Help Planning Solo Western Authurs Hike (A-K)

[kRaydenH]

I'm currently planning on doing the A-K Western Authurs Traverse over the easter holiday. I have a pretty strict 7 day limit as I absolutely need to be back at Devonport on the 8th day for the 10:30am ferry.
Mostly I am having trouble planning my route as im not sure how long it will me to get between campsites, currently im thinking I will be able to make it to Lake Cygnus on the first day, then to Oberon on day 2, then High Moor for day 3, Haven Lake day 4 then back to Junction creek or if im in a rush then all the way back to Scots Peak Dam. So far this is about 5-6 days. im wondering if this is a realistic plan, how long it usually takes people between campsites and what side trips/detours I should squeeze in as I really want to see as much of this beautiful range as possible. Keep in mind im fairly new to this and don't have any fancy navigation equipment, I will just be using paper maps, a compass, google earth and my mediocre sense of direction for navigation so if any points are notoriously hard to navigate it may be best I avoid them.

I have fairly limited experience hiking, mostly doing day hikes, some of which involve scrambling, I also done French island with a pack 4 or so years ago on a school trip for DTO, but mountainous terrain with a pack will be a first for me, but you know how it is, im young and in shape so I feel like im invincible and can do anything. (I do plan this weekend on doing a short but relatively difficult hike I did last week here in VIC called burkes lookout with a 12.5kg weight in my back just to get a sense of what it will be like)

Another question I have is water, I've heard High moor is known to be dry at times and am wondering if its worth bringing a spare days water on that leg of the journey, additionally is any of the water safe to drink straight or should it be purified with tablets/boiled first, in general im assuming lakes and most campsites are where I will be able to stock up on water.

I'm also wondering what others have done in terms of transportation, I live in Victoria so im currently planning on taking my car down by ferry which will run me about $800 but I don't see a better option, I can save a lot by not bringing my car on the ferry or flying to Hobart but getting to the trail without a car seems very troublesome or equally as expensive if done by tour bus.
I apricate any advise, sorry if any of my questions are stupid, im pretty new to this whole thing, thanks

[L_Cham_67]

What you'll find with the Western Arthurs is that so much of it isn't your normal bushwalking. It's complex topography which requires scrambling, near vertical descents and ascents, big drop offs, and constant exposure to the worst weather Tasmania receives. It would probably be wise to consider a different week-long walk to get yourself acquainted with Tassie walking. South Coast Track is a good introductory to Southwest National Park, Frenchmans Cap is more like 4-5 days if you take your time, but is magnificent country.

If you're committed to the W Arthurs though, then this is my advice. Getting to Cygnus on Day 1 is definitely doable, it took us about 9 hours if i recall correctly. Hopping over to Oberon on Day 2 is a good option. Sidetrips up peaks like Hesperus, Sirius, Orion and Hayes are worth it. Sirius would be my favourite of those.
The difficulty gets taken up (a lot!) after Oberon. Most will head for High Moor on Day 3 and this is very sensible. Expect lots of tricky clambers, and very few water sources. Being on your own, certain sections like the hole in the rocks on Pegasus will be tricky. You're right about the water source at High Moor, it's not the greatest. It would be alright after rain, but not after a dry spell. Day 4 to Haven is another tough day. The Beggary Bumps have a reputation, and they are tough, but for me the hardest part was descending off The Dragon onto the bumps. There's also a very tricky descent 10 minutes before Haven Lake which takes some thinking.
We managed to get from Oberon to Haven Lake in one day, but that was forced on us as we were holed up at Oberon for a day due to bad weather, and the following day was extremely windy, and we didn't want to be at High Moor for that. It took us 13 hours I think, but we were both pretty fit. Don't recommend it haha.
On Day 5 you could definitely get back to Junction Creek. John Chapman in his SW Tasmania guidebook describes an off track shortcut, and this shaves off time. It's off track, but there's obvious signs of foot traffic for most of it. If you don't feel comfortable going off track, you could camp at Seven Mile Creek or Wullyawa Creek and then walk out from there on Day 6. Popping up Mt Scorpio on Day 5 is quick, easy, and a pretty cool little peak.

This is all assuming you have favourable weather on every day. As I mentioned above, we had to sit in our tents at Oberon for an entire day with the wind roaring and rain pouring outside, and this was earlier this summer. Are the Easter holidays in April this year? If they are, you might not have daylight savings to allow you to walk late in the day.

The Western Arthurs is considered the most difficult tracked walk in Tasmania (along with Eastern Arthurs). Definitely consider being flexible with walk options, especially if the weather forecast doesn't look great and as you're new to Tassie. I hope that doesn't sound condescending or patronising, but it really can become a matter of life and death out there. Maybe think about walking in to Oberon, then heading out the same way if things turn sour. If you do get out there though, good luck!

Can't help with transport related stuff sorry. All options are going to be expensive unfortunately, unless you can find someone driving out there on the same day as you and you can carpool. Water from the lakes and small creeks are usually going to be fine to drink without treatment.

[north-north-west]

As L_Cham has said, the Arthurs are not exactly how you learn to do multiday bushwalking, particularly in SW Tassie. Easter is shoulder season and there is no telling what might happen weather wise. You have to be certain that both you and your gear are up to it. I would definitely advise doing something else as an intro.
Multiday walking - especially something like the WArthurs - is not like doing a bunch of consecutive daywalks. You're carrying a lot more weight (tent, sleep system, stove and fuel, food, camp clothes, wet-weather gear) and with a restrictive schedule you can't just take a day off because you're feeling a bit tired. You really need to do a few overnighters before tackling something like this, just to get the body attuned and make sure your gear can cope.
Speaking of gear, it does need to be reasonably durable equipment. The track is going to be overgrown in places, it will be muddy (even up on the range), there's a lot of rock and a few places where you may need to packhaul.

Scotts Peak to Cygnus is fine, even in April, as long as you get an early start, and by early I mean spend the night there, get up at sparrow fart and hit the track. Don't underestimate the difficulty of the push up Alpha Moraine, especially as it comes after the mudbath of getting to Junction and across that corner of the Arthur Plains.
Cygnus to Oberon is an easy day - if the weather is fine you have time to do Procyon and/or Orion and/or Sirius. Don't plan any sidietrips for the legs from there to Haven, except a short doddle to the Taurus summits (five minutes each) and the Dragon (Beggary high point) and maybe Pegasus. You can bypass the cave on the climb up Pegasus, but it requires a certain familiarity with Tasmanian boulder fields or a lot of dumb luck; doing that gets you fairly directly to the Pegasus summit which is great, but it then means you have to get back to the track. Extra time at High Moor is best spent clambering over the Columba rockpiles and gathering strength for what's ahead. If you get to Haven early enough, consider a quick squizz at the route out to Aldebaran.
The shortcut down from the top of Kappa Moraine is easy to find and follow; it's steep but open walking until you get to the first creek crossing.

Water: it depends on how accustomed you are to drinking wild water. I've never bothered treating or filtering in Tassie and never had issues - most locals don't. When in doubt, treat. It's not a time or place to be taking chances. Creeks, lakes, larger pools are usually OK; High Moor is the most questionable source.

The track is mostly obvious and the vaguer bits are usually cairned or marked in some other way. Distances are not a good guide for what's doable because it's rough country. The major campsites are where they are because there's water and they're a reasonable time apart; there are other spots where it's possible to pitch along the range, but it's best to not plan around them.

[crollsurf]

I've done dozens of multi-day walks of more than a week. I want to do the Arthur's as well, but I'm kind of nervous about it. Things could work out fine, but if they don't, you'll need experience and a level head. I generally walk solo, but there's no way I'd walk the Arthur's by myself.

A cheaper, easy option is to book into the Overland Track. Fly in, plenty of transport options, you can do it in the week. It's an awesome walk and so much safer if things don't work out.



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[north-north-west]

I've done dozens of multi-day walks of more than a week. I want to do the Arthur's as well, but I'm kind of nervous about it. Things could work out fine, but if they don't, you'll need experience and a level head. I generally walk solo, but there's no way I'd walk the Arthur's by myself.
k

If I can do a full traverse, solo, at 57, you'll be fine. All it takes is commonsense, an understanding of your gear and of your limiitatiions. Our OP here concerns me because they don't seem to have that multiday experience, and that also makes me question the gear.

[JamesMc]

OK, I'll say it.

This is a BAD idea. If you think French Island is relevant experience, then you are likely to be WAY out of your depth. If you are lucky, you might walk the range in glorious sunshine. If you are unlucky, you might die from hypothermia. Or you might force other walkers to up-end their plans to keep you safe.

Kudos for asking the question though. Tas Parks stations a track ranger at the bottom of the Western Arthurs through summer with the task of turning around the large number of unprepared walkers turning up to walk the range or just visit Lake Oberon.

There is no "standard" walk in Victoria that is similar in difficulty or seriousness to the Western Arthurs. (Something like the Vereker Range traverse is as hard, but is not really a "standard" walk.)

Also, the Western Arthurs are not a good place to walk if you have a strict deadline to get home. It's quite possible to be delayed by weather that is unsafe to walk in or due to flooded creeks that are unsafe to cross.

There are any number of other fantastic walks you could do in Tasmania, although some of the obvious candidates are booked out for Easter. You'd be better off leaving the Western Arthurs for another time and doing it with a group.

(And water supply will be the least of your problems.)

[Tortoise]

G'day kRaydenH,

Don't worry about asking 'stupid questions'. They are excellent questions, and I wish more people would ask them. Thanks for giving us a good overview of your experience. Well done.

I've been hanging back, waiting for others to jump in, but I have to agree wholeheartedly with James Mc - it is a BAD idea. There are lots of red flags, from your strict 7 day limit, to being fairly new to this, limited experience with a mediocre sense of direction and no GPS, going solo in such challenging terrain and potentially brutal conditions without the experience, etc.

mountainous terrain with a pack will be a first for me

The WAs are not a good place to start gaining experience.

I strongly suspect that as a newbie, you won't have particularly great gear - especially not robust and lightweight. You may be looking at 20+ kg rather than the 12.5 you practised with, to have sufficient warm and waterproof gear, safety and emergency gear and enough food. Most people I know have an enforced tent day during the trip. High Moor seems the most popular spot to get stuck. We got hammered with get-blown-over-trying-to-stand-up wind and torrential rain for a day and a half, which seems pretty common.

On another trip we had 1 mm of rain and light winds forecast, but got another day and a half of horizontal snow followed by torrential, horizontal rain.

Most people do lots of mulit-day walks before hitting southwest Tassie, and the WAs are rarely their first down that way. That's the best way to not become an unfortunate statistic.

Carrying a pack with several more days' food than ever before is another big step up. Climbing up and down small cliffs, negotiating very steep, slippery slopes with said pack is another again. Being in a place where the temperature can drop 30 degrees or so in 10 minutes, where visibility can quickly disappear to a metre or two (VERY disorientating), where you're almost blinded by horizontal sleet or snow, and oops! ...you roll an ankle badly, things can become life-threatening in a very short time. If you become hypothermic, your ability to make rational decisions will be too impaired for you to help yourself. I learnt that first hand early on. Fortunately my friends figured out what was happening, and refused to let me lie down in the snow and go back to sleep.

The conditions in which you're most likely to need urgent life-saving help are also the conditions in which a helicopter will be unable to rescue you. Or if they try, their lives may be put at risk.

The WAs are stunning, which of course is why you want to visit them. I know it'd be a let-down to change your plans at this stage. But I'm convinced that's the best option. I'd love to hear that you've had a great WAs traverse in a few years' time. And as James said, there are many other excellent options for this upcoming trip.

[kRaydenH]

Thank you all for the advise, I think I will reconsider and think about doing W Authurs in a few years once I can get a bit more experience and better gear. I wasn't sure if it would be possible so I haven't booked the spirit of tas and only bought gear that I will have plenty of other uses for so it is still easy for me to change my mind. I think some of the gear I have is decent but I am really lacking a good pack and tent which are obviously incredibly important and don't really feel like buying anything super expensive (I was genuinely considering doing this with a regular northface backpack and a a duffel bag). Instead ill probably do a nice 3-4 or so day hike somewhere around the Grampians or maybe even drive over to NSW or SA if there is a more beginner friendly hike im interested in.

[JamesMc]

Hey kRaydenH,
This is a much better plan.

On a more positive note, you might consider joining a good bushwalking club. Mine (Victorian Mountain Tramping Club) has six one or two-week walks in Tasmania this summer, including three with various itineraries in the Eastern and Western Arthurs.

A bushwalking club is not likely to take someone they don't know on a walk in the SW Tas mountains, but once you've done a bit of walking with them already (probably learning a lot on the way), there would be no problem.

JamesMc

[CBee]

I personally haven't come across the WA's A to K to be such a big deal. And regardless, you most likely are going to tackle some poor weather in any season, so the gear you carry should be appropriate to your level of comfort in such environment. The tracks are now well worn that is honestly hard to get lost and even then, the traverse has some obvious features hard to miss. The campgrounds have water and platforms and are generally sheltered in the shrubs. Even High Moor, although you don't want necessarily to spend the night in super high winds, has convenient platforms and some extra guy lines for better rigging. The water in this location should not be a problem if you carry a filter or treatment tablets. But carrying extra water for this leg is advisable. Distances are honestly short and even if you are slow on the scrambles with a full pack, still you have plenty of time to reach next camp spot on the platform. Providing you are not going to rock-up at the platforms with some large groups taking all the tent spaces, you should be ok to solo this route but you possibly will encounter many hikers, especially from SP to Oberon. The scrambles are not hard neither dangerous IMO except the descent down Capricorn that could be slippery on the roots.

I don't know you personally so I won't advise you either way, but if you decide to give it a go, worst case scenario you can just go up to Oberon campsite, it's an easy hike you can do in 2 or 3 days and do some summits at Oberon like other people have said, is honestly spectacular like no many other places in Australia if you get some good weather, and with the final descent down to the camp, it will give you an idea of the scrambly sections of the Arthurs. If you think this descent is at you limit, then you should turn back.
I honestly wouldn't over think this route: you don't have to complete the loop to enjoy these mountains. You also don't need to own expensive gear to hike in Tasmania (or joining bushwalking clubs). My 2c.

[kRaydenH]

Im actually kind of back onto the idea of doing the W Authurs this year. I have like 110hrs of annual leave saved up so I can probably get another week off work.

I can probably also squeeze in a 3 or so day day hike sometime before easter to give my gear a bit of a field test. If im not up to the W Authurs or I check the weather and it looks really bad im prepared to turn back at Oberon after day 2 since there's honestly a few activities and day hikes in Launceston I wouldn't mind doing as a backup.

I honestly think my gear is decent enough to tackle this hike, I just need a good tent and pack and probably some more clothes as im worried ill be cold at night.

Gear
Scarpa Terra GTX Boots
Kmart Campmaster Ultralight stove
2x 250g Butane canisters
Lighter/Flint and Steel
Long Spoon
$35 sleeping mat I got on marketplace (its reasonably comfortable but not warm)
1 degree InsuLITE kathmandu sleeping bag (weighs 1.34kg)
Milwaukee Fastback knife (just because I have it already, just want something to cut up salami and cheese and maybe dig out splinters if I get one)
Milwaukee headtorch (again not the lightest or best headtorch but I already have one for work)
Phone
Portable charger
Charging lead
Compass
Whistle
Toilet Paper Roll
body warmer patches
Small deodorant roll/can
Small toothpaste tube
Toothbrush
Blister/Sports tape
Hand Sanitiser
Small Disinfectant Cream or wipes
Trash bags for waterproofing and for rubbish

Stuff I dont have yet
Sea to Summit Quagmire Gaiters
Decathlon Forclaz 60L MT500 Air but if I find something good on marketplace for cheaper ill pick that up instead.
A small 1 man tent ill hopefully find on marketplace but if not the Denali Kakadu II from Kathmandu
Sea to Summit 1L dry bag for food
Plastic Trowel
Might also be able to borrow a little light weight chair from a friend
Im going to print and laminate a few maps, also looking into a GPS hiking app that's free but worst case I have the area downloaded and all the campsites marked on google maps
im not planning on bringing poles, I think I might struggle with the mud between Junction creek and Alpha Moraine but im hoping to find a nice walking stick somewhere to help with that part

Clothes
Macpac Mistral Rain Jacket (Outer Layer)
Some kind of Fleece or wool Patagonia Sweater (mid layer)
Thin Polyester T Shirt (base Layer)
Ski or Work gloves (I have both already, the ski gloves were cheap but they're waterproof and warm, work gloves have better grip though)
Cotton/Polyester Shorts (I know Cotton is bad but they're baggy shorts so they dry reasonably quickly)
Waterproof Ski Pants (Outer Layer)
Thin tent socks (probably cotton but I don't intend on getting them wet)
T shirt and thin Fila trackpants to wear in tent (again I intent to keep them dry in their own little bag)
Wool Beanie
A cap

I think I probably need a thermal layer and I for sure need some good thick hiking socks but honestly walking around I get hot and sweaty very easily so I want to keep things light and breathable while walking

Food
Flour, salt and yeast mixture to make camp bread (ill have this one of the first few mornings so I dont have to carry it as far)
Honey and butter for bread
Peanut Butter
Nutella
Cheese
Salami/Cured Meat
Matcha Latte
Miso Soup and Instant Noodle packet or 2(I've never done it but using Miso soup instead of the seasoning packet seems like a good idea)
Hot Chocolate
Electrolytes/Sports drink powder
Coffee
Oats
Chocolate
few sachets of salt, pepper and sugar
Biscuits/Crackers
Protein, Cliff, Granola and candy bars
2-3 High calorie Camp Meals per day (3 for every day I will spent hiking, 2 for every contingency/rest day)
Purifications Tablets
And for water ill probably just use the 1L maximus bottles and maybe get another thicker plastic bottle I can add hot/boiling water to for a hot water bottle at night, ill try carry like 4-5L on me at all times and really hydrate when im taking breaks at freshwater sources, I want to be able to carry 14L with me for the Oberton-Haven stretch though, hopefully Ill be a bit lighter after eating some of my food by then and the extra water weigh wont be to bad.

[Roadtonowhere]

Carrying 14l of water for Oberon to Haven? You are going to have one hell of a tough walk doing that.

[kRaydenH]

Carrying 14l of water for Oberon to Haven? You are going to have one hell of a tough walk doing that.

Yeah your right actually, I was thinking it’s 14 hours of walking over the 2 days and I’d want a little less than 1L and hour plus a good 2 L or so for cooking at high moor but 10L will probably do, 0.5L per hour of walking, 2L for cooking and 1L spare for extra water

[Eremophila]

Ditch the deodorant.
Similarly if you have hand sanitiser you won’t need cream/wipes, or vice versa.
Forget the camp bread, honey, butter etc.
Plastic trowel can be purchased from a disposals store or similar for a few dollars.

[Last]

I think you would be better to take less water but take a good water filter. There is info about them on this site and elsewhere. Shortly before your walk you could enquire about current conditions regarding water. I last walked there in march a couple of years ago and water was rather scarce and often of dubious quality, especially between Oberon and Haven. Carrying 10 litres (kilograms) of water is likely to lead to injury though. It's also not fun.
Your list seems reasonable at a glance but I would be concerned about the weight. I notice you haven't listed an EPIRB though. That would be a good idea. You haven't listed rope. Essential for lowering your pack down in a few places. 5 metres, only has to be strong enough to take your pack. You WILL use it.
It should be remembered that the only way on and off the range is moraine A and K (apart from a very dubious route down E which would be very hard to find in the kind of conditions that would make you want to find it.) and if the weather is bad, your gear fails or you are struggling it's a long way home. Don't rely on someone saving you. The weather in the Western Arthurs can be terrible in ways that are unfathomable until you have experienced it. I have been in a 4 season tent that was blown flat many times during a very long night near Federation. A leser tent would have disintegrated. It can rain or snow at any time of the year. That said, you can be lucky, I had 7 days of perfect weather last time. You must be prepared for both. If the weather conditions are dubious, don't go. You won't enjoy it unless you're a masochist.
I walked solo last time. I had no real problems with that. I have walked solo a lot though . Sometimes it would be handy to have someone to pass your pack to. Have fun.

[Eremophila]

Oh yes an EPIRB for sure. Can you still hire them from Service Tasmania?
And forget about the chair.
Have you added up the weights of all your gear? A spreadsheet is helpful.
Also some basic first aid items, painkillers, bandaids, triangle & elastic bandages, Imodium.

[Warin]

Purifications Tablets ... take time to work ... 30 mins at least, 2 hours for Gardia/amibes. And that is clear water, if it is dirty .. then longer.

I'd look at the water sources from trip reports/maps .. and see how far you really need to carry water .. 10 l is 10 kg of weight.

Yes .. borrow an EPIRB from Parks.

I'd forget making bread on the track ... I would not feel like it, just take some from the supermarket - fuss free and quicker.

[bearded bushwalker]

A 1 liter dry bag won't hold much food. I hope that was a typo.

[Lostsoul]

Purifications Tablets ... take time to work ... 30 mins at least, 2 hours for Gardia/amibes. And that is clear water, if it is dirty .. then longer.

I'd look at the water sources from trip reports/maps .. and see how far you really need to carry water .. 10 l is 10 kg of weight.

Yes .. borrow an EPIRB from Parks.

I'd forget making bread on the track ... I would not feel like it, just take some from the supermarket - fuss free and quicker.

I use these aqua drops now,they work in 5 minutes.Put 3 drops into 1 litre of water.

[crollsurf]

Purification tabs aren't for everyone. They can really mess with your gut flora. Everyone is different but for me they are not an option. A filter system like a BeFree or a Sawyer could be a better option.

[Krunel]

It usually takes a fair bit of experience to understand and learn to adhere to minimal impact hiking practices. This is something to keep in mind before visiting the Arthurs. You may find it's better to build up hiking skills on other tracks, making mistakes and learning in less sensitive areas. Seen a lot of clueless hikers unaware of minimal-impact practices, contributing to unnecessary damage.

[lefroy]

Sorry, but I feel really uncomfortable with offering water treatment advice when the main concern is experience. In fine weather I'm sure the WA is good for a reasonable level of experience. In bad weather, which is the only kind I have seen there, It can be dangerous. I would seriously consider doing a few shorter walks that carry less consequences for you or the rescue party should things get nasty. Maybe watch 'winter on the blade' to get an understanding of what bad weather entails in areas like this. That's not being patronising, i'd be genuinely concerned for your safety.

[weetbix456]

I’m still quite concerned that this post is truly not satire?? Please strongly consider doing some other less remote/difficult/exposed Tassie multi-day walks before considering the WA’s at the time of year mentioned, solo. Slowly acquiring quality gear + adequate experience - yes, I get that we all have to start somewhere - but this is not the place to put that to the test. IMO there are many red flags from reading your posts. Sure, you could get lucky and all goes well…but like others have said…I believe it’s a much more reasonable approach to gain some additional prior experience on other walks first. Get to know your kit, your fuel/food needs, and your weight carrying capabilities. If you do attempt - please play it humble and be OK with turning back earlier rather than later if need be. Comparatively it’s all flat to junction creek, and only gets more up + down relentless after ascending the initial moraine. Have back up plans, spare days, and do not underestimate the weather. It can be relatively calm on the plains, when wild on the tops. Rescue services have a limited capacity to attend a call out in unfavourable conditions - and should only be expected to be called upon in true emergencies. Ideally, all would be walkers do everything in their planning and in field decisions to avoid the need for a call out. Again - this is just my opinion, but it appears you are running the gauntlet by attempting with the information provided on this post. Stay safe, and all the best.

[kRaydenH]

I've pretty well got my heart set on doing the WAs but if things are looking bad im 100% prepared to turn back at Oberon or even Cygnus if it's really bad, but otherwise I have 8 full days and plan on taking 5 days (maybe a 6th morning just to go from junction creek back to Scots peak). I will check the weather throughout the journey and assess.
For water I think I'll pickup a Sawyer filter just in case and for the most part just drink the water straight, drinking up and filling up my 1L bottle where I can, ill bring maybe 3-4L or so depending on the rain and what others say water is like at high moor at the time.
I might be able to borrow one but otherwise I honestly don't think I need a beacon, even if I had one im more the type to try and get myself out of situations on my own and would only use it if I was really life or death like I get rhabdo or something and I think its incredibly unlikely im going to push myself to that degree.

Also yes I forgot to write rope, I got 20m of rope from bunnings and ill cut like 5m or so off and bring that. I'll probably ditch a few luxuries like the chair but for food I will 100% keep the luxuries like camp bread, I love my food.
My main gear (Sleep, cooking systems and pack) without any food, water, first aid/emergency prep or luxuries weighs just under 9kg, my food will probably weigh somewhere in the territory of 6-10kg at the start, most of the time ill just carry 1kg of water on me as for the rest of my small items im not sure how much it will all weigh but id assume somewhere in the ball park of 4-5kg (especially since ill bring some dry tent clothes) so im probably looking at a pack weight of 20-25kg, I weigh 80kg at the moment but im on a little cut at the moment so ill probably be at 75kg at the time of the hike, it wont be easy but honestly I think im prepared for the WAs

[bumpingbill]

If you're going to do it, get a freaking beacon for *&^%$# sake. Don't be stupid. They're easy and cheap to hire.

[Tortoise]

it wont be easy but honestly I think im prepared for the WAs

The main problem with that is that without any relevant experience, you don't know what you don't know, and have no clue how you will cope (or not) if things go badly wrong - which of course they can more easily there than nearly all your other options. If all goes well, no doubt you'll learn a lot and have a great experience. But even great forecasts are no guarantee. What will you do, for example, if your tent gets shredded in the middle of the night at High Moor in below freezing conditions, with gale force winds and snow? Seriously, what's the rush to do the WAs?

[north-north-west]

I think a pre-booking for the chopper might be the go here ...

[myrtlegirl]

If you're going to do it, get a freaking beacon for *&^%$# sake. Don't be stupid. They're easy and cheap to hire.

^^^ what he said.

I honestly never thought I'd use my PLB. I've walked for 2 days on a munted ankle. Then on another walk, a minor stumble became something much bigger the next day.

Can't plan an accident. Can plan in case you have one.

[CBee]

"What will you do, for example, if your tent gets shredded in the middle of the night at High Moor in below freezing conditions, with gale force winds and snow?"
Beside the toilet, between the shrubs, it's a decently sheltered spot in case of an extreme weather emergency. Just saying...

[north-north-west]

"What will you do, for example, if your tent gets shredded in the middle of the night at High Moor in below freezing conditions, with gale force winds and snow?"
Beside the toilet, between the shrubs, it's a decently sheltered spot in case of an extreme weather emergency. Just saying...

And you've spent such a night there, in those conditions, and then walked out, right? It's only two nights back to the carpark, after all. A doddle, even when it's still snowing and blowing and you have no shelter.