The shortcut is only short on the map. On the ground it’s full of fences.

Plans look clean from above because a map leaves out everything that would slow you down. The direct line does not show the locked gate, the person you have to convince, the skill you skipped and now need. That is why the quick route so often takes longer than the boring one, and why people who took it arrive tired and behind.

Before you take the faster path, list the three obstacles the plan does not mention. If you cannot name any, you probably have not looked closely enough yet. Ask someone who has actually walked it what got in the way.