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WHW this April, which gear should we take?

WHW this April, which gear should we take?


Postby KerenAmi » Tue Mar 19, 2019 11:58 pm

Hi there!
My boyfriend and I are about to do part of the West Highland Way at the beginning of April (1-5.4, Inverarnan to Fort William).
It's not our first long trek (did the Milford Trek NZ in 2017), but we're looking at weather forecasts implying a chance of ice/snow on the road. We may have experience in hiking in a full rainy day but don't have much experience with hiking on ice..

Did any of you hiked the WHW on those dates before? What are the odds it will get slippery?
Should we buy crampons?
Is there anything else we may not be familiar with and should take on this route?
I know some of the information is found on the official website, but I want to make sure we're well prepared for those specific weather conditions.

And about water supply- which are the safe areas to fill up water? Should we just fill it up at the b&bs?

Many thanks in advance for any help, you'll be saving lives.  :)
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby nick70 » Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:58 am

Hi KerenAmi

I have done the WHW the last 2 years, each time starting on Easter week end. Easter last year was a bit earlier (late March I believe) and weather therefore had more chance of being inclement.

I have never taken crampons with me. The Devils Staircase last year was covered in snow but generally if you apply some common sense and watch your footing you should be fine. I also experienced snow on ascent out of Kinlochleven on final day but again not enough that I would deem crampons necessary.

As for water supply, this is not somehting you really need worry about. There will be many places (camp sites, pubs, shops, B&B's as you say) you can refill at. Also the water on the hills will be fine to drink if you have run out.

Enjoy your walk when you do it. I hope you both have a great time.

ATB

Nick
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby Caberfeidh » Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:31 am

Walking a long distance in crampons will absolutely kill your feet (and those expensive crampons). Much better , and cheaper, are Katoola Microspikes; they are much more comfortable and more suitable for walking on icy paths. Not any good for winter mountaineering, but excellent for icy paths. I doubt of the conditions would be that bad, but best be prepared anyhoo.
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby rgf101 » Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:07 pm

I'd be thinking rain / wet snow / mud preparations rather than hard snow and ice. While praying for none of those, of course.
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby WalkWithWallace » Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:25 pm

April is still a good 11 days away, a lot can change with weather forecasts, you'll have a better idea of what to expect around 26th of March.

Crampons would be total overkill, microspikes or Yak trax may be an advantage, but I'd be surprised if you actually needed them.

Plenty water on hand at establishments such as pubs etc, but you'll encounter plenty streams along the way. You may want to filter the water before drinking if near farms etc.
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby regedmunds » Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:39 pm

I walked the WHW in April a couple of years ago, rained a bit but it was mild, no snow at all. Best of all, no midges! Great railway journey from Fort William to Glasgow!
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby davekeiller » Fri Mar 22, 2019 8:45 pm

The West Highland Way will most likely be below the snowline almost all of the way, so I doubt it would be worth taking anything.
Personally, I'd be wary of drinking from streams en route as it's not far enough from human habitation for my liking. It's easy enough to fill up with water in the morning before setting off, and it's unlikely to be especially hot in April so carrying enough water to last the day won't be a problem.
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby KerenAmi » Fri Mar 22, 2019 10:30 pm

Thank you all so much! All the answers really helped :D Now we're more assured.
We'll try to see if we could find some microspikes in Inverness just in case.

Some of you suggested getting ready for mud- what should we take for that? (Except for poles and hiking boots)

Thanks again. 😊
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby Arthurs Eat » Sat Mar 23, 2019 9:45 am

Gaiters should do the trick. Weather at that time of year can be variable so make sure you have waterproofs, hat gloves and an insulating layer inside a drybag. Enjoy.
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby mrssanta » Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:17 am

KerenAmi wrote:
Some of you suggested getting ready for mud- what should we take for that? (Except for poles and hiking boots)😊

Sense of humour essential
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby davekeiller » Sun Mar 24, 2019 3:34 pm

Gaiters are quite helpful in muddy conditions (keeps the mud off your socks and trousers). Boots with a decent tread may help you to stay upright, and don't wear anything you'll get precious about getting dirty!
April weather is notoriously changeable so waterproofs are absolutely essential as is warm clothing (it can get surprisingly cold, especially at night).
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby fhaggis » Mon Mar 25, 2019 3:38 pm

Did it twice at that time and the weather had been perfect for walking! Dry, cool and sunny! There was snow on the hill tops which just made it look even better. As someone said there was some snow at top of the devils staircase but no need for spikes or crampons!

Doing the east highland way on the 13th so hoping for more off the same!
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby bydand_loon » Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:47 pm

Worth watching the vids embeded in this lads walk report (link below) from on here, pretty much sums up early April weather and the ground conditions you'll encounter and quite amusing to boot

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=82594

I did the WHW in early April as well, 2 days rain but warm nights and 2 days stunning weather but frozen tent in the morning.
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby fhaggis » Tue Mar 26, 2019 3:16 pm

The path is great pretty much the whole way so mud won't be an issue, their was one muddy section near Crainlarich but sure that's just been resurfaced!
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Re: WHW this April, which gear should we take?

Postby WalkWithWallace » Tue Mar 26, 2019 4:15 pm

fhaggis wrote:The path is great pretty much the whole way so mud won't be an issue, their was one muddy section near Crainlarich but sure that's just been resurfaced!


Muddy section after Crianlarich woodland section, on the way to Tyndrum, but it's short lived.
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