WHW in Three Days

[Me and My Shadow]

I walked the WHW in three days in May ‘22 and thought I’d share my thoughts on the experience in the hope that others find it useful.

Firstly, a wee bit of context: I’d walked the WHW twice previously; in 2008 (seven days; my very first long distance hike) and 2014 (four days). Ever since my four day completion in 2014, I’d toyed with the idea of trying it in three. In Autumn 2021 I decided to commit and book my accommodation. I enjoy fairly regular, moderate hill walks. I’ll normally walk between 30 miles and 40 miles per week and I occasionally like to try something a bit more challenging. I’ve completed a few long distance walks over the last 15 years. I’m in my fifties and consider myself to be at a fairly reasonable level of fitness. The three-day WHW is the toughest challenge I’ve undertaken. I trained for about ten weeks before the walk.

I decided to stay in hotels / B&Bs rather than camp, because I’m not a fan of camping and didn’t fancy the prospect of erecting a tent at the end of a long day’s hike. I’m not overly fond of bunkhouse accommodation either. I prefer my own, en-suite room. This presented a couple of slight challenges in finding accommodation in the right places to split the daily mileages fairly evenly. Rowardennan would have made day one too short and The Drovers, too long, particularly with the slow section around Inversnaid to tackle. The only sensible choice was Inversnaid but the hotel prioritises its coach tours and only makes rooms available to walkers if it has spare capacity, so I chose a B&B a mile up the hill. The best location for day two was Inveroran but the hotel was full on my preferred dates, so I opted for Bridge of Orchy instead. This made day three a little longer than I would have preferred but it’s only a difference of about three miles so I decided to go for it. I stayed in Milngavie the night before beginning my walk, so I could get an early start. I used a baggage transfer service which picks up from Premier Inn Milngavie at 7.45am.

Day One:
Started walking from Premier Inn as soon as my bag was collected. Reached start point at 8am. Kept walking without stops until about 2.5 miles from Conic Hill. Took a five minute break then on to Balmaha, where I stopped for a sandwich, then kept walking on to Rowardennan, where I took another ten minute break. Went on to Inversnaid, which I reached at 8.15pm. My pace was slowed slightly in the couple of miles before Inversnaid because of the boulders and tree roots in that section. This was entirely expected. 20 minutes got me from the hotel car park to the B&B. Day one finished! 34 miles according to my GPS. Moving average 3.1mph.

Day Two:
Breakfast was served at 8.30am so started walking at 9am. Slower first couple of miles because of more boulders and tree roots. Again expected. Had a lunch-stop at Bienglas and a second, ten minute break at Crianlarich crossroads, then pushed on to Bridge of Orchy. Arrived 8pm. 27 miles. Moving average 2.8mph.

Day Three:
Started walking at 8am, again constrained by breakfast time. Good pace across Rannoch Moor and a 20 minute break at Kingshouse. Found the Devil’s Staircase a little tougher than I remember, probably because it was 15 miles into my third day. I arrived at Kinlochleven about an hour later than I’d expected. I realised my arrival at Fort William would be later than my 10pm estimate so took the opportunity to have a meal in Kinlochleven before pressing on. I underestimated the time from Kinlochleven to Fort William, again perhaps because I was tiring and my pace was slowing. Also the path was much stonier than I’d remembered, with lots of large, loose stones which could easily cause an ankle twist if not careful. My North Face Vectiv Exploris lightweight boots had gotten soaked on day two and were still damp in the morning, so my Berghaus Hillmaster II boots went on for the last day. Great boots and I’ve owned a few pairs over the years, but they’re heavy for a long distance. Soles are solid but shock absorption isn’t great over miles of stoney ground. Not designed with 30+ miles in mind. I’d left Kinlochleven at 5.20pm and eventually got to the finish in FW at 11.30pm. I’d had the foresight to pack my head torch, just in case. 37 miles. 2.8mph moving average.

Summary:
The WHW is possible in three days for someone of reasonable fitness, but planning and training are key. I’d recommend staying at Inveroran rather than Bridge of Orchy. 8am was too late a start on day three. I should have skipped breakfast at the hotel, started earlier and picked up breakfast at Kingshouse. The section from Kinlochleven to FW shouldn’t be underestimated. Wear the right footwear: lightweight and waterproof with good ankle support and shock-absorption.

Gear:
North Face Vectiv Exploris boots
Berghaus Hillmaster II boots (back-up pair for this walk)
Berghaus lightweight Gore-Tex jacket
Trespass packaway waterproof trousers
Garmin GPS
Walking poles (took two; needed only one but invaluable on certain sections)
Lifesaver bottle (not needed)
Knee supports and ankle supports (not needed)
Smidge head net (not needed, surprisingly)

Sustenance I took with me:
Water (numerous places to top up drinking water en route, hence no need for Lifesaver bottle)
Kendal mint cake
Isotonic drinks
Soluble isotonic tablets
Mars bars
Cereal bars