WHW - solo walking

[Mollyb1305]

Hi
Brand new to this site today - it looks great 😊
I’m planning to walk the WHW in late April, arriving into Fort William on May 1st.
I’ll be a solo female walker.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions that would be helpful?
Nervous & excited as this will be my first adventure on my own 😬
Thanks
M

[Coop]

When you've packed your bergan and feel you're struggling to lift it - tell yourself you may have packed too much
And tend to your feet if they tell you they're sore or tired.
Enjoy and all the best

[nick70]

Hi Molly

What are your plans for doing it, i.e. number of days, camping, B&B's, carrying own luggage or using luggage courier?

If camping then one bit of advice would be don't worry about carrying too much food. There are so many places along route to stop to dine and re-stock.

I would say to read through other members walk reports and glean as much info as you can. This will give you a better idea of what to expect and a timescale for you to achieve it in.

I have done it the last 2 years and will be doing so again this year, heading out on Easter Friday, so probably a few days ahead of you.

If you have a decent level of fitness then you shouldn't have too many problems. Above all, enjoy when you do it.

[Caberfeidh]

Watch a movie called "Wild". But don't watch any horror movies before you go...

Beware the terrible sheep monster of Rannoch Moor...

[Sgurr]

If you are worried about the solo aspect, don't. I've climbed many hills solo, and the greatest worry I have had has been my own competence to read a map. This shouldn't be an issue on the WHW. Once upon a time husband and friend met a mad axeman, but it was many miles away from there, he had access issues and is now dead. You should be 99.999% safe.

[kmai1961]

Totally agree with what Sgurr has said. I did the WHW twice, both times solo, and never had a moment of feeling unsafe (well, except when I got stuck in the mud in 2002, but by the time I did it again in 2004, the path had been re-routed around that section).

The best thing for me, walking solo, was that I could be as social (or not) as suited me from day to day. I'd often walk on my own, preferring the solitude, but was happy to meet up with others I'd met along the way for socializing in the evenings. I made several lasting friendships over the course of the two trips.