9 things I wish I knew before my first hut-to-hut trek.
From personal experience (and personal mistakes)
You get sweaty
The mountains aren't always cold and inhospitable. Bright sun, no wind and a long climb can have you dripping with sweat in a T-shirt.
Then you get cold
Clouds roll in, the wind picks up during a break, suddenly you go from overheating, to freezing.
Pro tip: If you feel yourself cooling off, get a midlayer out, otherwise you won't magically start warming up.
One big jacket isn't the answer
Mitigate this with proper layering techniques.
Baselayer to wick sweat (thermal or gym top), midlayer for insulation (fleeces, duvets), outer for protection from the elements (hardshell - not an umbrella).
Mountain sun is stronger than you think
Bring good sunglasses (cat 3/4), a hat and sunscreen.
I once burnt the back of my eyeballs (0/10, would not recommend).
Pro tip: some sunglasses have guards around the side of the lens, these are great.
Zip-off trousers are actually brilliant
These change the game because when you get slightly hot, unzip them - now you have flared trousers (stylish, I think) that are airy.
Still hot, take them off. Still hot, dip the trouser in a stream and hang it over your neck.
Running out of water happens faster than you expect
500 ml per hour for a cloudy and cool day.
For a hot, sunny, strenuous day you could require up to 1L per hour. Which is a lot to carry for a 20 km hike.
Pro tip: hydrate well at breakfast before you leave to give yourself a buffer, for long hot days, look for huts or natural water points along the route; they will offer water.
Dormitories are part of the experience
You need a sheet sleeping bag (essentially your duvet cover/sheet but it just wraps around you) + bring a pillow case.
I never claimed they were luxurious.
Pro tip: Bring earplugs and eyemask. In a shared dorm people may be coming in late and leaving early and they can't see in the dark. Also zzzzzzzzzzzers.
Ascent is hard, descent is worse
Hut-to-hutting allows you to stay high in the mountains - avoiding ascent and descent.
With a heavy rucksack the ups become a slog, but down can be even harder on the knees.
I thought dining with strangers would be awkward...
Often the tables are big and you'll be sat with your group, but also with fellow hutters.
Chat with them. Ask where they've been. The mountain community is super friendly and interesting.
Pro tip: they've been stuck with the same people for 8 hours of hiking so they'll want a fresh perspective ;)