sounds like a good way to spend 16 hours. Thanks for watching and commenting Pavlos.
Brilliant. So helpfully honest. Thank you.
Very kind words. Much appreciated Muhammad. :)
I used to live in Lochgoilhead Argyll and me and my pal decided to do The Cobbler. It was a lovely day and thought it would be a doddle. We started off in Arrochar and walked around loch long until we came to the entrance just off the road. Once we got to the main prominence we decided to not stick to the path but turn off to the left and ascend up the middle of the mountain, between the two towers. I’ll never forget the fear I felt once we were forced onto our hands and knees and clinging to the grass and heather. I was frightfully aware of my slippery nylon trousers and one slip I would have slidden down and into the jagged rocks below at 100 mph 😱 I am still alive so I didn’t fall. But once we got to the top the weather suddenly changed and became like a hurricane with freezing wind. It literally made my face muscles seize up. We lost complete visibility and we found the nearest cave and hid inside. I actually started crying because I felt we weren’t gonna make it. But we decided to brave the storm and and see if we could see anyone. I remember suddenly seeing a red colour and knew it was the people who were in front of us at the start. That was my most scariest moment. I’ve done a lot of silly other things when I was 19. I wanted to climb all of the Arrochar alps and I did them all on my own without any planning and in winter snow. But I must have been charmed because I never fell foul of anything thank the Lord.
And one more thing, my most beloved Mountain is beinn bheula for spiritual reasons. And she is gorgeous
Scary stuff. Sounds like you've been a lucky lad. Beinn Bheula definitely is gorgeous. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Really helpful thank you so much for sharing
Not a problem. Glad you found it useful. :)
Some excellent advice, very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you found it to be of use. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Very helpful, thank you.
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great advice. Thanks for taking the time to upload. Cheers. 👍
I appreciate that. Thanks Gordon. 👍
Sounds like a humbling experience, great content, thanks for sharing, cheers
Thank you 😊
Good advice , for all hikes!
Thx
Thank you. 😊
Thanks Ewan very helpful
No problem. Thanks for watching and commenting Raymond. 👍
Thanks for great tips 👍😃
You're welcome. Glad it was of some use. 😊
Thank you for your valuable advise🤘
You're welcome. Thanks for commenting. 😊
Thanks very much buddy this kind of information is beyond valuable to beginners like myself thanks for sharing your experience advice taken on board
This is an excellent and well presented video full of very good advice.
Cheers!
I appreciate that Tim. Thanks 😊
Brilliant, thanks so much for your candid share, this is what we all need :-)
Thank you Cathie. I really appreciate the kind words.
This was an awesome listen. Hard lessons learned are the best ones.
Aren't they just. Thanks for the kind words Marc 👍
Great video thanks for posting 👌
Cheers. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. 👍
@@EwanGoesHiking you're welcome 😊
Well done Ewan. Your honesty is what helps other people. So instant sub from me. I am planing to do this hike next year.
Really appreciate that. Thank you 😊
Brilliant informative video.
Sorry you had to endure such hardships along your way but at least your experience will make people like me more savvy! Thank you!
Great video cheers for sharing 🏴
Thanks Scott 👍
Great watch Ewan and hopefully you managed to attempt the WHW again. Happy to help you next time you attempt it. 🤙🏼
Thank you for the nice lesson in order to avoid mistakes on this beautifull hike (and other hikes). I appreciate the way you did this. Sharing your mistakes with us takes some courage. Thanks again.
Thank you 😊
Thanks for the good advice, simple points when you explain them like this. But easily overlooked !!
Thank you John 😊
Great video! thanks!
Really appreciate that Julia. Many thanks :)
@@EwanGoesHiking welcome!
Thanks for your honesty, some really good reminders. Hope you recovered and gave it another bash!
You're welcome mate. The covid lockdown scuppered my WHW return. Probably be hitting it again in the spring. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment Gareth. Much appreciated.
Fair play , good honest advice thanks
Thank you 😊
Thanks for the video, some very useful information. I’m planning to do this trip around the end of March, I’ve taken on board all you have said👍
You're welcome. Hope it's been of some use. Good luck with your WHW in March. (you should be early enough to avoid the midges. Lucky you) 😊
Great tips.
Thanks Susan. Much appreciated.
Well done for posting this. There's a lot to be learned from other's mistakes.
I appreciate that mate. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I appreciate your honest assessment of things that didn't work out well on your trek. You have helped me prep for my trip. Thank you!
No probs. Glad it helped you. 😊👍
Thanks for a honest heads up on this hike. I will use your advice
No problem Lee. Glad it's been of use.
All the best, Ewan 👍
Very helpful advice..ty bro..
No probs. Thanks for watching and commenting Jason. 😊
Well done for your open and honesty some great advice for people to think about before doing a similar trip
Thank you Adrian. 👍
Thanks mate the video was very useful. Happy I decided to do some research 😁😁
Glad you found it of some use. Thanks for watching :)
Respect. Excellent points. I hope you get out again and do it.
That was so interesting and informative...thank you @@
You're welcome Michael. Thanks for watching and commenting. Much appreciated. 👍
Great video buddy. Good advice shared here. I am planning to do the West Highland Way next April so glad I saw your channel. Thank you for posting it. 👍
No problem. Let me know how you get on. Good luck with your hike. 👍
Awesome advice 👍, many honest points, your a 💯% legend, just found your channel
🫶 it, now for a wee binge watch 😁
Thanks a lot.😊😊
Terrific video! Tnx a lot. /Ralf, Sweden
Thank you Ralf. :)
This is on my bucket list,I aim to do it this year,your vid is very informative,I'll be watching it again nearer to time when I g o,thanks 👍
I appreciate that. Thank you. Good luck with your WHW hike. Let me know how you get on.
Thanks pall appreciated
Could not agree more. Great video 👍🏼
Thanks Danielle. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment too.
Ewan Goes Hiking you’re welcome, be sure to check out my WHW vlogs 🙋🏼♀️🥰
Hi @ewangoeshiking great video, great tips and advice. I've been considering the WHW for quite sometime and thought that perhaps it would be great to do when I an lucky enough to retire. However with increasing aches and pains developing as I continue to age, I think that sooner rather than later maybe a better option for success.
Watching your video gave me much to consider. So I'm glad that I watched it. Many thanks for the honest assessment of possible outcomes.
Best wishes. Paul Mansell. 👍
Thank you for such great insight! I am heading over from Texas in June 2020. I appreciate your honesty and advice!!
Thank you. Hopefully it is of some use to you. Good luck with your West Highland Way hike in June. 😊
Have done it thrice with friends over the years. Carried all our gear as well. Not easy but we completed it every time with the rough planning we made for the first time. Great walk that I hope to do again one day.
The WHW is on my list and I would ideally like to attempt it next year. I havent even started to plan so this was a great watch! Not everything goes right first time and even though it’s frustrating the lessons learnt will be taken forward when smashing it and going to do even bigger adventures! Great video! 🙂👍🏼
Thank you. I totally agree....nothings a failure if you learn from it. I'll be much more prepared for the next one. 😊
Great vid. Informative and you're a funny guy.
Thanks Frankie. Really appreciate that. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks for letting us learn and "benefit" from your mistakes. Planning on doing the West Highland Way next year. I hope you get to complete it one day!
You're welcome and thank you. I'm heading back out to do it (properly this time) in 2020. Looking forward to it. Good luck with your own WHW hike.
Really useful video good luck on your next attempt mate
I appreciate that. Thanks. :)
Excellent advice buddy.
Thank you 😊
Fair play to you for sharing Ewan, not easy to talk openly like you have... I'm sure that this will help many many others 👍🏻
Appreciate that Ross. Here's hoping someone benefits from it. All the best. 👍
Thank you so much for you great advances 🤩 You are such a sympathetically person and I love to watch your experiences with west highland´s way obstacles fighting again an big ego 😉. I will take care with my plan to walk there. You helped me much. Thanks and have e good time
You're welcome Sandra. Thank you for the kind words. :)
Cracking video, great advice too. see you have the same solar charging unit as myself, proved very useful for me on my Loch Lomond walk in Oct 2019. I made the mistake of taking the same gear and pack I used in my 30's, plus my home made leather side bag. Other than that, I knew I was only doing Loch Lomond and wanted to be away for the week, so just paced myself to enable me to walk that distance in the five days. However, like you, I didn't know the bridge was out at the Beinglas Farm Campsite, so I wasn't expecting that extra few miles round onto the A82 and into Inverarnan. Other than those two things and the rain, which stopped me filming, I had a great walk. Have saved your video, going to check out your others and save them too. Love it, very useful advice.
Duly noted, thanks for sharing 😊
No problem. Thanks for watching and commenting Carrol. 👍
I would advise learning to use walking poles beforehand for walking the WHW. We walked without poles and I nearly came a cropper coming down Conic Hill, also nearly taking someone else with me. Walking poles can be used as brakes when coming down and they spread the load throughout the walk, saving you knees. I joined a Nordic Walking group to learn how to use poles effectively and efficiently before our next through hike and they made all the difference. I admire your honesty Ewan. Do you plan to try again? We had a day off in Fort William and walked the Great Glen to Inverness. If you ever do this, stop at the first lock office on the Caledonian Canal and buy a “facilities key” (£5). Most of the locks along the Caledonian Canal have loos and hot showers; some evening have laundry facilities. There is good wild camping at the locks. One even has a floating pub. Good luck for next time.
Thanks Cath. Great info on the walking poles. Yeah I'll be heading out on the WHW early next year hopefully. Would've done it this summer if it hadn't been for the lockdown.
Thanks for this, I found it extremely helpful and really good points, have subscribed now 👍🏻
Really appreciate that Chris. Thanks you 😊
Already done the WHW but an excellent video. Yep, also ended up tight with water at Conic Hill. The stream and sheep as you cross the bridge to conic did not look inviting As for blisters none as I tool proactive route and leuko taped possible blisters points before hiking.
Great useful video Ewan.
I actually walked the West Highland Way, way back in October 1983. Took me 5 nights starting and finishing at lunchtime. I made several of these mistakes, which I will try not to repeat again. The time was quite late in the year, but at least midges were not a problem. However, it started to rain (as I set up a wild camp in the Garadhban Forest), about four hours after starting out from Milngavie and the rain didn't stop until the last morning.
My first mistake was carrying far too much weight. My pack weight peaked at 56lb/25.5kg but reduced to about 48lb/21.8kg towards the end (food). I did carry dehydrated food (disgusting stuff - hopefully the freeze dried modern meal packs are better). But I also carried too much salt, pepper, a toilet bag and even an electric shaver! What was I thinking about? I cooked with a Primus Stove and paraffin. I didn't carry too much fuel but the Primus stove was quite heavy, so in future I would use an Iso-Butane gas light weight stove.
I had been doing quite a lot of serious mountain hill walking the previous year in Torridon, Knoydart, etc. So should have been relatively fit.
I carried a 2 man Winter Gear Sapphire tent, which was very good but weighed 3.31kg, so heavy by today's standards. My sleeping bag was a Blacks Mummy sleeping bag I think (1.99kg, plus 0.386kg cotton liner). There are much lighter options available now). It was warm enough, except on my last night in a bothy (Tigh-na-sleubhaich) between Kinlochleven and Fort William. But Tents tend to be warmer than bothies unless you have a roaring fire to warm the place. That bothy may no longer be there as people may have vandalised it for firewood!! I saw some evidence of this a few years later when I cycled a route there from Fort William, but the track was surfaced with large broken stones so was almost impossible to cycle.
I had just purchased a brand new expensive Gore-Tex heavy weight summer jacket and had obviously not tested it in heavy rain (if at all). The jacket was a disaster and leaked like a sieve/wetted out. Gore exchanged it for a Winter Thinsulate/Gore-Tex jacket, which was very warm, but of course I still had to buy a light weight summer Gore-Tex rain jacket. The Gore-Tex stuff was very new on the market and presumably Gore had some manufacturing issues initially.
My feet gave me problems also. Naturally everything was wet (except for a set of dry clothes I reserved for the tent). The boots were a little too stiff, small and my feet became bruised by the time I approached Kinlochleven. I removed a pair of thick socks and probably a Sorbothane cushion insole. But the boots, which were OK for a day's hill walking, proved uncomfortable for long distance track/road walking.
Apart from these clothing Faux Pas, I was wearing climbing britches, probably of moleskin. That was a serious mistake as it was impossible to get these dry overnight. Modern synthetics are the way to go and even Fjällräven Barents trousers dry pretty fast.
My absolutely worst day was the trek from Tyndrum across Rannoch Moor to the Kingshouse Hotel. Rannoch Moor was desolate and I was walking into horizontal rain and gale force winds. I was at a very low ebb in physical and mental strength. I literally had to force myself to walk just the next hundred meters, then the next 100m, etc. until I finally reached the Kingshouse House. I enquired the price of bed and breakfast there (no bunk houses in these days) and was scared off by their prices. So I attempted to pitch my tent in the rain near the Kingshouse. However, the weather had other plans and ripped the tent out of my hands and I nearly lost the tent in the River Etive. Fortunately I retrieved the tent and erected it, but then found my sleeping bag was wet. That was the last straw on a bad day, so I checked into the Kingshouse Hotel for the night. In retrospect, that was the best thing I could have done, as I managed to dry almost all of my gear out in their drying rooms.
Naturally, there were no TH-cam or other social media platforms in these days and I met very few people on the route. I did not have a smart phone, nor even a GPS device in these days. No downloadable OS Maps for the phone, etc. All Map and Compass, but even then, navigation was very straight forward. The whole route was not developed/commercialised then, no honesty boxes, Green Welly and very few shops and cafes en-route. I did however, restock the food in Kinlochleven.
I met a group of Royal Marines from Arbroath and they were from the catering Corps on a Jolly. First bumped into four of them in the pub at lunchtime at Rowerdennan. Then I caught up with the full group of them at the Inversnaid Hotel (closed for the rest of the off season). They had intended to camp at the campsite there but it had been destroyed by storms and trees had flattened the site. They had managed to get permission to sleep in the servant's quarters and I slept on the floor there. They even fed me dinner and breakfast, which was a bonus. I met them yet again in the Hotel in Tyndrum where we had all decided to have a few jars of beer. Lots of stories of the Argentinian war a few years before. I had camped at the Pine Trees Campsite in Tyndrum. The marines were not carrying heavy packs as their Landrover handled the transport of the heavy packs. Despite frequent offers from them to do the same for me, I declined as I wanted to do the walk unassisted.
I did have one accident when I fell thigh deep in a peat bog and hurt my leg, but fortunately not enough to stop me carrying on. I didn't get much sympathy from my local doc who replied that if I had just walked 95 miles, then there was nothing wrong with my leg. Next patient please!!
I was very happy to have completed the route, even under these difficult conditions. I no longer live in Scotland but would like to walk the Cape Wrath Trail in 2023, assuming I can recover from a major cardio operation in time. That looks like a very challenging route. The West Highland Way is a pleasant route to walk with superb scenery and a test for your own strengths. Go for it.
Wisdom, learned the hard way. We've all been there. Valuable lessons.
It’s on my bucket list 🙏your video was. Good help. Thanks for being so honest. And well done for getting some of it done. It was still a good distance
I appreciate that. Thank you.
Great tips, hope you have another try.
Thank you Susan. 😊
Outstanding advice than you very much.
You're welcome. Hope it was of some use. Thanks for watching and for the comment. :)
It’s hard to regret mistakes when you learn so much from them. Looking forward to my WHW hike this summer.
I agree. Always got to see the silver lining. I feel much more prepared for the next time. Good luck for the summer. 😊
Nice one mate, very honest of you and well presented. This is the first video I’ve watched after coming back off the trip :)
Cheers mate. Been offline for the past week. How did it go?
@@EwanGoesHiking was awesome mate, first video is up. Painful but worth it!
thinking of doing the Cleveland way next year so plenty food for thought there. Thanks
No problem. Thanks for watching and commenting. 😊
That's good, thanks.
I walked from Edin to Ulva last year; that was to help their buyout; but being 69 I cheated and did it in bursts, getting the train back home after two or three days and restarting after a couple of days r&r. I had checked my kit. Two things I remember learning- don't put you Kindle in the cargo pocket. It rubs raw on your knee. Do put your flat cap on backwards when it is raining or snowing. Oh, and get the route sorted. I was doing around 12-15 miles a day with 10-11 kg on board. Just knowing how far you have to go is a big incentive. You might have time for a brew.
Thanks Chris. Doesn't sound like cheating to me. 😂 That sounds like a good walk though. Thanks for watching and commenting. Much appreciated.
@@EwanGoesHiking It was a wonderful trip. Some of it urban or main roads, because I was going from A to B (E to U, in fact) so not all the grand outdoors. But lots of good people met, some lovely country and the Western Isles. I wait to get there the next time.
Uncanny. A mate and I had exactly the same kind of experience a few years back. One day I'll return to conquer it. It's such a beautiful place to walk, if you don't prepare then it really spoils it.
I hope you get another chance. I'll be getting back out on the WHW soon hopefully 😊