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How are times for walks calculated?

How are times for walks calculated?


Postby slowestmunroist » Sun May 29, 2022 8:10 pm

Hello
I am sometimes much faster and sometimes much slower than approx times given for WH routes. Just wondering how these are calculated/averaged? Do they incorporate folk who use a bike or are they purely walking?
Many thanks
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Re: How are times for walks calculated?

Postby davekeiller » Sun May 29, 2022 8:55 pm

I'm sure that Paul has explained it somewhere.
I think the times are calculated using a Naismith's rule approximation (an average walking speed with time added on for ascent or steep descent), but with a bit of an adjustment based on his experience of the routes (e.g. you'll walk faster on a good track than pathless moorland).
Unless specifically stated, time is an estimate of how long it should take to walk, but it's the walking time only (i.e. doesn't necessarily take into account things like stopping for lunch).
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Re: How are times for walks calculated?

Postby Paul Webster » Mon May 30, 2022 11:15 am

There's no calculation, as we try to give an estimate that allows for the difficulty of the terrain etc which is overlooked with calculated times - crossing rough boulders takes ages compared to going along a track, even if both are level. Similarly with bashing through heather vs walking across a bare plateau.

The times are for walking the whole way as described. We get plenty of comments that they are all far too slow, and also that they are far too fast. To some extent it obviously depends on conditions, but we do try to keep things consistent. Most seem to work out what to expect for themselves in comparison.

However, for shorter walks we are generally a bit more generous as I think people doing the longest ones are likely to be faster than those doing a short walk.
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Re: How are times for walks calculated?

Postby Sgurr » Mon May 30, 2022 12:00 pm

Probably also depends on age as well. At 53 I very seldom took as long as any time quoted, at 63 I was about average, at 73 it was add 50% and at 83 it is more like "think of a number and double it." e.g. the last stage of the West Highland Way is an estimated 6-7 hours and I set off at 6 am and didn't get there until 3 pm. I did sit down for lunch.
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Re: How are times for walks calculated?

Postby denfinella » Tue May 31, 2022 8:46 am

I think the listed timings are quite consistent. We tend to be a bit faster than the estimates, but the ratio tends to be the same - about 0-20% quicker mostly depending on temporary factors (e.g. has it rained recently making bogs trickier, is it high summer when vegetation is high, is it very warm meaning we have to take more breaks and carry more water). Once you've done a few routes and worked out your own ratio, it's easy enough to apply this to other routes.

Different people definitely do walk at very different places. We've walked with certain family members and have ended up taking double our expected time. Whereas some people are able to keep to Naismith's Rule, which is much too fast for us.

Distance on its own doesn't dictate overall time. I think the most striking difference is between Munros in the Cuillin (with direct ascents and very rocky terrain) and Munros in the Cairngorms (with ling approach tracks and flat plateaux); you might average 1mph on some of the former, but 3mph on the latter.
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Re: How are times for walks calculated?

Postby NickyRannoch » Mon Jun 06, 2022 10:03 pm

The older I get the more innacurate they seem.

You just get used to it. As a plodder who can walk on a track forever without really needing to rest bit a crap climber I can easily take an an hour or two off walks in the east and easily add two hours for walks west coast ridges with a lot of ascent and descent.

I probably wouldn't have any noticeable difference for a walk with 900m of ascent over 6 miles or over 10 miles.
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Re: How are times for walks calculated?

Postby Jan Pawlowski » Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:05 pm

I meet the estimates pretty much all the time. It's very handy that they are there.
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