Longest distance covered in a single day hillwalk?

[IainG]

Probably fisherfeild 6 in and out from coire hallie in a day, 50ish km, 3000ish m ascent in 14.5hrs. Was during a heatwave too I ended up drinking about 12 litres of water from various streams and a bog at one point and had some salt sweets too. The worst thing about the day was the clegmaggedon in that swamp area. Goes down as my favourite hill day!

Done exactly the same in scorching weather. A very memorable day, but it was absolutely exhausting.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1071

[al78]

I too do not speak metric

Unless you never use numbers in your life you do speak metric sometimes. Our numbers system is base 10 and therefore metric.

[al78]

I think the furthest I have walked was when I walked the Minigaig with an overnight camp. I started at Blair Atholl railway station and camped well north of the top of the pass, about 30 km. I could have gone further, but I had found a good place to pitch, and I didn't want to get to Kingussie too early the next day (there is little to do on a Sunday).

[CharlesT]

As I was brought up with miles, know how far a mile is and rate my cycling performance in mph, I'll stick with it.

25 miles or thereabouts, all the Black Mounrain tops from Crug Hywel to Hay Bluff and then down the other side, including a diversion to bag Black Mountain, and more or less folliwing the Offa' Dyke path back to Crug Hywel.

Beautiful early summer day, cloudless sky and about 10 hours if my nemory serves me right. I don't usually remember my walks very well but that one is firmly embedded in what remains of my mind.

[Veryhappybunny]

Gosh - I am in awe of the huge distances you have achieved. I tend to find anything much more than 25 km is quite a long day out Although I guess I must have walked over 30 km for the fisherfield hills. I don't really tend to keep a note of distance.

Although I do check route times now after getting surprised when an old edition of the SMT Munros guide mentioned a time to the top of Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan - without saying it was the time from Loch na Leitreach. This has since been corrected int he latest guide, but did make for a longer day than expected. Fortunately we had biked to the loch.

I definitely don't think using a bike is cheating: especially if you can bike in for a bid, uphill, and then end the day having a nice downhill stretch.

[Craiging619]

Think my record so far is 30.5km for the three Monadliath Munros, but I was starting from Newtonmore station and threw in a Graham at the end. Was a tricky descent to the river after the Graham as I'd already 'hit the wall' (and don't think I've ever enjoyed a dinner so much as the burger in the hotel), but the route round the Munros was so straightforward that it probably wasn't my hardest day.

Worst feeling at the end of a hillwalk was probably when I climbed Ben Oss and Dubhchraig (27km), because I did an Inverarnan-Tyndrum traverse and threw in Fiarach at the end. Again the route up wasn't bad, because there are hydro tracks up to 550m on the South side of Ben Oss (that no-one ever seems to use), but the decision to tag on Fiarach was ludicrous. Steep 500m descent from Dubhchraig meant I'd already hit the wall by the time I traipsed round the edge of the forest and across a long hummocky bealach to Fiarach. Was sick on the bus home. Classic day, 9/10.

[Silverhill]

The longest walk I have ever done in one day was part of a challenge in the Peak District: 50 miles (80 km) in 23.5 hours. I had blisters to match the distance, but loved every step of it. Walking through the night was very special.
For hill walking my longest walk was when doing Carn a' Mhaim, Ben MacDui, Derry Cairngorm and Beinn a' Mheadhoin from the Linn of Dee car park. A bit more than 40 km in 12.5 hours. I had planned to stay the night at the Hutchinson Hut and walk out the next day. But the bothy was full and there were already a lot of tents pitched around it, so I decided to just complete the walk that day. No blisters, but suitably tired when I arrived at the car. Luckily the youth hostel in Braemar still had space for me!

[gammy leg walker]

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/an-sgarsoch.shtml

[rockhopper]

Have had a few reasonable sized days over the years but two individual days which come to mind which didn't involve a bike or an overnight trip were:

Gairich to Sgurr na Ciche from Loch Arkaig.....Munros 5, Corbetts 1.....about 45km and 3,200m of ascent
Mamores complete round from Glen Nevis.....Munros 10.....about 41km and 3,900m of ascent

Nowadays I tend to take it quite a bit easier and enjoy it....when I can get out

[Bonzo]

43 miles round the Derwent watershed Walk in the English Peak district one fine day in 1980. 14 hours. Over Kinder scout, Bleaklow, Stanage etc Only took two bottles of water - no water en route .....
Sore.

Same for me in 1988 but in 12 hours

[Essan]

A trek I did over Corieyairick Hill/Gairbheinn and Meall na h-Aisre, finishing off at Blackburn of Pattack bothy (which dates it ) was at least 28 miles / 45 km (~1460m ascent) with full pack. Probably one of my longest hill days, though I have done much further in a day at lower level.

[weedavie]

It might not be my longest walk but it was certainly the most stressful. I've done blizzards, I've done navigational error but for real stress you need people.

Someone else mentioned the Caledonian Challenge. I'd never think of doing it but I'd helped some youngsters at work with their training and they'd wanted me to join in. In the end I said I'd walk Glencoe to Auchtertyre with them.

At the ski carpark, I found they were considerably late so I went climbed Beinn Chrualaiste which I'd not have thought of any other time. I got back to the carpark, 12k in the bag and no further forward. Their support team were lovely but very HR. They were serving them up the second course of a complex gourmet meal. A major tantrum on my part got them moving within half an hour, puddings being taken on the march. Problems with blisters slowed us but it was becoming a cracking evening and sitting on Ba Bridge listening to teams from Essex gasping at the gorgeousness around was actually quite cheering.

The blisters took us into the casualty tent at Bridge of Orchy. It looked to me like the aftermath of the Somme. We left at sunset, a point I'd hoped to be back in Edinburgh. The forecast at this point from the organisers was a clear night. I looked at lightning flashing over Cruachan and wondered.

The storm that broke was a stunner. Torrential rain and spectacular lightning. I was amused in the flashes to see figures around me like Orcs - their faces distorted by their midge nets. I was now pretty much using a cattle prod to keep two of the party moving. The blistered one was being helped by the fourth member.

The storm ended and the sun and midges came up at Tyndrum. Three of the party gave up at Auchtertyre. I turned back to the car I'd left at Dalrigh. One of the deserters had insisted on coming with me which was useful to keep me awake on the drive back. My walk had been 48k and about 1500 metres of ascent (and Chrulaiste kind of makes it a hill walk).

The last member carried on. Near Crianlarich she was told the burns were impassable, get on the bus and you'll be awarded a completion. Then she was told ok they're crossable after all and allowed off. She completed.

[bar72]

Ben Avon, Beinn a'Bhuird, Beinn a'Chaorainn then Beinn Bhreac (40k) 12hrs

Fisherfield's Big 6 (40k?) 20hrs (including 6hr kip in bothy)

Knoydart from Kinlochourn and back (Luinne Bheinn, Meall Buidhe & Ladhar Bheinn (44k) (20hrs)

Mullardoch & Affric 12 (Carn nan Gobhar, Sgurr na Lapaich, An Riabhachan, An Socach, Mullach na Dheiragain, Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan, An Socach, Mam Sodhail, Beinn Fhionnlaidh, Carn Eighe, Tom a'Choinnich & Toll Creagach (55k) 22hrs)

All done in a single 24hrs and not the way to fully appreciate these remote areas but I was wanting my 1st round under my belt. I shall return at a later date at a more leisurely pace to appreciate these area more fully as Knoydart / Mullardoch were just a blur

[huwthomas]

The longest walk I've ever done was a fundraiser for Oxfam across the South Downs, covering 100km/60miles which I completed with 3 friends in around 22 hours.

The longest mountain walk was a North-South traverse of the Welsh 3000ers. From car to car this was about 46km/28miles with 4000m+ ascent. 7 of us did it in about 22 hours again (which was longer than we planned, but did invovle climing Tryfan North Face and Bristly Ridge in clag, also ticking off Castell y Gwynt, and traversing Crib Goch in darkness). It remains my favourite ever day in the hills.

Sadly both walks a reminder of how young and fit I used to be!