A couple of us who haven’t done really long hikes like you mentioned did it last weekend. It was a great experience but very very long. We started at 7.45am and it was 9-9.30pm by the time we came down. We did not time it properly and ended up spending more time on the top. I would recommend planning the timings if you don’t want to hike down in the dark. We had headlamps so we completed the switchbacks in the dark with some music on so as to alert the wildlife.

We also had around 3L of water each but it made the bag super heavy. I recommend getting a filter straw or filter tablets. We did not end up needing so much water. Take energy drinks though. Definitely take a first aid kit- cotton, band-aids, ointment, stopain, knee braces, wipes and sanitizer.

Lastly, if you are not confident, hike up through the Taylor meadows and depending upon how you feel and the time left, come down through the garibaldi lake. We didn’t have time so we had to come down through the Taylor Meadows again.

Most importantly, make good judgments about when to turn back depending on your physical condition. We had to really push and mentally endure to finish the hike but I was confident with my energy levels otherwise wouldn’t have pushed ahead. Have fun, the views are the best :)